Patent ID: 7785072

Claim:
An industrial gas turbine stator vane comprising: an outer diameter endwall and an inner diameter endwall; an airfoil extending between the outer endwall and the inner endwall; a 5-pass serpentine flow cooling circuit formed within the airfoil to provide cooling for the airfoil; the first leg of the serpentine flow circuit located adjacent to the leading edge of the airfoil and the fifth leg located adjacent to the trailing edge of the airfoil; an inner diameter endwall metering connection connecting an end of the first leg directly to a beginning of the fourth leg of the serpentine flow cooling circuit; and, an outer diameter endwall metering connection connecting an end of the second leg directly to a beginning of the fifth leg of the serpentine flow cooling circuit such that a portion of the cooling air passing through the serpentine flow circuit bypasses the second and third legs through the inner diameter endwall metering connection and a portion of the cooling air passing through the serpentine flow circuit bypasses the third and fourth legs through the outer diameter endwall metering connection.