Patent ID: 7806658

Claim:
A turbine airfoil, comprising: a generally elongated, hollow airfoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a tip section at a first end, a root coupled to the airfoil at an end generally opposite the first end for supporting the airfoil and for coupling the airfoil to a disc, a platform at an intersection between the root and the generally elongated, hollow airfoil and extending generally orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the generally elongated, hollow airfoil, and a cooling system formed from a cavity in the elongated, hollow airfoil, the cooling system comprising: at least one mid-chord feed channel extending in a direction from the root to the tip section; at least one trailing edge feed channel extending in the direction from the root to the tip section and positioned adjacent to the at least one mid-chord feed channel; an equalizer rib separating the at least one mid-chord feed channel from the at least one trailing edge feed channel, wherein the equalizer rib includes a plurality of cooling fluid supply holes that place the at least one mid-chord feed channel in fluid communication with the at least one trailing edge feed channel; wherein the equalizer rib includes a crossover hole positioned at the tip section of the generally elongated, hollow airfoil for placing the at least one mid-chord feed channel in fluid communication with the at least one trailing edge feed channel at the tip section; and a trailing edge tip exhaust channel in fluid communication with the crossover hole and with at least one trailing edge tip exhaust orifice in the trailing edge for exhausting cooling fluids from the trailing edge.