Active clearance control for axial rotor systems

1. A system for increasing efficiency of a gas turbine engine comprising:

a stator assembly including a plurality of stator airfoils;

a rotor assembly including a plurality of rotor airfoils configured to rotate about an axis;

a distance actuator coupled to the stator assembly and configured to actuate the plurality of stator airfoils of the stator assembly in an axial direction relative to the rotor assembly, creating an axial movement such that a clearance between the at least one rotor airfoil from the plurality of rotor airfoils and the stator assembly varies based on an axial position of the stator assembly;

a case configured to remain stationary relative to rotation of the rotor assembly and the axial movement of the stator assembly;

a forward sliding seal coupled to a forward end of the stator assembly and configured to allow the axial movement of the stator assembly relative to the case while maintaining a seal between the stator assembly and the case;

an aft sliding seal coupled to an aft end of the stator assembly and configured to allow the axial movement of the stator assembly relative to the case while maintaining a second seal between the stator assembly and the case; and

a linear guide rail coupled to the stator assembly and a carriage coupled to the case and slidably coupled to the linear guide rail such that the linear guide rail and the carriage allow the axial movement of the plurality of stator airfoils of the stator assembly and resist radial movement of the stator assembly.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the efficiency of the system is increased by the distance actuator actuating the stator assembly axially from a second position to a first position, such that a distance between a stator outer diameter edge of the stator assembly and a rotor outer diameter edge of the rotor assembly is smaller in the first position than the second position.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the efficiency of the system is increased by the distance actuator actuating the stator assembly aft relative to the rotor assembly.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control the distance actuator based on an input indicating a force to be applied to the system.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller controls the distance actuator to actuate the stator assembly to a first position in response to the input indicating that a first amount of force will be applied to the system and to actuate the stator assembly to a second position being less efficient than the first position in response to the input indicating that a second amount of force greater than the first amount of force will be applied to the system.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is implemented in a compressor section of the gas turbine engine.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is implemented in a turbine section of the gas turbine engine.

8. A system for increasing efficiency of a compressor section of a gas turbine engine, comprising:

a rotor assembly including a rotor outer diameter edge, and a plurality of rotor airfoils configured to rotate about an axis and to compress a fluid;

a stator assembly including a stator outer diameter edge, and a plurality of stator airfoils configured to condition the fluid, such that the rotor outer diameter edge and the stator outer diameter edge define a conic shape;

an actuator coupled to the stator assembly and configured to actuate the plurality of stator airfoils of the stator assembly in an axial direction relative to the rotor assembly, creating an axial movement such that a clearance between the plurality of rotor airfoils and the stator assembly varies based on an axial position of the stator assembly;

a forward sliding seal coupled to a forward end of the stator assembly and configured to allow the axial movement of the stator assembly relative to a case while maintaining a seal between the stator assembly and the case; and

a linear guide rail coupled to the stator assembly and a carriage coupled to the case and slidably coupled to the linear guide rail such that the linear guide rail and the carriage allow the axial movement of the plurality of stator airfoils of the stator assembly and resist radial movement of the stator assembly.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the efficiency of the system is increased by the actuator actuating the stator assembly axially from a second position to a first position, such that a distance between the stator outer diameter edge and the rotor outer diameter edge is smaller in the first position than the second position.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a controller configured to control the actuator based on an input indicating a force to be applied to the system,

wherein the controller comprises a processor, wherein the processor controls the actuator to actuate the stator assembly to a first position in response to the input indicating that a first amount of force will be applied to the system and to actuate the stator assembly to a second position being less efficient than the first position in response to the input indicating that a second amount of force greater than the first amount of force will be applied to the system.

11. A method for increasing efficiency of a compressor, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller, an input indicating an amount of force to be applied to the compressor;

determining, by the controller, a determined direction and a determined amount to move a stator assembly in an axial direction relative to a rotor assembly based on the input, the stator assembly comprising a plurality of stator airfoils and the rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor airfoils, the stator assembly being coupled to a linear guide rail, the linear guide rail being slidably coupled to a carriage, and the carriage being coupled to a case; and

instructing, by the controller, an actuator coupled to the stator assembly to actuate the plurality of stator airfoils of the stator assembly the determined amount in the determined direction,

wherein the stator assembly and the rotor assembly maintain a seal during the stator assembly movement in the axial direction relative to the rotor assembly, and wherein the linear guide rail and the carriage allow the stator assembly to actuate the determined amount in the determined direction and resist radial movement of the stator assembly.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the controller determines to actuate the stator assembly aft in response to the input indicating that a first amount of force will be applied to the compressor and determines to actuate the stator assembly forward in response to the input indicating that a second amount of force greater than the first amount of force will be applied to the compressor.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the compressor is a low pressure compressor.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the input includes at least one of an upcoming maneuver, an upcoming landing, an upcoming takeoff or an instruction received from an operator.