CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR WITH SURGE CONTROL, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD
First Claim
1. A centrifugal compressor for compressing a fluid, comprising:
- a compressor wheel having a hub defining a rotational axis and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades each having a root joined to the hub and extending generally radially outwardly to a tip of the blade, each of the blades having a leading edge and a trailing edge spaced downstream from the leading edge along a flow direction;
a compressor housing in which the compressor wheel is mounted so as to be rotatable about the rotational axis of the compressor wheel, the compressor housing including an inlet duct through which the fluid enters in a direction generally parallel to the rotational axis of the compressor wheel and is led by the inlet duct into the compressor wheel, the inlet duct comprising a duct wall that encircles the rotational axis, the compressor housing further including a wheel shroud located radially adjacent the tips of the blades;
a bleed port defined in the wheel shroud at a location intermediate the leading and trailing edges of the blades for bleeding off a bleed portion of the fluid being compressed by the compressor wheel; and
a converging injection nozzle defined in the duct wall upstream of the leading edges of the blades for injecting the bleed portion of the fluid back into the main fluid flow stream approaching the compressor wheel, the injection nozzle being configured to inject the bleed portion in a direction that makes an angle of from 0°
to 90°
with respect to the rotational axis, and wherein a flow area of the injection nozzle decreases in the flow direction such that the bleed portion is accelerated before being injected into the main fluid flow stream.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A centrifugal compressor for compressing a fluid comprises a compressor wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades, and a compressor housing in which the compressor wheel is mounted. The compressor housing includes an inlet duct through which the fluid enters in an axial direction and is led by the inlet duct into the compressor wheel, and a wheel shroud located radially adjacent the tips of the blades. A bleed port is defined in the wheel shroud at a location intermediate the leading and trailing edges of the blades for bleeding off a bleed portion of the fluid being compressed by the compressor wheel. A converging injection nozzle is defined in the duct wall upstream of the leading edges of the blades for injecting the bleed portion of the fluid back into the main fluid flow stream approaching the compressor wheel.
36 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A centrifugal compressor for compressing a fluid, comprising:
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a compressor wheel having a hub defining a rotational axis and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades each having a root joined to the hub and extending generally radially outwardly to a tip of the blade, each of the blades having a leading edge and a trailing edge spaced downstream from the leading edge along a flow direction;
a compressor housing in which the compressor wheel is mounted so as to be rotatable about the rotational axis of the compressor wheel, the compressor housing including an inlet duct through which the fluid enters in a direction generally parallel to the rotational axis of the compressor wheel and is led by the inlet duct into the compressor wheel, the inlet duct comprising a duct wall that encircles the rotational axis, the compressor housing further including a wheel shroud located radially adjacent the tips of the blades;
a bleed port defined in the wheel shroud at a location intermediate the leading and trailing edges of the blades for bleeding off a bleed portion of the fluid being compressed by the compressor wheel; and
a converging injection nozzle defined in the duct wall upstream of the leading edges of the blades for injecting the bleed portion of the fluid back into the main fluid flow stream approaching the compressor wheel, the injection nozzle being configured to inject the bleed portion in a direction that makes an angle of from 0°
to 90°
with respect to the rotational axis, and wherein a flow area of the injection nozzle decreases in the flow direction such that the bleed portion is accelerated before being injected into the main fluid flow stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for controlling surge of a centrifugal compressor, the compressor comprising a compressor wheel having a hub defining a rotational axis and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades each having a root joined to the hub and extending generally radially outwardly to a tip of the blade, each of the blades having a leading edge and a trailing edge spaced downstream from the leading edge along a flow direction, and a compressor housing in which the compressor wheel is mounted so as to be rotatable about the rotational axis of the compressor wheel, the compressor housing including an inlet duct through which the fluid enters in a direction generally parallel to the rotational axis of the compressor wheel and is led by the inlet duct into the compressor wheel, the inlet duct comprising a duct wall that encircles the rotational axis, the compressor housing further including a wheel shroud located radially adjacent the tips of the blades, the method comprising the steps of:
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bleeding off a bleed portion of the fluid being compressed by the compressor wheel via a bleed port defined in the wheel shroud at a location intermediate the leading and trailing edges of the blades; and
injecting the bleed portion of the fluid back into the main fluid flow stream approaching the compressor wheel via a converging injection nozzle defined in the duct wall upstream of the leading edges of the blades, the injection nozzle being configured to inject the bleed portion in a direction that makes an angle of from 0°
to 90°
with respect to the rotational axis, and wherein a flow area of the injection nozzle decreases in the flow direction such that the bleed portion is accelerated before being injected into the main fluid flow stream. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification