Patent ID: 8622702

Claim:
An air cooled turbine rotor blade comprising: an airfoil extending from a root and a platform; a cooling air supply hole extending from the root and into the airfoil to supply cooling air to an internal cooling air circuit of the airfoil; the cooling air supply hole having an inlet opening on a surface of the root and connected to a live rim cavity; an opening of the cooling air supply hole into the live rim cavity has a wider forward side than an aft side and a sloped upper surface that increases in radial height in a direction of cooling air flow from the opening into the cooling air hole; the blade includes a plurality of cooling air supply holes extending from the root and into the airfoil; each of the plurality of cooling air supply holes opening into the live rim cavity; and each of the plurality of cooling air supply holes includes an opening with a wider forward side than an aft side and a sloped upper surface that increases in radial height in a direction of cooling air flow from the opening into the cooling air hole.