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; and   a sealing unit disposed adjacent to the inlet to seal a space between outer ends of the plurality of blades and the inner surface,   wherein the sealing unit comprises:   a first sealing unit including a partial shroud disposed at the inlet to partially surround outer peripheral portions of the outer ends of the plurality of blades, and   a second sealing unit including a plurality of sealing protrusions protruding toward the partial shroud from the inner surface of the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sealing protrusions are integrally formed with the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the second sealing unit further comprises a support member having an annular shape and disposed on the inner surface of the housing, and the plurality of sealing protrusions are disposed on a surface of the support member. 
     
     
         4 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 3 , wherein the first sealing unit further comprises a sealing pad on a surface of the partial shroud. 
     
     
         5 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 4 , wherein the sealing pad comprises a plurality of sealing grooves having a shape corresponding to a shape of the plurality of sealing protrusions, and
 wherein a front end of each of the plurality of sealing protrusions is inserted into a corresponding sealing groove of the plurality of sealing grooves of the sealing pad in a state of the centrifugal compressor in which the impeller of the centrifugal compressor does not rotate.   
     
     
         6 . The centrifugal compressor of  claim 4 , wherein the sealing pad comprises a material having a hardness lower than a hardness of the plurality of sealing protrusions.