Patent ID: 8251639

Claim:
A gas turbine, comprising: a drive shaft having an axis about which it is rotatable; at least one multi-stage compressor unit having a plurality of independent compressor modules, which, independently of each other, are rotatably borne on the drive shaft, each independent compressor module including a compressor stage having a rotor with a plurality of rotor blades disposed circumferentially around the axis of the drive shaft; a respective clutch unit for each of the plurality of independent compressor modules by which each independent compressor module is engageable with the drive shaft such that the plurality of rotor blades of that independent compressor module is rotationally fixed to the drive shaft around the axis of the drive shaft and disengageable from the drive shaft such that the plurality of rotor blades of that independent compressor module is rotatable with respect to the drive shaft around the axis of the drive shaft.