Comprehensive evaluations of heat transfer performance with conjugate heat dissipation effect in high-speed rotating free-disk modeling of aero-engines

Thermal boundary conditions of the turbine disk cavity system are of great importance in the design of secondary air systems in aero-engines. This study aims to investigate the complex heat transfer mechanisms of a rotating turbine disk under high-speed conditions. A high-speed rotating free-disk model with Dorfman empirical solutions is developed to evaluate the heat transfer performance considering various factors. Specifically, the influence of compressibility, variable properties, and heat dissipation is determined using theoretical and numerical analyses. In particular, a novel combined solution method is proposed to simplify the complex heat transfer problem. The results indicate that the heat transfer performance of a free disk is primarily influenced by the rotating Mach number, rotating Reynolds number, Rossby number, and wall temperature ratio. The heat transfer temperature and Nusselt number of the free disk are strongly correlated with the rotating Mach number and rotating Reynolds number. Analysis reveals that heat dissipation is a critical factor affecting the accurate evaluation of the heat transfer performance of the turbine disk. Thus, the combined solution method can serve as a reference for future investigations of flow and heat transfer in high-speed rotating turbine disk cavity systems in aero-engines.