Diffuser vane seal for a centrifugal compressor

Claim 1

In a centrifugal machine including a casing and an impeller rotatably mounted therein for compressing a refrigerant vapor therein, a variable with diffuser assembly, comprising: a stationary wall member being generally radially disposed about said impeller, a movable wall member being generally radially disposed about said impeller and spaced-apart from stationary wall member to form therewith a vapor passage leading from said impeller, means operatively connected to said movable wall member for selectively moving said movable wall member relative to said stationary wall member, a plurality of vanes generally circumferentially disposed in said vapor passage and being slidably disposed in a respective plurality of complementary-shaped openings in said movable wall member, said movable wall member including a pair of oppositely disposed plate members respectively havingssaid complementary-shaped openings disposed therethrough, and sealing means disposed between said plate members and having portions thereof disposed in respective said complementary-shaped openings between said vanes and at least one of said plate members for preventing leakage of compressed vapor through said openings.