Compressor housing for an air cycle machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9546669-B2
Application number	US-201313871298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2013
Priority date	Jan 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A compressor housing for an air cycle machine is provided. The compressor housing includes a body having a compressor volute configured to provide centrifugal compression in the air cycle machine. A mating surface is integrally formed with the body. The mating surface includes a plurality of substantially equally angularly spaced bosses. The bosses include a first boss type at a first radial distance and configured to receive a threaded fastener coupled to a turbine nozzle of the air cycle machine. The bosses also include a second boss type at a second radial distance configured to secure a seal plate of the air cycle machine. The second radial distance is less than the first radial distance. A ratio of a number of the bosses of the first boss type to the second boss type is 17 to 2.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A compressor housing for an air cycle machine, comprising:
a body comprising a compressor volute configured to provide centrifugal compression in the air cycle machine; and
a mating surface integrally formed with the body, the mating surface comprising a plurality of bosses equally distributed with a same angular spacing relative to an axis of rotation in the air cycle machine, the bosses comprising a first boss type at a first radial distance from the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine and configured to receive a threaded fastener coupled to a turbine nozzle of the air cycle machine, and a second boss type at a second radial distance from the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine and configured to secure a seal plate of the air cycle machine, wherein the second radial distance is less than the first radial distance, and a ratio of a number of the bosses of the first boss type to the second boss type is 17 to 2, wherein each of the bosses of the second boss type is angularly offset from each of the bosses of the first type relative to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine, and each of the bosses of the second boss type is angularly closer to two bosses of the first boss type than any other of the plurality of bosses relative to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine.

2. The compressor housing according to claim 1 , wherein a first boss of the first boss type is angularly adjacent to a second boss of the second boss type and the first boss is angularly aligned relative to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine and angularly adjacent to a recessed area configured to receive a bearing anti-rotation pin in the air cycle machine, wherein the recessed area extends from an exterior surface of the body of the compressor housing towards the axis of rotation.

3. The compressor housing according to claim 1 , wherein the bosses are angularly spaced 19 degrees apart from each other with respect to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine.

4. The compressor housing according to claim 1 , wherein the first radial distance is two percent greater than the second radial distance.

5. The compressor housing according to claim 1 , wherein there are two bosses of the second boss type that have an angular offset of between 170 to 190 degrees relative to each other with respect to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine.

6. An air cycle machine assembly comprising:
a plurality of turbine nozzles;
a seal plate; and
a compressor housing comprising a body and a mating surface integrally formed with the body, the body comprising a compressor volute configured to provide centrifugal compression, and the mating surface comprising a plurality of bosses equally distributed with a same angular spacing relative to an axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly, the bosses comprising a first boss type at a first radial distance from the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly and configured to receive a threaded fastener coupled to one of the turbine nozzles, and a second boss type at a second radial distance from the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly configured to secure the seal plate, wherein the second radial distance is less than the first radial distance, and a ratio of a number of the bosses of the first boss type to the second boss type is 17 to 2, wherein each of the bosses of the second boss type is angularly offset from each of the bosses of the first type relative to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly, and each of the bosses of the second boss type is angularly closer to two bosses of the first boss type than any other of the plurality of bosses relative to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly.

7. The air cycle machine assembly according to claim 6 , wherein a first boss of the first boss type is angularly adjacent to a second boss of the second boss type and the first boss is angularly aligned relative to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly and angularly adjacent to a recessed area configured to receive a bearing anti-rotation pin, wherein the recessed area extends from an exterior surface of the body of the compressor housing towards the axis of rotation.

8. The air cycle machine assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the bosses are angularly spaced 19 degrees apart from each other with respect to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly.

9. The air cycle machine assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the first radial distance is two percent greater than the second radial distance.

10. The air cycle machine assembly according to claim 6 , wherein there are two bosses of the second boss type that have an angular offset of between 170 to 190 degrees relative to each other with respect to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly.

11. The air cycle machine assembly according to claim 6 , wherein each of the turbine nozzles is axially aligned with one of the bosses; each of the turbine nozzles axially aligned with the bosses of the first boss type is clamped to the compressor housing by a threaded fastener; and each of the turbine nozzles axially aligned with the bosses of the second boss type is not directly clamped to the compressor housing by a fastener contacting the compressor housing and the turbine nozzles axially aligned with the bosses of the second boss type.

12. A method of installing a compressor housing in an air cycle machine assembly, comprising:
aligning a seal plate to a mating surface of the compressor housing, the compressor housing comprising a body, wherein the mating surface is integrally formed with the body, the mating surface comprising a plurality of bosses equally distributed with a same angular spacing relative to an axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly, the bosses comprising a first boss type at a first radial distance from the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly and a second boss type at a second radial distance from the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly that is less than the first radial distance, and a ratio of a number of the bosses of the first boss type to the second boss type is 17 to 2, wherein each of the bosses of the second boss type is angularly offset from each of the bosses of the first type relative to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly, and each of the bosses of the second boss type is angularly closer to two bosses of the first boss type than any other of the plurality of bosses relative to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly;
securing the seal plate to the bosses of the second boss type at each of the bosses of the second boss type;
axially aligning a turbine nozzle with each of the bosses; and
clamping each of the turbine nozzles axially aligned with each of the bosses of the first boss type to the compressor housing using threaded fasteners.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein a first boss of the first boss type is angularly adjacent to a second boss of the second boss type and the first boss is angularly aligned relative to the axis of rotation in the air cycle machine assembly and angularly adjacent to a recessed area configured to receive a bearing anti-rotation pin, wherein the recessed area extends from an exterior surface of the body of the compressor housing towards the axis of rotation.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising installing the bearing anti-rotation pin in the recessed area.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the bosses are angularly spaced 19 degrees apart from each ot

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Beers Craig M
• Merritt Brent J
• Mcauliffe Christopher

Classifications

• Y10T29/49236

  Fluid pump or compressor making · CPC title

• F04D29/444 Primary

  Bladed diffusers · CPC title