Discharge Coefficients for Flow Through Holes Normal to a Rotating Shaft

A possible design for a more compact gas turbine engine uses contra-rotating high pressure (HP) and intermediate pressure (IP) turbine discs. Cooling air for the IP turbine stages is taken from the compressor and transferred to the turbine stage via holes in the drive shaft. The aim of this work was to investigate the discharge coefficient characteristics of the holes in this rotating shaft, and, in particular, to ascertain whether the sense of rotation of the shaft with respect to the discs affected these significantly. This paper reports mostly on experimental measurements of the discharge coefficients. Some CFD modelling of this flow was carried out and this has helped to explain the experimental work. The experimental results show the effects on the discharge coefficient of rotational speed, flow rate, and co- and contra-rotations of the shaft relative to the discs. The measured values of the discharge coefficient are compared with established experimental data for non-rotating holes in the presence of a cross-flow. For stationary shaft and discs, co-rotation of the shaft and discs and differential rotation with the disc speed less than the shaft (in the same rotational direction), the discharge coefficients are in reasonable agreement with these data. For differential rotation (including contra-rotation) with the disc speed greater than the shaft, there is a significant decrease in discharge coefficient.