Ported shroud geometry to reduce blade-pass noise

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9951793-B2
Application number	US-201615170179-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2016
Priority date	Jun 1, 2016
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A compressor housing may include a shroud portion which is axially spaced from an inlet portion and configured to at least partially surround the compressor wheel. The compressor housing may be further configured to include a recirculation cavity which is formed between an exterior surface of the shroud portion and an interior surface of the compressor housing. Furthermore, a recirculation slot may define an airflow pathway between the recirculation cavity and the compressor wheel. Additionally, the compressor housing may include an angled shroud support extending radially through the recirculation cavity from the exterior surface of the shroud portion to the interior surface of the compressor housing. The angled shroud support may be spaced an axial distance away from the recirculation slot to reduce turbulence in the airflow as the airflow moves from the recirculation cavity to the compressor wheel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compressor housing configured to enclose a compressor wheel, the compressor housing comprising:
an inlet portion configured to direct an airflow towards the compressor wheel;
a shroud portion axially spaced from the inlet portion and configured to partially surround the compressor wheel;
a volute portion in fluid communication with the compressor wheel, the volute portion defining an output pathway of the compressor housing;
a recirculation cavity formed between an exterior surface of the shroud portion and an interior surface of the compressor housing, the recirculation cavity in fluid communication with the inlet portion;
a recirculation slot defining an airflow pathway between the recirculation cavity and the compressor wheel;
an angled shroud support extending radially through the recirculation cavity from the exterior surface of the shroud portion to the interior surface of the compressor housing, and the angled shroud support is configured to extend axially through a portion of the recirculation cavity between an upper termination surface and a lower termination surface of the angled shroud support, wherein the lower termination surface terminates the angled shroud support at a position along the shroud portion being no more than three-quarters of a distance measured between a top surface and a bottom surface of the shroud portion; and
a flow convergence area defined within the recirculation cavity, wherein the flow convergence area includes an open area that axially extends from the lower termination surface of the angled shroud support to a recirculation cavity inner wall and radially extends from the exterior surface of the shroud portion to the interior surface of the compressor housing, and wherein the open area being unobstructed and circumferentially surrounds the shroud portion between the lower termination surface of the angled shroud support and the recirculation cavity inner wall.

2. The compressor housing of claim 1 , wherein the shroud portion and the compressor housing being fabricated from a single piece of material such that the compressor housing and the shroud portion form a unitary component.

3. The compressor housing of claim 1 , wherein the angled shroud support is shaped as an airfoil including a leading edge and a trailing edge, and the airfoil being positioned within the recirculation cavity to direct the airflow such that a turbulence of the airflow is minimized.

4. The compressor housing of claim 3 , wherein the airfoil is an asymmetric airfoil including an airfoil chord which is aligned along an axis of the compressor housing, the asymmetric airfoil spinning the airflow such that a noise reduction is achieved as the airflow moves from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the asymmetric airfoil.

5. The compressor housing of claim 4 , wherein during a high airflow event the asymmetric airfoil shapes the airflow to add a rotation which is in an opposite direction to a direction of a rotation of the compressor wheel such that the noise reduction achieved is a tonal blade pass noise reduction.

6. A turbocharger comprising:
a turbine wheel;
a compressor wheel;
a shaft, rotatably connecting to the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel;
a compressor housing enclosing the compressor wheel;
an inlet portion formed in the compressor housing and configured to direct an airflow towards the compressor wheel;
a shroud portion integrated with the compressor housing and configured to circumferentially surround the compressor wheel;
a volute portion in fluid communication with the compressor wheel, the volute portion defining an output pathway of the turbocharger;
a recirculation cavity formed within the compressor housing and positioned between an exterior surface of the shroud portion and an interior surface of the compressor housing such that the recirculation cavity being in fluid communication with the inlet portion;
a recirculation slot defining an airflow pathway between the recirculation cavity and the compressor wheel;
an angled shroud support extending radially through the recirculation cavity from the exterior surface of the shroud portion to the interior surface of the compressor housing, and the angled shroud support is configured to extend axially through a portion of the recirculation cavity between an upper termination surface and a lower termination surface of the angled shroud support, wherein the lower termination surface terminates the angled shroud support at a position along the shroud portion being no more than three-quarters of a distance measured between a top surface and a bottom surface of the shroud portion; and
a flow convergence area defined within the recirculation cavity, wherein the flow convergence area includes an open area that axially extends from the lower termination surface of the angled shroud support to a recirculation cavity inner wall and radially extends from the exterior surface of the shroud portion to the interior surface of the compressor housing, and wherein the open area being unobstructed and circumferentially surrounds the shroud portion between the lower termination surface and the recirculation cavity inner wall.

7. The turbocharger of claim 6 , wherein the compressor housing and the shroud portion being fabricated from a single piece of material and having a seamless transition between the inlet portion, the shroud portion, and the volute portion.

8. The turbocharger of claim 6 , wherein the angled shroud support is an airfoil including a leading edge and a trailing edge, and the airfoil being positioned within the recirculation cavity to direct the airflow such that a turbulence of the airflow is minimized.

9. The turbocharger of claim 8 , wherein the airfoil is an asymmetric airfoil including an airfoil chord which is aligned along an axis of the turbocharger, the asymmetric airfoil spinning the airflow such that a noise reduction is achieved as the airflow moves from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the asymmetric airfoil.

10. The turbocharger of claim 9 , wherein during a high airflow event the asymmetric airfoil shapes the airflow to add a rotation which is in an opposite direction to a direction of a rotation of the compressor wheel such that the noise reduction of the turbocharger achieved is a tonal blade pass noise reduction.

11. A method of reducing airflow noise through a compressor, the method comprising:
fabricating a compressor housing including an inlet portion and a shroud portion, the inlet portion configured to direct an airflow through the shroud portion towards a compressor wheel;
forming a recirculation cavity between an exterior surface of the shroud portion and an interior surface of the compressor housing and supporting the shroud portion by radially extending an angled shroud support through the recirculation cavity between the exterior surface of the shroud portion and the interior surface of the compressor housing, wherein the angled shroud support is configured to extend axially through a portion of the recirculation cavity between an upper termination surface and a lower termination surface of the angled shroud support, and the lower termination surface terminates the angled shroud support at a position along the shroud portion being no more than three-quarters of a distance measured between a top surface and a bottom surface of the shroud portion;
defining a flow convergence area within the recirculation cavity, wherein the flow convergence area includes an open area that axially extends from the lower termination surface to a recirculation cavity inner wall, and wherein the flow convergence area circumferentially surrounds the shroud portion between t

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Lucas Evan

Classifications

• F04D27/009

  by bleeding, by passing or recycling fluid · CPC title

• F05D2230/50

  Building or constructing in particular ways · CPC title

• F04D29/284

  for compressors · CPC title

• F04D29/4233

  with volutes extending mainly in axial or radially inward direction · CPC title

• F04D29/665 Primary

  by means of resonance chambers or interference · CPC title