US 9,803,652 B2Granted

Centrifugal compressor diffuser and method for controlling same

AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.

InventorsHien Duong, Peter Townsend, Vijay Kandasamy, Koundinya Upadrasta

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Abstract

A centrifugal compressor having at least a diffuser is disclosed. The diffuser has an annular diffuser body having circumferentially spaced apart diffuser passages defining fluid paths through the diffuser body. The diffuser also has a plurality of diffusion members mounted to the annular diffuser body. Each diffusion member has a member inlet in fluid communication with a diffuser passage and a member outlet. Each diffusion member defines an aerodynamic throat disposed between the member inlet and the member outlet. The diffuser also has a fluid injection assembly with multiple injection conduits. Each injection conduit extends between a conduit inlet configured to receive a flow of compressible fluid from a supply and a conduit outlet communicating with a corresponding diffusion member downstream of the aerodynamic throat. The compressible fluid is injected through the conduit outlet into the diffusion members.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An assembly having a diffuser for diffusing gases radially received from a radial outlet of a centrifugal compressor including an impeller having an inner hub with vanes thereon, the impeller adapted to rotate within an outer shroud about a central longitudinal axis, the assembly comprising:

an annular diffuser body having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart diffuser passages at least partially defining fluid paths through the diffuser body, the diffuser passages each having a passage inlet in fluid communication with the radial outlet of the compressor, and a passage outlet;
a plurality of diffusion members mounted to the annular diffuser body, each diffusion members having a member inlet in fluid communication with the passage outlet of a corresponding diffuser passage and a member outlet, each diffusion member defining an aerodynamic throat disposed between the member inlet and the member outlet;
and
a fluid injection assembly having a plurality of injection conduits, each injection conduit extending between a conduit inlet configured to receive a flow of compressible fluid from a supply and a conduit outlet communicating with a corresponding diffusion member downstream of the aerodynamic throat relative to a direction of a main gas flow through said diffusion member.

1 more element

A centrifugal compressor, comprising:

an impeller having an inner hub with vanes thereon and adapted to rotate within an outer shroud about a central longitudinal axis, the impeller having a radial impeller outlet;
and
a diffuser assembly for diffusing gases radially received from the impeller outlet, comprising:
an annular diffuser body having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart diffuser passages at least partially defining fluid paths through the diffuser body, the diffuser passages each having a passage inlet in fluid communication with the impeller outlet and a passage outlet;
a plurality of diffusion members mounted to the annular diffuser body, each diffusion member having a member inlet in fluid communication with the passage outlet of a corresponding diffuser passage and a member outlet, each diffusion member defining an aerodynamic throat disposed between the member inlet and the member outlet;
and
a fluid injection assembly having a plurality of injection conduits, each injection conduit extending between a conduit inlet configured to receive a flow of compressible fluid from a supply and a conduit outlet communicating with a corresponding diffusion member downstream of the aerodynamic throat relative to a direction of a main gas flow through said diffusion member.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.