Transition Modeling Effects on Turbine Rotor Blade Heat Transfer Predictions

The effect of transition modeling on the heat transfer predictions from rotating turbine blades was investigated. Three-dimensional computations using a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes code were performed. The code utilized the Baldwin-Lomax algebraic turbulence model which was supplemented with a simple algebraic model for transition. The heat transfer results obtained on the blade surface and the hub end wall were compared with experimental data for two Reynolds numbers and their corresponding rotational speeds. The prediction of heat transfer on the blade surfaces was found to improve with the inclusion of the transition length model and wake induced transition effects over the simple abrupt transition model.