The subject matter described herein relates generally to supersonic compressor systems and, more particularly, to a supersonic compressor systems that include a supersonic compressor rotor and a compressor assembly.
At least some known supersonic compressor systems include a drive assembly, a drive shaft, and at least one supersonic compressor rotor for compressing a fluid. The drive assembly is coupled to the supersonic compressor rotor with the drive shaft to rotate the drive shaft and the supersonic compressor rotor.
At least some known supersonic compressor assemblies include an axial-flow supersonic compressor rotor. Known supersonic compressor rotors include a plurality of strakes coupled to a rotor disk. Each strake is oriented circumferentially about the rotor disk and define an axial flow channel between adjacent strakes. At least some known supersonic compressor rotors include a supersonic compression ramp that is coupled to the rotor disk. Known supersonic compression ramps are positioned within the axial flow path and are configured to form a compression wave within the flow path.
During operation of known supersonic compressor systems, the drive assembly rotates the supersonic compressor rotor at a high rotational speed. A fluid is channeled to the supersonic compressor rotor such that the fluid is characterized by a velocity that is supersonic with respect to the supersonic compressor rotor at the flow channel. At least some known supersonic compressor rotors discharge fluid from the flow channel in an axial direction. As fluid is channeled in an axial direction, supersonic compressor system components downstream of the supersonic compressor rotor are required to be designed to receive axial flow. As such, an efficiency in compressing a fluid may be limited to the efficiency of the axial-flow supersonic compressor rotor. Known supersonic compressor systems are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,334,990 and 7,293,955 filed Mar. 28, 2005 and Mar. 23, 2005 respectively, and United States Patent Application 2009/0196731 filed Jan. 16, 2009.