Centrifugal compressor

Abstract

Disclosed is a centrifugal compressor capable of minimizing leakage of fluid while realizing high aerodynamic performance in the process of compressing the fluid. The centrifugal compressor includes an impeller having blades, a housing formed with an inlet and an outlet, a sealing unit disposed adjacent to one of the inlet and the outlet, and a partial shroud disposed adjacent to the sealing unit and formed at one of the inlet and the outlet to partially surround outer peripheral portions of outer ends of the blades.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A centrifugal compressor comprising:
 an impeller comprising a plurality of blades radially disposed about a rotational axis;   a housing comprising an inlet into which a fluid to be compressed by the impeller is introduced, an outlet through which the compressed fluid is discharged, and an inner surface adjacent to the plurality of blades;   a sealing unit disposed adjacent to one of the inlet and the outlet to seal a space between outer ends of the plurality of blades and the inner surface; and   a partial shroud disposed adjacent to the sealing unit and disposed at one of the inlet and the outlet to partially surround outer peripheral portions of the outer ends of the plurality of blades.   
     
     
         2 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing unit comprises a first sealing unit disposed adjacent to the inlet and the first sealing unit comprises a first partial shroud disposed adjacent to the inlet to partially surround the outer peripheral portions of the outer ends of the plurality of blades. 
     
     
         3 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 2 , wherein the first sealing unit comprises at least one first sealing protrusion protruding toward the inner surface from the first partial shroud, a rear end of the first sealing protrusion is fixed to the first partial shroud, and a front end of the first sealing protrusion is spaced apart from the inner surface by a predetermined interval. 
     
     
         4 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 3 , wherein the first sealing protrusion is integrally formed with the first partial shroud. 
     
     
         5 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 3 , further comprising a first sealing pad on the inner surface adjacent to the first sealing protrusion, wherein the first sealing pad comprises a material having a hardness lower than a hardness of the first sealing protrusion. 
     
     
         6 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 5 , wherein the first sealing pad comprises a first sealing groove comprising a shape corresponding to a shape of the first sealing protrusion, and a front end of the first sealing protrusion is inserted into the first sealing groove. 
     
     
         7 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 2 , wherein the first sealing unit comprises a second sealing protrusion protruding toward the first partial shroud from the inner surface, a rear end of the second sealing protrusion is fixed to the inner surface, and a front end of the second sealing protrusion is spaced apart from the first partial shroud by a predetermined interval. 
     
     
         8 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 7 , wherein the second sealing protrusion is integrally formed with the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 7 , wherein the first sealing unit further comprises a first support member comprising one surface attached to the inner surface and an opposite surface formed with the second sealing protrusion. 
     
     
         10 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 9 , wherein the second sealing protrusion is integrally formed with the first support member. 
     
     
         11 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 7 , further comprising a second sealing pad on an outer surface of the first partial shroud adjacent to the second sealing protrusion, wherein the second sealing pad comprises a material having a hardness lower than a hardness of the second sealing protrusion. 
     
     
         12 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 11 , wherein the second sealing pad comprises a second sealing groove comprising a shape corresponding to a shape of the second sealing protrusion, and a front end of the second sealing protrusion is inserted into the second sealing groove. 
     
     
         13 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing unit comprises a second sealing unit disposed adjacent to the outlet and the second sealing unit comprises a second partial shroud disposed adjacent to the outlet to partially surround the outer peripheral portions of the outer ends of the plurality of blades. 
     
     
         14 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 13 , wherein the second sealing unit further comprises a third sealing protrusion protruding toward the inner surface from the second partial shroud, a rear end of the third sealing protrusion is fixed to the second partial shroud, and a front end of the third sealing protrusion is spaced apart from the inner surface by a predetermined interval. 
     
     
         15 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 14 , wherein the third sealing protrusion is integrally formed with the second partial shroud. 
     
     
         16 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 14 , further comprising a third sealing pad on the inner surface adjacent to the third sealing protrusion, wherein the third sealing pad comprises a material having a hardness lower than a hardness of the third sealing protrusion. 
     
     
         17 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 16 , wherein the third sealing pad comprises a third sealing groove comprising a shape corresponding to a shape of the third sealing protrusion, and a front end of the third sealing protrusion is inserted into the third sealing groove. 
     
     
         18 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 13 , wherein the second sealing unit further comprises a fourth sealing protrusion protruding toward the second partial shroud from the inner surface, a rear end of the fourth sealing protrusion is fixed to the inner surface, and a front end of the fourth sealing protrusion is spaced apart from the second partial shroud by a predetermined interval. 
     
     
         19 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 18 , wherein the fourth sealing protrusion is integrally formed with the housing. 
     
     
         20 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 18 , wherein the second sealing unit further comprises a second support member comprising one surface attached to the inner surface and an opposite surface formed with the fourth sealing protrusion. 
     
     
         21 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 20 , wherein the fourth sealing protrusion is integrally formed with the second support member. 
     
     
         22 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 18 , further comprising a fourth sealing pad on an outer surface of the second partial shroud adjacent to the fourth sealing protrusion, wherein the fourth sealing pad comprises a material having a hardness lower than a hardness of the fourth sealing protrusion. 
     
     
         23 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 22 , wherein the fourth sealing pad is formed with a fourth sealing groove comprising a shape corresponding to a shape of the fourth sealing protrusion, and a front end of the fourth sealing protrusion is inserted into the fourth sealing groove. 
     
     
         24 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing unit comprises a first sealing unit disposed adjacent to the inlet and a second sealing unit disposed adjacent to the outlet, the first sealing unit comprising a first partial shroud disposed adjacent to the inlet to partially surround the outer peripheral portions of the outer ends of the plurality of blades, and the second sealing unit comprising a second partial shroud disposed adjacent to the outlet to partially surround the outer peripheral portions of the outer ends of the plurality of blades. 
     
     
         25 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 24 , wherein the first sealing unit comprises a first sealing protrusion protruding toward the inner surface from the first partial shroud, and the second sealing unit comprises a third sealing protrusion protruding toward the inner surface from the second partial shroud. 
     
     
         26 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 25 , wherein a rear end of the first sealing protrusion is fixed to the first partial shroud, a front end of the first sealing protrusion is spaced apart from the inner surface by a predetermined interval, a rear end of the third sealing protrusion is fixed to the second partial shroud, and a front end of the third sealing protrusion is spaced apart from the inner surface by a predetermined interval. 
     
     
         27 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 24 , wherein the first sealing unit comprises a second sealing protrusion protruding toward the first partial shroud from the inner surface, and the second sealing unit comprises a fourth sealing protrusion protruding toward the second partial shroud from the inner surface. 
     
     
         28 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 27 , wherein a rear end of the second sealing protrusion is fixed to the inner surface, a front end of the first sealing protrusion is spaced apart from the first partial shroud by a predetermined interval, a rear end of the fourth sealing protrusion is fixed to the inner surface, and a front end of the fourth sealing protrusion is spaced apart from the second partial shroud by a predetermined interval.