Aravind Murali presents his master’s thesis

Student: Aravind Murali
Main Supervisor: Hans Abrahamsson
Examiner: Valery Chernoray
Opponent: Shisheer Shetty and Udhaya Bhaskar Kumar

Abstract of thesis

Aero-engine components are subjected to high thermal loads and uneven temperature distribution during working conditions. The heat transfer investigation plays a significant role in developing and analysing these structures.
The primary objective of the project is to employ Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) as a tool to investigate the heat transfer in the LPT-OGV (Low-Pressure Turbine Outer Guide Vane) test rig.
In this work, the CFD heat transfer predictions are compared to the heat transfer test data obtained from the LPT-OGV test rig which is capable of replicating realistic engine conditions. A comparative analysis of heat transfer coefficients (HTC) is conducted between the CFD predictions and the experimental data obtained from the LPT-OGV test rig, considering both on-design and off-design cases. The wake-shedding effects on heat transfer for off-design conditions is investigated using a transient solver. Furthermore, a detailed analysis is conducted to examine the formation of film coefficient profiles over the hub region, which are then compared against the corresponding experimental data.
The findings revealed that, in general, CFD simulations tend to underpredict the experimental HTC values. The SST transition model captures the transition effect, however, predicts an earlier transition when compared with experimental data. The film coefficient profiles formed through CFD exhibited similarity to experimental profiles, although the experimental values displayed greater dispersion. These results contribute to the understanding and validation of heat transfer phenomena using CFD, while also highlighting areas where further improvements are necessary.