Radial turbine nozzle vane
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorJames B. Wulf
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radial inflow turbine having a radial nozzle assembly comprising a plurality of vanes, wherein downstream of the throat, the vane suction surfaces, relative to a radius of the circle on which the vane trailing edges lie, have a specified range of angles, or decreasing radii of curvature.
Claims13
A radial turbine having an impeller mounted for rotation about an axis and encircled by a radial nozzle comprising a plurality of nozzle vanes having trailing edges arranged with a circumferential spacing around a circle and a nozzle throat defined by a minimum width between adjacent vanes wherein at least one vane for approximately one throat width downstream of the throat has a suction surface, which relative to a radius of the circle, has an angle of about 2.degree. to about 7.degree. less than an angle whose cosine is equal to the throat width divided by the spacing;
- and downstream of the throat to the trailing edge has an angle of not greater than about 1.5.degree. greater than the angle whose cosine is equal to the throat width divided by the spacing.
A radial turbine having an impeller mounted for rotation about an axis and encircled by a radial nozzle comprising a plurality of nozzle vanes having trailing edges arranged to provide a nozzle throat between adjacent vanes wherein at least one vane, in a plane normal to the axis of rotation, has a suction surface which is a smooth curve having radii of curvature which decrease by a factor of from about 4 to about 12 from the throat to the trailing edge of the vane.
A method of fabricating a radial turbine comprising a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis and encircled by a radial nozzle having a plurality of vanes each having a trailing edge and a suction surface, said method comprising:
- (a) arranging said vanes with their trailing edges on a circle at a circumferential spacing and a minimum width between adjacent vanes to form a throat;
- and
- (b) forming each vane suction surface for approximately one throat width downstream of said throat with an angle relative to a radius of said circle of about 2.degree. to about 7.degree. less than the angle whose cosine is equal to said throat width divided by said spacing;
- and downstream of the throat to the trailing edge with an angle not greater than approximately 1.5.degree. greater than the angle whose cosine is equal to said throat width divided by said spacing.
A method of fabricating a radial turbine comprising a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis and encircled by a radial nozzle having a plurality of vanes each having a trailing edge and a suction surface, said method comprising:
- (a) arranging said vanes with their trailing edges on a circle at a circumferential spacing and a minimum width between adjacent vanes to form a throat;
- and
- (b) forming at least one vane suction surface which, in a plane normal to the axis of rotation, is a smooth curve having radii of curvature which decrease by a factor of from about 4 to about 12 from the throat to the trailing edge of the vane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.