# US 10,502,232 B2 · Turbocharger compressor having adjustable trim mechanism including swirl inducers

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- Number: US 10,502,232 B2
- Document ID: US10502232B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/909,899
- Filed: 2018-03-01
- Published: 2019-09-05
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-01
- Assignees: Garrett Transportation I Inc.
- Applicants: Honeywell International Inc.
- Inventors: Hani Mohtar; Stephane Pees; Alain Lombard
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502232B2

## CPC

- F04D 29/462: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps}
- F02C 6/12: Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure
- F04D 29/444: {Bladed diffusers}
- F04D 29/464: {adjusting flow cross-section, otherwise than by using adjustable stator blades}
- F05D 2220/40: in turbochargers
- F05D 2250/51: Inlet
- F05D 2260/14: Preswirling
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A centrifugal compressor for a turbocharger includes an inlet-adjustment mechanism operable to move between an open position and a closed position. The inlet-adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of blades disposed about the compressor air inlet and located within an annular space within the air inlet wall. The blades are pivotable about respective pivot points such that the blades extend radially inward from the annular space into the air inlet when the blades are in the closed position so as to form an orifice of reduced diameter relative to a nominal diameter of the inlet. Upstream surfaces of the blades include swirl inducers that are structured and arranged to impart either pre-swirl or counter-swirl to the air passing through the orifice into the compressor wheel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A turbocharger, comprising:
a turbine housing and a turbine wheel mounted in the turbine housing and connected to a rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, the turbine housing receiving exhaust gas and supplying the exhaust gas to the turbine wheel;
a centrifugal compressor assembly comprising a compressor housing and a compressor wheel mounted in the compressor housing and connected to the rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, the compressor wheel having blades and defining an inducer portion, the compressor housing having an air inlet wall defining an air inlet for leading air generally axially into the compressor wheel, the compressor housing further defining a volute for receiving compressed air discharged generally radially outwardly from the compressor wheel, the air inlet wall defining an annular space surrounding the air inlet and open to the air inlet at a radially inner end of the annular space; and
a compressor inlet-adjustment mechanism disposed in the annular space of the air inlet wall and movable between an open position and a closed position, the inlet-adjustment mechanism comprising a plurality of blades disposed within the annular space, the blades collectively circumscribing an orifice, each blade having an upstream surface relatively farther from and facing away from the compressor wheel and a downstream surface relatively closer to and facing toward the compressor wheel, the blades pivoting about respective pivots radially inwardly from the annular space into the air inlet when the blades are in the closed position so as to cause the orifice to have a reduced diameter relative to a nominal diameter of the inlet;
wherein the upstream surface of each of the blades includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced swirl inducers that are structured and arranged to impart swirl to the air passing through the orifice into the compressor wheel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the swirl inducers comprise slots in the upstream surface of each blade.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The turbocharger of claim 2, wherein the slots are oriented to impart pre-swirl to the air.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The turbocharger of claim 2, wherein the slots are oriented to impart counter-swirl to the air.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the radially inner edge of each blade has a circular-arc shape, the blades being configured so that said radially inner edges collectively form the orifice as substantially circular in a selected position of the inlet-adjustment mechanism.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the number of said blades is three.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the inlet-adjustment mechanism further comprises a unison ring, the unison ring being rotatable about a rotational axis of the turbocharger, wherein each of the blades is engaged with the unison ring such that rotation of the unison ring causes the blades to pivot.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The turbocharger of claim 7, wherein each blade includes an end portion that engages an outer periphery of the unison ring.