Turbocharger compressor having adjustable-trim mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10550761-B2
Application number	US-201815904493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2018
Priority date	Feb 26, 2018
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A centrifugal compressor for a turbocharger includes an inlet-adjustment mechanism operable to move between an open position and a closed position. The inlet-adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of blades disposed about the compressor air inlet and located within an annular space within the air inlet wall. The blades are pivotable about respective pivot points such that the blades extend radially inward from the annular space into the air inlet when the blades are in the closed position so as to form an orifice of reduced diameter relative to a nominal diameter of the inlet. The blades include lever arms that engage the outer periphery of a rotatable unison ring that is linked to a linear actuator for rotating the unison ring so as to pivot the blades.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbocharger comprising:
a turbine housing and a turbine wheel mounted in the turbine housing and connected to a rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, the turbine housing receiving exhaust gas and supplying the exhaust gas to the turbine wheel;
a centrifugal compressor assembly comprising a compressor housing and a compressor wheel mounted in the compressor housing and connected to the rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, the compressor wheel defining an inducer portion, the compressor housing having an air inlet wall defining an air inlet for leading air generally axially into the compressor wheel, the compressor housing further defining a volute for receiving compressed air discharged generally radially outwardly from the compressor wheel, the compressor housing defining an annular space bounded between an upstream wall and a downstream wall spaced axially therefrom, the annular space surrounding the air inlet and being open to the air inlet at a radially inner end of the annular space; and
a compressor inlet-adjustment mechanism disposed in the annular space of the compressor housing and movable between an open position and a closed position, the inlet-adjustment mechanism comprising a plurality of blades disposed within the annular space, wherein each of the blades includes an orifice portion at one end of the blade, a lever arm at an opposite end of the blade, and a mounting portion disposed intermediate the lever arm and the orifice portion, the orifice portions of the blades collectively circumscribing an orifice, the blades pivoting radially inwardly from the annular space into the air inlet when the blades are in the closed position so as to cause the orifice to have a reduced diameter relative to a nominal diameter of the inlet; and
a unison ring surrounding the blades, the unison ring being rotatable about a rotational axis that is substantially coaxial with a rotation axis of the turbocharger, the unison ring having a radially inner peripheral surface and a radially outer peripheral surface, the radially outer peripheral surface defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced notches, one said notch for each said blade,
each blade being supported by a pivot pin affixed to the mounting portion and rotatably engaged in a bore in the compressor housing such that the blade pivots about an axis defined by the bore, the mounting portions of the blades being disposed radially inward from the radially inner periphery of the unison ring, the lever arm of each blade including a support portion that extends radially outwardly from the mounting portion, the support portion passing adjacent to a downstream face of the unison ring and axially supporting the unison ring, each lever arm further including a hook portion that extends axially from a radially outer end of the support portion and is engaged in a respective one of the notches in the radially outer periphery of the unison ring,
whereby rotation of the unison ring imparts pivotal movement to the blades via engagement of the hook portions of the lever arms in the notches in the radially outer periphery of the unison ring.

2. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein the support portion of each blade includes a raised dimple that makes contact with the downstream face of the unison ring and spaces a remainder of the support portion from said downstream face.

3. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein each blade includes a ring-centering surface disposed on the mounting portion of the blade, the ring-centering surfaces of the blades contacting the radially inner periphery of the unison ring and collectively serving to radially position the unison ring such that the rotational axis of the unison ring is substantially coaxial with the rotation axis of the turbocharger.

4. The turbocharger of claim 3 , wherein the ring-centering surfaces are circular-arc shaped and configured such that the radially inner periphery of the unison ring makes rolling contact with the ring-centering surfaces when the unison ring is rotated and the blades pivot.

5. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein each blade and the pivot pin therefor comprise an integral one-piece structure.

6. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein a majority of the radially outer periphery of the unison ring lies on a circle of radius RO from the rotational axis but localized regions of the radially outer periphery in the vicinity of the notches are bulged radially outwardly to a radius RO+ΔR so that the notches lie at a radius greater than RO.

7. The turbocharger of claim 1 , further comprising a linear actuator operable to rotate the unison ring, the actuator including an actuator rod, the compressor housing defining a rod bore extending along a direction tangential to the radially outer periphery of the unison ring, the actuator rod being disposed in the rod bore and being linearly movable therein, the compressor housing defining an opening that proceeds radially outwardly into the rod bore at a distal end of the actuator rod, the unison ring defining a protrusion extending radially outward from the radially outer periphery of the unison ring, the protrusion passing through said opening into the rod bore and engaging the distal end of the actuator rod such that linear movement of the actuator rod is transmitted by the protrusion to the unison ring so as to rotate the unison ring.

8. The turbocharger of claim 7 , wherein the blades are plastic.

9. The turbocharger of claim 8 , wherein each blade and the pivot pin therefor comprise an integral one-piece plastic part.

10. The turbocharger of claim 8 , wherein the actuator rod comprises a metal rod and the distal end of the actuator rod includes a plastic cover affixed to and enveloping an end of the metal rod, wherein the protrusion of the unison ring engages the plastic cover.

11. The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein the compressor housing includes an inlet duct member that forms a portion of the air inlet wall and that forms the upstream wall in the annular space, the inlet duct member being formed separately from a remainder of the compressor housing, the inlet duct member being received into a receptacle in the remainder of the compressor housing and being affixed thereto by fasteners.

12. The turbocharger of claim 11 , wherein the inlet duct member is constructed of plastic and the remainder of the compressor housing is constructed of metal.

13. The turbocharger of claim 12 , wherein the inlet duct member defines a plurality of circumferentially spaced axial spacers on the upstream wall for engaging an upstream face of the unison ring and spacing the unison ring away from a remainder of the upstream wall.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc
• Garrett Transportation I Inc

Inventors

• Lombard Alain
• Pees Stephane
• Mohtar Hani
• Doise Stephane

Classifications

• F04D29/441

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/462

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F02B37/00

  Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust · CPC title

• F04D29/464 Primary

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

• F05D2260/96

  Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise · CPC title