Transient thermal fatigue crack propagation prediction in a gas turbine component

•Thermal fatigue crack behaviour of the hot gas path seal of a gas turbine engine under the elastic-perfectly plastic material behaviour is investigated.•Circumferential stress during the turbine working cycle causes thermal fatigue cracks initiated and propagated.•Transient thermal fatigue crack behaviour can be predicted by the FE model.•The Paris and NASGRO model were used to predict the crack propagation behaviour.