Centrifugal compressor system and diffuser
A centrifugal compressor system includes a centrifugal impeller a shroud in cooperative engagement with the impeller; and a diffuser. The diffuser has a hub surface; a shroud surface; a plurality of diffuser vanes extending between the hub surface and the shroud surface; and a common splitter ring disposed between the hub surface and the shroud surface and intersecting each of the diffuser vanes along a span of each of the diffuser vanes.
1. A centrifugal compressor system, comprising
a single-sided centrifugal impeller having a front side that includes a plurality of compressor blades and a back side that lacks a plurality of compressor blades;
a shroud in cooperative engagement with the impeller; and
a diffuser having a hub surface adjacent to the back side of the single-sided centrifugal impeller; a shroud surface adjacent to the front side of the single-sided centrifugal impeller; a plurality of diffuser vanes extending between the hub surface and the shroud surface; and a common splitter ring disposed between the hub surface and the shroud surface and intersecting each of the diffuser vanes at a point of the diffuser vanes located between a hub surface end of the diffuser vanes and a shroud surface end of diffuser vanes such that a flow into the diffuser is split by the common splitter ring into a first portion and a second portion;
wherein the common splitter ring is structured to increase compression efficiency by reducing motion of flow between the hub surface and shroud surface, the compression efficiency being increased relative to a centrifugal compressor system that lacks the common splitter ring.
2. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the hub surface and the shroud surface define a diffuser flowpath therebetween; and wherein the common splitter ring is constructed to subdivide the diffuser flowpath into two parallel sub-flowpaths.
3. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the impeller has an axis of rotation; and wherein the common splitter ring is a body of revolution about the axis of rotation.
4. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the common splitter ring is a continuous 360° ring.
5. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 1 , wherein each diffuser vane has a trailing edge extending radially outward of the common splitter ring.
6. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 1 , wherein each diffuser vane has a leading edge extending radially inward of the common splitter ring.
7. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the common splitter ring has an aerodynamic cross-section.
8. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 7 , wherein the aerodynamic cross-section is a flat plate with tapered leading and trailing edges.
9. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 7 , wherein the aerodynamic cross-section is an airfoil shape.
10. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the common splitter ring is constructed to reduce cross-flow between the hub surface and the shroud surface.
11. A centrifugal compressor system, comprising:
a single-sided centrifugal impeller having a front side that includes a plurality of compressor blades and a back side that lacks a plurality of compressor blades,
a hub surface disposed on the back side of the single-sided centrifugal impeller;
a shroud surface disposed on the front side of the centrifugal impeller;
a common splitter ring disposed in a diffuser space of the centrifugal compressor system between the hub surface and the shroud surface and structured to receive an out flow from the single-sided centrifugal impeller during operation of the single-sided centrifugal impeller; and
a plurality of diffuser vanes extending between the hub surface and the shroud surface and where the common splitter ring intersects each of the plurality of diffuser vanes at a point of each of the plurality of diffuser vanes between the hub surface and the shroud surface such that a flow into the diffuser space is split by the common splitter ring into a first portion and a second portion;
wherein pressure recovery is increased in the diffuser space relative to a configuration of the centrifugal compressor system that lacks the common splitter ring.
12. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 11 , wherein the hub surface and the shroud surface define a diffuser flowpath therebetween; and wherein the common splitter ring is constructed to subdivide the diffuser flowpath into two parallel sub-flowpaths.
13. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 11 , wherein the impeller has an axis of rotation; and wherein the common splitter ring is a body of revolution about the axis of rotation.
14. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 11 , wherein the common splitter ring is a continuous 360° ring.
15. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 11 , wherein each diffuser vane has a trailing edge extending radially outward of the common splitter ring.
16. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 11 , wherein each diffuser vane has a leading edge extending radially inward of the common splitter ring.
17. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 11 , wherein the common splitter ring has an aerodynamic cross-section in the form of a flat plate with tapered leading and trailing edges.
18. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 11 , wherein the common splitter ring has an aerodynamic cross-section in the form of an airfoil shape.
19. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 11 , wherein the common splitter ring is constructed to reduce cross-flow between the hub surface and the shroud surface.
20. The centrifugal compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the common splitter ring is structured to reduce secondary vortices that are formed downstream of a leading edge of a diffuser vane of the diffuser vane relative to a centrifugal compressor system that lacks the common splitter ring.