A Review of Turbine Blade Tip Heat Transfer

This paper presents a review of the publicly available knowledge base concerning turbine blade tip heat transfer, from the early fundamental research which laid the foundations of our knowledge, to current experimental and numerical studies utilizing engine-scaled blade cascades and turbine rigs. Focus is placed on high-pressure, high-temperature axial-turbine blade tips, which are prevalent in the majority of today's aircraft engines and power generating turbines. The state of our current understanding of turbine blade tip heat transfer is in the transitional phase between fundamentals supported by engine-based experience, and the ability to a priori correctly predict and efficiently design blade tips for engine service.