The Army Vehicle Technology Center and NASA Lewis have jointly conducted
both experimental and analytical investigations over a broad range of turbine
technologies. These have included aerodynamics, heat transfer, turbine cooling and life
prediction. Typical are the detailed flow visualization and heat transfer experiments
conducted on a configuration representative of internal turbine cooling passages. Results
have proved invaluable in guiding the development of advanced turbine cooling codes. These
efforts have been conducted in-house, as well as under contracts with industry and grants
with academia. Emphasis in the turbine arena has shifted somewhat from fundamental
aerodynamic and heat transfer investigations to include the application of emerging
materials technology (specifically Ceramic Matrix Composites - CMC's) into turbine
hardware. In a cooperative effort between the Army, NASA, and Allied Signal Engines, a CMC
turbine transition duct is being developed for an advanced engine application. The use of
CMC's instead of traditional metal construction is expected to result in a lighter
component, as well as a one percent reduction in required cooling air flow. A CMC turbine
nozzle is also being investigated for the same engine application.
aeromaster@eng.fiu.edu 