Gas turbine compressor stator blade

Abstract

A stator assembly of an axial flow compressor includes removable stator blades that slidably engage within a circumferential channel formed along the inside surface of a circular compressor casing. The channel forms a circle around the rotational axis of the turbine about which the compress casing is positioned. Thus, the curvature of the channel coincides with the radial distance of the channel from the center of the casing and thus also from the rotational axis of the turbine. Grooves are undercut in the casing to extend along each side of the channel to slidably receive rails that extend along the sides of the base of the stator blades.

1 . A stator blade for installation in the cylindrical casing of a compressor for a turbine, the casing having a circumferential channel disposed about the rotational axis of the turbine for receiving the stator blade and having undercut circumferential grooves extending into the casing along opposite sides of the channel, the stator blade comprising:
 a. a base comprising a first surface and opposite sides and opposite ends, the base being sized and shaped to be engageable in the casing channel, wherein the opposite ends of the base are disposed at an angle with each other to engage in face-to-face abutment with the end of an adjacent stator blade base when installed in the casing;   b. an airfoil projecting from the first surface of the base; and   c. rails extending along and projecting outwardly from the sides of the base, the rails being sized to be receivable within the grooves and curved in the circumferential direction of the grooves to correspond to the circumferential curvature of the grooves, wherein the face-to-face abutment of the base is configured to prevent wear of the casing.   
     
     
         2 . The stator blade of  claim 1 , wherein the rails are of a thickness corresponding to the height of the grooves. 
     
     
         3 . The stator blade of  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the rails extend along the second surface of the base. 
     
     
         4 . The stator blade of  claim 3 , wherein the second surface of the base is curved about the center of the casing to coincide with the curvature of the rails. 
     
     
         5 . The stator blade of  claim 4 , wherein the curvature of the rails is located at their distal radial distance from the rotational axis of the turbine. 
     
     
         6 . The stator blade of  claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the base is curved about the rotational axis of the turbine. 
     
     
         7 . The stator blade of  claim 6 , wherein curvature of the first surface of the base about the rotational axis of the turbine is located at the distal radial distance of the first surface from the rotational axis of the turbine. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The stator blade of claim  8 , wherein the opposite ends of the base being in radial alignment with the rotational axis of the turbine. 
     
     
         10 . A stator assembly for a turbine, the turbine having a longitudinal rotational axis, the stator assembly comprising:
 a. a cylindrical casing disposable concentrically with the turbine longitudinal rotational axis, the casing having a circumferential channel extending along the inside surface of the casing and undercut circumferential grooves extending into the casing along opposite sides of the channel,   b. a stator blade comprising:
 i. a base comprising a first surface and opposite sides and opposite ends, the base being sized and shaped to be engageable in the casing channel, wherein the opposite ends of the base are disposed at an angle with each other to engage in face-to-face abutment with the end of an adjacent stator blade base when installed in the casing; 
 ii. an airfoil projecting from the first surface of the base; and 
 iii. rails extending along and projecting outwardly from the sides of the base, the rails being sized to be receivable within the grooves and curved along their lengths to correspond to the circumference of the grooves, wherein the opposite ends of the base are disposed at an angle with each other to engage in face-to-face abutment with the end of an adjacent stator blade base when installed in the casing, wherein the face-to-face abutment of the base is configured to prevent wear of the casing. 
   
     
     
         11 . The stator assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the rails are of a thickness corresponding to the height of the grooves. 
     
     
         12 . The stator assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the base comprises a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the rails extend along the second surface of the base. 
     
     
         13 . The stator assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the second surface of the base is curved about the rotational axis of the turbine to coincide with the curvature of the rails. 
     
     
         14 . The stator assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the curvature of the rails is located at their distal radial distance from the longitudinal rotational axis of the turbine. 
     
     
         15 . The stator assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first surface of the base is curved about the rotational axis of the turbine. 
     
     
         16 . The stator assembly of  claim 15 , wherein curvature of the first surface of the base about the rotational axis of the turbine is located at the distal radial distance of the first surface from the longitudinal rotational axis of the turbine. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The stator assembly of claim  17 , wherein the opposite ends of the base are in radial alignment with the longitudinal rotational axis of the turbine.