A centrifugal compressor for a turbocharger includes an inlet-adjustment mechanism in an air inlet for the compressor, operable to move between a closed position, an open position, and a super-open position. The compressor also includes a ported shroud system. The inlet-adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of blades disposed about the air inlet and movable radially inwardly and outwardly for defining the various positions. In the closed position, the effective diameter of air inlet is reduced and the blades block flow through the ported shroud system. In the open position, the blades still block the ported shroud but the effective inlet diameter is increased relative to the closed position. In the super-open position, the blades unblock the ported shroud so that an additional amount of flow can pass through the ported shroud, thereby shifting the compressor's choke flow line to higher flow rates.

A system having a variable diameter impeller device that is operable for reducing an energy consumption of a rotating fluid or gas pump by increasing the impeller diameter as a speed of the rotating fluid or gas pump increases and decreasing the impeller diameter as the speed decreases. An extendable vane arrangement is configured to move along an elongated curved or sloping slot, the movement along the elongated curved or sloping slot is operable for increasing and decreasing a diameter of the impeller device. A spring arrangement having a first end and a second end extends and retracts to dynamically increase or decrease a diameter of the impeller device.

A system, method, and computer program to adjust the effective width of centrifugal fan wheel(s) in a fan system during operation. The reason for the adjustment is to prevent stall when running the fan over a wider range of system operating points. This is of particular use in high turndown variable air volume systems commonly encountered in HVAC systems. An additional option function is to isolate a single fan, in a fan system, if that fan should fail, to prevent reverse flow through the failed fan.

An aspect provides an aircraft including a fuselage and a cross-flow fan system attached to the fuselage. The cross-flow fan system including a cross-flow fan assembly associated with a rotatable wing member having an exterior aerodynamic surface. In one aspect, there is provided an aircraft with a fuselage having a forward portion and an aft portion; a first cross-flow fan system rotatably attached to the left side of the forward portion of the fuselage; a second cross-flow fan system rotatably attached to the right side of the forward portion of the fuselage; a third cross-flow fan system rotatably attached to the left side of the aft portion of the fuselage; and a fourth cross-flow fan system rotatably attached to the right side of the aft portion of the fuselage.

A variable thrust cross-flow fan system for an aircraft including a rotatable wing member having a first housing member; an actuator assembly operably coupled to the first housing member; and a variable thrust cross-flow fan assembly including a first and second driver plates having a plurality of blades rotatably mounted therebetween. The plurality of blades has a circular path of travel when rotating and includes a control assembly coupled to the plurality of blades to generate a variable thrust force. The control assembly includes a control cam that is substantially non-rotatable relative to the first and second driver plates and a hinge member that is fixedly connected to the control cam and to the first housing member at a hinge axis. Rotation of the first housing member by the actuator assembly imparts rotation of the control cam about the hinge axis, thereby changing the direction of the variable thrust force.

In accordance with certain presently disclosed embodiments, a multidirectional fan is provided. In certain embodiments, the multidirectional fan comprises a back plate having an interior surface and a central opening; a hub located around the central opening and projecting from the interior surface of the back plate; a plurality of flexible fan blades extending radially from the hub, wherein each flexible fan blade comprises a base and a blade, and wherein the base of each flexible fan blade is attached to the hub and the interior surface of the back plate; and a plurality of fasteners located at least partially on the interior surface of the back plate, wherein each fastener secures the blade of at least one flexible fan blade to the interior surface of the back plate at a predetermined position.

A system having a variable diameter impeller device that is operable for reducing an energy consumption of a rotating fluid or gas pump by increasing said impeller diameter as a speed of said rotating fluid or gas pump increases and decreasing the impeller diameter as the speed decreases. An extendable vane mechanism is configured to move along an elongated curved or sloping slot, said movement along the elongated curved or sloping slot is operable for increasing and decreasing a diameter of the impeller device. A spring mechanism having a first end and a second end extends and retracts to dynamically increase or decrease a diameter of the impeller device.

In some embodiments, a rotorcraft includes a fuselage, a tailboom, a drive system and a variable thrust cross-flow fan system. The cross-flow fan system includes a cross-flow fan assembly that is mechanically coupled to a drive shaft and operable to rotate with the drive shaft about a longitudinal axis. The cross-flow fan assembly includes first and second driver plates having a plurality of blades rotatably mounted therebetween. The blades are disposed radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis and have a generally circular path of travel when the cross-flow fan assembly rotates about the longitudinal axis. The blades are moveable between a plurality of pitch angle configurations. A control assembly is coupled to the blades. The control assembly is operable to change the pitch angle configuration of the blades to generate variable thrust at a substantially constant rotational speed of the cross-flow fan assembly.

This invention is directed to a centrifuge rotor, such as for use in a disc nozzle centrifuge, having a bowl including an improved positioning and orientation of discharge nozzles for facilitating tangential flow of fluid discharged therefrom relative to the rotor bowl.

An impeller that rotates about a central axis extending vertically includes a base portion and blades. The base portion spreads perpendicularly to the central axis. The blades are on an upper surface of the base portion at intervals in a circumferential direction. The base portion includes an irregular portion that is radially outward and in which irregularities are repeated in the circumferential direction. The irregular portion includes one or more first irregular regions and a second irregular region. The first irregular regions include first recesses with a same shape and first projections with same shape, the first recesses and projections being alternately arranged one by one. The second irregular region is positioned between the first irregular regions and includes at least one among a second recess with a different shape from the first recesses and a second projection with a different shape from the first projections.