Experiments in a rectangular channel representing gas-turbine blade cooling tested transverse baffles with triangular sawtooth openings. Nusselt numbers rose to 1.6-2.6 times a smooth channel, but friction factors increased 8.9-14.9 times, exposing a heat-transfer versus pumping-loss trade-off.
Key findings
- Small openings intensified jet impingement, mixing, and boundary-layer disruption, maximizing Nu while blockage and recirculation raised resistance. The b/e=0.25 case incurred the largest pressure penalty, and the peak TPF of 1.2 occurred at Re=6000 for the optimized geometry.
Why this matters globally
Blade cooling affects turbine temperature, efficiency, and component life. Sawtooth baffles add a design option, but compressor power, fatigue, manufacturability, and fouling must be assessed alongside heat transfer.
Thai researcher contribution
Researchers from Mahanakorn University of Technology, KMITL, and Kasetsart University's Sakon Nakhon campus collaborated with Indian colleagues on systematic thermal-hydraulic experiments.
Limitations to consider
The room-temperature stationary air channel omits rotation, centrifugal effects, blade curvature, high temperature, and conjugate heat transfer. Fixed geometric parameters limit the design space, and large pressure losses may reduce system-level benefits below laboratory TPF estimates.
Verify the original sources
Eng—Advances in EngineeringRead the original article↗DOI: 10.3390/eng7070339