Large-Eddy Simulation Investigation of Modified Rib Shapes on Heat Transfer in a Ribbed Duct

Abstract

Internal cooling of the gas turbine blade is critical for the durability of the blade material. One of the ways to accomplish this is by passing coolant through serpentine passages roughened with surface elements to enhance the heat transfer. In the present study, the traditional square rib (SQ-rib) placed normal to the flow direction is modified to a backward-facing step rib (BS-rib) and a forward-facing step rib (FS-rib). Large-eddy simulation (LES) is carried out for a square duct at Reb = 20000. Results show that the modified rib shapes result in substantial increase in heat transfer over the square rib with only a marginal increase in flow losses. The BS-rib shape produces the highest heat transfer augmentation followed by the FS-rib. The overall heat transfer augmentation for the BS-rib and FS-rib is 18% and 10% larger than the SQ-rib, respectively. Thermal-hydraulic performance is enhanced by 15%.