An Experimental Investigation of Transition as Applied to Low Pressure Turbine Suction Surface Flows

Results of an experimental study of flow separation and transition in either attached boundary layers or separated shear layers over the suction surface of a simulation of a low-pressure turbine airfoil flow are presented. Detailed velocity profiles were measured with the hot-wire technique. Static pressure distributions are also presented. Flow transition is documented using measured intermittency distributions in the boundary layer and the separated shear layer. Cases for Reynolds numbers of 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 and 300,000 are reported. These Reynolds numbers are based on suction surface length and exit velocity. Three Free Stream Turbulence Intensity values, 0.5%, 2.5% and 10%, are represented. Flow separation is observed for all the low-FSTI cases. Of these, the lowest Reynolds number case was not able to complete transition of the shear layer and the separation bubble persisted over the entire blade surface. For the other low-FSTI cases, transition is observed in the shear layer over the separation bubble. This transition proceeded quickly, spreading rapidly toward the wall. Elevated FSTI drives an earlier transition than in the low-FSTI cases and the separation bubbles are smaller. For the highest Reynolds number cases with 2.5% and 10% FSTI, transition is of the attached boundary layer and no separation exists. Flow separation with shear flow transition is observed for the lower-Re cases. Models for intermittency and transition length and location from the modern literature are assessed.