Patent ID: 11971050
Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 11:
12. A method of varying a geometry of a flow area of a shrouded impeller, the method comprising:
rotating a shroud and an impeller about an axis, wherein the shroud is disposed adjacent to an impeller and configured to corotate about the axis with the impeller, the impeller comprising:
a hub having a shaft portion disposed at a radially extending inlet;
a disk portion disposed at an axially extending outlet; and
a plurality of blades having leading edges disposed at the radially extending inlet, wherein the impeller is configured to rotate about the axis;
wherein an opening at an inlet of the shroud circumscribes the leading edges of the plurality of blades such that the opening is disposed radially outward of a radial outermost extent of blade leading edges; and

axially translating the shroud relative to the impeller to increase or decrease a rate of flow between the shroud and the impeller;
wherein the shroud comprises a plurality of hollow elements configured to receive portions of the plurality of blades of the impeller with axial translation of the shroud relative to the impeller and wherein tips of each of the plurality of blades are received in the plurality of hollow elements, the tips extending from the leading edge to a trailing edge of each of the plurality of blades; and
wherein each of the plurality of hollow elements is closed at an outlet edge, the outlet edge disposed adjacent to corresponding trailing edges of the plurality of blades.