Blade-tip heat transfer in a transonic turbine

The blade-tips of high-pressure turbine blades in a gas turbine engine are subjected to strong convective heat transfer and continued to present a significant design challenge to manufacturers. This paper is concerned with developing an understanding of the unsteady flow physics that influences the blade-tip heat transfer. Experimental investigations of bladetip heat transfer and aerodynamics have been conducted in a transonic turbine stage test facility. The data reveal the effect of vane-rotor interactions on the unsteady heat transfer along the blade-tip mean camber line. In particular, the vane shock and potential field interaction establish characteristic unsteady heat transfer signatures at different axial positions along the blade-tip. The fluctuations in heat transfer are discussed in terms of vane-periodic changes in both relative total temperature and aerodynamic conditions.