@article {Sidwell_2005_ImpactBladetoBladeVariabilityCooling,
	title = {The impact of blade-to-blade flow variability on turbine blade cooling performance},
	journal = {Journal of Turbomachinery},
	volume = {127},
	number = {4},
	year = {2005},
	pages = {763{\textendash}770},
	abstract = {The focus of this paper is the impact of manufacturing variability on turbine blade cooling flow and, subsequently, its impact on oxidation life. A simplified flow network model of the cooling air supply system and a row of blades is proposed. Using this simplified model, the controlling parameters which affect the distribution of cooling flow in a blade row are identified. Small changes in the blade flow tolerances (prior to assembly of the blades into a row) are shown to have a significant impact on the minimum flow observed in a row of blades resulting in substantial increases in the life of a blade row. A selective assembly method is described in which blades are classified into a low-flow and a high-flow group based on passage flow capability (effective areas) in life-limiting regions and assembled into rows from within the groups. Since assembling rows from only high-flow blades is equivalent to raising the low-flow tolerance limit, high-flow blade rows will have the same improvements in minimum flow and life that would result from more stringent tolerances. Furthermore, low-flow blade rows are shown to have minimum blade flows which are the same or somewhat better than a low-flow blade that is isolated in a row of otherwise higher-flowing blades. As a result, low-flow blade rows are shown to have lives that are no worse than random assembly from the full population. Using a higher fidelity model for the auxiliary air system of an existing jet engine, the impact of selective assembly on minimum blade flow and life of a row is estimated and shown to be in qualitative and quantitative agreement with the simplified model analysis.},
	isbn = {0889-504X},
	doi = {10.1115/1.2019247},
	author = {Sidwell, V and Darmofal, D L}
}
