Hot gas path segment with seal slot cooling groove

In a gas turbine system including at least one stage including a plurality of circumferentially adjacent segments, each segment having a body including at least one face on a side edge of the body for addressing a corresponding face on the side edge of the body of a circumferentially adjacent segment, a joint connection for the faces of the circumferentially adjacent segments comprises:

• a first seal slot defined in a first face of a first segment and extending in an axial direction, the first seal slot having a radial inner wall, a radial outer wall and an inner sidewall between the radial inner and radial outer wall, at least one groove defined in at least one of the radial inner or radial outer wall of the first seal slot and extending transverse to the axial direction, each groove extending between the inner sidewall of the first seal slot and the first face of the respective side edge of the first segment, wherein the at least one groove of the first seal slot has one of a semi-circular cross-section or a rounded rectangular cross-section, and a cooling passage defined in the body of the first segment and having an outlet defined in the inner sidewall within the at least one groove and an inlet in fluid communication with an inner coolant source defined at least in part in the body of the first segment;
• a second seal slot defined in a second face of a second segment and extending in the axial direction, the second seal slot having a radial inner wall, a radial outer wall and an inner sidewall between the radial inner and radial outer wall of the second seal slot, at least one groove defined in at least one of the radial inner or outer walls of the second seal slot and extending transverse to the axial direction, each groove of the second seal slot extending between the inner sidewall of the second seal slot and the second face of the respective side edge of the second segment,wherein the at least one groove of the second seal slot has one of a rectangular cross-section, a semi-circular cross-section or a rounded rectangular cross-section, and a cooling passage defined in the body of the second segment and having an outlet defined in the inner sidewall within the at least one groove in the second seal slot and an inlet in fluid communication with an inner coolant source defined at least in part in the body of the second segment;
• and
• a sealing member extending between the first and second seal slots of the circumferentially adjacent segments.

A hot gas path (HGP) segment for a gas turbine system including at least one stage including a plurality of circumferentially adjacent HGP segments, the HGP segment comprising:

• a body including at least one face on a side edge of the body for addressing a corresponding face on the side edge of the body of an adjacent HGP segment;
• a seal slot defined in the face of each side edge and extending in a axial direction toward the opposite side edge, each seal slot having a radial inner wall, a radial outer wall and an inner sidewall between the radially inner and outer walls, wherein each seal slot is configured to receive part of a sealing member extending between the seal slots of the circumferentially adjacent HGP segments;
• at least one groove defined in at least one of the radial inner or radial outer wall of each seal slot and extending transverse to the axial direction, each groove extending between the inner sidewall of the respective seal slot and the face of the respective side edge;
• and
• a cooling passage defined in the respective HGP segment and having a plurality of outlets defined in the inner sidewall within the at least one groove of the respective seal slot and an inlet in fluid communication with an inner coolant source defined in the body.