Cooling gas turbine components with seal slot channels

A gas turbine engine, comprising:

• at least one of an inner shroud and a nozzle, wherein at least one of the inner shroud and the nozzle comprises a plurality of circumferentially arranged segments, and each segment comprises
• a leading edge,
• a trailing edge,
• a pair of opposed lateral sides between the leading and trailing edges, and
• a seal slot provided in each lateral side, the seal slot comprising a surface, the surface comprising
• a channel extending in an axial direction defined from the leading edge to the trailing edge,
• at least one inlet to the channel, and
• at least one outlet from the channel, wherein the at least one outlet is spaced downstream from the at least one inlet in the axial direction.

A method of cooling a component of a gas turbine engine, the component comprising a plurality of segments circumferentially arranged, each segment comprising a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pair of opposed lateral sides between the leading and trailing edges, and a seal slot provided in each lateral side, the component further comprising a seal on each seal slot, the method comprising:

• directing cooling air that leaks into the seal slot below the seal through at least one inlet into a channel formed in a surface of the seal slot, wherein the channel extends in an axial direction defined from the leading edge to the trailing edge;
• directing the leaking cooling air along the channel;
• and
• directing the leaking cooling air out of the channel through at least one outlet, wherein the at least one outlet is spaced downstream from the at least one inlet in the axial direction.