Axisymmetric Computations Of Flow And Heat Transfer In A Pre-Swirl Rotor-Stator System

An axisymmetric, turbulent, multigrid computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code is used, on a parallel computing facility, to predict the mixing between superposed flows in a pre-swirl rotor-stator system, being a simplified representation of the internal air cooling system in gas turbine engines. Strong recirculations formed by the pre-swirl cross-flow lead to entrainment of disc-cooling air from the heated rotor into the underside of the cold pre-swirl jet, raising the temperature of the air leaving the system to cool the turbine blades. Disc speed, flow rates and seal geometry all affect the detailed structure of the mixing process, however many common features allow insight into the thermal contamination of the cross-flow. 1. Introduction Effective cooling of the rotor discs and turbine blades of a gas turbine engine can increase its efficiency and operating life. Much useful information on the behaviour of flows in the internal air cooling system can be obtained from the study of pu..