University of Denver

The University of Denver , Department of Engineering is primarily interested in initiating research programs in the following areas of power generation:

• Particle deposition in gas turbine hot sections, and their effect on turbine heat transfer and performance degradation. Optimization of turbine film cooling hole shapes to minimize their potential to plug up under adverse conditions.
• Hot gas clean up technology using electrostatic precipitators.
• Performance analysis and evaluation of novel, non-polluting, coal-fired power plants.
• Basic research in gas turbine heat transfer. Specifically, heat transfer and fluid mechanics measurements in transitional flows, and the correlation of wall heat flux measurements with boundary layer turbulence using hot-wires and high frequency response (20 kHz) heat flux gages.

Summary of Previous Activities of Personnel at the University of Denver

Faculty members at the University of Denver , Department of Engineering, have performed extensive research in the areas listed below:

• The use of electrostatic precipitators to collect fine, high-resistivity particulate matter for use in fly-ash clean up.
• Basic heat transfer and fluid mechanics measurements to characterize transitional and turbulent flows over convex and concave surfaces using a low-speed wind tunnel.
• The effects of volcanic dust ingestion on the hot sections of gas turbines using a combustor rig built from an F-100 combustor and the associated nozzle guide vanes.
• Development of a high frequency (20,000 Hz), high temperature (300 ° C) heat flux gage.
• Heat flux and pressure measurements in the NASA SSME fuel-side turbopump using a shock tunnel.
• Development of hot-wire instrumentation to characterize inlet flows in short-duration facilities.
• Development of a special three-wire hot-wire probe to measure the turbulent heat flux in 2-D boundary layers.

Laboratory Capabilities

The Department of Engineering at the University of Denver currently has available a low-speed wind tunnel, hot-wire instrumentation, date acquisition equipment, and other support equipment, all of which can be used to support research programs. A high frequency response (20 kHz) heat flux gage is currently under development. Much more equipment (e.g., lasers, infrared cameras, high-speed photography systems, etc.) and facilities (e.g., shock tubes) are available through the research arm of the university, the Denver Research Institute. Floor space to set up and perform experiments is readily available.