Patent ID: 8251652

Claim:
A vane platform element for a gas turbine, comprising: a CMC shroud plate comprising a radially inner surface, a radially outer surface, an upstream side, a downstream side, and first and second circumferential sides, relative to a central axis of the gas turbine, the sides defining a perimeter of the shroud plate; a vane-receiving opening in the shroud plate, the vane-receiving opening corresponding to a cross section profile of a turbine vane airfoil, the vane-receiving opening comprising a convex curve adjacent to the first circumferential side of the shroud plate and a concave curve adjacent to the second circumferential side of the shroud plate; and a CMC frame extending radially outward from the shroud plate, the CMC frame comprising an upstream wall along the upstream side of the shroud plate, a downstream wall along the downstream side of the shroud plate, and a cross-bracing wall structure that spans between the upstream and downstream walls; wherein the first circumferential side of the shroud plate generally follows the convex curve of the vane-receiving opening, and the second circumferential side of the shroud plate generally follows the concave curve of the vane-receiving opening; wherein the CMC frame extends continuously around the perimeter of the shroud plate, the cross-bracing structure comprising first and second circumferential walls along the respective first and second circumferential sides of the shroud plate; a socket wall extending radially outward from the shroud plate around the vane-receiving opening; and a pin channel having an access portion passing through at least one of the circumferential walls of the frame, and comprising further portions passing through two sides of the socket wall, all portions of the in channel being substantially mutually aligned.