Optimization of a U-Bend for minimal pressure loss in internal cooling channels- part II: Experimental validation

This two-part paper addresses the design of a U-bend for serpentine internal cooling channels optimized for minimal pressure loss. The total pressure loss for the flow in a Ubend is a critical design parameter, as it augments the pressure required at the inlet of the cooling system, resulting in a lower global efficiency. In the first part of the paper, the design methodology of the cooling channel was presented. In this second part, the optimized design is validated. The results obtained with the numerical methodology described in Part I are checked against pressure measurements and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements. The experimental campaign is carried out on a magnified model of a two-legged cooling channel that reproduces the geometrical and aerodynamical features of its numerical counterpart. Both the original profile and the optimized profile are tested. The latter proves to outperform the original geometry by about 36%, in good agreement with the numerical predictions. Two-dimensional PIV measurements performed in planes parallel to the plane of the bend highlight merits and limits of the computational model. Despite the well-known limits of the employed eddy viscosity model, the overall trends are captured. To assess the impact of the aerodynamic optimization on the heat transfer performance, detailed heat transfer measurements are carried out by means of liquid crystals thermography. The optimized geometry presents overall Nusselt number levels only 6% lower with respect to the standard U-bend. The study demonstrates that the proposed optimization method based on an evolutionary algorithm, a Navier-Stokes solver, and a metamodel of it is a valid design tool to minimize the pressure loss across a U-bend in internal cooling channels without leading to a substantial loss in heat transfer performance.