The effects of using an insert Heat Flux Microsensor (HFM) versus an HFM deposited directly on a turbine blade to measure heat flux in a transonic cascade are investigated. The HFM is a thin-film sensor, 6.35 mm (0.250") in diameter (for an insert gage, including the housing) which measures heat flux and surface temperature. The thermal time response of both gages was modeled using a 1-D, finite difference technique and a 2-D, finite element solver. The transient response of the directly deposited gage was also tested against insert gages using an unsteady shock wave in a bench test setup and using a laser of known output. The effects of physical gage offset from the blade surface were also investigated. The physical offset of an insert HFM near the stagnation point on the suction side of a turbine blade was intentionally varied and the average heat transfer coefficient measured. Turbulence grids were used to study how offset affects the heat transfer coefficient with freestream turbulence added to the flow.

The time constant of the directly deposited gage was measured to be 856 ms compared to less than 30 ms for the insert gages. Model results predict less than 20 ms for both gages and rule out the anodization layer (used for electrical isolation of the directly deposited gage from the blade) as the cause for the directly deposited gage's much slower time response. Offsets of ± 0.254 mm (0.010") at the gage location with an estimated boundary layer thickness of 0.10 mm (0.004") produced a higher average heat transfer coefficient than the 0.000" offset case. Using an insert HFM resulted in a higher average heat transfer coefficient than using the directly deposited gage and reduced the effects of freestream turbulence. To accurately measure heat transfer coefficients and the effects of freestream turbulence, the disruption of the flow caused by a gage must be minimized. Depositing a gage directly on the blade minimizes the effects of offset, but the cause of the slow time response must first be resolved if high speed data is to be taken.