Axial compressor rotor incorporating splitter blades

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016186773-A1
Application number	US-201414585158-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 29, 2014
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A compressor apparatus includes: a rotor having: a disk mounted for rotation about a centerline axis, an outer periphery of the disk defining a flowpath surface; an array of airfoil-shaped axial-flow compressor blades extending radially outward from the flowpath surface, wherein the compressor blades each have a root, a tip, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, wherein the compressor blades have a chord dimension and are spaced apart by a circumferential spacing, the ratio of the chord to the circumferential spacing defining a blade solidity parameter; and an array of airfoil-shaped splitter blades alternating with the compressor blades, wherein the splitter blades each have a root, a tip, a leading edge, and a trailing edge; wherein at least one of a chord dimension of the splitter blades at the roots thereof and a span dimension of the splitter blades is less than the corresponding dimension of the compressor blades.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A compressor apparatus comprising:
A rotor comprising:
a disk mounted for rotation about a centerline axis, an outer periphery of the disk defining a flowpath surface;
an array of airfoil-shaped axial-flow compressor blades extending radially outward from the flowpath surface, wherein the compressor blades each have a root, a tip, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, wherein the compressor blades have a chord dimension and are spaced apart by a circumferential spacing, the ratio of the chord dimension to the circumferential spacing defining a blade solidity parameter; and
an array of airfoil-shaped splitter blades alternating with the compressor blades, wherein the splitter blades each have a root, a tip, a leading edge, and a trailing edge;
wherein at least one of a chord dimension of the splitter blades at the roots thereof and a span dimension of the splitter blades is less than the corresponding dimension of the compressor blades.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the solidity parameter is selected to as to result in hub flow separation under normal operating conditions.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flowpath surface is not a body of revolution.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flowpath surface includes a concave scallop between adjacent compressor blades.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the scallop has a minimum radial depth adjacent the roots of the compressor blades, and has a maximum radial depth at a position approximately midway between adjacent compressor blades.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each splitter blade is located approximately midway between two adjacent compressor blades.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the splitter blades are positioned such that their trailing edges are at approximately the same axial position as the trailing edges of the compressor blades, relative to the disk.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the span dimension of the splitter blades is 50% or less of the span dimension of the compressor blades.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the span dimension of the splitter blades is 30% or less of the span dimension of the compressor blades.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the chord dimension of the splitter blades at the roots thereof is 50% or less of the chord dimension of the compressor blades at the roots thereof.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the chord dimension of the splitter blades at the roots thereof is 50% or less of the chord dimension of the compressor blades at the roots thereof.

12 . A compressor including a plurality of axial-flow stages, at least a selected one of the stages comprising:
a disk mounted for rotation about a centerline axis, an outer periphery of the disk defining a flowpath surface; an array of airfoil-shaped axial-flow compressor blades extending radially outward from the flowpath surface, wherein the compressor blades each have a root, a tip, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, wherein the compressor blades have a chord dimension and are spaced apart by a circumferential spacing, the ratio of the chord dimension to the circumferential spacing defining a blade solidity parameter; and an array of airfoil-shaped splitter blades alternating with the compressor blades, wherein the splitter blades each have a root, a tip, a leading edge, and a trailing edge; wherein at least one of a chord dimension of the splitter blades at the roots thereof and a span dimension of the splitter blades is less than the corresponding dimension of the compressor blades.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the solidity parameter is selected to as to result in hub flow separation under normal operating conditions.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the flowpath surface is not a body of revolution.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the flowpath surface includes a concave scallop between adjacent compressor blades.

16 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the span dimension of the splitter blades is 50% or less of the span dimension of the compressor blades.

17 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the span dimension of the splitter blades is 30% or less of the span dimension of the compressor blades.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the chord dimension of the splitter blades at the roots thereof is 50% or less of the chord dimension of the compressor blades at the roots thereof.

19 . The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the chord dimension of the splitter blades at the roots thereof is 50% or less of the chord dimension of the compressor blades at the roots thereof.

20 . The compressor of claim 12 wherein the selected stage is the aft-most rotor of the compressor.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Dipietro Jr Anthony Louis
• Kajfasz Gregory John

Classifications

• F01D5/143

  Contour of the outer or inner working fluid flow path wall, i.e. shroud or hub contour · CPC title

• F04D29/324 Primary

  Blades · CPC title

• F01D5/146

  of blades with tandem configuration, split blades or slotted blades · CPC title

• F04D19/002

  Axial flow fans · CPC title