Heat transfer from low aspect ratio pin fins

The performance of many engineering devices from power electronics to gas turbines is limited by thermal management. Heat transfer augmentation in internal flows is commonly achieved through the use of pin fins, which increase both surface area and turbulence. The present research is focused on internal cooling of turbine airfoils using a single row of circular pin fins that is oriented perpendicular to the flow. Low aspect ratio pin fins were studied whereby the channel height to pin diameter was unity. A number of spanwise spacings were investigated for a Reynolds number range between 5000 to 30,000. Both pressure drop and spatially-resolved heat transfer measurements were taken. The heat transfer measurements were made on the endwall of the pin fin array using infrared thermography and on the pin surface using discrete thermocouples. The results show that the heat transfer augmentation relative to open channel flow is the highest for smallest spanwise spacings and lowest Reynolds numbers. The results also indicate that the pin fin heat transfer is higher than the endwall heat transfer.