Transpiration Cooling in Gas Turbine Trailing Edge Using Stainless Steel and Titanium Porous Media

Abstract This paper investigates the transpiration cooling performance of porous media, comparing SS316L and Titanium in a rectangular channel. The experimental setup involved heating the porous materials using a hot air blower and cooling with controlled airflow at varying Reynolds numbers (Re = 39,000, Re = 63,000, and Re = 70,000). Temperature distributions and cooling effectiveness were recorded and analyzed. Simulation studies were conducted parallel to validate the experimental results and provide further insights into the flow and thermal characteristics. The findings reveal that both materials exhibit increased cooling effectiveness with higher Reynolds numbers. SEM imaging shows that Titanium demonstrated superior cooling performance due to its higher thermal conductivity and a well-structured, finely distributed porous network. This uniformity facilitated enhanced airflow interaction, particularly at higher Reynolds numbers. SS316L, while exhibiting lower cooling effectiveness, provided more consistent thermal performance across the surface, highlighting its suitability for applications requiring uniform heat dissipation. Comparative analysis of experimental and simulation results showed reasonable agreement, with simulations capturing the overall trends of the cooling behavior. However, discrepancies were observed at localized points, particularly for SS316L at lower Reynolds numbers and Titanium at higher Reynolds numbers. These differences emphasize the influence of real-world flow dynamics, boundary layer effects, and porosity distribution on cooling performance. This study underscores the importance of combining experimental and simulation approaches to evaluate transpiration cooling systems comprehensively. The results provide critical insights for material selection and design optimization in applications requiring efficient thermal management, such as aerospace and high-performance cooling systems. Future work should focus on refining simulation models and exploring long-term durability under extreme operating conditions to enhance the applicability of these materials.