Effect of Additive Manufacturing Process Parameters on Turbine Cooling

Turbine cooling is a prime application for additive manufacturing because it enables quick development and implementation of innovative designs optimized for efficient heat removal, especially at the micro-scale. At the micro-scale, however, the surface finish plays a significant role in the heat transfer and pressure loss of any cooling design. Previous research on additively manufactured cooling channels has shown surface roughness increases both heat transfer and pressure loss to similar levels as highly engineered turbine cooling schemes. What has not been shown, however, is whether opportunities exist to tailor additively manufactured surfaces through control of the process parameters to further enhance the desired heat transfer and pressure loss characteristics. The results presented in this paper uniquely show the potential of manipulating the parameters within the additive manufacturing process to control the surface morphology, directly influencing turbine cooling. To determine the effect of parameters on cooling performance, coupons were additively manufactured for common internal and external cooling methods using different laser powers, scan speeds, and scanning strategies. Internal and external cooling tests were performed at engine relevant conditions to measure appropriate metrics of performance. Results showed the process parameters have a significant impact on the surface morphology leading to differences in cooling performance. Specifically, internal and external cooling geometries react differently to changes in parameters, highlighting the opportunity to consider process parameters when implementing additive manufacturing for turbine cooling applications.