Heat Transfer Rig

Jet turbine engines operate at temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Celsius, or approximately 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit, which can limit engine performance and efficiency. To counteract this, coolant air is injected onto the engine surface to discharge the hot gasses. Research by the sponsor has shown that engine surfaces can be cooled using perforated metal sheets, or coupons, to provide a film cooling layer. The system designed to test the new method involves blowing hot air over the surface of the coupon while blowing coolant air perpendicular to the hot air flow. The hot air blown over the coupon surface is supplied via a mesh heating element powered by an external variable voltage source and an air blower. A mass flow controller blows coolant air perpendicularly through the coupon’s perforations to the rear coupon surface, which creates a film cooling layer on the opposite side of the coupon. A forward-looking infrared thermal camera is positioned to view the surface of the coupon through an infrared-transmitting acrylic sheet. This allows thermal imaging of the heat flow and temperature gradients between the perforations on the coupon surface.