Patent ID: 8167559

Claim:
A turbine vane for a gas turbine engine, comprising: a generally elongated airfoil formed from an outer wall, and having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side generally opposite to the pressure side, a first endwall at a first end, a second endwall at a second end opposite the first end, and an internal cooling system positioned within the generally elongated airfoil; wherein the internal cooling system includes at least one internal chamber positioned within the generally elongated airfoil; at least one pressure side serpentine cooling channel contained within the outer wall at the pressure side and configured such that an entire first pass is positioned radially outward from the at least one internal chamber a greater distance than a second pass of the pressure side serpentine cooling channel, wherein the first pass of the at least one pressure side serpentine cooling channel is configured to pass cooling fluids in a direction opposite to a direction of cooling fluid flow in the second pass of the at least one pressure side serpentine cooling channel; and at least one suction side serpentine cooling channel contained within the outer wall at the suction side and configured such that an entire first pass is positioned radially outward from the at least one internal chamber a greater distance than a second pass of the suction side serpentine cooling channel, wherein the first pass of the at least one suction side serpentine cooling channel is configured to pass cooling fluids in a direction opposite to a direction of cooling fluid flow in the second pass of the at least one suction side serpentine cooling channel.