Optimized Film Cooling Flow on a Contoured Endwall Within a Transonic Annular Cascade

Film cooling was measured on the endwall of a five-vane annular cascade in a blowdown wind tunnel at an exit Mach number of 0.9. The adiabatic film cooling effectiveness was calculated from the partial pressure of oxygen measured with binary pressure-sensitive paint (BPSP). Cylindrical film cooling holes were located in the upstream and passage regions with the coolant-to-mainstream mass flow ratio (MFR) independently varied for each region. One row was located upstream of the vanes and supplied by an upstream plenum. Two rows were located in the passage between two vanes and supplied by a downstream plenum. Three total MFRs were investigated: 1%, 1.5%, and 2%. For a given total MFR, four combinations of upstream and downstream MFRs were compared to an even split of coolant. Coolant-to-mainstream density ratios (DRs) of 1.0 and 2.0 were investigated. The most efficient use of coolant hinged on balancing the downstream MFR for the second row due to the endwall pressure gradient preventing coolant from exiting the holes or a high jet velocity causing liftoff. For this row, selecting the optimum MFR increased the area-averaged film cooling effectiveness by up to 200% with a reduction in row 1 of less than 25%. At high downstream MFRs, increasing the density ratio delayed liftoff and increased film cooling effectiveness in row 2 by 65%. However, at low MFRs, increasing the density ratio reduced film cooling effectiveness in row 2 by 60%.