APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING MASS FLOW RATE IN ROTARY COMPRESSORS

摘要

Two sets of guide vanes are positioned in the combustion air flow path in the inlet duct of a rotary compressor of a gas turbine engine for controllably varying the air mass flow rate according to turbine load conditions. The upstream set which provides a fixed, initial degree of swirl relative to compressor rotational direction and axis and the controllably moveable downstream set which provides a final degree of swirl cooperate to provide controllable swirl over the range of about 0 DEG to 32 DEG in the inlet air incident upon the turbine blades. The two guide vane sets are separated by a distance sufficient to allow turbulence induced by the first set to fully decay before the second set is encountered.