Methods and apparatus for cooling gas turbine nozzles

A method of operating a gas turbine engine, said method comprising:

• directing fluid flow through the engine using at least one turbine airfoil nozzle that includes a leading airfoil and a trailing airfoil coupled by at least one platform that is formed integrally with the leading and trailing airfoils, and wherein each respective airfoil includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall that extend between respective leading and trailing edges to define a cavity therein;
• and
• directing cooling air into the turbine airfoil nozzle such that the nozzle trailing airfoil is cooled more than the leading airfoil.

A turbine nozzle for a gas turbine engine, said nozzle comprising:

• a pair of identical airfoil vanes coupled by at least one platform that is formed integrally with said airfoil vanes, each said airfoil vane comprising a first sidewall and a second sidewall connected at a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a cavity therebetween;
• and
• at least one insert configured to be inserted within said airfoil vane cavity and comprising a first sidewall and a second sidewall, said insert first sidewall comprising a first plurality of openings extending therethrough for directing cooling air towards at least one of said airfoil vane first and second sidewalls, said insert second sidewall comprising a second plurality of openings extending therethrough for directing cooling air towards at least one of said airfoil vane first and second sidewalls, said first plurality of openings configured to facilitate more vane sidewall cooling than said second plurality of openings.