Heat transfer and friction characteristics in steam cooled rectangular channels with rib turbulators

We studied the heat transfer and friction characteristics in steam-cooled rectangular channels with rib turbulators on W side or H side walls in the Reynolds number (Re) range of 10000-80000. Each of the test channels was welded by four stainless steel plates to simulate the actual geometry and heat transfer structure of blade/vane internal cooling passage. The length of the channel L was 1000 mm, the cross section of the channel was 40 mm x 80 mm, and the pitch-to-rib height ratio p/e was kept at 10. The channel blockage ratio (W/H) was 0.047. Results showed that the Nusselt number (Nu) distributions displayed different trends at the entrance region with the increase of Re for the rib turbulators on the W side walls. The heat transfer performance of the rib turbulators on the H side walls was about 24-27% higher than that on the W side walls at the same pumping power. In addition, semi-empirical correlations for the two cases, rib turbulators on W side walls and rib turbulators on H side walls, were developed based on the heat transfer results, which could be used in the design of the internal cooling passage of new generation steam-cooled gas turbine blade/vane.