Surface injection effect on mass transfer from a cylinder in crossflow: A simulation of film cooling in the leading edge region of a turbine blade

A naphthalene sublimation technique is used to study the effect of surface injection on the mass (heat) transfer from a circular cylinder in crossflow. Using a heat/mass transfer analogy the results can be used to predict film cooling effects in the leading edge region of a turbine blade. Air injection through one row of circular holes is employed in the stagnation region of the cylinder. Streamwise and spanwise injection inclinations are studied separately, and the effects of blowing rate and injection location relative to the cylinder front stagnation line are investigated. Streamwise injection produces significant mass transfer increases downstream of the injection holes, but a relatively small increase is observed between holes, normal to the injection direction. The mass transfer distribution, measured with spanwise injection through holes located near the cylinder front stagnation line, is extremely sensitive to small changes in the injection hole location relative to stagnation. When the centers of the spanwise injection holes are located 5 deg or more from the stagnation line, the holes lie entirely on one side of the stagnation line and the injection affects the mass transfer only on that side of the cylinder, approaching the pattern observed with streamwise injection.