Experimental and theoretical investigation of thermal effectiveness in multi-perforated plates for combustor liner effusion cooling

State-of-the-art liner cooling technology for modern combustors is represented by effusion cooling (or full-coverage film cooling). Effusion is a very efficient cooling strategy based on the use of multi-perforated liners, where metal temperature is lowered by the combined protective effect of coolant film and heat removal through forced convection inside each hole. The aim of this experimental campaign is the evaluation of the thermal performance of multi-perforated liners with geometrical and fluid-dynamic parameters ranging among typical combustor engine values. Results were obtained as adiabatic film effectiveness following the mass transfer analogy by the use of Pressure Sensitive Paint, while local values of overall effectiveness were obtained by eight thermocouples housed in as many dead holes about 2 mm below the investigated surface. Concerning the tested geometries, different porosity levels were considered: such values were obtained both increasing the hole diameter and pattern spacing. Then the effect of hole inclination and aspect ratio pattern shape were tested to assess the impact of typical cooling system features. Seven multi perforated planar plates, reproducing the effusion arrays of real combustor liners, were tested imposing 6 blowing ratios in the range 0.5-5. Test samples were made of stainless steel (AISI304) in order to achieve Biot number similitude for overall effectiveness tests.