This paper presents a numerical investigation of the film-cooling performance of a kind of diffusion hole with a fusiform cross section. Relative to the rectangular diffusion hole, the up- and/or downstream wall of the fusiform diffusion hole is outer convex. Under the same metering section area, six fusiform diffusion holes were divided into two groups with cross-sectional widths of W = 1.7D and W = 2.0D, respectively. Three fusiform: cross section shapes in each group included only downstream wall outer convex, only upstream wall outer convex, or a combination of both. Simulations were performed in a flat plate model using a 3D steady computational fluid dynamics method under an engine-representative condition. The simulation results showed that the fusiform diffusion hole with only an outer convex upstream wall migrates the coolant laterally toward the hole centerline, and then forms or enhances a tripeak effectiveness pattern. Conversely, the fusiform diffusion hole with an outer convex downstream wall intensely expands the coolant to the hole two sides, and results in a bipeak effectiveness pattern, regardless of the upstream wall shape. Compared with the rectangular diffusion holes, the fusiform diffusion holes with only an upstream wall outer convex significantly increase the overall effectiveness at high blowing ratios. The increased magnitude is approximately 20% for the hole of W = 1.7D at M = 2.5. Besides, the fusiform diffusion holes with an outer convex upstream wall increase the discharge coefficient about 5%, within the moderate to high blowing ratio range.
