Turbocharger systems and method to prevent compressor choke

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107296-B2
Application number	US-201313926949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2013
Priority date	Jun 25, 2013
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a turbocharger compressor, where the system may comprise: an actuatable annular disk comprising choke slots therein; an outer annular disk comprising choke slots therein; and an actuator to rotate the actuatable annular disk relative to the outer annular disk to vary alignment of the choke slots of the actuatable annular disk and the outer annular disk. The actuator may be controlled by an engine controller responsive to operating conditions of the compressor and actuated to align choke slots. Alignment of the choke slots allows air to be drawn into the impeller effectively expanding the compressor flow capacity to prevent compressor choke.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for a turbocharger compressor comprising:
an actuatable annular disk comprising choke slots therein;
an outer annular disk comprising choke slots therein; and
an actuator pin contacting an outer surface of the actuatable annular disk, where the actuator pin rotates the actuatable annular disk relative to the outer annular disk to vary alignment of the choke slots of the actuatable annular disk and the outer annular disk via rotation of the actuator pin to push a base of the actuator pin against raised sidewalls positioned on the outer surface of the actuatable annular disk,
wherein the outer surface of the actuatable annular disk faces a compressor inlet,
wherein the choke slots are openings that extend through the outer surface of the actuatable annular disk facing the compressor inlet,
wherein the outer surface of the actuatable annular disk is perpendicular to a rotational axis of an impeller, and
wherein the choke slots are openings that are substantially parallel with a direction of air flow at an inlet of the turbocharger compressor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the choke slots is positioned adjacent an inlet of a choke port, the choke port being exposed to the compressor inlet when the choke slots are aligned, an outlet of the choke port being in fluid communication with the impeller at a position downstream of a leading edge of splitter blades and a leading edge of full blades of the impeller.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a bleed port, an outlet of which is continuously open to the compressor inlet and an inlet of which is in fluid communication with the impeller upstream of the leading edge of the splitter blades and downstream of the leading edge of the full blades.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the base of the actuator pin is a rounded ball.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the choke port and the bleed port comprise concentric, annular channels in an interior of the compressor.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the bleed port recirculates air toward the compressor inlet responsive to compressor surge, and wherein the choke port provides air to a base of the impeller.

7. The system of claim 1 , where the actuatable annular disk is rotated about a same axis of rotation as the impeller of the turbocharger compressor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer annular disk comprises an inset portion at its inner circumference, a periphery of the inset portion aligning with an outer circumference of the actuatable annular disk positioned therein.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the outer annular disk comprises a bleed port inner wall at its inner circumference spaced apart from the inset portion.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the actuatable annular disk comprises a raised lip that extends over the bleed port inner wall such that an upstream opening of a bleed port is exposed to the compressor inlet.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein rotation of the actuatable annular disk relative to the outer annular disk is limited by a rotation limiter within a rotation slot on the outer annular disk.

12. A system for a turbocharger compressor, comprising:
an inlet piece of a compressor casing;
an outlet piece of the compressor casing;
an outer annular disk between the inlet piece and the outlet piece, the outer annular disk comprising an inset portion sized to fit an actuatable annular disk, the outer annular disk and the actuatable annular disk both comprising choke slots around their respective circumferences;
an impeller positioned within the outlet piece downstream from the outer annular disk;
an actuator to rotate the actuatable annular disk relative to the outer annular disk to vary alignment of the choke slots therein,
wherein the choke slots of the actuatable annular disk are openings that extend in a direction substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the impeller through the actuatable annular disk, including through an outer surface of the actuatable annular disk,
wherein the outer surface of the actuatable annular disk is a surface of the actuatable annular disk facing an inlet of the compressor,
wherein the outer surface of the actuatable annular disk is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the impeller, and
wherein the choke slots of the outer annular disk are openings that also extend through the outer annular disk in the direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the impeller,

an inlet to a choke port exposed to the inlet of the compressor when the choke slots align, the choke port having an outlet in fluid communication with the impeller at a position downstream of a leading edge of splitter blades and a leading edge of full blades to inject air downstream of both the full blades and the splitter blades when the choke slots align; and
a bleed port exposed to the inlet of the compressor, a bleed port inlet in fluid communication with the impeller at a position downstream of the leading edge of the full blades and upstream of the leading edge of the splitter blades.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising an inner casing contained within the outlet piece, forming a downstream edge of the outlet of the choke port.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the outer annular disk further comprises a flange extending toward a base of the impeller, forming an interface with an inner casing.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the actuator to rotate the actuatable annular disk relative to the outer annular disk is positioned upstream of the choke slots, and wherein an actuator pin of the actuator engages with a groove of the actuatable annular disk.

16. A method comprising:
continually exposing an upstream opening of an inner bleed port to a compressor inlet; and
intermittently exposing an inlet of a choke port to the compressor inlet, the choke port being positioned concentrically outside the inner bleed port, the choke port exposed by rotating an actuatable annular disk comprising choke slots relative to a stationary outer annular disk, the actuatable annular disk and the stationary outer annular disk both positioned upstream of an impeller of a compressor, the choke slots positioned upstream of the inlet of the choke port,
wherein the choke slots are openings that extend through the actuatable annular disk and the stationary outer annular disk, including an outer surface of the actuatable annular disk,
wherein the choke slot openings of the actuatable annular disk and the stationary outer annular disk extend in a direction substantially parallel to both a direction of air flow at the compressor inlet and an axis of rotation of the actuatable annular disk, and
wherein the actuatable annular disk is rotated by rotating an actuator pin to push a base of the actuator pin against raised sidewalls of a groove of the outer surface of the actuatable annular disk, the outer surface of the actuatable annular disk facing the compressor inlet.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein exposing the compressor inlet to the choke port is in a continuously variable fashion dependent on alignment of the choke slots in the actuatable annular disk and choke slots of the stationary outer annular disk, wherein the stationary outer annular disk includes a plurality of choke slots that are alignable with the choke slots of the actuatable annular disk.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the inlet of the choke port is exposed in response to compressor flow above a threshold compressor flow.

19. The method of claim 18 , wher

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Sun Harold Huimin
• Hanna Dave R
• Polley Thomas
• Hu Liangjun
• Kantrow Daniel William

Classifications

• F04D29/464

  adjusting flow cross-section, otherwise than by using adjustable stator blades · CPC title

• F04D29/685

  Inducing localised fluid recirculation in the stator-rotor interface · CPC title

• F04D29/4213

  suction ports · CPC title

• F02M26/06

  Low pressure loops, i.e. wherein recirculated exhaust gas is taken out from the exhaust downstream of the turbocharger turbine and reintroduced into the intake system upstream of the compressor · CPC title

• F04D27/0215

  Arrangements therefor, e.g. bleed or by-pass valves · CPC title