tip shelf feature

13:53 Aug 13, 2010 

An airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed pressure and suction sidewalls extending generally along a radial axis. The airfoil includes a tip cap extending between the pressure and suction sidewalls; and spaced-apart suction-side and pressure-side tip walls extending radially outward from the tip cap to define a tip cavity therebetween. The pressure-side tip wall includes a continuously concave curved arcuate portion, at least a section of which extends circumferentially outward from a radial axis of the airfoil. At least a portion of the pressure-side tip wall is recessed from the pressure sidewall to define an outwardly facing tip shelf, such that the pressure-side tip wall and the tip shelf define a trough therebetween.