METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR COOLING GAS TURBINE ENGINE NOZZLE ASSEMBLIES

摘要

A method for fabricating a nozzle (51) for a gas turbine engine (10) facilitates extending a useful life of the nozzles. The nozzle includes an airfoil (52). The method includes forming the airfoil to include a suction side (60) and a pressure side (62) connected at a leading edge (64) and a trailing edge (66) such that a cooling cavity (82) and a cooling circuit (80) are defined within the airfoil, wherein the suction side and the pressure side extend radially between a tip (72) and a root (70). The method also includes forming a plurality of cooling slots (96) within the airfoil that extend from the cooling circuit towards the airfoil trailing edge, and forming a control vane (110) within the cooling circuit to facilitate maintaining a substantially constant cooling effectiveness within the cooling circuit.