Compressor including aerodynamic vortex between inlet guide vanes and impeller blades

Abstract

An illustrative example embodiment of the compressor includes: an inlet defining an intake passage, a plurality of inlet guide vanes, an impeller, and a plurality of vortex nozzles. Fluid flow through the plurality of inlet guide vanes into the intake passage is selectively adjustable to control fluid flow through at least a portion of the intake passage downstream of the vortex nozzles. The impeller includes a plurality of blades and guides fluid from the intake passage toward an outlet. The vortex nozzle has an outlet located downstream of the plurality of inlet guide vanes and upstream of the impeller. The vortex nozzle is configured to introduce fluid into the intake passage to cause vortices in the fluid within the intake passage between the plurality of inlet guide vanes and the impeller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to compressors, and more specifically, to a compressor that includes aerodynamic vortices between the inlet guide vanes and the impeller blades. Background Technology

[0002] Compressors are used for various purposes when fluids or gases require pressurization. For example, refrigerant circuits utilize pressurized refrigerant to achieve cooling for refrigeration or air conditioning. Various compressor configurations have been used in refrigerant circuits.

[0003] One challenge associated with some compressors is achieving optimal efficiency across a variety of operating conditions. For example, in so-called partial load conditions, the compressor may not need to operate at full capacity. In this condition, avoiding aerodynamic losses in the impeller is useful, as these losses negatively impact compressor efficiency and surge margin. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An illustrative example embodiment of the compressor includes: an inlet defining an intake passage, a plurality of inlet guide vanes, an impeller, and a plurality of vortex nozzles. Fluid flow through the plurality of inlet guide vanes into the intake passage is selectively adjustable to control fluid flow through at least a portion of the intake passage downstream of the vortex nozzles. The impeller includes a plurality of blades and guides fluid from the intake passage toward an outlet. The vortex nozzle has an outlet located downstream of the plurality of inlet guide vanes and upstream of the impeller. The vortex nozzle is configured to introduce fluid into the intake passage to cause vortices in the fluid within the intake passage between the plurality of inlet guide vanes and the impeller.

[0005] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, the compressor includes at least one control valve, a plurality of swirling nozzles receiving fluid from the outlet, and at least one control valve controlling the amount of fluid received that is introduced into the intake passage.

[0006] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, at least one control valve controls the amount of fluid supplied from the outlet to more than one of the plurality of vortex nozzles.

[0007] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, at least one control valve includes a plurality of control valves, and each of the plurality of vortex nozzles is associated with one of the plurality of control valves.

[0008] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, the direction of fluid introduction from at least some of the vortex nozzles into the intake passage is selectively adjustable to alter the characteristics of the fluid vortex.

[0009] In addition to one or more of the features mentioned above, or as an alternative, multiple vortex nozzles are spaced equidistantly around the circumference of the intake passage.

[0010] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, the controller controls at least one of the amount of fluid flowing through the plurality of vortex nozzles and the direction of the fluid flow from the plurality of vortex nozzles.

[0011] In addition to one or more of the features mentioned above, or as an alternative, the controller controls the flow rate of the fluid upstream of the impeller.

[0012] In addition to one or more of the features mentioned above, or as an alternative, the controller controls the angle of incidence of fluid flow onto the impeller blades.

[0013] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, the controller determines when the compressor operates in a partial load state and controls at least one of the amount of fluid flow through the plurality of vortex nozzles and the direction of fluid flow from the plurality of vortex nozzles based on the partial load state.

[0014] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, when the compressor is operating at partial load, the controller increases the amount of fluid flow through at least one of the plurality of vortex nozzles.

[0015] In addition to one or more of the features mentioned above, or as an alternative, when the compressor is operating at partial load, the controller increases the amount of fluid flow through all of the multiple vortex nozzles.

[0016] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, the vortex of fluid caused by multiple vortex nozzles in the intake passage establishes an incident angle at which at least a portion of the fluid along the leading edge of the blades encounters the impeller blades, achieving a selected compressor efficiency.

[0017] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, the impeller includes a hub at the center of the blade, the impeller includes a shroud near the radially outer end of the blade, the leading edge of the blade has a length between the hub and the shroud, and the established incident angle varies along the length of the leading edge of the blade.

[0018] In addition to one or more of the features mentioned above, or as an alternative, the established angle of incidence is optimized for each position along the length of the blade's leading edge.

[0019] From the following detailed description, various features and advantages of at least one disclosed example embodiment will become apparent to those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings, accompanying the detailed description, can be briefly described below. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 The illustration schematically depicts an example embodiment of a compressor that includes aerodynamic pre-vortex.

[0021] Figure 2 An example embodiment of the nozzle and valve construction is schematically illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Figure 1 Selected features of an example embodiment of compressor 20 are schematically illustrated. Inlet 22 defines an intake passage. Inlet 22 includes a plurality of inlet guide vanes 24 that are selectively controlled to regulate the amount of fluid flow through the intake passage. For example, the inlet guide vanes 24 are rotatable about a corresponding radial axis to at least partially reduce the opening area within the intake passage when a reduction in flow is desired.

[0023] Impeller 26 includes a plurality of blades 28 with leading edges extending between a hub 30 at the center of impeller 26 and a shroud 32 at the outer boundary of impeller 26. As impeller 26 rotates, blades 28 draw fluid from the intake passage of inlet 22, pressurize it, and guide it through outlet 34.

[0024] The drive section 36 includes a motor for driving the impeller 26. In some embodiments, the drive section 36 includes a gear between the motor and the impeller 26 to selectively control the rotational speed of the impeller 26.

[0025] Multiple vortex nozzles 40 have outlets that introduce fluid (schematically shown as 42) into the intake passage of inlet 22. The outlets of the vortex nozzles 40 are located in the intake passage downstream of inlet guide vanes 24 and upstream of impeller 26. For example, the multiple vortex nozzles 40 may be equidistantly (or approximately) spaced around the circumference of the intake passage of inlet 22. The vortex nozzles 40 introduce desired vortices into the fluid within a portion or section of the intake passage between inlet guide vanes 24 and impeller 26.

[0026] In the illustrated example embodiment, the vortex nozzle 40 receives pressurized fluid (such as refrigerant) from outlet 34. A nozzle supply conduit or manifold 44 supplies fluid to the vortex nozzle 40. The nozzle supply conduit or manifold 44 includes at least one control valve 46. A controller 50, including a computing device such as a microprocessor, controls the operation of the control valve 46 to adjust how much fluid is introduced, thereby achieving the desired amount of vortex in the intake passage upstream of the impeller 26.

[0027] The outlet of the vortex nozzle 40 is located between the inlet guide vane 24 and the impeller 26 to ensure that the desired vortex of the fluid encounters the leading edge of the blade 28 of the impeller 26. In at least some states, the inlet guide vane 24 tends to influence the characteristics of the fluid flow within the intake passage in a manner that leads to an increase in work input. This is particularly true during partial load conditions where the compressor 20 operates below full capacity. For example, when the compressor 20 is operating at partial load, the controller 50 may increase the amount of fluid flow through at least one of the plurality of vortex nozzles 40. The vortex introduced by the vortex nozzle 40 downstream of the inlet guide vane 24 compensates for or counteracts any undesirable or negative effects of the inlet guide vane 24. For example, the vortex introduced by the vortex nozzle 40 controls the angle of incidence of the fluid encountering the leading edge of the blade 28, resulting in less work input and improved compressor efficiency.

[0028] The controller 50 is configured or programmed to control the operation of the vortex nozzle 40 to achieve desired vortices and interactions between the impeller blades 28 and the fluid encountering the leading edge of the blades 28. For example, the controller 50 receives information about the operating state of the compressor 20 and determines how much vortex (if desired) is needed to achieve or approach the desired compressor efficiency.

[0029] Figure 2 One of the vortex nozzles 40 is schematically illustrated. In this example embodiment, each vortex nozzle 40 has an associated control valve 46, allowing each vortex nozzle 40 to be controlled individually. In other embodiments, the control valve 46 simultaneously controls the fluid flow through more than one of the vortex nozzles 40.

[0030] The controller 50 controls the valve 46 to achieve a desired amount of flow through the vortex nozzle 40, thereby facilitating or establishing a desired vortex upstream of the impeller 26. In embodiments where the amount of fluid flow through the vortex nozzle 40 corresponds to or is proportional to the amount of vortex in the intake passage, the controller 50 causes the valve 46 to allow fluid to flow through the vortex nozzle 40 in an amount that will result in the desired vortex.

[0031] In this example embodiment, the outlet of the vortex nozzle 40 has an adjustable outlet direction to change the manner in which fluid is introduced into the intake passage by the vortex nozzle 40. In this example, the outlet direction is changed by altering the orientation or positioning of the nozzle outlet relative to the intake passage. The outlet end of the vortex nozzle 40 can be moved at more than one tilt angle relative to the main flow direction 52 within the intake passage of the inlet 22. The controller 50 adjusts the positioning or orientation by causing an actuator (not shown) to... Figure 2The positioning or orientation, shown in solid lines, is changed to that shown in dashed lines to adjust the positioning or orientation as needed to achieve the desired vortex. In another embodiment, the vortex nozzle outlet includes an internal deflector or guide vane that can be adjusted to control the direction of fluid exiting the vortex nozzle.

[0032] The controller 50 controls the vortex nozzle 40 to create vortices in the intake passage downstream of the inlet guide vane 24 and upstream of the impeller 26, thereby ensuring that the fluid encounters the desired characteristics of the leading edge of the impeller blade 28. For example, the vortex generated by the fluid introduced by the vortex nozzle 40 provides the desired angle of incidence for the fluid encountering the impeller blade 28 at least a portion of the length of the leading edge of the blade 28 between the hub 30 and the shroud 32. In some embodiments, the desired angle of incidence is achieved substantially along the entire length of the leading edge of the blade 28.

[0033] In some embodiments, the vortices introduced upstream of the impeller 26 result in different flow angles at different portions of the leading edge. In other words, the vortices introduced by the vortex nozzle 40 vary the incident angle along the leading edge of the impeller blade 28, such that the incident angle differs for different portions of the leading edge. Optimizing the flow angle at different spanwise positions of the impeller blade 28 contributes to or enables improved compressor efficiency and surge margin for various operating conditions.

[0034] Another characteristic that can be controlled or optimized by operating the vortex nozzle 40 is the pressure ratio at the impeller.

[0035] The vortices introduced by the vortex nozzle 40 can contribute to or achieve higher compressor efficiency even in conditions such as partial load. Including the vortex nozzle 40 downstream of the inlet guide vane 24 and upstream of the impeller 26 allows the benefits of the inlet guide vane to be realized in various operating conditions while avoiding any downsides that may be associated with the inlet guide vane.

[0036] The foregoing description is exemplary in nature and not restrictive. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and they do not necessarily depart from the spirit of the invention. The scope of legal protection afforded to this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.

Claims

1. A compressor, comprising: The entrance, which defines the air intake passage; The multiple inlet guide vanes within the intake passage allow for selectively adjustable fluid flow into the intake passage via the multiple inlet guide vanes, in order to control the fluid flow through at least a portion of the intake passage downstream of the vortex nozzle. An impeller, comprising multiple blades, guides fluid from the inlet passage toward an outlet. and A plurality of vortex nozzles having outlets positioned downstream of the plurality of inlet guide vanes and upstream of the impeller, the plurality of vortex nozzles being configured to introduce fluid into the intake passage to cause vortexing of the fluid in the intake passage between the plurality of inlet guide vanes and the impeller; in, The impeller includes a hub at the center of the blades. The impeller includes a shroud near the radially outer end of the blades. The leading edge of the blade has a length between the hub and the shroud. The vortex of the fluid caused by the plurality of vortex nozzles in the intake channel establishes the angle of incidence of the fluid encountering the impeller blades along at least a portion of the leading edge of the blades. The established incident angle achieves the selected compressor efficiency. The established incident angle varies along the length of the leading edge of the blade, and The incident angle is different for different portions of the leading edge.

2. The compressor according to claim 1, comprising at least one control valve, in, The plurality of vortex nozzles receive fluid from the outlet, and The at least one control valve controls the amount of fluid received and introduced into the intake passage.

3. The compressor according to claim 2, wherein, The at least one control valve controls the amount of fluid supplied from the outlet to more than one of the plurality of vortex nozzles.

4. The compressor according to claim 2, wherein, The at least one control valve includes a plurality of control valves, and Each of the plurality of vortex nozzles is associated with one of the plurality of control valves.

5. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein, The direction of fluid introduction from at least some of the vortex nozzles into the intake passage is selectively adjustable to alter the vortex characteristics of the fluid.

6. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of vortex nozzles are spaced equidistantly around the circumference of the air intake channel.

7. The compressor of claim 1, further comprising a controller that controls at least one of the amount of fluid flowing through the plurality of vortex nozzles and the direction of fluid flow from the plurality of vortex nozzles.

8. The compressor according to claim 7, wherein, The controller controls the flow rate of the fluid upstream of the impeller.

9. The compressor according to claim 7, wherein, The controller controls the angle of incidence of fluid onto the blades of the impeller.

10. The compressor according to claim 7, wherein, The controller determines when the compressor operates in a partial load state, and controls at least one of the amount of fluid flow through the plurality of vortex nozzles and the direction of fluid flow from the plurality of vortex nozzles based on the partial load state.

11. The compressor according to claim 10, wherein, When the compressor operates at the partial load condition, the controller increases the amount of fluid flow through at least one of the plurality of vortex nozzles.

12. The compressor according to claim 10, wherein, When the compressor operates at the partial load condition, the controller increases the amount of fluid flow through all of the plurality of vortex nozzles.

13. The compressor according to claim 1, wherein, The incident angle is optimized for each position along the length of the leading edge of the blade.

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