Variable diffuser having a respective penny for each vane
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsChristopher Hall, Glenn Knight
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A variable diffuser comprises a passage, at least two vanes disposed within the passage, and at least two pennies. The passage is defined between opposing disk faces of a hub and a tip. Each of the vanes comprises a body having a leading edge and a trailing edge. The body extends between the hub face and the disk face. Each of the pennies is coupled to a respective vane body near an edge of the penny and an actuator. Rotation of at least one penny changes the orientation of the respective vane relative to the hub face.
Claims20
A variable diffuser comprising:
- a passage defined between opposing faces of a hub and a tip;
- at least one vane within the passage, said vane comprising a body having a leading edge and a trailing edge, the body extending between the hub face and the tip face;
- and
- at least one rotatable penny coupled to said body and an actuator, wherein the penny is coupled to the body near an edge of the penny;
- wherein the hub face defines a slot and the body is coupled to the hub face via a pin extending from the body and into the slot, the pin movable within the slot;
- wherein rotation of at least one penny changes an orientation of the at least one vane relative to the hub face.
A variable diffuser comprising:
- a passage defined between opposing faces of a hub and a tip;
- a vane within the passage, said vane comprising a leading edge segment and a trailing edge segment, each segment extending between the hub face and the tip face;
- a rotatable penny coupled to the leading edge segment and an actuator, wherein the penny is coupled to the leading edge segment near an edge of the penny;
- and
- wherein the hub face defines a slot and the leading edge segment is coupled to the hub face via a pin extending from the leading edge segment into the slot, the pin movable within the slot;
- wherein the trailing edge segment is coupled to the hub face via a pin extending from the trailing edge segment to the hub face;
- and
- wherein rotation of the penny changes an orientation of the leading edge segment relative to the hub face, and changes in the orientation of the leading edge segment causes changes an orientation of the trailing edge segment relative to the hub face.
A method of varying fluid flow exiting a centrifugal compressor, the method comprising:
- defining a diffuser passage between a pair of axially displaced and opposing disk faces;
- defining a plurality of slots within the first disk face;
- fixing a plurality of vanes in the diffuser passage, each vane extending between the opposing disk faces, coupled to a respective penny housed in a first of the disk faces and coupled to a respective pin extending from the vane into the respective slot;
- and
- transitioning each of the plurality of vanes from a first orientation relative to the diffuser passage to a second orientation relative to the diffuser passage by rotating each respective penny in unison and allowing each respective pin to translate within each respective slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.