Patent ID: 8087901

Claim:
A compressor comprising: a casing having an interior chamber, a central axis extending through the interior chamber, and an outlet; first and second compression assemblies disposed in the interior chamber, spaced axially apart along the central axis, wherein each of the first and second compression assemblies has an inlet, an outlet, and at least one compressor stage including an impeller; and a fluid channeling device including a channeling body disposable in the interior chamber, axial transfer channels configured to fluidly couple the outlet of the first compression assembly with the inlet of the second compression assembly, and radial outlet channels configured to fluidly couple the outlet of the outlet of the second compression assembly with the outlet of the casing; and a first flow passage defined in the casing, disposed between and configured to fluidly couple the outlet of the first compression assembly with the inlet of the second compression assembly, and including an annular section extending axially along the central axis of the casing; and a second flow passage defined in the casing, disposed between and configured to fluidly couple the outlet of the second compression assembly with the outlet of the casing, and including a radial section extending perpendicularly to and through the first flow passage such that the first and second flow passages commonly include an annular channel, wherein the channeling body is annular, disposable in the annular channel, and configured to prevent substantial fluid flow between the first and second flow passages.