AEC3101

Compressors & Turbines

Module I

Dr.P.N.Kadiresh
Professor/Aerospace Engineering

1
 MODULE I - COMPRESSORS
Centrifugal Compressors - Principle of operation – work done and
pressure rise - slip factor, velocity diagrams, diffuser vane design
considerations, Concept of Surging, choking, pre-whirl, rotating stall,
Performance Characteristics.
Axial Compressors - Basic operation - Elementary theory – Velocity
triangles – Work and compression, Design parameters - Flow coefficient
– loading coefficient - Degree of reaction - diffusion factor. Cascade
Analysis nomenclature - Loss and Blade performance estimation, Free
vortex theory, Compressor blade design. Single and multi-stage axial
compressor characteristics – Performance characteristics.
Axial Fans – Fan stage parameters – Performance of axial fans. Noise
problem in Axial Compressors and Fans.
 Centrifugal Compressor
 Centrifugal compressors were used in the first
jet engines developed independently by
Frank Whittle and Hans Ohain.
 Centrifugal compressors still find use in
smaller gas turbine engines.
 For larger engines, axial compressors
occupying lesser frontal area are used (more
efficient).
 Centrifugal compressors can develop higher
per stage pressure ratios.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-bbAoxZmBg
On ideal conditions,
• However most centrifugal compressors do have
deceleration and hence are liable to boundary
layer separation.
• Centrifugal compressor rotor is not essentially
limited by separation the way axial compressor
is.
• It is therefore possible to obtain higher per
stage pressure rise from a centrifugal
compressor as compared to axial flow
compressors.
 Impeller
• In principle, there are three possibilities for a
centrifugal compressor rotor.
– Straight radial
– Forward leaning
– Backward leaning

• Forward leaning blades are not used due

inherent dynamic instability.
• Straight and backward leaning blades are
commonly used in modern centrifugal
compressor rotors.
 Inducer
• Inducer is the impeller entrance section where
the tangential motion of the fluid is changed in
the radial direction.
• This may occur with a little or no acceleration.
• Inducer ensures that the flow enters the
impeller smoothly.
• Without inducers, the rotor operation would
suffer from flow separation and high noise.
 Slip Factor
• Towards the outlet of the impeller, there will be
a difference between Vw2and U2.
• This difference in the velocities is expressed as
slip factor, σs = Vw2 / U2
• The slip factor is approximately related to the
number of blades of the impeller.
• For a straight radial blade, the slip factor is
empirically expressed as σs = 1 – 2/N, where N
is the number of blades.
 The Diffuser

• High impeller speed results in a high absolute

Mach number leaving the impeller.
• This high velocity is reduced (with an increase
in pressure) in a diffuser.
• The fluid flows radially outwards from the
impeller, through a vaneless region and then
through a vaned diffuser.
• Both vaned and the vaneless diffusers are
controlled by boundary layer behaviour.
 Performance characteristics
• Performance is evaluated based on the
dependence of pressure ratio and efficiency
on the mass flow at different operating
speeds.

• Centrifugal compressors also suffer from

instability problems like surge and rotating
stall.
 Performance Characteristics
• There are two limits to the operation of the
compressor.
• Operation between A and B are limited due to
occurrence of surge.
• Surging: sudden drop in delivery pressure and
violent aerodynamic pulsations.
• Operation on the positive slope of the
performance characteristics: unstable
• Surging usually starts to occur in the diffuser
passages.
 Performance Characteristics
• Rotating stall might also affect the compressor
performance. In this case, a stall cell (that might
cover one or more adjacent blades) rotates
within the annulus.
• Full annulus rotating stall may eventually lead to
surge.
• Rotating stall may also lead to aerodynamically
induced vibrations and fatigue failure of the
compressor components.
 Performance Characteristics
• The other limiting aspect of centrifugal
compressors is choking.
• As the mass flow increases, the pressure
decreases, density reduces.
• After a certain point, no further increase in mass
flow will be possible. The compressor is then
said to have choked.
• The right hand side of the constant speed lines
together form the choking line.
Axial Flow Compressors
 Basic Operation of Axial Compressors
• Axial flow compressors usually consists of a
series of stages.
• Each stage comprises of a row of rotor blades
followed by a row of stator blades.
• The working fluid is initially accelerated by the
rotor blades and then decelerated in the stator
passages.
• In the stator, the kinetic energy transferred in
the rotor is converted to static pressure.
• This process is repeated in several stages to
yield the necessary overall pressure ratio.
• The compression process consists of a series of diffusions. This
occurs both in the rotor as well as the stator.
• Due to motion of the rotor blades, two distinct velocity
components occur in the rotor: absolute and relative velocity
• The absolute velocity of the fluid is increased in the rotor,
whereas the relative velocity is decreased, leading to diffusion.
• Per stage pressure ratio is limited because a compressor
operates in an adverse pressure gradient environment.
• Careful design of the compressor blading is essential to minimize
losses as well as to ensure stable operation.
• Some compressors also have Inlet Guide Vanes (IGV) that
permit the flow entering the first stage to vary under off-design
conditions.
• Elementary analysis of axial compressors begins with
velocity triangles.
• The analysis will be carried out at the mean height of
the blade, where the peripheral velocity or the blade
speed is, U.
• The absolute component of velocity will be denoted
by, C and the relative component by, V.
• The axial component will be denoted by Ca and the
tangential components will be denoted by subscript w
(for eg, Cw or Vw)
• α denotes the angle between the absolute velocity
with the axial direction and β the corresponding angle
for the relative velocity.
Work and Compression
By considering the change in angular momentum of
the air passing through the rotor, work done per unit
mass flow is

where Cw1 and Cw2 are the tangential components of

the fluid velocity before and after the rotor,
respectively.
• The work done as given above will also be
equal to the change in stagnation enthalpy
across the stage.
• From the above equation that relates the per
stage temperature rise to the pressure ratio, it
can be seen that to obtain a high temperature
ratio for a given overall pressure ratio (for
minimizing number of stages),

– High blade speed: limited by blades stresses

– High axial velocity, high fluid deflection :
Aerodynamic considerations and adverse
pressure gradients limit the above.
 Degree of Reaction

• Diffusion takes place in both rotor and the stator.

• Static pressure rises in the rotor as well as the

stator.

• Degree of reaction provides a measure of the

extent to which the rotor contributes to the
overall pressure rise in the stage.
 Problem # 1

Air at 1.0 bar and 288 K enters an axial flow compressor

with an axial velocity of 150 m/s. There are no inlet
guide vanes. The rotor stage has a tip diameter of 60 cm
and a hub diameter of 50 cm and rotates at 100 rps. The
air enters the rotor and leaves the stator in the axial
direction with no change in velocity or radius. The air is
turned through 30.2 degree as it passes through the
rotor. Assume a stage pressure ratio of 1.2 and overall
pressure ratio of 6. Find a) the mass flow rate of air,
b) the power required to drive the compressor, c) the
degree of reaction at the mean diameter, d) the number
of compressor stages required, if the isentropic
efficiency is 0.85.
 Problem # 2
• The conditions of air at the entry of an axial
compressor stage are P1=1 bar and T1=314 K. The
air angles are β1=51o, β2=9o, α1=α3=7o. The mean
diameter and peripheral speed are 50 cm and 100
m/s respectively. Given that the work done factor
is 0.95, stage efficiency is 0.88, mechanical
efficiency is 0.92 and the mass flow rate is 25 kg/s,
Determine a) air angle at stator entry, b) blade
height at entry and hub–tip diameter ratio, c)Stage
loading coefficient, d) Power required to drive the
stage.
 Tutorial Problems
1. An axial flow compressor of 50 percent reaction design has blades with
inlet and outlet angles at 45o and 10o respectively. The compressor is to
produce a pressure ratio of 6:1 with overall isentropic efficiency of 0.85
when inlet static temperature is 37oC. The blade speed and axial velocity
are constant throughout the compressor. Assuming a value of 200 m/s
for blade speed. Find the number of stages required if the work done
factor is (a) unity and (b) 0.87.
Ans: (a) 8 (b) 9
2. Air at 1 bar and 288 K enters an axial flow compressor stage with an
axial velocity of 150 m/s. There are no inlet guide vanes. The rotor
has a tip diameter of 60 cm and a hub diameter of 50 cm and
rotates at 100 rps. The air enters the rotor and leaves the stator
with no change in velocity or radius. The air is turned through 30o as
it passes through the rotor. Determine (a) the blade angles (b) mass
flow rate (c) power required and (d) the degree of reaction.
Ans: (a) 49o, 19o (b) 14.38 kg/s (c) 300.7 kW (d) 0.65