Numerical investigation of active tip-clearance control through tip cooling injection in an axial turbine cascade

This paper presents a numerical investigation of an active tip-clearance control method based on cooling injection from the blade tip surface. It aims to study the influences of air injection on controlling tip clearance flow, with emphasis on the effects of the injection location on secondary flow and the potential thermal benefits from the cooling jet. The results show that injection location plays an important role in the redistribution of secondary flow within the cascade passage. Injection located much closer to the pressure-side corner performs better in reducing tip clearance massflow and its associated losses. However, it also intensifies tip passage vortex, due to less restraint deriving from the reduced tip clearance vortex. Lower plenum total pressure is required to inject equivalent amount of cooling air, but the heat transfer condition on the blade tip surface is a bit worse than that with injection from the reattachment region. Thus the optimum location of air injection should be at the tip separation vortex region.