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US 4,378,194 AGranted
Centrifugal compressor
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorPhiroze Bandukwalla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The efficiency of a centrifugal compressor is optomized over a wide range of flow rates by providing a diffuser which is a combination of fixed vanes and a movable wall member and which throttles the diffuser passage in accordance with compressor load.
Claims8
A centrifugal compressor including:
- (a) housing means having an inlet and an annular diffuser passage terminating at an outlet scroll;
- (b) impeller means rotatably mounted in said housing between said inlet and said diffuser passage;
- and
- (c) diffuser means in said diffuser passage and including:
- (1) a fixed vane diffuser having a mixing length at least one half the cover length of said fixed vane diffuser;
- (2) a movable annular member located upstream of said fixed vane diffuser for restricting said diffuser passage;
- and
- (3) means for moving said movable annular member to restrict said diffuser passage according to the load on said compressor.
5 more elements
In a centrifugal compressor having a casing and an annular diffuser passage formed therein, an annular diffuser means including:
- a fixed wall defining a portion of said annular diffuser passage;
- a plurality of fixed vanes located in said passage and secured to said fixed wall and having a mixing length at least one half the cover length of said fixed vanes;
- a movable annular member located upstream of said plurality of fixed vanes defining another portion of said annular diffuser passage and mounted for movement with respect to said fixed wall;
- and
- means for moving said movable annular member.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.