Turbocharger Compressor and Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191491-A1
Application number	US-201614987176-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 4, 2016
Priority date	Jan 4, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A compressor for a turbocharger for use with an internal combustion engine includes a compressor wheel having a central hub having a centerline, a root portion, and an end portion. A plurality of blades is formed around the central hub. The plurality of blades includes a group of full-blades extending from the root portion of the central hub up to a maximum distance from the root portion along the centerline, the maximum distance being adjacent the end portion of the central hub. The plurality of blades includes a group of half-blades, the half-blades extending from the root portion of the hub to an area along the centerline that is between 60% and 65% of the maximum distance along the centerline. The plurality of blades is organized in repeating sets of blades arranged around the compressor wheel, each repeating set including at least one full-blade and at least one half-blade.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A turbocharger for use with an internal combustion engine, comprising:
a turbine housing surrounding a rotatable turbine wheel that is connected to a shaft; a center housing that includes a bearing arrangement that rotatably supports the shaft, the shaft extending through the center housing; a compressor housing surrounding an end of the shaft; and a compressor wheel connected to the end of the shaft and being rotatably disposed within the compressor housing, the compressor wheel comprising:
a central hub having a centerline, a root portion and an end portion, the root portion being adjacent a connection interface of the central hub to a shaft;
a plurality of blades formed around the central hub, the plurality of blades including a group of full-blades extending from the root portion of the central hub up to a maximum distance from the root portion along the centerline, the maximum distance being adjacent the end portion of the central hub;
wherein the plurality of blades further includes a group of half-blades, the half-blades extending from the root portion of the hub to an area along the centerline that is between 55% and 70% of the maximum distance along the centerline;
wherein the plurality of blades is organized in repeating sets of blades arranged around the compressor wheel, each repeating set including at least one full-blade and at least one half-blade.

2 . The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein the central hub has a generally circular cross section at a varying diameter, which diameter decreases non-linearly in a direction from the root end towards the end portion.

3 . The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein each full-blade and each half-blade operates to redirect air radially outward with respect to the centerline and around the root portion when the compressor wheel is operating within a compressor housing.

4 . The turbocharger of claim 3 , wherein each half-blade operates to split an air stream that moves along and is impelled by an adjacent full-blade.

5 . The turbocharger of claim 1 , wherein each full-blade includes a first leading edge disposed close to the end portion.

6 . The turbocharger of claim 5 , wherein the leading edge of each full-blade is swept back towards the root portion.

7 . The turbocharger of claim 6 , wherein the leading edge of each full-blade extends at an acute angle, a, with respect to the centerline.

8 . The turbocharger of claim 7 , wherein the angle, α, is about 9.5 degrees.

9 . The turbocharger of claim 5 , wherein each full-blade forms a first tip at a radially outer end of the respective first leading edge.

10 . The turbocharger of claim 9 , wherein the first tips of the full-blades are axially aligned relative to the centerline and disposed at a first distance, X1, with respect to a root diameter of the central hub, and wherein the first distance is the maximum distance.

11 . The turbocharger of claim 10 , wherein each of the half-blades includes a second leading edge that forms a second tip.

12 . The turbocharger of claim 11 , wherein the second tips are axially aligned relative to the centerline and disposed at a second distance, X2, with respect to the root diameter of the central hub.

13 . The turbocharger of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of blades further includes a group of partial-blades extending from the root portion of the central hub up to a partial-blade area along the centerline that is between 40% and 55% of the maximum distance along the centerline.

14 . The turbocharger of claim 13 , wherein each partial-blade includes a leading edge and a tip, the tips of the partial-blades being axially aligned relative to the centerline and disposed at a third distance, X3, with respect to the root diameter of the central hub.

15 . The turbocharger of claim 14 , wherein X2≈0.62*X1.

16 . The turbocharger of claim 14 , wherein X3≈0.46*X1.

17 . The turbocharger of claim 14 , wherein X3 is ≈0.73*X2.

18 . The turbocharger of claim 13 , wherein as the compressor wheel is rotating during operation, at a particular radial orientation relative to the root portion of the compressor wheel, a partial-blade passing by the particular radial orientation is followed by a half-blade and then by a full-blade.

19 . The turbocharger of claim 13 , wherein the full-blade has a full-blade leading edge, the half-blade has a half-blade leading edge, and the partial-blade has a partial-blade leading edge, and wherein as the compressor wheel is rotating during operation, at a particular radial orientation relative to the rotation of the compressor wheel, a full-blade leading edge passing by the particular radial orientation is followed by a partial-blade leading edge and then by a half-blade leading edge.

20 . The turbocharger of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of blades consists of six full-blades, six half-blades and six partial-blades.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Annati Richard E
• Reinhart Eric
• Singer Daniel

Classifications

• F01D5/04

  for radial-flow machines or engines · CPC title

• F05D2240/121

  related to the leading edge of a stator vane · CPC title

• F01D25/162

  Bearing supports · CPC title

• F02B37/00

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

• F05D2220/40

  in turbochargers · CPC title