Patent ID: 6984101

Claim:
A turbine vane assembly comprising: a turbine vane having first and second shrouds with an elongated airfoil extending between, each end of the airfoil transitioning into a shroud at a respective junction, each of the shrouds having a plurality of cooling passages, the airfoil having a plurality of cooling passages extending between the first and second shrouds; and a substantially flat inner plate and an outer plate coupled to each of the first and second shrouds so as to form inner and outer plenums, each inner plenum defined between at least the junction and the substantially flat inner plate, the outer plenum defined between at least the substantially flat inner plate and the outer plate, wherein each inner plenum is in fluid communication with a respective outer plenum through at least one of the cooling passages in the respective shroud and wherein at least one of the shroud cooling passages is disposed with an exterior of said respective shroud, whereby inner and outer plenums and coolant passages direct coolant flow throughout the vane including coolant flow within the plenums generally transverse to the elongated direction of the airfoil.