A Computational Geometry for the Blades and Internal Flow Channels of Centrifugal Compressors

A new computational geometry for the blades and flow passages of centrifugal compressors is described and examples of its use in the design of industrial compressors are given. The method makes use of Bernstein-Bezier polynomial patches to define the geometrical shape of the flow channels. This has the following main advantages: the surfaces are defined by analytic functions which allow systematic and controlled variation of the shape and give continuous derivatives up to any required order: and the parametric form of the equations allows the blade and channel coordinates to be very simply obtained at any number of points and in any suitable distribution for use in subsequent aerodynamic and stress calculations and for manufacture. The method is particularly suitable for incorporation into a computer-aided design procedure.