Numerical investigation of a thermal barrier coated vane using conjugate heat transfer approach

Based on conjugate heat transfer, numerical investigation was carried out on a highly integrated first stage vane with thermal barrier coating (TBC). The numerical results showed that, under the condition close to real engine operation where temperature and pressure were very high, the effect of TBC on the areodynamic features in the cascade can be neglected. However, as the mass flow rate of cooling air decreased within a certain range, TBC could still reduced the temperature and heat transfer coefficient near the leading edge conspicuously. With the decrease of the coolant flow rate, the effect of TBC on the trailing edge of pressure side dropped heavily, but slowly on suction side. A quantitative comparison of the metal temperature averaged over three spanwise sections indicates that, with the equivalent overall cooling effectiveness achieved, TBC with a thickness of 015mm can save the mass flow rate of coolant by 20%-30%.