Patent ID: 8096772

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, an outer endwall at an outer end, an inner endwall at an inner end opposite the outer end, and an internal cooling system positioned within the generally elongated airfoil and in the inner endwall; wherein the internal cooling system includes at least one internal chamber positioned within the generally elongated airfoil; a leading edge serpentine cooling channel positioned within the inner endwall at the inner end of the airfoil and between a leading edge of the inner endwall and the leading edge of the airfoil, wherein the leading edge serpentine cooling channel is in communication with the internal cooling system for receiving cooling fluids from the internal cooling system, wherein the leading edge serpentine cooling channel is formed from two modules, where each module comprises a serpentine cooling channel; a trailing edge serpentine cooling channel positioned within the inner endwall at the inner end of the airfoil and between a trailing edge of the inner endwall and the trailing edge of the airfoil, wherein the trailing edge serpentine cooling channel is in communication with the internal cooling system for receiving cooling fluids from the internal cooling system; a pressure side midchord modulus serpentine flow circuit positioned within the inner endwall at the inner end of the airfoil, proximate to the pressure side of the airfoil and between the leading and trailing edge serpentine cooling channels, wherein the pressure side midchord modulus serpentine flow circuit is in communication with the internal cooling system for receiving cooling fluids from the internal cooling system and wherein the pressure side midchord modulus serpentine flow circuit is formed from at least one serpentine cooling channel; a suction side midchord modulus serpentine flow circuit positioned within the inner endwall at the inner end of the airfoil, proximate to the suction side of the airfoil and between the leading and trailing edge serpentine cooling channels, wherein the suction side midchord modulus serpentine flow circuit is in communication with the internal cooling system for receiving cooling fluids from the internal cooling system and wherein the suction side midchord modulus serpentine flow circuit is formed from at least one serpentine cooling channel.