System and method of assembling a supersonic compressor system including a supersonic compressor rotor and a compressor assembly

1. A supersonic compressor system comprising:

a casing defining a cavity extending between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;

a first drive shaft positioned within said cavity, wherein a centerline axis extends along a centerline of said first drive shaft;

a supersonic compressor rotor coupled to said first drive shaft and positioned in flow communication between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet, said supersonic compressor rotor comprising a radially outer surface and a plurality of vanes, adjacent said vanes and said radially outer surface defining a flow channel, said flow channel having disposed within it at least one supersonic compression ramp configured to form at least one compression wave for compressing a fluid within said flow channel; and

a centrifugal compressor assembly positioned in flow communication between said supersonic compressor rotor and said fluid outlet, said centrifugal compressor assembly configured to compress fluid received from said supersonic compressor rotor.

2. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising an inlet guide vane assembly positioned in flow communication between said fluid inlet and said supersonic compressor rotor.

3. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said centrifugal compressor assembly is coupled to said first drive shaft, said first drive shaft configured to rotate each of said supersonic compressor rotor and said centrifugal compressor assembly at a first rotational velocity.

4. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a second drive shaft coupled to said centrifugal compressor assembly, wherein said first drive shaft is configured to rotate said supersonic compressor rotor at a first rotational velocity, and said second drive shaft is configured to rotate said centrifugal compressor assembly at a second rotational velocity that is different than the first rotational velocity.

5. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein said first drive shaft is configured to rotate said supersonic compressor rotor in a first rotational direction, and said second drive shaft is configured to rotate said centrifugal compressor assembly in a second rotational direction that is different than the first rotational direction.

6. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:

the radially outer surface of the rotor extends generally between an upstream surface and a downstream surface and comprises an inlet surface, an outlet surface, and a transition surface extending between said inlet surface and said outlet surface; and

wherein the flow channel extends between an inlet opening and an outlet opening, said inlet surface extending between said inlet opening and said transition surface and oriented substantially perpendicular with respect to said centerline axis to define a radial flow path at said inlet opening, said outlet surface extending between said outlet opening and said transition surface and oriented substantially parallel with respect to said centerline axis to define an axial flow path at said outlet opening.

7. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:

the radially outer surface extends generally axially between an upstream surface and a downstream surface; and

wherein the flow channel defines an axial flow path extending between said upstream surface and said downstream surface.

8. A supersonic compressor system comprising:

a casing defining a cavity extending between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;

a first drive shaft positioned within said cavity, wherein a centerline axis extends along a centerline of said first drive shaft;

a supersonic compressor rotor coupled to said first drive shaft and positioned in flow communication between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet, said supersonic compressor rotor comprising a radially inner surface, a radially outer surface, an endwall extending between said radially inner surface and said radially outer surface in a radial direction; and

a plurality of vanes coupled to said endwall, adjacent said vanes and said endwall defining a radial flow channel extending radially between said radially inner surface and said radially outer surface

and at least one supersonic compression ramp disposed within said radially flow channel and configured to form at least one compression wave within said flow channel; and

a compressor assembly positioned in flow communication between said supersonic compressor rotor and said fluid outlet, said compressor assembly configured to compress fluid received from said supersonic compressor rotor.

9. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising an inlet guide vane assembly positioned in flow communication between said fluid inlet and said supersonic compressor rotor.

10. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said compressor assembly is coupled to said first drive shaft, said first drive shaft configured to rotate each of said supersonic compressor rotor and said compressor assembly at a first rotational velocity.

11. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising a second drive shaft rotatably coupled to said compressor assembly, wherein said first drive shaft is configured to rotate said supersonic compressor rotor at a first rotational velocity, and said second drive shaft is configured to rotate said compressor assembly at a second rotational velocity that is different than the first rotational velocity.

12. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein said first drive shaft is configured to rotate said supersonic compressor rotor in a first rotational direction, and said second drive shaft is configured to rotate said compressor assembly in a second rotational direction that is different than the first rotational direction.

13. A supersonic compressor system comprising:

a casing defining a cavity extending between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;

a first drive shaft positioned within said cavity, wherein a centerline axis extends along a centerline of said first drive shaft;

a supersonic compressor rotor coupled to said first drive shaft and positioned in flow communication between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet, said supersonic compressor rotor comprising a radially outer surface and a plurality of vanes, adjacent said vanes and said radially outer surface defining a flow channel, said flow channel having disposed within it at least one supersonic compression ramp configured to form at least one compression wave for compressing a fluid within said flow channel; and

a mixed-flow compressor assembly positioned in flow communication between said supersonic compressor rotor and said fluid outlet, said mixed-flow compressor assembly configured to compress fluid received from said supersonic compressor rotor.

14. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 13 , further comprising an inlet guide vane assembly positioned in flow communication between said fluid inlet and said supersonic compressor rotor.

15. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said mixed-flow compressor assembly is coupled to said first drive shaft, said first drive shaft configured to rotate each of said supersonic compressor rotor and said mixed-flow compressor assembly at a first rotational velocity.

16. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 13 , further comprising a second drive shaft rotatably coupled to said mixed-flow compressor assembly, wherein said first drive shaft is configured to rotate said supersonic compressor rotor at a first rotational velocity, and said second drive shaft is configured to rotate said mixed-flow compressor assembly at a second rotational velocity that is different than the first rotational velocity.

17. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 16 , wherein said first drive shaft is configured to rotate said supersonic compressor rotor in a first rotational direction, and said second drive shaft is configured to rotate said mixed-flow compressor assembly in a second rotational direction that is different than the first rotational direction.

18. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein:

the radially outer surface extends generally axially between an upstream surface and a downstream surface; and

wherein a plurality of vanes are coupled to said radially outer surface, adjacent said vanes defining an axial flow channel, said axial flow channel extending between said upstream surface and said downstream surface.

19. A supersonic compressor system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein:

the radially outer surface of the rotor extends generally between an upstream surface and a downstream surface and comprises an inlet surface, an outlet surface, and a transition surface extending between said inlet surface and said outlet surface; and

wherein the flow channel extends between an inlet opening and an outlet opening, said inlet surface extending between said inlet opening and said transition surface and oriented substantially perpendicular with respect to said centerline axis to define a radial flow path at said inlet opening, said outlet surface extending between said outlet opening and said transition surface and oriented substantially parallel with respect to said centerline axis to define an axial flow path at said outlet opening.