Comparison of the three-dimensional boundary layer on flat versus contoured turbine endwalls

The boundary layer on the endwall of an axial turbomachine passage is influenced by streamwise and crossstream pressure gradients, as well as a large streamwise vortex, that develop in the passage. These influences distort the structure of the boundary layer and result in heat transfer and friction coefficients that differ significantly from simple two-dimensional boundary layers. Three-dimensional contouring of the endwall has been shown to reduce the strength of the large passage vortex and reduce endwall heat transfer, but the mechanisms of the reductions on the structure of the endwall boundary layer are not well understood. This study describes three-component measurements of mean and fluctuating velocities in the passage of a turbine blade obtained with a laser Doppler velocimeter. Friction coefficients obtained with the oil film interferometry method were compared to measured heat transfer coefficients. In the passage, the strength of the large passage vortex was reduced with contouring. Regions where heat transfer was increased by endwall contouring corresponded to elevated turbulence levels compared to the flat endwall, but the variation in boundary layer skew across the passage was reduced with contouring.