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Virginia Tech

Heat Transfer from Multiple Row Arrays of Low Aspect Ratio Pin Fins

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The heat transfer characteristics through arrays of pin fins were studied for the further development of internal cooling methods for turbine airfoils. Low aspect ratio pin fin arrays were tested through a range of Reynolds numbers between 5000 and 30,000 to determine the effects of pin spacing as well as aspect ratio on pin and endwall heat transfer. Experiments were also conducted to determine the independent effects of pin spacing and aspect ratio on arrays with different flow incidence angles. The pin Nusselt numbers showed almost no dependence on pin spacing or flow incidence angle. Using an infrared thermogaphy technique, spatially-resolved Nusselt numbers were measured along the endwalls of each array. The endwall results showed that streamwise spacing had a larger effect than spanwise spacing on array-averaged Nusselt numbers. Endwall heat transfer patterns showed that arrays with flow incidence angles experienced less wake interaction between pins than arrays with perpendicular flow, which caused a slight decrease in heat transfer in arrays with flow incidence angles. The effect of flow incidence angle on array-average Nusselt number was greater at tighter pin spacings. Even though the pin Nusselt number was independent of pin spacing, the ratio of pin-to-endwall Nusselt number was dependent on flow conditions as well as pin spacing. The pin aspect ratio had little effect on the array-average Nusselt number for arrays with perpendicular flow; however, the effect of flow incidence angle on array-average Nusselt number increased as aspect ratio decreased.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Mechanical Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Mechanical Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2007

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Lawson, Seth Augustus
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Thole, Karen A.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • O'Brien, Walter F. Jr.
  • Vick, Brian L.

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-02092007-155521
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/31190

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Lawson, Seth Augustus. Heat Transfer from Multiple Row Arrays of Low Aspect Ratio Pin Fins. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/31190