Diffuser for a centrifugal compressor

A diffuser for use in a centrifugal compressor including an impeller that discharges a high-velocity flow of fluid, the diffuser comprising:

• a platform including a blade portion and defining a substantially circular aperture, the impeller disposed at least partially within the aperture such that the high-velocity fluid exits the impeller in directions that are substantially tangent to the blade portion;
• a vane extending from the platform and including a leading edge having a platform portion, a shroud portion, and a middle portion disposed between the platform portion and the shroud portion, the leading edge being curved such that the middle portion is spaced a non-zero distance from a line that extends through the platform portion and the shroud portion;
• and
• a shroud coupled to the shroud portion such that the vane, the platform, and the shroud cooperate to at least partially define two flow paths.

A diffuser for use in a centrifugal compressor including an impeller that discharges a high-velocity flow of fluid, the diffuser comprising:

• a platform including a blade portion and defining a substantially circular aperture, the impeller disposed at least partially within the aperture such that the high-velocity fluid exits the impeller in directions that are substantially tangent to the blade portion;
• a shroud spaced apart from the platform;
• and
• a vane extending between the platform and the shroud and including a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side, and a pressure side, the suction side including a platform portion, a shroud portion, and a middle portion, the middle portion bowed toward the pressure side as compared to the platform portion and the shroud portion.

A diffuser for use in a centrifugal compressor including an impeller that discharges a high-velocity flow of fluid, the diffuser comprising:

• a platform including a blade portion and defining a substantially circular aperture, the impeller disposed at least partially within the aperture such that the high-velocity fluid exits the impeller in directions that are substantially tangent to the blade portion;
• a chamfered surface formed as part of the platform and disposed between the impeller and the blade portion;
• a shroud spaced a non-zero distance from the platform;
• and
• a plurality of vanes each coupled to the platform and to the shroud, the interface between each of the vanes and the platform defining a fillet surface and the interface between each of the vanes and the shroud defining a substantially square corner.