PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR GAS TURBINE ENGINE IN ICE CRYSTAL CONDITIONS

A gas turbine engine (10) comprises a fan (23); an engine core (11) comprising a compressor (14), a combustor (16), and a turbine (19) coupled to the compressor (14) through a shaft (26); a reduction gearbox (30); an Engine Section Stator (ESS) (24) comprising a plurality of ESS vanes (42) with an external surface (S) washed by the core airflow; an ESS heating system (44) adapted to heat the ESS vanes (42), and a temperature sensor (48) adapted to detect the temperature of the external surface (S) of the ESS vanes (42) and send a signal to the ESS heating system (44) when said temperature is below a reference temperature. Upon detection and/or inference of ice crystal conditions and receiving from the temperature sensor (48) the signal that the temperature is below the reference temperature, the ESS heating system (44) is activated to heat at least a portion (S1) of the external surface (S) of the ESS vanes (42) and promote melting and adhering of ice crystals thereto.