# US 11,905,975 B1 · Radial compressor with leading edge air injection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,905,975 B1 - Document ID: US11905975B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/885,319 - Filed: 2022-08-10 - Published: 2024-02-15 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-08-10 - Assignees: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation - Applicants: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation - Inventors: Ousmane Gaye; Viktor Kilchyk - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11905975B1 ## CPC - F04D 29/684: {by fluid injection} - F04D 17/06: Helico-centrifugal pumps - F04D 29/284: {for compressors} - F04D 29/30: Vanes - F04D 29/5846: {cooling by injection} - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - F04D 29/057: hydrostatic; hydrodynamic - F04D 29/584: {cooling or heating the machine (F04D29/5846, F04D29/5853 take precedence)} - F05D 2240/303: related to the leading edge of a rotor blade - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A compressor includes a housing and a mixed-flow rotor mounted within the housing. The mixed-flow rotor includes a blade and a rotor hub with an interior flow passage. The blade includes an internal channel between a pressure surface and a suction surface of the blade. The internal channel extends radially within the blade and is in fluidic communication with the interior flow passage. The blade also includes a plurality of air outlets formed on the blade proximate a leading edge of the blade. The plurality of air outlets extends into the blade to fluidically connect with the internal channel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A compressor of an air cycle machine, wherein the compressor comprises: a housing forming an inlet of the air cycle machine; and a centrifugal rotor mounted within the housing, the centrifugal rotor comprising: a rotor hub comprising an interior flow passage; a blade comprising a leading edge extending in a radial direction, a trailing edge extending in an axial direction, a pressure surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and a suction surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge opposite the pressure surface; an internal channel inside of the blade between the pressure surface and the suction surface and extending radially within the blade and in fluidic communication with the interior flow passage; and a plurality of air outlets formed on the blade proximate the leading edge and extending into the blade to fluidically connect with the internal channel, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets is on the leading edge. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The compressor of claim 1, further comprising: a bearing assembly supporting the centrifugal rotor; and a cooling flow passage extending across the bearing assembly and configured to cool the bearing assembly, wherein the interior flow passage of the rotor hub comprises an inlet fluidically connected to the cooling flow passage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The compressor of claim 1, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality air outlets comprises a circular profile. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The compressor of claim 1, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets comprises an elliptical profile. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The compressor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of air outlets is evenly spaced on the leading edge. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The compressor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of air outlets is irregularly spaced on the leading edge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The compressor of claim 1, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets extends from the internal channel to the pressure surface within fifteen percent of chord from the leading edge. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The compressor of claim 1, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets extends from the internal channel to the suction surface within fifteen percent of chord from the leading edge. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The compressor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of air outlets comprises: a first air outlet on the leading edge and extending to the internal channel; a second air outlet on the suction surface within fifteen percent of chord from the leading edge and extending to the internal channel; and a third air outlet on the pressure surface within fifteen percent of chord from the leading edge and extending to the internal channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The compressor of claim 1, wherein the internal channel is of a greater diameter than each air outlet of the plurality of air outlets. ### Claim 11 An impeller of an air cycle machine, the impeller comprising: a rotor hub comprising an interior flow passage; a blade comprising a leading edge extending in a radial direction, a trailing edge extending in an axial direction, a pressure surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and a suction surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge opposite the pressure surface; an internal channel inside of the blade between the pressure surface and the suction surface and extending radially within the blade; and a plurality of air outlets formed on the blade proximate the leading edge and extending into the blade and fluidically connecting with the internal channel, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets is on the leading edge. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The impeller of claim 11, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets comprises a circular profile or an elliptical profile. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The impeller of claim 11, wherein the plurality of air outlets is evenly spaced on the leading edge. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The impeller of claim 11, wherein the plurality of air outlets is irregularly spaced on the leading edge. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The impeller of claim 11, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets is on the leading edge. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The impeller of claim 11, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets extends from the internal channel to the pressure surface within fifteen percent of chord from the leading edge. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The impeller of claim 11, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets extends from the internal channel to the suction surface within fifteen percent of chord from the leading edge. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The impeller of claim 11, wherein the plurality of air outlets comprises: a first air outlet on the leading edge and extending to the internal channel; a second air outlet on the suction surface within fifteen percent of chord from the leading edge and extending to the internal channel; and a third air outlet on the pressure surface within fifteen percent of chord from the leading edge and extending to the internal channel. ### Claim 19 A method of manufacturing a mixed-flow rotor of an air cycle machine, the method comprising: additively manufacturing a rotor, the rotor comprising: a rotor hub comprising an interior flow passage; a blade comprising a leading edge extending in a radial direction, a trailing edge extending in an axial direction, a pressure surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and a suction surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge opposite the pressure surface; an internal channel inside the blade between the pressure surface and the suction surface and extending radially within the blade and in fluidic communication with the interior flow passage; and a plurality of air outlets formed on the blade proximate the leading edge and extending into the blade to fluidically connect with the internal channel, wherein at least one air outlet of the plurality of air outlets is on the leading edge.