Patent ID: 7059825

Claim:
A rotor blade, comprising: a hollow airfoil having a cavity, and one or more cooling apertures; a root attached to the airfoil, the root having a leading edge conduit, at least one mid-body conduit, and a trailing edge conduit, wherein the conduits are operable to permit airflow through the root and into the cavity, and each conduit has a centerline; wherein the leading edge conduit includes an inlet having a forward side, a suction side, and a pressure side that each diverge from the centerline of the leading edge conduit, and an aft side that is substantially parallel to the centerline of the leading edge conduit; wherein each of the at least one mid-body conduits includes an inlet having a suction side and a pressure side that each diverge from the centerline of the mid-body conduit, and an aft side that is substantially parallel to the centerline of the mid-body conduit; and wherein the trailing edge conduit includes an inlet having a suction side and a pressure side, that each diverge from the centerline of the trailing edge conduit, and a forward side that is substantially parallel to the centerline of the trailing edge conduit.