Method and system for leading edge auxiliary vanes

A row of airfoil vane pairs comprising:

• a first row of main vanes extending radially inwardly from a stationary casing member and spaced circumferentially about a first axial location of said stationary casing member, each main vane of said first row of main vanes being maintained at an angle of incidence less than or equal to twenty degrees, each main vane comprising a vane root coupled to said stationary casing member, a distal tip end, and a main airfoil extending therebetween, said airfoil comprising a first height from the stationary casing member to the distal tip end, a first chord length between a leading edge of said main airfoil and a trailing edge of said main airfoil, and a thickness;
• a second row of auxiliary vanes, upstream of the first row of main vanes, extending radially inwardly from said stationary casing member and spaced circumferentially about a second axial location of said stationary casing member, said second axial location is different from said first axial location, each auxiliary vane of said second row of auxiliary vanes comprising an auxiliary vane root coupled to said stationary casing member, a distal tip end, and an auxiliary airfoil extending therebetween, said auxiliary airfoil comprising a second height from the stationary casing member to said distal tip end, a second chord length between a leading edge of said auxiliary airfoil and a trailing edge of said auxiliary airfoil, and a thickness, wherein the second chord length is less than the first chord length;
• and a flow channel defined between a pressure side of an auxiliary vane of said second row of auxiliary vanes and a suction side of an adjacent main vane of said first row of main vanes proximate said leading edge of said main airfoil of said adjacent main vane.