Flank millable blade design for centrifugal compressors

A novel design approach for the centrifugal compressor blade is proposed in this paper. It is set up based on the offset theory and line geometry. The designed blade surface is represented as a tool path, which consists of two guide curves. It can be manufactured by flank milling method with a cylindrical cutter. The drive surface is a ruled surface that is derived by approximating the offset surface of the original design surface. This approach integrates the manufacture requirements into the design phase, which reduces the developing cycle time.