Patent ID: 7416391

Claim:
In a turbine bucket having an airfoil portion, a root portion, and slash-face portions with a platform at an interface between the airfoil portion, root portion, and slash-face portions, a platform cooling arrangement including: a cooling passage defined in the platform to extend along at least a portion of a concave, pressure side of the airfoil portion, at least one cooling medium inlet to said cooling passage extending from an airfoil cooling medium cavity in a vicinity of an axial center of the airfoil portion, said cooling passage including a first, part circumferential portion extending from said airfoil towards a slash-face of the platform and a second, part axial portion extending from said first portion at an angle thereto, and at least one outlet opening for expelling cooling medium from said cooling passage, each said at least one outlet opening exiting solely through said slash-face, and a second cooling passage defined in the platform to extend along at least a portion of a concave, pressure side of the airfoil portion, at least one cooling medium inlet to said second cooling passage extending from an airfoil cooling medium cavity in a vicinity of an axial center of the airfoil portion, and at least one outlet opening for expelling cooling medium from said cooling passage, each said outlet opening exiting solely through said slash-face.