Radial-flow turbomachines having performance-enhancing features

A machine, comprising:

• a radial-flow turbomachine that includes:
• a housing;
• an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing for receiving rotational energy from an external rotating driver when said radial-flow turbo-machine is operating, said impeller having a rotational axis, a fluid intake region, and a fluid exhaust region located radially outward from said fluid intake region, said impeller including:
• a blade support extending radially from said rotational axis;
• and
• a plurality of blades distal from said rotational axis;
• an exhaust diffuser in fluid communication with said fluid exhaust region of said impeller;
• and
• a movable cylindrical impeller-blade shroud concentric with said rotational axis, said movable cylindrical impeller-blade shroud being locatable only radially outward of said plurality of blades relative to said rotational axis of said impeller and movable so as to variably occlude said exhaust diffuser.

A machine, comprising:

• a radial-flow turbomachine that includes:
• a housing;
• an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing for receiving rotational energy from an external rotating driver when said radial-flow turbomachine is operating, said impeller having a rotational axis, a fluid intake region, and a fluid exhaust region located radially outward from said fluid intake region, said impeller including:
• a blade support extending radially from said rotational axis;
• and
• a plurality of blades distal from said rotational axis, wherein each of said plurality of blades has a leading edge, a trailing edge and a free end extending between said leading and trailing edges, said trailing edge being disposed radially farther from said rotational axis of said impeller than said leading edge, said leading and trailing edges being angled to converge toward one another to a point beyond said free end;
• and
• an impeller shroud.

A machine, comprising:

• a radial-flow turbomachine that includes:
• a housing;
• an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing for receiving rotational energy from an external rotating load when said radial-flow turbomachine is operating, said impeller having a rotational axis, an outer circumferential periphery, a fluid intake region, and an annular fluid exhaust region located radially outward from said fluid intake region;
• a first exhaust diffuser in fluid communication with said fluid exhaust region;
• a center diffuser substantially aligned with said circumferential periphery of said impeller in a direction parallel to said rotational axis of said impeller, said center diffuser located radially outward relative to said impeller;
• and
• a first outer diffuser offset from said center outlet baffle in a direction parallel to said rotational axis of said impeller so as to define a first portion of said first exhaust diffuser between said first outer diffuser and said center diffuser.

A machine, comprising:

• a radial-flow turbomachine that includes:
• a housing;
• an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing for receiving rotational energy from an external rotating load when said radial-flow turbomachine is operating, said impeller having a rotational axis, a fluid intake region, and a fluid exhaust region located radially outward from said fluid intake region, said impeller including:
• a blade support extending radially from said rotational axis;
• and
• a plurality of blades distal from said rotational axis;
• and
• an exhaust diffuser in fluid communication with said fluid exhaust region of said impeller and having an inlet proximate to said fluid exhaust region and an outlet distal from said inlet, said exhaust diffuser having a shape selected so that, when said inlet is receiving supersonic airflow, said shape causes the supersonic flow to experience a shock within said exhaust diffuser and causes flow at said exit to be subsonic.