초록 ▼

Centrifugal compressors, methods of forming centrifugal compressors, and methods of designing diffuser vanes in centrifugal compressors are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method of designing diffuser vanes includes providing an initial two-dimensional diffuser vane layout including initial dif

Centrifugal compressors, methods of forming centrifugal compressors, and methods of designing diffuser vanes in centrifugal compressors are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method of designing diffuser vanes includes providing an initial two-dimensional diffuser vane layout including initial diffuser vane peripheries radially spaced about an axis. The initial diffuser vane peripheries are rotated using a computer processor to produce rotated diffuser vane peripheries having offset trailing ends relative to the initial diffuser vane peripheries. The rotated diffuser vane peripheries are circumferentially shifted about the axis to produce shifted diffuser vane peripheries. Leading ends of the shifted diffuser vane peripheries are offset from the leading ends of the initial diffuser vane peripheries. Diffuser vane surfaces are generated that connect the shifted diffuser vane peripheries to the corresponding initial diffuser vane peripheries to form diffuser vanes in a twisted configuration.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of designing and making diffuser vanes in a centrifugal compressor comprising a diffuser and an impeller concentrically rotatable relative to the diffuser about an axis, the method comprising: providing an initial two-dimensional diffuser vane layout including initial diffuser vane perip

1. A method of designing and making diffuser vanes in a centrifugal compressor comprising a diffuser and an impeller concentrically rotatable relative to the diffuser about an axis, the method comprising: providing an initial two-dimensional diffuser vane layout including initial diffuser vane peripheries radially spaced about the axis;rotating the initial diffuser vane peripheries using a computer processor to produce rotated diffuser vane peripheries having offset trailing ends relative to trailing ends of the initial diffuser vane peripheries, wherein rotating the initial diffuser vane peripheries comprises rotating the initial diffuser vane peripheries about leading ends opposite to a direction of rotation of the impeller relative to the diffuser to produce the rotated diffuser vane peripheries;circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries about the axis using the computer processor to produce shifted diffuser vane peripheries, wherein leading ends of the shifted diffuser vane peripheries are offset from the leading ends of the initial diffuser vane peripheries;generating diffuser vane surfaces connecting the shifted diffuser vane peripheries to the corresponding initial diffuser vane peripheries using the computer processor to form diffuser vanes in a twisted configuration extending from leading edges to trailing edges;forming the diffuser including the diffuser vanes in the twisted configuration; andassembling the diffuser and the impeller concentrically rotatable relative to the diffuser about the axis. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries about the axis comprises shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries at a maintained angle of the rotated diffuser vane peripheries to produce the shifted diffuser vane peripheries at a parallel orientation to the rotated diffuser vane peripheries. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the diffuser vane surfaces comprise shroud connections to a shroud located axially forward toward an inlet of the centrifugal compressor and hub connections located axially aft of the shroud, and wherein generating the diffuser vane surfaces comprises generating the diffuser vane surfaces having the shroud connections and the hub connections. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the initial diffuser vane peripheries represent the shroud connections for the diffuser vane surfaces, and wherein generating the diffuser vane surfaces comprises generating the diffuser vane surfaces with the initial diffuser vane peripheries representing the shroud connections for the diffuser vane surfaces. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the shifted diffuser vane peripheries represent the hub connections for the diffuser vane surfaces, and wherein generating the diffuser vane surfaces comprises generating the diffuser vane surfaces with the shifted diffuser vane peripheries representing the hub connections for the diffuser vane surfaces. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries comprises aligning the trailing ends of the rotated diffuser vane peripheries and the trailing ends of the corresponding initial diffuser vane peripheries to produce the shifted diffuser vane peripheries. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the diffuser vane surfaces comprises generating the diffuser vane surfaces with the trailing edges of the diffuser vanes forming a 90 degree angle with a shroud and a hub. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the diffuser vane surfaces comprises generating the diffuser vane surfaces with leading edges of the diffuser vanes skewed relative to a radius of the diffuser. 9. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the diffuser vane surfaces comprises generating the diffuser vane surfaces with the leading edges of the diffuser vanes skewed in an opposite direction to a direction of rotation of the impeller relative to the diffuser. 10. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the diffuser vane surfaces comprises generating the diffuser vane surfaces with the leading edges of the diffuser vanes skewed at a first angle relative to a radius of the diffuser of from 50 to 85 degrees. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries comprises circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries in the direction of rotation of the impeller relative to the diffuser. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries comprises circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries with the trailing ends of the rotated diffuser vane peripheries moved to a location between the trailing ends of the rotated diffuser vane peripheries and the trailing ends of the corresponding initial diffuser vane peripheries. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries comprises aligning the trailing ends of the rotated diffuser vane peripheries and the trailing ends of the corresponding initial diffuser vane peripheries to produce the shifted diffuser vane peripheries. 14. A method of designing and making diffuser vanes in a centrifugal compressor comprising a diffuser and an impeller concentrically rotatable relative to the diffuser about an axis, the method comprising: providing an initial two-dimensional diffuser vane layout including initial diffuser vane peripheries radially spaced about the axis;rotating the initial diffuser vane peripheries using a computer processor to produce rotated diffuser vane peripheries having offset trailing ends relative to trailing ends of the initial diffuser vane peripheries;circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries about the axis using the computer processor to produce shifted diffuser vane peripheries, wherein leading ends of the shifted diffuser vane peripheries are offset from the leading ends of the initial diffuser vane peripheries, and wherein circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries about the axis comprises shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries at a maintained angle of the rotated diffuser vane peripheries to produce the shifted diffuser vane peripheries at a parallel orientation to the rotated diffuser vane peripheries;generating diffuser vane surfaces connecting the shifted diffuser vane peripheries to the corresponding initial diffuser vane peripheries using the computer processor to form diffuser vanes in a twisted configuration extending from leading edges to trailing edges;forming the diffuser including the diffuser vanes in the twisted configuration; andassembling the diffuser and the impeller concentrically rotatable relative to the diffuser about the axis. 15. A method of designing and making diffuser vanes in a centrifugal compressor comprising a diffuser and an impeller concentrically rotatable relative to the diffuser about an axis, the method comprising: providing an initial two-dimensional diffuser vane layout including initial diffuser vane peripheries radially spaced about the axis;rotating the initial diffuser vane peripheries using a computer processor to produce rotated diffuser vane peripheries having offset trailing ends relative to trailing ends of the initial diffuser vane peripheries;circumferentially shifting the rotated diffuser vane peripheries about the axis using the computer processor to produce shifted diffuser vane peripheries, wherein leading ends of the shifted diffuser vane peripheries are offset from the leading ends of the initial diffuser vane peripheries;generating diffuser vane surfaces connecting the shifted diffuser vane peripheries to the corresponding initial diffuser vane peripheries using the computer processor to form diffuser vanes in a twisted configuration extending from leading edges to trailing edges, wherein the diffuser vane surfaces comprise shroud connections to a shroud located axially forward toward an inlet of the centrifugal compressor and hub connections located axially aft of the shroud, and wherein generating the diffuser vane surfaces comprises generating the diffuser vane surfaces having the shroud connections and the hub connections;forming the diffuser including the diffuser vanes in the twisted configuration; andassembling the diffuser and the impeller concentrically rotatable relative to the diffuser about the axis. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the initial diffuser vane peripheries represent the shroud connections for the diffuser vane surfaces, and wherein generating the diffuser vane surfaces comprises generating the diffuser vane surfaces with the initial diffuser vane peripheries representing the shroud connections for the diffuser vane surfaces. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the shifted diffuser vane peripheries represent the hub connections for the diffuser vane surfaces, and wherein generating the diffuser vane surfaces comprises generating the diffuser vane surfaces with the shifted diffuser vane peripheries representing the hub connections for the diffuser vane surfaces.