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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Overall Cooling Effectiveness of Internally Cooled Additively Manufactured Blades

Power generation gas turbine blades must utilize highly effective cooling schemes to withstand moderate heat loads for long operating times. Prior work indicates that gas turbines in the 5-10 MW range primarily utilize internal cooling to prevent further increase of aerodynamic losses that result from film cooling, but few studies focus solely on internal cooling. In this study, three additively manufactured internal cooling designs were tested in the 50 percent span section of the National Experimental Turbine (NExT) blade: a baseline cooling design with pin-fin arrays and rib turbulators, a double wall design with impingement jets and serpentine channels, and an incremental impingement design. The designs were tested in a high-speed linear cascade at exit Reynolds numbers ranging from 700,000 to 1,400,000 at an exit Mach of 0.8. In addition, freestream turbulence and build angle effects on cooling performance were studied.

gas turbine blades↗
DOE OSTI2025

Overall Cooling Effectiveness of Internally Cooled Additively Manufactured Blades

By utilizing additive manufacturing, novel internal cooling designs can be quickly and cheaply vetted to enhance blade cooling performance. This improvement allows for higher turbine inlet temperatures while reducing the amount of coolant needed, therefore increasing the overall efficiency of small industrial gas turbines.

additive manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2021

Convection in Scaled Turbine Internal Cooling Passages With Additive Manufacturing Roughness

Abstract Additive manufacturing processes, such as direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), enable the creation of novel turbine cooling internal passages and systems. However, the DMLS method produces a significant and unique surface roughness. Previous work in scaled passages analyzed pressure losses and friction factors associated with the rough surfaces, as well as investigated the velocity profiles and turbulent flow characteristics within the passage. In this study, the heat transfer characteristics of scaled additively manufactured surfaces were measured using infrared (IR) thermography. Roughness panels were CNC machined from plates of aluminum 6061 to create near isothermal roughness elements when heated. Fluid resistance differences between the aluminum roughness panels and roughness panels constructed from ABS plastic using the same roughness patterns from McClain et al. (2020, “Flow in a Simulated Turbine Blade Cooling Channel With Spatially Varying Roughness Caused by Additive Manufacturing Orientation,” ASME Turbo Expo 2020, Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, Virtual Conference, Sept. 21–25, GT2020-16069) were investigated. Finally, the overall thermal performance enhancements and friction losses were assessed through the calculation of surface averaged “global thermal performance” ratios. The global thermal performance characterizations indicate results in-line with those found for traditional commercial roughness and slightly below traditional internal passage convection enhancement methods such as swirl chambers, dimples, and ribs. The passages investigated in this study do not include compressibility effects or the long-wavelength artifacts and channel geometric deviations observed by Wildgoose et al. (2020, “Impact of Additive Manufacturing on Internal Cooling Channels with Varying Diameters and Build Directions,” ASME Turbo Expo 2020, Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition, Virtual Conference, Sept. 21–25, GT2020-15049). However, the results of this study indicate that, based on the roughness augmentation alone, artificial convective cooling enhancers such as turbulators or dimples may still be required for additively manufactured turbine component cooling.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2022

Investigation of Gas Turbine Internal Cooling Using Supercritical CO 2 —Effect of Surface Roughness and Channel Aspect Ratio

In this paper, an experimental and numerical investigation of internal cooling channels with rib turbulators is presented with sCO 2 as the working fluid at process conditions (pressure-20.7 MPa and temperature up to 150 °C). The effect of channel aspect ratio up to 2:1 on thermal-hydraulic performance is explored in additively manufactured rectangular channels and square channels, both with and without 60 deg ribs on the top and bottom sides. The Wilson-plot method is employed to experimentally measure channel-averaged Nusselt number over a Reynolds number range up to 370,000. The friction factor is calculated from pressure drop and mass flow rate and additionally, the overall thermal performance factor (TPF) is reported. A companion computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is performed for the rib turbulated cooling configurations reported in the experiments using the Reynolds average Navier–Stokes-based turbulence model. The objective of the numerical study is to gain insight into the local heat transfer augmentation in the ribbed channels as a result of varying the aspect ratio, channel configuration (square versus rectangular), operating conditions (Reynolds number) and the surface roughness, an inherent outcome of the additive manufacturing process. Surface roughness is simulated using sand grain roughness height (K S ) calculated from the experimental data, and a comparison is presented with the corresponding channel configuration with varying surface roughness heights starting from smooth surfaces (K S = 0). Experimental results indicate that the heat transfer augmentation is negligible in the rectangular channels with ribs on the long side compared to the square channel. However, it is enhanced by 60% in comparison to placing ribs on the shorter side. The TPF remains constant at around 1 for the entire range of Reynolds numbers consistent with prior work at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). Here, the simulation results highlight that increased surface roughness can have a favorable considerable influence on Nusselt number and overall thermal performance enhancement.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Internally-cooled compressor diaphragm

An internally-cooled diaphragm for an internally-cooled compressor is provided. The internally-cooled diaphragm may include an annular body configured to cool a process fluid flowing through a fluid pathway of the internally-cooled compressor. The annular body may define a return channel of the fluid pathway, and a cooling pathway in thermal communication with the fluid pathway. The return channel may be configured to at least partially diffuse and de-swirl the process fluid flowing therethrough, and the cooling pathway may be configured to receive a coolant to absorb heat from the process fluid flowing through the return channel.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tailoring Surface Roughness Using Additive Manufacturing to Improve Internal Cooling

Abstract Surface roughness present on internal cooling channels produced with additive manufacturing has been previously shown to augment heat transfer and pressure loss to levels similar to traditionally cast turbulators. Given the ability of the surface roughness to improve the cooling performance of small cooling channels, the question arises on whether there is an optimal combination of random roughness features to maximize internal cooling performance. To investigate this question, test coupons with different surface roughness morphologies and magnitudes were manufactured by manipulating the parameters in the laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process. The coupons were tested to characterize the friction factor and Nusselt number of the cooling channels over a range of Reynolds numbers. Results showed that certain roughness combinations outperformed others, increasing the internal cooling performance of the channels. Additionally, manipulation of the performance using the process parameters allowed for reductions in build time, which could be useful for controlling component cost.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2024

Computational Study of Additively Manufactured Internally Cooled Airfoils for Industrial Gas Turbine Applications

Internal cooling features such as pin-fins, impingement jets, and rib-turbulators are necessary to keep turbine components cool, but if sufficiently advanced can potentially also eliminate the need for film cooling on turbine blades particularly in industrial gas turbines where temperatures are not extreme. Furthermore, by leveraging additive manufacturing, other advanced designs such as lattice and incremental impingement configurations are possible and have recently been experimentally tested. While the performance of such configurations has been quantified through means of overall cooling effectiveness, it is not as clear why certain designs were better than others, or what the mechanisms were behind the observed external cooling patterns. The purpose of this study was to computationally analyze different advanced turbine blade internal cooling designs previously tested by the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

CFD↗
DOE OSTI2025

On the validity and limitations of 1D model for heat and mass transfer performance evaluation in a multilayer binder-free desiccant dehumidifier: isothermal dehumidification with internal cooling

Efficient humidity control is essential for maintaining indoor thermal comfort, yet conventional vapor-compression-based dehumidifiers are energy-intensive. Employing separate sensible and latent cooling through desiccant-coated heat exchangers (DCHEs) combined with evaporative coolers offers energy savings of up to 80 % compared to conventional systems. However, the dehumidification performance of DCHEs remains limited due to the use of polymer binders for coating desiccant materials onto heat exchange surfaces. In our previous study, we developed a multilayer fixed-bed binder-free desiccant dehumidifier (MFBDD) that demonstrated high dehumidification capacity and low pressure drop compared to rotary desiccant wheels. Nevertheless, its potential for further enhancement through internal cooling and the use of step-shaped adsorption isotherms has not been explored. In this study, a physics-based one-dimensional (1D) transient model is developed and validated to capture the coupled heat and mass transfer processes in the MFBDD and extended to simulate internal cooling using a high-capacity composite metal–organic framework, MIL-101/GO-6 (water uptake ≈1.6 g/g within 35–47 % RH). The model enables detailed analysis of local air and bed temperature dynamics and quantifies how internal cooling affects the dehumidification performance under a wide range of operating conditions. Results show that integrating internal cooling and using MIL-101/GO-6 enhance mass adsorbed, moisture removal capacity, and dehumidification effectiveness by 50 %–99 % compared with the M.S. Gel baseline. The study further reveals that achieving near-isothermal operation requires simultaneous enhancement of the convective heat transfer coefficient and heat exchange surface area. In conclusion, this work provides the first detailed physical insight into the interplay between internal cooling and step-shaped isotherms in a binder-free desiccant device and establishes a validated modeling framework for scaling up and system-level performance evaluation of next-generation energy-efficient dehumidification systems.

Heat and mass transfer↗
NASA NTRS2000

Internally Cooled Monolithic Silicon Nitride Aerospace Components

A set of rapid prototyping (RP) processes have been combined with gelcasting to make ceramic aerospace components that contain internal cooling geometry. A mold and core combination is made using a MM6Pro (Sanders Prototyping, Inc.) and SLA-250/40 (3Dsystems, Inc.). The MM6Pro produces cores from ProtoBuild (trademarked) wax that are dissolved in room temperature ethanol following gelcasting. The SLA-250/40 yields epoxy/acrylate reusable molds. Parts produced by this method include two types of specimens containing a high density of thin long cooling channels, thin-walled cylinders and plates, as well as a model hollow airfoil shape that can be used for burner rig evaluation of coatings. Both uncoated and mullite-coated hollow airfoils has been tested in a Mach 0.3 burner rig with cooling air demonstrating internal cooling and confirming the effectiveness of mullite coatings.

Best, Jonathan E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Performance of Additively Manufactured Internally Cooled Airfoils for Small Industrial Gas Turbines

The goal of this effort is to screen several internally cooled airfoil designs that could be fabricated when additive manufacturing becomes a viable alternative for industrial gas turbine applications. The objectives of the current paper are as follows: 1) Describe two advanced additively manufactured cooling schemes, 2) Describe the analytical tools and results that guided the design. 3) Identify key additive manufacturing issues and steps taken to mitigate these issues. 4) Compare experimentally measured cooling technology curves to 1-D cooling models, and 5) Compare the cooling performance of three different internally cooled airfoils using experimentally measured cooling technology curves.

Straub, Douglas↗
DOE OSTI2021

Data set for Conventional Rib Turbulators for SCO2 Turbine Internal Cooling

This data set accompanies NETL Internal Report DOE/NETL-2021/2758. M. Searle, D. Straub, and J. Black, “Conventional Rib Turbulators For SCO2 Turbine Internal Cooling,” National Energy Technology Laboratory, Morgantown, June 28, 2021. The "Configuration" tab details the test configuration geometry and nominal set points. The "Exp point data" tab reports the thermal performance at the midpoint of the Wilson plot. The "Wilson plot data" tab are all Wilson resistance plots reported in the present work.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2001

Thermo-Elastic Analysis of Internally Cooled Structures Using a Higher Order Theory

This paper presents the results of a study on the thermomechanical behavior of internally cooled silicon nitride structures. Silicon nitride is under consideration for elevated temperature aerospace engine applications. and techniques for lowering the operating temperature of structures composed of this material are under development. Lowering the operating temperature provides a large payoff in terms of fatigue life and may be accomplished through the use of thermal barrier coatings (TBC's) and the novel concept of included cooling channels. Herein, an in-depth study is performed on the behavior of a flame-impinged silicon nitride plate with a TBC and internal channels cooled by forced air. The analysis is performed using the higher order theory for functionally graded materials (HOTFGM), which has been developed through NASA Glenn Research Center funding over the past several years. HOTFGM was chosen over the traditional finite element approach as a prelude to an examination of functionally graded silicon nitride structures for which HOTFGM is ideally suited. To accommodate the analysis requirement% of the internally cooled plate problem, two crucial enhancements were made to the two-dimensional Cartesian-based version of HOTFGM. namely, incorporation of internal boundary capabilities and incorporation of convective boundary conditions. Results indicate the viability and large benefits of cooling the plate via forced air through cooling channels. Furthermore, cooling can positively impact the stress and displacement fields present in the plate, yielding an additional payoff in terms of fatigue life. Finally, a spin-off capability resulted from inclusion of internal boundaries within HOTFGM; the ability to simulate the thermo-elastic response of structures with curved surfaces. This new capability is demonstrated, and through comparison with an analytical solution, shown to be viable and accurate.

Arnold, Steven M.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Method of construction for internally cooled diaphragms for centrifugal compressor

An internally-cooled compressor is provided including a casing and a diaphragm disposed in the casing. The diaphragm includes a diaphragm box defining a plurality of box channels and a bulb defining a plurality of bulb channels. A plurality of return channel vanes connect the diaphragm box and bulb in fluid communication, such that each return channel vane defines a plurality of return vane conduits coupled in fluid communication with the plurality of box channels and the plurality of bulb channels thereby forming a section of a cooling pathway. The cooling pathway is configured such that a cooling agent introduced from an external coolant source into the diaphragm box and flowing through a box channel flows through a return vane conduit into and through a bulb channel and back through another return vane conduit into another box channel before flowing back to the external coolant source.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Internally cooled membrane-based absorber for dehumidification and water heating: Validated model and simulation study

This report presents a comprehensive model for advanced membrane-based absorber components accounting for three separate fluid streams, one of them providing internal cooling, with complex flow patterns. The model was implemented with various liquid desiccants and their properties (including LiCl, CaCl 2 , and [emim][OMS] ionic liquid [IL]). The model has been validated using data from two laboratory prototype absorbers, one with CaCl 2 as the working fluid and one with an IL as the working fluid. Entropy analysis was further carried out to verify the model and understand effect of internal cooling on the entropy variation of three fluid streams. The developed model and codes are expected to enable detailed configuration optimization and provide in-depth understanding of three-fluid heat and mass exchanger (HMX) performance. The paper also describes parametric studies of the HMX components in utilizing the latent heat removed in space cooling to heat water and numerically explores the unique benefit of its application in a semi-open absorption heat pump water heater. The results show that a single three-fluid HMX has the potential to achieve simultaneous dehumidification and water heating efficiently at cost effectiveness, particularly in hot and humid climates.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS2000

Experimental Heat Transfer and Bulk Air Temperature Measurements for a Multipass Internal Cooling Model with Ribs and Bleed

An experimental study was made to obtain heat transfer and air temperature data for a simple 3-leg serpentine test section that simulates a turbine blade internal cooling passage with trip strips and bleed holes. The objectives were to investigate the interaction of ribs and various bleed conditions on internal cooling and to gain a better understanding of bulk air temperature in an internal passage. Steady state heat transfer measurements were obtained using a transient technique with thermochromic liquid crystals. Trip strips were attached to one wall of the test section and were located either between or near the bleed holes. The bleed holes, used for film cooling, were metered to simulate the effect of external pressure on the turbine blade. Heat transfer enhancement was found to be greater for ribs near bleed holes compared to ribs between holes, and both configurations were affected slightly by bleed rates upstream. Air temperature measurements were taken at discreet locations along one leg of the model. Average bulk air temperatures were found to remain fairly constant along one leg of the model.

Thurman, Douglas↗