Heat transfer process under a film-cooled surface with presence of weak swirling flow in the mainstream

Experiments have been performed in a relatively large circular pipe to study and obtain the heat transfer data over a film-cooled surface, with the presence of weak swirling flow in the mainstream. The swirling flow is generated by a flat-vaned swirler situated upstream. A cooling film is injected from an annular slot formed by the pipe wall and the circular cover plate. The radial temperature distribution measurements at several axial locations were used to infer the film jet structure and the rate of mixing of the film jet with the swirling flow. The nondimensional parameters governing the heat transfer process under the film are derived from the system of governing equations. Experiments demonstrate that the swirl number, increasing with turbulence intensity and swirl velocity in the mainstream, can rapidly destroy the film jet structure and enhance the heat transfer process. During the course of the experiments, the blowing parameter ranged from 0.5 to 2 and the swirl number ranged from 0 to 0.6. Correlations for the Nusselt number which account for the effect of swirling flow are presented.