Heat pipe cooling for turbine stators

A heat pipe for cooling a turbine engine stator comprising:

• an evaporator section enclosed within a turbine stator vane which is exposed to hot gases, the evaporator section having a tapered trailing edge and comprising at least one chamber, with at least one chamber including an evaporator capillary wick attached to its internal surfaces and an evaporator vapor space adjacent to the evaporator capillary wick, and a portion of the evaporator capillary wick extending into the tapered trailing edge of the vane;
• a condenser section comprising a condenser enclosure separate from the stator vane and in communication with the vane, with external portions of the condenser enclosure exposed to air cooler than the gases to which the vane is exposed, the condenser section including a condenser capillary wick attached to the internal surfaces of the condenser enclosure portions exposed to the cooler air and a condenser vapor space within the condenser enclosure and adjacent to the condenser capillary wick, with the condenser vapor space in communication with the evaporator vapor space;
• and
• at least one capillary artery extending between the evaporator section and the condenser section and embedded within the evaporator capillary wick and the condenser capillary wick, for moving liquid from the condenser capillary wick to the evaporator capillary wick.