Stator assembly for an axial compressor

A stator assembly for an axial compressor to control the relative thermal expansion between the stator assembly and a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades thereon, wherein the stator assembly is disposed about the rotor assembly and comprises:

• (a) an annular inner casing having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface defining a plurality of circumferential grooves, the inner casing comprising a plurality of arcuate segments, each segment having parallel lateral edges disposed obliquely to a longitudinal axis of the compressor;
• (b) means to attach a plurality of stator vanes to alternate ones of the circumferential grooves in the inner casing;
• (c) a plurality of first friction bands;
• (d) means to attach the first friction bands in the circumferential grooves between the stator vanes;
• (e) an outer casing disposed about the inner casing so as to define an annular space therebetween;
• (f) means to direct a portion of the air passing through the compressor into the annular space between the inner and outer casings;
• (g) a plurality of first brackets attached to the exterior surface of each arcuate segment of the inner casing, each of the first brackets defining an opening therethrough with its axis extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the compressor, at least one bracket on each arcuate segment being longitudinally aligned with a bracket on an adjacent arcuate segment;
• (h) a plurality of second brackets distributed about an interior surface of the outer casing, each of the second brackets defining an opening therethrough, the openings defined by the second brackets being adjacent and aligned with corresponding openings defined by the first brackets;
• and,
• (i) pin means inserted through the aligned openings of the first and second brackets to retain the inner and outer casings in assembled relationship and to attach adjacent arcuate segments together.