Mixed flow compressor

{{short description|Type of gas compressor}}

{{details|Centrifugal compressor}}A mixed flow compressor, or diagonal compressor, combines axial and radial components to produce a diagonal airflow compressor stage.{{Cite web |date=2016-12-08 |title=Mixed Flow Compressors {{!}} Turbomachinery blog |url=https://blog.softinway.com/feasibility-of-mixed-flow-compressors-in-aero-engines/ |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=blog.softinway.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite journal |last1=Xuanyu |first1=Chen |last2=Xiangwei |first2=Meng |last3=Xingmin |first3=Gui |last4=Donghai |first4=Jin |date=2015-01-01 |title=The Aerodynamic Design and Investigation of Loading Distribution of a Mixed Flow Compressor |journal=Procedia Engineering |series=2014 Asia-Pacific International Symposium on Aerospace Technology, APISAT2014 September 24-26, 2014 Shanghai, China |language=en |volume=99 |pages=484–490 |doi=10.1016/j.proeng.2014.12.562 |issn=1877-7058|doi-access=free }} The exit mean radius is greater than at the inlet, like a centrifugal design, but the flow tends to exit in an axial rather than radial direction. This eliminates the need for a relatively large diameter exit diffuser associated with centrifugal compressors. The impeller can be machined from solid using NC machines, in much the same way as that of a centrifugal design.

Diagonal compressors were widely experimented during and just after World War II, but did not see much service use. A diagonal-flow compressor is featured since 2001 in the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW600 series turbofan engines used in the Phenom 100, Eclipse 500, Cessna Citation Mustang and other very light jet aircraft.