There is disclosed a centrifugal compressor including an impeller rotatable about an axis and a diffuser downstream of the impeller. The diffuser has walls delimiting flow passages. Plasma actuators are positioned adjacent the walls and are operatively connectable to a source of electricity. The plasma actuators have a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer therebetween. The first electrode is upstream of the second electrode. The first electrode is exposed to the flow passage. The second electrode is shielded from the flow passage by the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are operable to generate an electric field through the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are located closer to inlets of the flow passage than to outlets of the flow passages. A method of operating the compressor is disclosed.

A fluid machine includes a rotary blade, a casing configured to house the rotary blade therein, and an insulation coated conductor attached within a recess circumferentially provided in an inner circumference of the casing opposed to an outer end of the rotary blade, the insulation coated conductor including a conductive wire and an insulation material coating. The dielectric barrier discharge is generated between the insulation coated conductor and the outer end of the rotary blade by applying a pulse voltage between the conductive wire and the rotary blade, so as to prevent leakage of operative fluid through a tip clearance between the inner circumference of the casing and the outer end of the rotary blade.

An axial compressor includes: a casing having a tubular shape; variable stator vanes each having a vane shaft as a swing center, provided in the casing as stator vanes or inlet guide vanes, and arranged in a circumferential direction of the casing; rotor blades provided on a trailing edges side of the variable stator vanes in the casing and arranged in the circumferential direction of the casing; and a plasma actuator configured to generate a plasma annularly distributed in the circumferential direction of the casing, the plasma actuator being attached on an inner circumferential surface of the casing and intersects with a clearance between each variable stator vane and the inner circumferential surface of the casing.

There is disclosed a centrifugal compressor including an impeller rotatable about an axis and a diffuser downstream of the impeller. The diffuser has walls delimiting flow passages. Plasma actuators are positioned adjacent the walls and are operatively connectable to a source of electricity. The plasma actuators have a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer therebetween. The first electrode is upstream of the second electrode. The first electrode is exposed to the flow passage. The second electrode is shielded from the flow passage by the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are operable to generate an electric field through the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are located closer to inlets of the flow passage than to outlets of the flow passages. A method of operating the compressor is disclosed.

A blower including a duct configured to allow air to flow in and out and a plurality of blades disposed to be parallel to the duct. Each of the blades including a first part, a second part, and an airflow generator configured to generate airflow in a direction from the inlet to the outlet by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode which are disposed between a first electrode on a side of the inlet, a second electrode on a side of the outlet, and a dielectric. In a cross section of the blade in the airflow direction when cut in a cross section perpendicular to each of the blades, the first part has a thickness decreasing in a direction toward the inlet and the second part has a thickness decreasing in a direction toward the outlet.

A motor-integrated fan sucks air from a suction port and blows out the sucked air from a blow-out port. The motor-integrated fan includes a shaft part that is provided at a center of a rotational axis; a rotation part that is rotated about the shaft part; an outer peripheral part that is provided on an outer periphery of the shaft part; a motor that rotates the rotation part; a heat generating part that generates heat due to an operation of the motor; and a cooling unit that cools the heat generating part with cooling air. The cooling unit includes an air intake port that takes the cooling air in, an air discharge port that discharges the cooling air, and a cooling flow channel that leads to the air discharge port from the air intake port via the heat generating part.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing an airfoil structure. The airfoil structure includes a plurality of airfoils, a support for supporting the airfoils, and a case for covering the airfoils. Each airfoil includes an airfoil body, and an airflow generator for producing induced airflow by generating plasma. The method includes a process of forming the airflow generator that includes a first electrode forming step of forming a first electrode on the airfoil body, a dielectric layer forming step of forming a dielectric layer on the airfoil body by forming ceramic powder into a film to cover the first electrode through room temperature impact consolidation, and a second electrode forming step of forming a second electrode on a surface of the dielectric layer, such that the second electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode, and an alternating-current voltage is applied to the second electrode.

There is disclosed a centrifugal compressor including an impeller rotatable about an axis and a diffuser downstream of the impeller. The diffuser has walls delimiting flow passages. Plasma actuators are positioned adjacent the walls and are operatively connectable to a source of electricity. The plasma actuators have a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer therebetween. The first electrode is upstream of the second electrode. The first electrode is exposed to the flow passage. The second electrode is shielded from the flow passage by the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are operable to generate an electric field through the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are located closer to inlets of the flow passage than to outlets of the flow passages. A method of operating the compressor is disclosed.

A blower having high efficiency and low noise by actively controlling airflow in the blower, and an air conditioner having the blower is provided. The air conditioner has a blower. The blower includes a fan having a hub and at least one blade provided on an outer circumferential surface of the hub, a motor to rotatably drive the hub, a shroud configured to surround the periphery of the fan and at least one actuator installed in the shroud and configured to form an airflow along an inner circumferential surface of the shroud.

A combustion system includes at least one plasma actuator disposed along a substrate at a plasma location, and at least one fuel injector disposed along the substrate at an injection location. The fuel injector disperses fuel toward the plasma location. The plasma from plasma actuator ignites fuel from the fuel injector proximate the plasma location.