Showerhead cooling process which consists of internal convective cooling and external
film cooling of a turbine blade is investigated using ANSYS-CFX software. The aim of the
present investigation is to provide a better understanding of the fundamental nature of
showerhead cooling using the three dimensional Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes analysis. A
numerical model has been developed to study the effects of coupled internal and external
cooling of the leading edge for a semi-elliptical body shape with the SST k-ω model. This model
consists of all internal flow passages and cooling hole rows at the leading edge. The
numerical results obtained are discussed and compared with experimental data available in
the literature. The results show that the cooling efficiency increases with the increase
of the blowing ratio and the Mach number, therefore, the overall efficiency for the steel
becomes less important compared to the plexiglas which has a low thermal conductivity.