SUPERSONIC COMPRESSOR
A supersonic compressor including a rotor to deliver a gas at supersonic conditions to a diffuser. The diffuser includes a plurality of aerodynamic ducts that have converging and diverging portions, for deceleration of gas to subsonic conditions and then for expansion of subsonic gas, to change kinetic energy of the gas to static pressure. The aerodynamic ducts include structures for changing the effective contraction ratio to enable starting even when the aerodynamic ducts are designed for high pressure ratios, and structures for boundary layer control. In an embodiment, aerodynamic ducts are provided having an aspect ratio of in excess of two to one, when viewed in cross-section orthogonal to flow direction at an entrance to the aerodynamic duct. In an embodiment, the number of leading edges are minimized, and may be less than half, compared to the number of blades in the accompanying rotor.
1 . A compressor, comprising:
a rotor having an axis of rotation and a plurality of impulse blades extending into a gas flow passage, said plurality of impulse blades being sized and shaped to act on a selected gas to provide a supersonic gas flow; and
a diffuser comprising one or more aerodynamic duct(s) helically arranged about a longitudinal axis and positioned to receive said supersonic gas flow, said one or more aerodynamic duct(s) comprising
(a) a converging portion and a diverging portion, and
(b) bypass gas passageways operable to remove at least some of said supersonic gas flow from said converging portion, to thereby adjust an effective contraction ratio in one or more of the said one or more aerodynamic duct(s);
said one or more aerodynamic duct(s) sized and shaped to decelerate said supersonic gas flow to subsonic conditions.
2 . A compressor, comprising:
a rotor having an axis of rotation and a plurality of impulse blades extending into a gas flow passage, said plurality of impulse blades sized and shaped to act on a selected gas to provide a supersonic gas flow; and
a diffuser having a longitudinal axis, comprising one or more aerodynamic duct(s) helically arranged about said longitudinal axis and positioned to receive said supersonic gas flow, said one or more aerodynamic duct(s) comprising
(a) a converging portion and a diverging portion, and
(b) a geometrically adjustable portion operable to change the shape and/or location of said converging portion, to thereby adjust an effective contraction ratio in one or more of said one or more aerodynamic duct(s);
said one or more aerodynamic duct(s) sized and shaped to decelerate said supersonic gas flow to subsonic conditions.
3 . (canceled)
4 . (canceled)
5 . (canceled)
6 . A compressor, comprising:
a rotor having an axis of rotation and a plurality of impulse blades extending into a gas flow passage, said plurality of impulse blades sized and shaped to act on a selected gas to provide a supersonic gas flow; and
a diffuser disposed around a longitudinal axis and comprising one or more aerodynamic ducts, said one or more aerodynamic ducts comprising converging and diverging portions, and having an effective contraction ratio, said one or more aerodynamic ducts sized and shaped to decelerate said supersonic gas flow to subsonic conditions from a selected inlet Mach number, and
(a) at least one of (i) bypass gas passageways or (ii) geometrically adjustable portions operable to adjust said effective contraction ratio, or (iii) both, and
(b) boundary layer control structures comprising one or more of (1) outlet bleed ports for boundary layer removal, (2) inlet jets for energizing a boundary layer by gas injection, and (3) one or more vortex generators.
7 . (canceled)
8 . (canceled)
9 . (canceled)
10 . (canceled)
11 . (canceled)
12 . (canceled)
13 . (canceled)
14 . (canceled)
15 . (canceled)
16 . (canceled)
17 . (canceled)
18 . (canceled)
19 . (canceled)
20 . (canceled)
21 . The compressor as set forth in claim 2 , or in claim 6 , wherein said geometrically adjustable portions are positionable between an open, startup condition wherein said converging portion allows sufficient flow of said selected gas through said one or more aerodynamic ducts to establish and position a normal shock within said one or more aerodynamic ducts, and a closed, operating condition in which said converging portion is set to a selected operating position.
22 . (canceled)
23 . (canceled)
24 . (canceled)
25 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said inlet jets are oriented to inject gas into a boundary layer in a flow of said selected gas in said one or more aerodynamic ducts.
26 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , further comprising inlet ports and injection gas chambers, said injection gas chambers adjacent said one or more aerodynamic ducts, said injection gas chambers in fluid communication with said inlet ports, said injection gas chambers configured for passage therethrough of said selected gas for injection via said inlet ports.
27 . The compressor as set forth in claim 25 , wherein said inlet jets are sized and shaped to provide a gas jet that increases momentum of said flow of said selected gas.
28 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said boundary layer control structures are configured as said one or more vortex generators.
29 . The compressor as set forth in claim 28 , wherein said one or more vortex generators are located in said converging portion.
30 . The compressor as set forth in claim 28 , wherein said one or more vortex generators are located in said diverging portion.
31 . The compressor as set forth in claim 28 , wherein each of said one or more vortex generators comprise a base with a forward end and a leading edge extending outward to an outward end.
32 . The compressor as set forth in claim 31 , wherein said leading edge comprises a discontinuity along said leading edge, for generating a single vortex.
33 . The compressor as set forth in claim 31 , wherein said one or more vortex generators comprises at least two vortex generators, and wherein each of said at least two vortex generators generate a single vortex configured to control boundary layer in the aerodynamic duct.
34 . The compressor as set forth in claim 31 , wherein said outward end is located at a height H Z above said base.
35 . The compressor as set forth in claim 34 , wherein said aerodynamic duct has a height H D , and wherein said height H Z above said base is about fifty percent (50%) or less, of said height H D .
36 . The compressor as set forth in claim 34 , wherein said aerodynamic duct has a height H D , and wherein said height H Z above said base is about twenty five percent (25%), or less, of said height H D .
37 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein a plurality of vortex generators are provided in each of said aerodynamic ducts.
38 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein one or more of said one or more aerodynamic ducts are helically arranged about said longitudinal axis.
39 . The compressor as set forth in claim 38 , wherein said one or more of said aerodynamic ducts are helically arranged at a substantially constant helical angle about said longitudinal axis.
40 . (canceled)
41 . A supersonic gas compressor for compressing a selected gas, comprising:
a casing comprising a low pressure gas inlet and a high pressure gas exit;
a rotor comprising a plurality of blades and configured to act on a selected gas to impart axial and tangential velocity thereto to provide a supersonic gas flow;
a stator comprising a diffuser including one or more aerodynamic ducts configured for diffusing a gas received therein, said one or more aerodynamic ducts each having a converging portion, a diverging portion, and an effective contraction ratio, such that, with input of a supersonic gas flow, each aerodynamic duct generates a plurality of oblique shock waves (S 1 to S x ) and a normal shock wave (S N ) in said selected gas as said selected gas passes therethrough, said one or more aerodynamic ducts having an inlet relative Mach number for operation associated with a design operating point selected within a design operating envelope for a selected gas composition, gas quantity, and gas compression ratio, said one or more aerodynamic ducts comprising
(a) bypass gas passageways or a geometrically adjustable portion, or both, operable to adjust said effective contraction ratio, and
(b) boundary layer control structures, said boundary layer control structures comprising one or more of (1) outlet bleed ports for boundary layer removal, (2) inlet jets for energizing a boundary layer by gas injection, and (3) one or more vortex generators.
42 . The compressor as set forth in claim 41 , wherein said one or more aerodynamic ducts are helically arranged around a longitudinal axis.
43 . (canceled)
44 . (canceled)
45 . (canceled)
46 . (canceled)
47 . (canceled)
48 . (canceled)
49 . (canceled)
50 . (canceled)
51 . (canceled)
52 . (canceled)
53 . (canceled)
54 . (canceled)
55 . (canceled)
56 . (canceled)
57 . (canceled)
58 . (canceled)
59 . (canceled)
60 . (canceled)
61 . (canceled)
62 . (canceled)
63 . (canceled)
64 . (canceled)
65 . (canceled)
66 . (canceled)
67 . (canceled)
68 . (canceled)
69 . A supersonic gas compressor for compressing a selected gas, comprising:
a casing comprising a low pressure gas inlet and a high pressure gas exit;
an impulse rotor configured to act on a selected gas to impart axial and tangential velocity thereto to provide a supersonic gas flow;
a stator comprising:
a diffuser including a plurality of aerodynamic ducts configured for diffusing a gas received therein, said plurality of aerodynamic ducts helically arranged in adjacent position, and having a converging portion and a diverging portion that, with input of said supersonic gas flow, generate a plurality of oblique shock waves (S 1 to S x ) and a normal shock wave (S N ) in said selected gas as said selected gas passes through said aerodynamic ducts, said plurality of aerodynamic ducts having an inlet relative Mach number for operation associated with a design operating point selected within a design operating envelope for a selected gas composition, gas quantity, effective contraction ratio, and gas compression ratio, and said plurality of aerodynamic ducts further comprising means for adjusting said effective contraction ratio of some or all of said plurality of aerodynamic ducts, and means for controlling a boundary layer of gas flowing through said plurality of aerodynamic ducts.
70 . (canceled)
71 . The compressor as set forth in claim 69 , wherein said means for adjusting the effective contraction ratio comprises geometrically adjustable portions in said plurality of aerodynamic ducts, said geometrically adjustable portions positionable between an open, startup condition wherein said converging portion allows increased flow of said selected gas through said plurality of aerodynamic ducts, and a closed, operating condition in which said converging portion is set to a selected operating position.
72 . The compressor as set forth in claim 69 , wherein means for controlling a boundary layer of gas flowing through said plurality of aerodynamic ducts comprises inlet jets.
73 . The compressor as set forth in claim 69 , wherein means for controlling a boundary layer of gas flowing through said plurality of aerodynamic ducts comprises boundary layer outlet bleed ports.
74 . The compressor as set forth in claim 69 , wherein means for controlling a boundary layer of gas flowing through said plurality of aerodynamic ducts comprises one or more vortex generators.
75 . The compressor as set forth in claim 41 , or in claim 69 , wherein said design operating envelope comprises at least one stage having a gas compression ratio of at least 3.
76 . The compressor as set forth in claim 41 , or in claim 69 , wherein said design operating envelope comprises at least one stage having a gas compression ratio of at least 5.
77 . The compressor as set forth in claim 41 , or in claim 69 , wherein said design operating envelope comprises at least one stage having a gas compression ratio of from about 6 to about 12.5.
78 . The compressor as set forth in claim 41 , or in claim 69 , wherein said design operating envelope comprises at least one stage having a gas compression ratio of from about 12 to about 30.
79 . (canceled)
80 . (canceled)
81 . (canceled)
82 . (canceled)
83 . (canceled)
84 . (canceled)
85 . (canceled)
86 . The compressor as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said one or more aerodynamic ducts comprise bounding walls, and further comprising outlet bleed ports in one or more of said bounding walls.
87 . The compressor as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising inlet jets configured to energize a boundary layer by gas injection in said one or more aerodynamic ducts.
88 . The compressor as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising one or more vortex generators in said one or more aerodynamic ducts configured to energize a boundary layer.
89 . The compressor as set forth in claim 2 , or in claim 6 , wherein said rotor further comprises a shroud for said plurality of impulse blades.
90 . The compressor as set forth in claim 2 , or in claim 6 , wherein said rotor is effectively sealed with said diffuser, so as to minimize gas leakage during flow therebetween.
91 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said selected gas passing through said rotor is turned by an angle alpha (α) of at least ninety (90) degrees.
92 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said selected gas passing through said rotor is turned by an angle alpha (α) of at least one hundred (100) degrees.
93 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said selected gas passing through said rotor is turned by an angle alpha (α) of at least one hundred ten (110) degrees.
94 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said selected gas passing through said rotor is turned by an angle alpha (α) of between about ninety (90) degrees and about one hundred sixty (160) degrees.
95 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said selected gas passing through said rotor is turned by an angle alpha (α) of between about one hundred (112) degrees and about one hundred fourteen (114) degrees.
96 . The compressor as set forth in claim 2 , or in claim 6 , wherein each of said plurality of blades has a hub end, a tip end, and a trailing edge, and said supersonic gas flow is provided at said trailing edge of each of said plurality of blades from said hub end to said tip end.
97 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said geometrically adjustable portions, by change in position, change the contraction ratio of one or more of said one or more aerodynamic ducts.
98 . The compressor as set forth in claim 97 , wherein said geometrically adjustable portions further comprise pivotable members and actuators, said pivotable members driven by said actuators, and wherein said geometrically adjustable portions are sized and shaped to change the shape of said converging portion of said one or more of said one or more aerodynamic ducts when said geometrically adjustable portions are moved with said actuators.
99 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said diffuser comprises a stationary diffuser.
100 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , wherein each aerodynamic duct of said one or more aerodynamic ducts comprises a leading edge associated therewith.
101 . The compressor as set forth in claim 100 , wherein said leading edge comprises a leading edge radius of from about 0.005 inches to about 0.012 inches.
102 . The compressor as set forth in claim 100 , wherein said leading edge defines a leading edge wedge angle of between about five (5) degrees and about ten (10) degrees.
103 . The compressor as set forth in claim 100 , further comprising a partition wall downstream from said leading edge.
104 . The compressor as set forth in claim 103 , wherein said partition wall divides adjacent aerodynamic ducts, and wherein said leading edge comprises an upstream terminus of said partition wall.
105 . The compressor as set forth in claim 103 , wherein said partition wall has a thickness T of about 0.100 inches, or less.
106 . The compressor as set forth in claim 100 , wherein said plurality of blades comprises a number B of blades, and wherein a number N of said one or more aerodynamic ducts are provided, and wherein B and N are selected to avoid harmonic interference between said plurality of blades and said one or more aerodynamic ducts.
107 . The compressor as set forth in claim 100 , wherein each of said one or more aerodynamic ducts has a centerline, and wherein orthogonal to said centerline, one or more of said one or more aerodynamic ducts have a generally parallelogram cross-sectional shape.
108 . The compressor as set forth in claim 107 , wherein associated with said cross-sectional shape, said one or more aerodynamic ducts have an average aspect ratio, expressed as width to height, of about two to one (2:1), or more.
109 . The compressor as set forth in claim 107 , wherein associated with said cross-sectional shape, said one or more of aerodynamic ducts have an average aspect ratio, expressed as width to height, of about three to one (3:1), or more.
110 . The compressor as set forth in claim 107 , wherein associated with said cross-sectional shape, said one or more aerodynamic ducts have an average aspect ratio, expressed as width to height, of about four to one (4:1), or more.
111 . The compressor as set forth in claim 100 , wherein the number of leading edges in said diffuser is eleven (11), or less.
112 . The compressor as set forth in claim 100 , wherein the number of leading edges in said diffuser is about one half (½) or less than the number of blades B in said rotor.
113 . The compressor as set forth in claim 100 , wherein the number of leading edges in said diffuser is about one quarter (¼) or less than the number of blades B in said rotor.
114 . The compressor as set forth in claim 100 , wherein the number of leading edges in said diffuser is about fifteen percent (15%), or less, of the number of blades B in said rotor.
115 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , wherein said inlet relative Mach number of said one or more aerodynamic ducts is in excess of 1.5.
116 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , wherein said inlet relative Mach number of said one or more aerodynamic ducts is in excess of 1.8.
117 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , wherein said inlet relative Mach number of said one or more aerodynamic ducts is at least 2.
118 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , wherein said inlet relative Mach number of said one or more aerodynamic ducts is at least 2.5.
119 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , wherein said inlet relative Mach number of said one or more aerodynamic ducts is in excess of about 2.5.
120 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , wherein said inlet relative Mach number of said one or more aerodynamic duct is between about 2 and about 2.5.
121 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , wherein said inlet relative Mach number of said one or more aerodynamic duct is between about 2.5 and about 2.8.
122 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , wherein said one or more aerodynamic ducts are located adjacent one to another.
123 . The compressor as set forth in claim 122 , wherein said adjacent aerodynamic ducts have a common partition wall therebetween.
124 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , or in claim 69 , wherein said selected gas comprises one or more hydrocarbon gases.
125 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , or in claim 69 , wherein said selected gas comprises a gas having a molecular weight of at least that of nitrogen.
126 . The compressor as set forth in claim 125 , wherein said selected gas comprises carbon dioxide.
127 . The compressor as set forth in claim 41 , or in claim 69 , wherein said selected gas comprises hydrogen.
128 . The compressor as set forth in claim 41 , or in claim 69 , wherein compression in said plurality of aerodynamic ducts is accomplished in a channel between spaced apart sidewalls.
129 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 41 , or in claim 69 , wherein compression in said plurality of aerodynamic ducts is accomplished between radially spaced apart bounding surfaces.
130 . The compressor as set forth in claim 6 , or in claim 42 , wherein said one or more aerodynamic ducts are helically arranged at a helical angle psi (ψ) in a range of from about forty-five degrees (45°) to about eighty degrees (80°).