Heat transfer measurements in a first stage nozzle cascade having endwall contouring: Misalignment and leakage studies

This work supports new gas turbine designs for improved performance by evaluating endwall heat transfer rates in a cascade that is representative of a first stage stator passage and incorporates endwall assembly features and leakage. Assembly features, such as gaps in the endwall and misalignment of those gaps, disrupt the endwall boundary layer, typically leading to enhanced heat transfer rates. Leakage flows through such gaps within the passage can also affect endwall boundary layers and may induce additional secondary flows and vortex structures in the passage near the endwall. The present paper documents leakage flow and misalignment effects on the endwall heat transfer coefficients within a passage which has one axially-contoured and one straight endwall. In particular, features associated with the combustor-to-turbine transition piece and the assembly joint on the vane platform are addressed.