Low inertia centrifugal compressor wheels: Aerodynamic and mechanical design

A new centrifugal compressor impeller design approach is presented, focusing on electrically-driven compressors for gasoline and fuel cell applications. The performance and mechanical integrity is evaluated based on numerical simulations. The preliminary performance results show the capability to achieve a flow range comparable to a larger state-of-the-art impeller, with minor penalties regarding stage efficiency and near surge operating stability.