Patent ID: 6890148

Claim:
A turbine engine component comprising: an elongated hollow turbine engine component having a first end and a second end, the component defined by an outer peripheral wall; at least one pair of cooling channels extending longitudinally within the outer peripheral wall between the first and second ends, the at least one pair of cooling channels including a first channel and a second channel; the first channel beginning in a longitudinally central region of the component and extending toward the second end of the component thereby defining a first coolant supply leg, the first coolant supply leg transitioning into a redirect leg wherein the first channel reverses direction in a region substantially proximate to the second end so as to extend back toward and terminate in the longitudinally central region thereby defining a first coolant return leg, wherein the first coolant supply leg is substantially adjacent to the first coolant return leg in at least the region substantially proximate to the second end, whereby a coolant supplied to the first channel exchanges heat with at least itself in at least the region substantially proximate to the second end; the second channel beginning in a longitudinally central region of the component and extending toward the first end of the component thereby defining a second coolant supply leg, the second coolant supply leg transitioning into a redirect leg wherein the second channel reverses direction in a region substantially proximate to the first end so as to extend back toward and terminate in the longitudinally central region thereby defining a second coolant return leg, wherein the second coolant supply leg is substantially adjacent to the second coolant return leg in at least the region substantially proximate to the first end, whereby a coolant supplied to the second channel exchanges heat with at least itself in at least the region substantially proximate to the first end; wherein at least a portion of the first coolant return leg is substantially adjacent to at least a portion of the second coolant supply leg, whereby heat transfer occurs between a coolant in the first coolant return leg and coolant in the adjacent portions of the second coolant supply leg.