Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Concepts Nrec, LLC

Eric M Krivitzky

Louis M Larosiliere

Harold Huimin Sun

Liangjun Hu

Dave R Hanna

Jizhong Zhang

Nicholas C Baines

Centrifugal turbomachines, such a centrifugal compressors, centrifugal blower, and centrifugal pumps, having unique treatments that enhance their performance ranges. In one arrangement, the treatment involves injecting a relatively high-momentum flow proximate to the blade-tip clearance gap at the inlet to the impeller of the turbomachine in a manner that reenergizes flow at the gap. The injected high-momentum flow can be taken from a location downstream of the outlet of the impeller and/or from a flow external to the turbomachine. In another arrangement, the non-self-bleed-type treatment involves providing the centrifugal turbomachine with a secondary flow path upstream of the inlet to the impeller. In one example, the flow of working fluid to the secondary flow path is modulated according to the mass flow of the working fluid. During times of higher flow, the secondary flow path is opened, and at times of lower flow, the secondary flow path is closed.

Centrifugal turbomachines having extended performance ranges

In one example, a turbocharger for an internal combustion engine is described. The turbocharger comprises a casing containing an impeller having a full blade coupled to a hub that rotates about an axis of rotation. The casing includes a bleed port and an injection port. The full blade includes a hub edge, a casing edge, and a first distribution of angles, each angle measured between the axis of rotation and a mean line at the hub edge at a meridional distance along the hub edge. The full blade includes a second distribution of angles, each angle measured between the axis of rotation and a mean line at the casing edge at a meridional distance along the casing edge. Further, various systems are described for affecting the aerodynamic properties of the compressor and turbine components in a way that may extend the operating range of the turbocharger.

Turbocharger

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Brownsville, VT, United States of America

Eric M Krivitzky