Turbomachines

MEE 2026
 Introduction
• A turbomachine is a fluid power or head generating device
which employs the rotary action of a rotor or impellor.
• All those devices in which energy is transferred either to, or
from, a continuously flowing fluid by the dynamic action of
one or more moving blade rows.
• The word turbo or turbinis is of Latin origin and implies
that which spins or whirls around
• Essentially, a rotating blade row, a rotor or an impeller
changes the stagnation enthalpy of the fluid moving
through it by either doing positive or negative work,
depending upon the effect required of the machine.
• Turbomachines can deployed with gases and
liquids, and liquid metals to produce power or
pressure head.
• Turbomachines also operate at high speeds and
kinetic energies and have volumetric efficiencies of
nearly 100%.
• Positive Displacement Machines : Positive displacement
machines displace a fixed volume of fluid for a given action
of the working element (ex : piston).

• In comparison to turbo machines, positive displacement

machines like reciprocating engines and compressors
operate at lower speeds and efficiencies.
• If a reciprocating engine is stopped, the gas remains in the
state at which it was before stopping the piston. No
further expansion is possible because the piston has
stopped moving
• Since they operate at low speeds, positive displacement
machines can be made to operate isothermally
• while turbo machines which operate at higher speeds
operate adiabatically
• even after stopping the rotor, the gas can still expand on
the rotor blades and lead to change in state. However, if
perfectly insulated, the net heat transfer can be minimized
to the surroundings.
• Examples : Reciprocating compressor, Wankel engine,
drag turbine, two lobe compressor (roots blower).
 Classification of Turbomachines

Turbomachines

Compressors Fans and Pumps Turbines

Blowers

Centrifugal Axial Mixed Flow Axial Radial Mixed

Turbines:
• The power generating turbomachines decrease the head or
energy level of the working fluids passing through them
• Examples are steam, gas, hydro, wind and solar turbines
• They are coupled to power absorbing machines, such as
electric generators, pumps, compressors, etc.
Pumps, compressors, fans, blowers and propellers:
• The head or pressure producing machines increase the
energy level (pressure or head) of the fluids passing
through them
• They are driven by prime movers such as turbines and
electric motors for supplying the power required to
increase the energy level of the fluid.
• A fan continuously moves a mass of air, gas or vapour at the
desired velocity by the action of its rotor.
• There is only a slight increase in the gas pressure across the fan
rotor
• The total pressure developed by fans is of the order of a few
millimeters of water gauge
• Blowers are also used for circulating gases but produce higher
pressure heads than fans. Blowers used in mining operations or
power plants can produce typical heads in excess of 1600 mm
(W.G).
• In contrast to fans and blowers, the pressures developed by the
compressors are from moderate to high
• Compressors are head producing machines
– that deploy gases as the working fluid,
– and produce significant volumes and pressure heads.
• Fans also operate similar to compressors, albeit at lower
pressure heads.
• Pumps circulate a fixed volumetric flow of a liquid at the
design head.
 Classification of Turbo-machines
• Turbomachines can also be divided in to power absorbing
machines power producing machines
• Firstly, those which absorb power to increase the fluid
pressure or head (ducted fans, compressors and pumps)

• Secondly, those that produce power by expanding fluid to a

lower pressure or head (hydraulic, steam and gas
turbines).
 Classification based on flow path
• Turbomachines are further categorized according to the nature
of the flow path through the passages of the rotor
• When the path of the through-flow is wholly or mainly parallel
to the axis of rotation, the device is termed an axial flow
turbomachine.
• When the path of the through-flow is wholly or mainly in
a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis, the device is
termed a radial flow turbomachine.
 Single stage radial compressor with
an inlet guide vane and exit diffused

Radial compressor rotor, 3D view, front view, cross section

• Mixed flow turbomachines are widely used. The term mixed
flow refers to the direction of the through-flow at rotor outlet
when both radial and axial velocity components are present in
significant amounts.
 Impulse and Reaction Machines
• This classification is based on pressure change while the fluid
moves through the rotor
Impulse machine
• There is no change in static or pressure head of the fluid in the
rotor
• The rotor blades only cause energy transfer without energy
transformation
• The energy transformation from pressure or static head to
kinetic energy or vice versa takes place only in fixed blades
• For example, the transfer of KE of a high velocity fluid to the
rotor in an impulse turbine occurs only due to the impulse
action of the fluid on the rotor.
 Examples of impulse machines are the paddle wheel, Pelton
wheel and Curtis steam turbine
 These turbines change the direction of flow of a high
velocity fluid or gas jet.
• Before reaching the turbine, the fluid's pressure head is
changed to velocity head by accelerating the fluid with a
nozzle
 The resulting impulse spins the turbine and leaves the
fluid flow with diminished kinetic energy.
• There is no pressure change of the fluid or gas in the
turbine blades (the moving blades), as in the case of a
steam or gas turbine
 all the pressure drop takes place in the stationary blades
(the nozzles).
 Newton's second law describes the transfer of energy for
impulse turbines.
Reaction machines
• Turbomachines in which changes in the static or pressure
head occur both in the rotor and stator blade passages are
known as reaction machines.
• Te degree of reaction of a machine stage is defined as the
ratio of the static or pressure head change occurring in the
rotor to the total change across the stage.
• Here energy transformation occurs both in fixed as well
as moving blades.
• Rotor experiences both energy transfer and
transformation.
• Examples for the reaction turbines are Hero’s turbine, the
lawn srpinkler and Francis turbine
 A pressure casement is needed to contain the working
fluid as it acts on the turbine stage(s) or the turbine must
be fully immersed in the fluid flow (such as with wind
turbines).
 The casing contains and directs the working fluid and, for
water turbines, maintains the suction imparted by the
draft tube.
 Francis turbines and most steam turbines use this
concept. For compressible working fluids, multiple
turbine stages are usually used to harness the expanding
gas efficiently.
 Newton's third law describes the transfer of energy for
reaction turbines.
• Since the rotor blade passages in an impulse turbine do
not cause any acceleration of the fluid, the chances of
separation due to boundary layer growth on the blade
surfaces greater
• On account of this, the rotor blade passages of the
impulse machine suffer greater losses giving lower stage
efficiencies
• The reaction turbines are expected to be more efficient on
account of the continuously accelerating flow and lower
losses.
 Basic Concepts
• System : A system is an arbitrary collection of matter
having a fixed identity.
• A system may be very simple like gas contained in a
cylinder or it may be complex like a thermal power plant
.
• Everything external to the system is called surroundings
or the environment
• For all practical purposes, that part of the surroundings
where the effects due to interaction b/w a system & its
surroundings are not detectable need not to be considered.
• Boundary : An imaginary surface that separates a system
from its surroundings is called a boundary.
• There are three classes of system on basis of mass &
energy interaction

CLOSED SYSTEM OPEN SYSTEM ISOLATED SYSTEM

Closed System (Control mass) :
•Systems with fixed quantity of matter (fluid or gas) with
no inflow or outflow are called closed systems. Ex : Rice
in a closed bag.

Eout
Min

System

Ein

• Energy may transfer into or out the system.

• No mass transfer, the system of fixed mass.

•
Open System (Control volume) :
• A system with inflow and outflow of mass, momentum or
energy is called an open system. Ex : A turbine.

Min
Eout

System

Mout
Ein

 Both mass and energy can transfer across the system

boundary.
 It is usually encloses a device that involves mass flow
such as a compressor, car radiator, water heater, nozzle or
turbine.
 Isolated system

E
System

• Both mass and energy cannot transfer across the system boundary.

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State
• It is the condition of a system as defined by all its properties, at
some instant of time.
• It gives the complete description of the system.
Process
• The change of system from one state to another state.
• A process is a change or a series of changes in the state of the
system. Ex : Isothermal process.
Path
• The series or succession
Final state of states through which a system passes
2
during a process .
P Initial state

V
System

2 1
Cycle
 A system is said to have undergone a cycle if it returns to its
initial state at the end of the process. That is, for a cycle the initial
and final states are identical.

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 Topics to be revised
• First law of thermodynamics
• Specific heats
– Relationship between specific heats
– Ratio of specific heats
• Perfect gas
• Enthalpy & Entropy
• Application of first law to a non flow process or
to a closed system
• Application of first law to the steady flow process
– Steady flow energy equation
 Second law of thermodynamics