This report describes the development and application of a validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling approach for internal cooling passages in rotating turbomachinery. A CFD Modelling approach and accompanying assumptions are tuned and validated against academically available experimental results for various serpentine passages. Criteria of the CFD modelling approach selected for investigation into advanced internal cooling flows include accuracy, robustness, industry familiarity, and computational cost.
Experimental data from NASA HOST (HOt Section Technology), Texas A&M, and University of Manchester tests are compared to RANS CFD results generated using Fluent v14.5 in order to benchmark a CFD modelling approach.
Capability of various turbulence models in the representation of cooling physics is evaluated against experimental data. Model sensitivity to boundary conditions and mesh density is also evaluated.
The development of a validated computational model of internal turbine cooling channels with bounded error allows for the identification of particular shortcomings of heat transfer correlations and provides a baseline for future CFD based exploration of internal turbine cooling concepts.
","abstract_html":"<p>This report describes the development and application of a validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling approach for internal cooling passages in rotating turbomachinery. A CFD Modelling approach and accompanying assumptions are tuned and validated against academically available experimental results for various serpentine passages. Criteria of the CFD modelling approach selected for investigation into advanced internal cooling flows include accuracy, robustness, industry familiarity, and computational cost.</p> <p>Experimental data from NASA HOST (HOt Section Technology), Texas A&M, and University of Manchester tests are compared to RANS CFD results generated using Fluent v14.5 in order to benchmark a CFD modelling approach.</p> <p>Capability of various turbulence models in the representation of cooling physics is evaluated against experimental data. Model sensitivity to boundary conditions and mesh density is also evaluated.</p> <p>The development of a validated computational model of internal turbine cooling channels with bounded error allows for the identification of particular shortcomings of heat transfer correlations and provides a baseline for future CFD based exploration of internal turbine cooling concepts.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wilde, Daniel G"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS in Aerospace Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Aerospace Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["David Marshall"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:37Z","subjects":["CFD","Heat Transfer","Turbomachinery","RANS","Cooling","Turbine","Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2015.51"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2015.51","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2015.51","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1384","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["David Marshall"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wilde, Daniel G"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-06-02T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS in Aerospace Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["CFD","Heat Transfer","Turbomachinery","RANS","Cooling","Turbine","Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1384","10.15368/theses.2015.51"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This report describes the development and application of a validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling approach for internal cooling passages in rotating turbomachinery. A CFD Modelling approach and accompanying assumptions are tuned and validated against academically available experimental results for various serpentine passages. Criteria of the CFD modelling approach selected for investigation into advanced internal cooling flows include accuracy, robustness, industry familiarity, and computational cost.
Experimental data from NASA HOST (HOt Section Technology), Texas A&M, and University of Manchester tests are compared to RANS CFD results generated using Fluent v14.5 in order to benchmark a CFD modelling approach.
Capability of various turbulence models in the representation of cooling physics is evaluated against experimental data. Model sensitivity to boundary conditions and mesh density is also evaluated.
The development of a validated computational model of internal turbine cooling channels with bounded error allows for the identification of particular shortcomings of heat transfer correlations and provides a baseline for future CFD based exploration of internal turbine cooling concepts.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Validation of a CFD Approach for Gas Turbine Internal Cooling Passage Heat Transfer Prediction"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["David Marshall"],"dc:creator":["Wilde, Daniel G"],"dc:date.available":["2015-06-02T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This report describes the development and application of a validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling approach for internal cooling passages in rotating turbomachinery. A CFD Modelling approach and accompanying assumptions are tuned and validated against academically available experimental results for various serpentine passages. Criteria of the CFD modelling approach selected for investigation into advanced internal cooling flows include accuracy, robustness, industry familiarity, and computational cost.
Experimental data from NASA HOST (HOt Section Technology), Texas A&M, and University of Manchester tests are compared to RANS CFD results generated using Fluent v14.5 in order to benchmark a CFD modelling approach.
Capability of various turbulence models in the representation of cooling physics is evaluated against experimental data. Model sensitivity to boundary conditions and mesh density is also evaluated.
The development of a validated computational model of internal turbine cooling channels with bounded error allows for the identification of particular shortcomings of heat transfer correlations and provides a baseline for future CFD based exploration of internal turbine cooling concepts.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1384","10.15368/theses.2015.51"],"dc:subject":["CFD","Heat Transfer","Turbomachinery","RANS","Cooling","Turbine","Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics"],"dc:title":["Validation of a CFD Approach for Gas Turbine Internal Cooling Passage Heat Transfer Prediction"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS in Aerospace Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:37Z"}