Compressor having purge circuit and method of purging

A gas turbine system comprising:

• a turbine;
• and
• a compressor fluidly connected to the turbine, the compressor including:
• a rotor having a plurality of stages, each of the plurality of stages including a set of radially extending rotor wheels;
• a working fluid supply path for providing working fluid to each of the plurality of stages for compression by each set of radially extending rotor wheels;
• a purge circuit for diverting a first portion of the working fluid from an upstream portion of the working fluid supply path to at least one downstream stage of the plurality of stages;
• and
• a substantially axial bypass path bypassing the at least one downstream stage, the substantially axial bypass path for diverting a second portion of the working fluid around the at least one downstream stage,
• wherein the substantially axial bypass path is fluidly connected with the purge circuit and diverts the second portion of the working fluid from a location upstream of the purge circuit to a location downstream of the at least one downstream stage, wherein the second portion of the working fluid is joined with the first portion of the working fluid in the axial bypass path to form a bucket supply fluid, and
• wherein the substantially axial bypass path and the purge circuit each extend along a radial length of respective sets of the radially extending rotor wheels.