Diffuser pipe with splitter vane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11215196-B2
Application number	US-202016743564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2020
Priority date	Oct 27, 2015
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A compressor diffuser for a gas turbine engine includes one or more diffuser pipes having a tubular body defining an internal flow passage extending therethrough. The tubular body includes a first portion extending in a first direction, a second portion extending in a second direction different from the first direction, and a curved portion fluidly linking the first portion and the second portion. A splitter vane is disposed within the internal flow passage of the curved portion of the tubular body, the splitter vane defining a convergent flow passage between itself and a radially inner wall of the curved portion, and a divergent flow passage between itself and a radially outer wall of the curved portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A compressor diffuser for a gas turbine engine comprising:
at least one diffuser pipe having a tubular body defining an internal flow passage extending therethrough, the tubular body including a first portion extending in a first direction, a second portion extending in a second direction different from the first direction, and a curved portion fluidly linking the first portion and the second portion; and
a splitter vane disposed within the internal flow passage of the curved portion of the tubular body, the splitter vane defining a convergent flow passage between itself and a radially inner wall of the curved portion, and the splitter vane defining a divergent flow passage between itself and a radially outer wall of the curved portion.

2. The compressor diffuser of claim 1 , wherein the at least one diffuser pipe has an air recirculation conduit extending between a conduit inlet configured to receive a flow of compressed air from a supply, and a conduit outlet communicating with the internal flow passage to introduce air therein.

3. The compressor diffuser of claim 2 , wherein the recirculation conduit fluidly links an area downstream of the splitter vane with an area upstream of a trailing edge of the splitter vane.

4. The compressor diffuser of claim 2 , wherein the conduit outlet of the recirculation conduit opens into the internal flow passage upstream of the splitter vane.

5. The compressor diffuser of claim 2 , wherein the supply is disposed downstream of the at least one diffuser pipe in a region of the compressor having combustion chamber inlet air, the combustion chamber inlet air having a static pressure greater than a static pressure of air at the conduit inlets of the recirculation conduit, the combustion chamber inlet air circulating passively from the supply to the conduit inlet of the recirculation conduit.

6. The compressor diffuser of claim 1 , wherein the splitter vane extends between opposed inner side walls of the curved portion across the internal flow passage.

7. A method for diffusing fluid flow in a compressor, comprising:
conveying fluid flow through a diverging internal flow passage of a compressor diffuser, the internal flow passage including at least one curved portion;
splitting the fluid flow into first and second fluid passages defined within the internal flow passage, the first and second fluid passages being at least partially located within the curved portion;
converging fluid flow through the first fluid passage; and
diffusing fluid flow through the second fluid passage.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein converging fluid flow includes reducing a cross-sectional area of the first fluid passage along a length thereof.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein diffusing fluid flow includes increasing a cross-sectional area of the second fluid passage along a length thereof.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising recirculating additional air into the conveyed fluid flow within the internal flow passage.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein recirculating additional air comprises recirculating the additional air into the first fluid passage.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein recirculating additional air includes recirculating air into the internal flow passage upstream of splitting fluid flow.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein recirculating additional air into the internal flow passage includes drawing compressed air from a supply of combustor inlet air downstream of the first fluid passage.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein recirculating additional air includes passively recirculating the combustor inlet air into the internal flow passage.

15. A centrifugal compressor, comprising:
an impeller having an inner hub with a plurality of vanes extending therefrom, the impeller being rotatable within an outer shroud about a central longitudinal axis, the impeller having a radial impeller outlet; and
a diffuser configured to diffuse gas received from the impeller outlet, the diffuser comprising:
at least one diffuser pipe having a tubular body defining a flow passage extending therethrough, the tubular body including a first portion extending in a first direction, a second portion extending in a second direction different from the first direction, and a curved portion fluidly linking the first portion and the second portion; and
a splitter vane disposed within the internal flow passage of the curved portion of the tubular body, the splitter vane defining a convergent flow passage between itself and a radially inner wall of the curved portion, and a divergent flow passage between the splitter vane and a radially outer wall of the curved portion.

16. The centrifugal compressor of claim 15 , wherein the at least one diffuser pipe has an air recirculation conduit extending between a conduit inlet configured to receive a flow of compressible fluid from a supply, and a conduit outlet communicating with the at least one diffuser pipe to introduce air therein.

17. The centrifugal compressor of claim 16 , wherein the conduit outlet of the injection conduit opens into the at least one diffuser pipe upstream of the splitter vane.

18. The centrifugal compressor of claim 16 , wherein the recirculation conduit fluidly links an area downstream of the splitter vane with an area upstream of a trailing edge of the splitter vane.

19. The centrifugal compressor of claim 16 , wherein the supply is disposed downstream of the at least one diffuser pipe in a region of the compressor having combustion chamber inlet air, the combustion chamber inlet air having a static pressure greater than a static pressure of air at the conduit inlets of the recirculation conduit, the combustion chamber inlet air circulating passively from the supply to the conduit inlet of the recirculation conduit.

20. The centrifugal compressor of claim 15 , wherein the splitter vane extends between opposed inner side walls of the curved portion across the internal flow passage.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Duong Hien
• Kandasamy Vijay
• Upadrasta Koundinya

Classifications

• F02C3/08 Primary

  the compressor comprising at least one radial stage (F02C3/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04D29/441

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F05D2220/3219

  for the last stage of a compressor or a high pressure compressor · CPC title

• F04D29/547 Primary

  having a special shape in order to influence fluid flow · CPC title

• F05D2250/324

  divergent · CPC title