Patent ID: 8545177

Claim:
A radial compressor, comprising: a spiral housing formed with a tongue defining a transition point; a compressor wheel disposed in said spiral housing; a diffuser disposed in said spiral housing, said diffuser formed with an opening extending outwardly around said compressor wheel; said opening having a cross section defined by a given radius and a given width of said diffuser; wherein said cross-section is varied in at least one manner selected from the group consisting of: at said tongue and a region adjacent to said tongue, a radius of said diffuser is increased relative to said given radius in a radially outward direction to reduce or prevent formation of an underpressure at said transition point of said tongue, and at said tongue and a region adjacent to said tongue, a width of said diffuser is increased relative to said given width in a radially outward direction to reduce or prevent formation of an underpressure at said transition point of said tongue.