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Modern gas turbine designs' ever-increasing turbine inlet temperature raises challenges for the nozzle guide vane cooling. Two typical endwall cooling schemes, jump cooling and louver cooling, result in different interactions between the injected coolant and the mainstream, leading to different cooling effects. This study investigates these two cooling schemes on the endwall cooling experimentally and numerically. Wind tunnel tests and the CFD simulations are carried out with engine-representative conditions of an exit Mach number of 0.85, an exit Reynolds number of 1.5×10^6, and an inlet Turbulence intensity of 16%. The jump cooling scheme experiments investigate two blowing ratios, 2.5 and 3.5, two density ratios, 1.2 and 1.95, and three endwall profiles with different NGV-turbine alignments. Four coolant mass flow ratios from 1.0% to 4.0% are tested for the louver cooling. The results show that the cavity vortex, the horseshoe vortex, and the passage vortex are the main factors that prevent the upstream coolant from reaching the NGV passage. The jump cooling scheme generally provides high momentum to the cooling jets. As a result, the coolant at the design case density ratio of 1.95 and blowing ratio of 2.5 is sufficiently energized to penetrate the horseshoe vortex. It then forms a relatively uniform coolant film near the NGV passage inlet, leading to a minimum adiabatic cooling effectiveness of 0.4 throughout the passage. Reducing the coolant density or increasing the blowing ratio leads to higher coolant momentum, so the coolant jets can further suppress the horseshoe vortex. However, high momentum may cause coolant lift-off, mitigating the coolant reattachment. Therefore, the density ratio needs to be carefully balanced with the blowing ratio to optimize the cooling effect. This balance is also affected by the combustor-NGV misalignment, as a higher step height requires higher coolant momentum to overcome the step-induced vortices. On the contrary, the louver cooling scheme provides less momentum to the coolant. The results showed that only by exceeding a coolant mass flow rate of 1~2% can the coolant form a uniform film which provides good coverage upstream of the NGV passage inlet. As for the cooling of the NGV passage, the mass flow rate ratio of the range investigated is not sufficient for desirable cooling performance. The pressure side endwall proves most difficult for the coolant to reach. In addition, the fishmouth cavity at the combustor-NGV passage causes a three-dimensional cavity vortex that transports the coolant in the pitch-wise direction. Moreover, the coolant transport pattern is dependent on the coolant blow rate. Overall, the more-energized coolant film generated by the jump cooling tends to survive longer, but it is also more prone to lift-off. At the same time, the less-energized coolant film caused by the louver cooling is more susceptible to vortices and the discontinuity of the endwall geometry. However, it develops faster, especially in the lateral direction. The two schemes could be applied simultaneously for an ideal cooling system. The jump cooling can provide enough momentum for the coolant to persist in the NGV passage. Meanwhile, the louver cooling covers the upstream region before the jump cooling coolant reattaches to the endwall. Doctor of Philosophy Gas turbines, sometimes called combustion turbines, are widely used to generate power or propulsion for various applications. The three main components of a gas turbine are compressor, combustor, and turbine. Modern gas turbines run at a high turbine inlet temperature that exceeds the current metal limits to increase efficiency. However, this brings significant challenges to the cooling of the first stage of the turbine, the nozzle guide vane. In this research, two commonly used endwall cooling methods, jump cooling and louver cooling, are investigated under engine-representative conditions experimentally and numerically. In addition, flow physics is demonstrated to explain the endwall cooling performance, mainly the upstream boundary layer caused by the interaction between the mainstream and the coolant flow. The results show that the cavity vortex, the horseshoe vortex, and the passage vortex are the main factors that prevent the upstream coolant from reaching the NGV passage. The jump cooling scheme provides high momentum to the cooling jets. As a result, the coolant in the design case is sufficiently energized to penetrate the horseshoe vortex, providing a desirable cooling effect in the NGV passage. Reducing the density ratio or increasing the blowing ratio can help the coolant jets further suppress the horseshoe vortex but also causes more lift-off, which adversely affects the cooling performance. On the contrary, the louver cooling scheme provides less momentum to the coolant, forming a less energized coolant film. The lack of coolant causes the louver coolant film to provide good coverage immediately downstream of the louver scheme exit. However, due to unfavorable interaction with vortices and endwall discontinuity, the cooling effect decays quickly downstream. Overall, the more-energized coolant film generated by the jump cooling tends to survive longer, but it is also more prone to lift-off. At the same time, the less-energized coolant film caused by the louver cooling is more susceptible to vortices and the discontinuity of the endwall geometry. However, it develops faster, especially in the lateral direction. The two schemes could be applied simultaneously for an ideal cooling system to work mutually beneficially.

The continued use of fossil fuels along with a rise in energy demand has led to increasing levels of carbon emissions over the past years. The purpose of this research was to design a lean premixed hydrogen fuel system that could be readily retrofit into an existing gas turbine engine to provide a clean renewable energy solution to this growing problem. There were major hurdles that had to be overcome to develop a hydrogen fuel system that would be practical, stable, and would fit into the existing space. High flame temperatures coupled with high flame speeds are major concerns when switching from jet fuel or natural gas to hydrogen. High temperatures lead to formations of pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and can potentially cause damage to critical engine components. High flame speeds can lead to dangerous flashbacks in the fuel premixers. Past researches have developed various hydrogen premixers to combat these problems. This research designed and developed new hydrogen premixers using information gathered from these designs and utilized new ideas to address their shortcomings. A gas turbine engine was modified using 14 premixers and a matching combustor liner to provide lean operation with the existing turbomachinery. The engine was successfully operated using hydrogen while maintaining normal internal temperatures and practically eliminating the NOx emissions when compared to normal Jet-A operation. Even though full power operation was never achieved due to flashbacks in two premixers, this research demonstrated the feasibility of using lean-premixed hydrogen in gas turbine engines. Master of Science

The tandem airfoil has potential to do more work as a compressor blade than a single airfoil without incurring significantly higher losses. Although tandem blades are sometimes employed as stators, they have not been used in any known commercial rotors. The goal of this work is to evaluate the aerodynamic feasibility of using a tandem rotor in the rear stages of a core compressor. As such, the results are constrained to shock-free, fully turbulent flow. The work is divided into 2-D and 3-D simulations. The 3-D results are subject to an additional constraint: thick endwall boundary layers at the inlet. Existing literature data on tandem airfoils in 2-D rectilinear cascades have been compiled and presented in a Lieblein loss versus loading correlation. Large scatter in the data gave motivation to conduct an extensive 2-D CFD study evaluating the overall performance as a function of the relative positions of the forward and aft airfoils. CFD results were consistent with trends in the open literature, both of which indicate that a properly designed tandem airfoil can outperform a comparable single airfoil on- and off-design. The general agreement of the CFD and literature data serves as a validation for the computational approach. A high hub-to-tip ratio 3-D blade geometry was developed based upon the best-case tandem airfoil configuration from the 2-D study. The 3-D tandem rotor was simulated in isolation in order to scrutinize the fluid mechanisms of the rotor, which had not previously been well documented. A geometrically similar single blade rotor was also simulated under the same conditions for a baseline comparison. The tandem rotor was found to outperform its single blade counterpart by attaining a higher work coefficient, polytropic efficiency and numerical stall margin. An examination of the tandem rotor fluid mechanics revealed that the forward blade acts in a similar manner to a conventional rotor. The aft blade is strongly dependent upon the flow it receives from the forward blade, and tends to be more three-dimensional and non-uniform than the forward blade. Ph. D.

A higher demand in power output from modern land based gas turbines has resulted in an increase in combustor exit temperatures. High temperatures in turn have resulted in flatter profiles at the combustor exit warranting the need for sufficient cooling of the endwall region. Endwall cooling is affected by the coolant flow through certain design features. A typical endwall design includes a leakage slot at the interface between the combustor and the vane, a leakage slot at the vane-to-vane interface and film-cooling holes. In addition, with the increase in energy demands and depletion of natural gas resources, alternate fuels such as coal derived synthetic gas are being used in gas turbines. Coal derived fuels, however, contain traces of ash and other contaminants that deposit on endwall surfaces, thereby altering its surface conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of realistic endwall features and surface conditions on leading edge endwall cooling. Endwall designs like placing film-cooling holes in a trench, which provide an effective means of improving cooling were also studied at the leading edge. An infrared camera was used to obtain measurements of adiabatic effectiveness levels and a laser Doppler velocimeter was used for flowfield measurements. This study was done on a large scale, low-speed, recirculating wind tunnel operating at a Reynolds number of 2.1e+5 and an inlet mainstream turbulence level of 1%. Endwall measurements were taken for coolant flow through varying slot width at the combustor-vane interface. A constant coolant mass flow and a narrower combustor-turbine interface slot caused the coolant to exit uniformly whereas increasing the slot width had an opposite effect. Measurements were also taken with hole blockage and spallation, which showed a 10-25% decrease in the effectiveness levels whereas near hole deposition showed a 20% increase in effectiveness levels. A comparison of the cooling effectiveness due to placement of film-cooling holes in a trench was made to film-cooling holes not placed in a trench. Measurements indicated a superior performance of trenched holes to holes without a trench. Trenched holes showed a 60% increase in effectiveness levels due to decreased coolant jet separation. Ph. D.

Hydrogen, as an alternative to conventional aviation fuels, has the potential to increase the efficiency of a gas turbine as well as reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. In addition to significantly reducing the number of pollutants due to the absence of carbon, burning hydrogen at low equivalence ratios can significantly reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Because hydrogen has a wide range of flammability limits, fuel lean combustion can take place at lower equivalence ratios than those with typical hydrocarbon fuels. Numerous efforts have been made to develop gas turbine fuel injectors that premix methane/natural gas and air in fuel lean proportions prior to the reaction zone. Application of this technique to hydrogen combustion has been limited due to hydrogen's high flame rate and the concern of the reaction zone propagating into the premixing injector, commonly referred to as flashback. In this investigation, a lean-premixing hydrogen injector has been developed for application in small gas turbines. The performance of this injector was characterized and predictions about the injector's performance operating under combustor inlet conditions of a PT6-20 Turboprop have been made. Master of Science

The goal of a gas turbine engine designer is to reduce the amount of coolant used to cool the critical turbine surfaces, while at the same time extracting more benefit from the coolant flow that is used. Fan-shaped holes offer this opportunity, reducing the normal jet momentum and spreading the coolant in the lateral direction providing better surface coverage. The main drawback of fan-shaped cooling holes is the added manufacturing cost from the need for electrical discharge machining instead of the laser drilling used for cylindrical holes. This research focused on examining the performance of fan-shaped holes on two critical turbine surfaces; the vane and endwall. This research was the first to offer a complete characterization of film-cooling on a turbine vane surface, both in single and multiple row configurations. Infrared thermography was used to measure adiabatic wall temperatures, and a unique rigorous image transformation routine was developed to unwrap the surface images. Film-cooling computations were also done comparing the performance of two popular turbulence models, the RNG-kε and the v2-f model, in predicting film-cooling effectiveness. Results showed that the RNG-kε offered the closest prediction in terms of averaged effectiveness along the vane surface. The v2-f model more accurately predicted the separated flow at the leading edge and on the suction side, but did not predict the lateral jet spreading well, which led to an over-prediction in film-cooling effectiveness. The intent for the endwall surface was to directly compare the cooling and aerodynamic performance of cylindrical holes to fan-shaped holes. This was the first direct comparison of the two geometries on the endwall. The effect of upstream injection and elevated inlet freestream turbulence was also investigated for both hole geometries. Results indicated that fan-shaped film-cooling holes provided an increase in film-cooling effectiveness of 75% on average above cylindrical film-cooling holes, while at the same time producing less total pressure losses through the passage. The effect of upstream injection was to saturate the near wall flow with coolant, increasing effectiveness levels in the downstream passage, while high freestream turbulence generally lowered effectiveness levels on the endwall. Ph. D.

Gas turbine engines for propulsion operate under harsh conditions including gas temperatures that exceed the melting point of the metal, high mechanical stresses, and particulate ingestion such as sand. To maintain a low and uniform metal temperature to extend the life of a turbine component, a complex scheme of internal convective cooling and external film-cooling is required. Gas turbine engines operated in sandy or dusty environments can ingest a large quantity of sand into the mainstream and, more importantly, into the cooling system. Sand ingested into the coolant system has the potential to reduce or block off the flow intended to cool the turbine blades or vanes. If the source of coolant air to a critical region of a turbine blade were partially blocked, it would result in a substantial reduction in component life. This study includes establishing a methodology for testing sand ingestion characteristics on a simulated turbine component with film-cooling holes at room temperature and engine temperatures. The study evaluates a simple array of laser drilled film-cooling holes, similar to a showerhead on the leading edge of an airfoil. The blocking characteristics of this design indicate that increasing the airflow or decreasing the sand amount results in a decreased blockage. It was also determined that as the metal temperature increases, the blockage from a given amount of sand increases. The methodology used in the primary portion of this thesis was modified to test sand ingestion characteristics on actual turbine blades with film-cooling holes at room temperature and engine temperatures. The study evaluated the blockage performance of several different turbine blades including the F-100-229-full, F-100-229-TE, and the F-119 with a new trailing edge cooling methodology know as a microcircuit. It was shown that increasing the airflow or pressure ratio, or decreasing the sand amount would result in decreased blockage. It was also shown that over a certain metal and coolant temperature, the blockage is significantly worsened. However, it was also shown on the F-119 turbine blade that below a given metal temperature, there is no impact of metal or coolant temperature on sand blockage. Master of Science

To prevent melting of turbine blades, numerous cooling schemes have been developed to cool the blades using cooler air from the compressor. Unfortunately, the clearance gap between adjacent hub sections allows coolant to leak into the hub region. Coolant flow also leaks into the hub region through gaps between individual stages. The results of a combined experimental and computational study of cooling along the hub of a first stage turbine blade caused by leakage flows are discussed in detail. Additionally, this study examines a novel cooling feature, called a microcircuit, which combines internal convective cooling with external film cooling. For the experimental investigation, scaled up blades were tested in a low speed wind tunnel. Adiabatic effectiveness measurements were made with infrared thermography of the entire hub region for a range of leakage flow conditions. For the computations, a commercially available computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, FLUENT 6.0, was used to simulate the various flows. Results show that featherseal leakage flows provide small cooling benefits to the hub. Increases in featherseal flow provide no additional cooling to the hub region. Unlike the featherseal, leakage flows from the front rim provide ample cooling to the hub region, especially the leading edge of the blade passage. None of the leakage flows provide significant cooling to the pressure side region of the hub or trailing edge suction side. With the addition of the hub microcircuits, there is improved hub cooling of the suction side of the blades. Though the coolant exit uniformity was low and affected by the featherseal flow, the microcircuits were shown to provide more cooling along the hub region. Good agreements were observed between the computational and experimental results, though computations over-predicted front rim cooling and microcircuit uniformity. Master of Science

The objective of this investigation was to improve the thermal environment for a turbine vane through reduction of passage secondary flows. This was accomplished by modifying the vane/endwall junction to include a leading edge fillet. The problem approach was to integrate optimization methods with computational fluid dynamics to optimize the fillet design. The resulting leading edge fillet was then tested in a large-scale, low speed cascade to verify thermal performance. A combustor simulator located upstream of the cascade was used to generate realistic inlet conditions for the turbine vane. Both computational and experimental results underscore the importance of properly modeling the inlet conditions to the turbine. Results of the computational optimization process indicate that significant reductions in adiabatic wall temperature can be achieved with a leading edge fillet. While the intent of the initial fillet design was to improve the thermal environment for the vane endwall, computational results also indicate thermal benefit to the vane surfaces. Flow and thermal field results show that a fillet can enhance coolant effectiveness, prevent formation of the leading edge horseshoe vortex, and preclude full development of a passage vortex. In experimental testing, four cascade inlet conditions were investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of the fillet in reducing endwall temperature levels. Two tested conditions featured a flush combustor/cascade interface, while the remaining two included coolant injection through a backward-facing slot. With the flush interface, fillet thermal performance was evaluated for two inlet total pressure profiles. For the design profile, the fillet had a positive impact on the endwall temperature distribution as well as on the passage thermal field. For the off-design profile, the fillet was observed to have a slightly detrimental impact on the endwall adiabatic temperature distribution; however, passage thermal field results indicate a thermal benefit for the vane suction surface. With the backward-facing slot, thermal tests were conducted for two slot coolant flow rates. For both slot flow rates, the fillet improved endwall thermal protection and prevented coolant lift-off. While increasing the flow rate of slot coolant enhanced endwall effectiveness, fillet thermal performance was similar for the two slot flow rates. Ph. D.

A method for developing transient, predictive models of gas turbine engine performance using system identification techniques in conjunction with test cell data has been successfully demonstrated. Test cell data were obtained for both transient and steady-state operation from two F402-RR-406A USMC AV-8B engines at the Naval Aviation Depot (NADEP), Cherry Point, North Carolina. One engine was run to gather a single set of steady-state data consisting of 24 subsets of five seconds of data. The other engine was run to obtain two sets of transient data, recorded at three different rates of engine acceleration for each set. The acceleration rates of 3, 25, and 100 degrees of throttle per second were preset in the test cell controls. These rates correspond to the angular velocity of the fuel throttle during an acceleration. Each of these six transient test runs consisted of 25 seconds of data. Data were captured at a rate of five Hertz over the engine operating range from idle (26% Low Pressure spool speed) to full military power (105% LP spool speed) for all cases. A BASIC code developed at the NADEP required significant modification before it could be used to reduce the data. The modified code generated engine operating points consisting of mass flow rate, total pressure ratio, spool speed, and rate of acceleration for the inner fan, outer fan, and high pressure compressor. Finally, a multivariate regression technique using the SAS language was developed in cooperation with the Virginia Tech Statistical Consulting Center. This technique was used to generate a closed-form model of each component capable of predicting operating points at spool speeds and acceleration rates intermediate to those measured. Master of Science