Patent ID: 7686581

Claim:
A turbine blade comprising: a root portion for fixing said blade to a turbine rotor; an airfoil portion extending longitudinally from said root; at least one airfoil cooling passage extending through said airfoil, said airfoil cooling passage having an inlet for receiving a flow of cooling fluid; a shroud projecting outwardly from said airfoil and having a radially inward facing surface and a radially outward facing surface; and at least one serpentine cooling passage defined to extend back and forth through at least a portion of said shroud, said serpentine cooling passage being in flow communication with said airfoil cooling passage so as to receive cooling fluid therefrom and including at least one outlet opening for spent cooling fluid to exit the shroud, whereby at least a first portion of said cooling fluid received by said airfoil cooling passage through said inlet thereof flows into and through said serpentine cooling passage, and exits through said at least one outlet opening, wherein said shroud includes at least one center cooling chamber, said center cooling chamber being in flow communication with said at least one airfoil cooling passage and being in flow communication with said at least one serpentine cooling passage.