CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR DIFFUSER VANELET

• US 20110194931A1
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Industrial U.S., Inc. (Ingersoll Rand, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Hitt, James, Grigoriev, Mikhail, Swiatek, Chester V., Blair, Noel JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,602,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/206
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/44 Fluid-guiding means, e.g. diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/444 Bladed diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/666 by means of rotor construction or layout, e.g. unequal distribution of blades or vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/52 Outlet

Abstract

A system, in certain embodiments, includes a centrifugal compressor diffuser including a flow path having a first surface and a second surface defining opposite axial sides of the flow path. The centrifugal compressor diffuser also includes multiple vanes extending from the first surface to the second surface of the flow path. A first profile of each vane varies along an axial direction. The centrifugal compressor diffuser further includes multiple vanelets extending from the first surface toward the second surface in the axial direction. A first axial extent of each vanelet is less than a second axial extent of the flow path. In addition, a second profile of each vanelet varies along the axial direction and/or the vanelets form a non-periodic pattern around a circumference of the flow path.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a centrifugal compressor diffuser comprising;

a flow path having a first surface and a second surface defining opposite axial sides of the flow path;

a plurality of vanes extending from the first surface to the second surface of the flow path, wherein a first profile of each vane varies along an axial direction; and

a plurality of vanelets extending from the first surface toward the second surface in the axial direction, wherein a first axial extent of each vanelet is less than a second axial extent of the flow path, and wherein a second profile of each vanelet varies along the axial direction, the plurality of vanelets form a non-periodic pattern around a circumference of the flow path, or a combination thereof.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first surface comprises a shroud-side mounting surface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first axial extent of each vanelet is less than approximately 25 percent of the second axial extent of the flow path.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second profile of each vanelet varies along the axial direction, and the plurality of vanelets form the non-periodic pattern around the circumference of the flow path.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a first radius of curvature of a leading edge, a second radius of curvature of a trailing edge, a curvature angle, a meridional length, or a combination thereof, of each vanelet varies along the axial direction.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a first total number of vanelets is equal to a second total number of vanes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each vanelet is circumferentially disposed between each pair of adjacent vanes.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of vanelets is configured to vary fluid flow adjacent to at least one vane to reduce an incidence angle between the fluid flow and a leading edge of the at least one vane.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising a centrifugal compressor having the centrifugal compressor diffuser.

10. A system comprising:

a centrifugal compressor diffuser vanelet having a first axial extent less than a second axial extent of a diffuser flow path, wherein a profile of the centrifugal compressor diffuser vanelet varies along an axial direction.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first axial extent of the centrifugal compressor diffuser vanelet is less than approximately 25 percent of the second axial extent of the flow path.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein a first radius of curvature of a leading edge, a second radius of curvature of a trailing edge, a curvature angle, a meridional length, or a combination thereof, of the centrifugal compressor diffuser vanelet varies along the axial direction.

13. The system of claim 10, comprising a centrifugal compressor diffuser including a plurality of centrifugal compressor diffuser vanelets disposed about the flow path in an annual arrangement.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of centrifugal compressor diffuser vanelets form a non-periodic pattern around a circumference of the flow path.

15. A system comprising:

a centrifugal compressor diffuser comprising;

a flow path having a first surface and a second surface defining opposite axial sides of the flow path; and

a plurality of vanes extending from the first surface to the second surface of the flow path, wherein a first profile of each vane varies along an axial direction; and

a plurality of vanelets extending from the first surface toward the second surface in the axial direction, wherein a first axial extent of each vanelet is less than a second axial extent of the flow path, and wherein the plurality of vanelets form a non-periodic pattern around a circumference of the flow path.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-periodic pattern comprises an asymmetrical geometry, an asymmetrical orientation, or a combination thereof.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the non-periodic pattern comprises the asymmetrical geometry, and wherein the asymmetrical geometry comprises a change in meridional length, a change in curvature angle, a change in angular orientation with respect to a circumferential axis, or a combination thereof, from a first vanelet to a second vanelet.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the non-periodic pattern comprises the asymmetrical orientation, and wherein the asymmetrical orientation comprises a change in radial location, a change in circumferential location with respect to equally spaced reference points, or a combination thereof, from a first vanelet to a second vanelet.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the first axial extent of each vanelet is less than approximately 25 percent of the second axial extent of the flow path.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein a second profile of each vanelet varies along the axial direction.