Enhancing the gas turbine leading edge cooling by applying multiple outlets configuration

Gas turbine blades face extreme thermal loads from direct exposure to high-temperature combustion gases, which cause severe thermal stresses, weaken material strength, and may lead to failure. Effective cooling methods are therefore essential to maintain structural reliability and improve engine efficiency. Impingement cooling is a preferred method because of its high heat transfer capability; however, its effectiveness is often reduced by jet-to-jet interactions and uneven flow fields. This study proposes a leading-edge impingement cooling design with multiple outlets arranged centrally, along with a return channel. The aim is to minimize crossflow effects, better distribute mass flow, and achieve more uniform temperatures compared to traditional single outlet designs. Thermo-fluid behavior and heat transfer properties of both configurations were numerically investigated across different Reynolds numbers (Re_j). Findings reveal that the multiple outlets configuration effectively mitigates jet interference, leading to enhanced cooling performance. A reduction in inlet mass flow rate by an order of magnitude decreased the leading-edge Nusselt number (Nu) by more than 65 % in both configurations. At Re_j = 10.47 × 10³ and 1.047 × 10³, the maximum surface temperature was reduced from 345 K and 460 K (single outlet) to 338 K and 425 K (multiple outlets), respectively. Additionally, at Re_j = 10.47 × 10³, the maximum Nu values of jets 3, 4, and 5 in the multiple outlets configuration are higher than those of the single outlet case by 56 %, 44 %, and 28 %, respectively. The proposed configuration demonstrates superior performance, improved mass flow distribution, and enhanced thermal uniformity, highlighting its potential for turbine blade cooling.