Patent ID: 8387396

Claim:
A method for assembling a combustor assembly, said method comprises: providing at least one sleeve having a plurality of inlets; coupling at least one airfoil to at least one of the plurality of inlets defined in the at least one sleeve, wherein the at least one airfoil includes a pair of opposing sidewalls coupled together at a leading edge and at a trailing edge, a first end portion and a second end portion, each of the end portions extends substantially perpendicularly between the pair of opposing sidewalls, at least one first channel and at least one second channel that are each formed between the airfoil sidewalls and extend between the first end and second end portions for channeling cooling air therethrough, and at least one recessed section defined between the pair of opposing sidewalls for joining the at least one first channel to the at least one second channel, wherein at least a portion of the at least one recessed section extends a depth into a cooling passage that is shallower than a depth of each of the at least one first channel and the at least one second channel such that each of the at least one first channel and the at least one second channel channels the air in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a direction of air flowing around said airfoil in said cooling passage; and coupling the at least one sleeve around the portion of the combustor assembly to be cooled.