Aerodynamic losses of a cambered turbine vane: Influences of surface roughness and freestream turbulence intensity

The effects of surface roughness and freestream turbulence level on the aerodynamic performance of a turbine vane are experimentally investigated. Wake profiles are measured with three different freestream turbulence intensity levels (1.1%, 5.4%, and 7.7%) at two different locations downstream of the test vane trailing edge (1 and 0.25 axial chord lengths). Chord Reynolds number based on exit flow conditions is 0.9 X 10(6). The Mach number distribution and the test vane configuration both match arrangements employed in an industrial application. Four combered vanes with different surface roughness levels are employed in this study. Effects of surface roughness on the vane pressure side on the profile losses are relatively small compared to suction side roughness. Overall effects of turbulence on local wake deficits of total pressure, Mach number and kinetic energy are almost negligible in most parts of the wake produced by the smooth test vane, except that higher freestream losses are present at higher turbulence intensity levels. Profiles produced by test vanes with rough surfaces show apparent lower peak values in the center of the wake. Integrated aerodynamic losses and area-averaged loss coefficient Y-A are also presented and compared to results from other research groups.