Experimental investigation of pressure loss and heat transfer in a rotor-stator cavity with two outlets

This article presented detailed measurements of the pressure distribution and heat transfer in a rotor-stator cavity with inlet of orifices on the rotating disk and two outlets at both low radius and high radius. Transient thermochromic liquid crystal (TLC) technique was employed to determine the convective heat transfer characteristics on the test surface of the rotating disk. Rotational Reynolds numbers (Re_φ) ranging from 4.9 × 10⁵ to 2.47 × 10⁶ and dimensionless flow rate (C_w) between 6.9 × 10³ and 2.72 × 10 ⁴ were considered. Experimental results indicated that the characteristics of the pressure loss coefficient between the inlet and the outlet was strongly dependent on the Re_φ and C_w. Under the current operating conditions, the heat transfer on the surface of the rotating disk was weakened at both in the upper and lower edges for the case of r/R = 0.775 due to the existence of the recirculation. Whereas the heat transfer were enhanced near the upper radius with relatively low flow rate and high rotational speed, as well as on the middle radius with relatively high flow rate and low rotational speed.