Axial-Centrifugal Compressor Ported Shroud Surge Margin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing axial-centrifugal compressors in gas turbine engines lack efficiency, necessitating improvements to enhance performance.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a rotor, impeller, and ported shroud within a housing, where the rotor compresses air axially and the impeller further compresses it radially, with the shroud facilitating air circulation and recirculation pathways to increase efficiency and surge margin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a traditional axial-centrifugal compressor design is used, then the structure is simple, but the efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The compressor is divided into two distinct sections: an axial compression section with rotor blades and stator blades, and a centrifugal compression section with an impeller. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specific compression function optimally, improving overall efficiency while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The axial compression section is nested within the centrifugal compression section, with the axial section positioned upstream and the centrifugal section downstream. The rotor and impeller share a common rotational axis, creating a compact nested structure that improves efficiency without significantly increasing external dimensions or overall complexity.
2Reliability
If the shroud is closed without openings, then the structure is simple, but the air circulation and surge margin are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is segmented with multiple openings distributed around its circumference, transforming it from a single closed structure into a multi-functional component. These openings create distinct airflow pathways that enable air recirculation from the impeller outlet back to the rotor inlet, enhancing surge margin while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through standardized opening patterns.
3Productivity
If air flow is only processed in axial direction, then the compressor design is simple, but the compression efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The compression process is segmented into two stages with different flow directions: axial compression in the first stage followed by centrifugal compression in the second stage. This segmentation enables the air to be compressed more efficiently by utilizing both axial and radial velocity components, improving productivity while keeping the overall configuration manageable through sequential processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressor transitions from single-dimensional axial flow to two-dimensional flow by incorporating the centrifugal impeller section. The impeller converts axial flow into radial flow, adding a second dimension to the compression process and significantly improving compression efficiency without excessive increase in complexity due to the straightforward integration of the impeller stage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration results in improved compressor efficiency and surge margin, as evidenced by recent test data, providing enhanced performance for gas turbine engines.
Implementation Method 1
The rotor is operable, upon rotation thereof, to compress air and to discharge the air in an approximately axial direction
Implementation Method 2
The impeller is operable, upon rotation thereof, to receive the air discharged from the rotor, to further compress the air, and to discharge the air in an approximately radial direction
Implementation Method 3
The shroud has an opening therein to at least facilitate allowing the air to travel upstream of the opening
Data Source
AI summary
A compressor includes a housing, a rotor, an impeller, and a ported shroud. The rotor is mounted within the housing, and has a first leading edge and a first trailing edge. The rotor is operable, upon rotation thereof, to compress air and to discharge the air in an approximately axial direction. The impeller is mounted within the housing, and has a second leading edge and a second trailing edge. The impeller is operable, upon rotation thereof, to receive the air discharged from the rotor, to further compress the air, and to discharge the air in an approximately radial direction. The shroud at least partially surrounds the impeller. The shroud has an opening therein to at least facilitate allowing the air to travel upstream of the opening.