Patent ID: 8047767

Claim:
A high pressure turbine section comprising: a rotor extending through said high pressure turbine section; and at least one stage having a high root reaction greater than about 0% and less than about 40% during operation, said at least one stage comprising: an end; a bucket assembly coupled to said rotor, said bucket assembly comprising a bucket and a root platform extending upstream from said bucket; a stationary component positioned upstream from said bucket assembly and adjacent to said end of said at least one stage such that an intermediate space is defined between said bucket assembly and said stationary component; a plurality of wheel steam balance holes extending through said root platform and beneath said bucket, said plurality of wheel steam balance holes configured to provide a path for shell steam from a cavity defined downstream from said bucket towards a bowl formed at said end of said at least one stage; a first seal coupled to said stationary component; and a second seal defined within said root platform, said first seal and said second seal interconnect to facilitate reducing leakage from said intermediate space toward said end of said at least one stage, wherein said high pressure turbine section channels steam towards said bucket such that a portion of the steam is channeled across said bucket in a first direction, and a portion of the steam is channeled through said first seal and said second seal in a second direction that is opposite the first direction, wherein a portion of the steam channeled across said bucket is channeled through said plurality of wheel steam balance holes in the second direction.