Simulation of coupled unsteady flow and heat conduction in turbine stage

A three-dimensional, unsteady, compressible, finite difference Navier-Stokes solver has been coupled with a three-dimensional, unsteady, finite difference conduction heat-transfer solver to study conjugate heat-transfer problems in turbomachinery. The heat-transfer solver was validated by computing unsteady heat transfer in a cylinder and comparing the results with an analytical solution. The code was then applied to a high-pressure turbine stage, typical of those found in modern high-bypass turbofan engines, with a nonuniform inlet temperature profile. The unsteady temperature field of a rotor blade, both at the surface and within the blade, has been examined in detail. The surface-temperature results have also been compared with those from a Row simulation in which the blade surfaces were assumed to be adiabatic, demonstrating the need for the coupled approach.