COMPRESSOR, TURBINE AND TURBOCHARGER

• US 20110041494A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited (Cummins Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited (Cummins Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ryder, Owen, Parker, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,200,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/605.1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/045 special arrangements in stators or in rotors dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/24 Casings modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14; Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M ; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/12 Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/4206 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/40 in turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/40 in turbochargers

Abstract

A compressor for compressing a gas, the compressor comprising: a housing having an axial inlet and an annular outlet volute; an impeller wheel including a plurality of blades, the wheel being rotatably mounted within the housing between said inlet and outlet volute; the axial inlet being defined by a tubular inducer portion of the housing and the annular outlet volute being defined by an annular diffuser passage surrounding the impeller, the diffuser having an annular outlet communicating with the outlet volute; the housing having an inner wall defining a surface located in close proximity to radially outer edges of the impeller blades which sweep across said surface as the impeller wheel rotates; wherein the compressor housing incorporates at least one section comprised of a deformable, energy absorbing material arranged to deform and absorb energy generated as a result of impellor wheel failure. A turbine incorporating similar deformable, energy absorbing materials is also described, as are turbochargers incorporating such a compressor and/or turbine.

Claims

1. A compressor for compressing a gas, the compressor comprising:

a housing having an axial inlet and an annular outlet volute;

an impeller wheel including a plurality of blades, the wheel being rotatably mounted within the housing between said inlet and outlet volute;

the axial inlet being defined by a tubular inducer portion of the housing and the annular outlet volute being defined by an annular diffuser passage surrounding the impeller, the diffuser having an annular outlet communicating with the outlet volute;

the housing having an inner wall defining a surface located in close proximity to radially outer edges of the impeller blades which sweep across said surface as the impeller wheel rotates;

wherein the compressor housing incorporates at least one section comprised of a deformable, energy absorbing material arranged to deform and absorb energy generated as a result of impellor wheel failure.

2. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein deformable, energy absorbing material forms at least part of the inner wall of the compressor housing which defines the surface across which the impeller blades sweep as the impeller wheel rotates.

3. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein the deformable, energy absorbing material is embedded within said inner wall of the compressor housing at a location adjacent to said surface.

4. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein the deformable, energy absorbing material is embedded within said inner wall at a location spaced axially and/or radially outboard of said surface.

5. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein deformable, energy absorbing material forms at least part of the surface across which the impeller blades sweep as the impeller wheel rotates.

6. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein the deformable, energy absorbing material forms substantially all of said surface.

7. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein deformable, energy absorbing material is comprised in a region of the compressor housing adjacent to the inner wall which defines the surface across which the impeller blades sweep as the impeller wheel rotates.

8. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein deformable, energy absorbing material forms at least part of the axial inlet and/or annular outlet volute of the compressor housing.

9. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein deformable, energy absorbing material forms at least part of the tubular inducer portion of the compressor housing.

10. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein deformable, energy absorbing material forms at least part of the annular diffuser passage of the compressor housing.

11. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein the annular diffuser passage is partly defined by a diffuser plate located axially inboard of the impeller wheel and said diffuser plate comprises deformable, energy absorbing material.

12. A compressor according to claim 11, wherein said diffuser plate is formed from said deformable, energy absorbing material provided with an outer coating of a suitable coating material.

13. A compressor according to claim 12, wherein said coating material comprises aluminium metal.

14. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein said deformable, energy absorbing material comprises a cellular material.

15. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein said deformable, energy absorbing material comprises an open or closed pore material.

16. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein said deformable, energy absorbing material comprises a metal foam or metal mesh.

17. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein said deformable, energy absorbing material is a metal foam having a density of up to around 50% of the density of a corresponding solid material.

18. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein said deformable, energy absorbing material is a metal foam having a density of around 5 to 25%.

19. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein said deformable, energy absorbing material comprises at least one metal or metal alloy wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminium, titanium, magnesium, iron, steel, nickel and copper.

20. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein said deformable, energy absorbing material comprises a composite of two or more metals and/or metal alloys.

21. A compressor according to claim 20, wherein said composite comprises steel reinforced aluminium.

22. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein said deformable, energy absorbing material incorporates one or more polymeric and/or ceramic materials.

26. A turbocharger comprising a compressor according to claim 1.

23. A turbine comprising:

a housing;

a turbine wheel supported within said housing for rotation about a turbine axis;

an annular inlet passage within said housing upstream of said turbine wheel and defined between respective radial inlet surfaces of first and second wall members;

an axial outlet passage within said housing downstream of said turbine wheel;

wherein the turbine housing incorporates at least one section comprised of a deformable, energy absorbing material arranged to deform and absorb energy generated as a result of turbine wheel failure.

24. A turbine according to claim 23, wherein deformable, energy absorbing material forms at least part of the turbine housing which defines the annular inlet passage and/or axial outlet passage of the turbine.

25. A turbine according to claim 23, wherein the energy absorbing material comprises a cellular material.

27. A turbocharger comprising a turbine according to claim 23.

28. A turbocharger comprising:

a turbocharger shaft rotatable about an axis;

a turbine comprising a turbine wheel provided at one end of the shaft for rotation about said axis within a turbine housing;

a compressor comprising an impeller wheel mounted to the other end of the shaft for rotation about said axis within a compressor housing;

the shaft being rotatable on at least one bearing assembly housed within a bearing housing located between the compressor housing and the turbine housing;

wherein the compressor housing and/or turbine housing incorporates at least one section comprised of a deformable, energy absorbing material arranged to deform and absorb energy generated as a result of the failure of the impellor wheel and/or turbine wheel respectively.

29. A turbocharger according to claim 28, wherein the compressor comprising:

a housing having an axial inlet and an annular outlet volute;

an impeller wheel including a plurality of blades, the wheel being rotatably mounted within the housing between said inlet and outlet volute;

the axial inlet being defined by a tubular inducer portion of the housing and the annular outlet volute being defined by an annular diffuser passage surrounding the impeller, the diffuser having an annular outlet communicating with the outlet volute;

the housing having an inner wall defining a surface located in close proximity to radially outer edges of the impeller blades which sweep across said surface as the impeller wheel rotates; and

wherein the compressor housing incorporates at least one section comprised of a deformable, energy absorbing material arranged to deform and absorb energy generated as a result of impellor wheel failure.

30. A turbocharger according to claim 28, wherein the turbine comprises:

a housing;

a turbine wheel supported within said housing for rotation about a turbine axis;

an annular inlet passage within said housing upstream of said turbine wheel and defined between respective radial inlet surfaces of first and second wall members;

an axial outlet passage within said housing downstream of said turbine wheel; and

wherein the turbine housing incorporates at least one section comprised of a deformable, energy absorbing material arranged to deform and absorb energy generated as a result of turbine wheel failure.