Multi-station debris separation system

A gas turbine engine, comprising:

• a first separation device that receives ambient air including entrained solid particles and removes at least 80 percent of the solid particles having a mean particle diameter between 80 micrometers and 1000 micrometers from the ambient air;
• a compressor that receives the ambient air from the first separation device and generates compressed air;
• and
• a second separation device that receives compressed air from the compressor including entrained solid particles having a mean particle diameter less than 5 micrometers and removes at least 70 percent of the entrained solid particles from the compressed air.

A method of removing solid particles from an airflow in a gas turbine engine including a compressor and a combustor, the method comprising:

• receiving ambient air including entrained solid particles;
• removing at least 80 percent of the entrained solid particles having a mean particle diameter between 80 micrometers and 1000 micrometers from the ambient air before the compressor;
• compressing the ambient air in the compressor to generate compressed air including entrained solid particles having a mean particle diameter less than 5 micrometers;
• and
• removing at least 80 percent of the entrained solid particles from the compressed air before the combustor.