IGV

The abbreviation for Inlet Guide Vane. Any set of vanes on the inlet of a compressor or expander designed to provide an efficient means of flow control. Guide vanes not only provide the inlet pressure drop but also impart a whirl motion to the gas as it enters the compressor or expander impeller. Since this whirl motion is in the rotational direction of the impeller, it reduces the amount of work the impeller is required to do on the gas, resulting in energy savings at the design conditions.