Stator apparatus for a gas turbine engine

Abstract

A turbomachinery stator apparatus includes: a compressor casing including a casing wall defining an arcuate flowpath surface and an opposed backside surface, the flowpath surface defining at least two spaced-apart rotor lands, a stator vane row of stator vanes disposed inside the compressor casing, wherein the casing wall includes a heat shield positioned outboard of the rotor lands immediately upstream or downstream of the stator vane row, and wherein a) the casing wall includes the heat shield and b) the stator vanes form a single monolithic whole.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A turbomachinery stator apparatus, comprising:
 a compressor casing including a casing wall defining an arcuate flowpath surface and an opposed backside surface, the flowpath surface defining at least two spaced-apart rotor lands;   a stator vane row of stator vanes disposed inside the compressor casing;   wherein the casing wall includes a heat shield positioned outboard of the rotor lands immediately upstream or downstream of the stator vane row; and   wherein a) the casing wall includes the heat shield and b) the stator vanes form a single monolithic whole.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the compressor casing includes a plurality of casing walls joined together to define a fully annular structure. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  where the casing wall is a fully annular structure. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the compressor casing comprises different materials at different locations. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the casing wall includes at least one hollow structure, wherein the at least one hollow structure includes:
 a bleed slot, the bleed slot passing through the casing wall, the bleed slot having an inlet, the bleed slot extending along a slot axis; and 
 an array of struts is disposed within the bleed slot, wherein the bleed slot is integrally formed as part of the single monolithic whole. 
 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the slot axis is disposed at an angle of about 65° or less relative to a centerline axis of the casing wall. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the heat shield is a hollow structure. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the heat shield is integrally formed as part of the single monolithic whole via additive manufacturing. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the casing wall further includes an annular hollow flange including an internal lattice structure. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the stator vanes have a nonuniform spacing about a circumference of the compressor casing. 
     
     
         11 . A gas turbine engine apparatus, comprising:
 a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine arranged in serial flow relationship, wherein the compressor includes:
 a compressor casing including a casing wall defining an arcuate flowpath surface and an opposed backside surface, the flowpath surface defining at least two spaced-apart rotor lands; 
 wherein the casing wall includes a heat shield; 
 wherein the casing wall including the heat shield forms a single monolithic whole; 
   at least one row of stator vanes disposed inside the compressor casing, wherein the stator vanes are integrally formed as part of the single monolithic whole; and   at least one row of rotor blades mounted for rotation about a centerline axis inside the compressor casing, and mechanically coupled to the turbine.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the compressor casing includes a plurality of casing walls joined together to define a fully annular structure. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  where the casing wall is a fully annular structure. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the compressor casing comprises different materials at different locations. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the casing wall includes at least one hollow structure, wherein the at least one hollow structure includes:
 a bleed slot, the bleed slot passing through the casing wall, the bleed slot having an inlet, the bleed slot extending along a slot axis; and 
 an array of struts is disposed within the bleed slot, wherein the bleed slot is integrally formed as part of the single monolithic whole. 
 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the slot axis is disposed at an angle of about 65° or less relative to the centerline axis of the casing wall. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the heat shield is a hollow structure. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the heat shield is integrally formed as part of the single monolithic whole via additive manufacturing. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the casing wall further includes an annular hollow flange having an internal lattice structure. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the stator vanes have a nonuniform spacing about a circumference of the compressor casing.