AXIAL COMPRESSORS

By Dr. R.K.Tripathi

* Dr R K Tripathi 1
 Books Referred

• Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion by P.G. Hill &

C. Peterson.

• Gas Turbine Theory by HIH Saravanamuttoo, GFC Rogers and

H Cohen.

• Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Turbomachinery by

S L Dixon

* Dr R K Tripathi 2
 Turbomachinery
• Turbomachinery is classified as all those devices in which energy is
transferred either to or from continuously flowing fluid by dynamic
action of one or more blades.

• Open Turbomachinery: Propellers, wind mills, and un-shrouded

fans.

• Enclosed turbomachinery: Axial and centrifugal compressors,

turbines.

• When the path of flow is wholly or mainly parallel to the axis of

rotation, the device is termed axial flow turbomachine.

• When the path is mainly in a plane perpendicular to rotational

axis, the machine is termed a radial flow turbomachine.

* Dr R K Tripathi 3
 Compressors
• In axial compressors, the flow is parallel to axis of rotation. In
radial or centrifugal compressors, the inlet flow is axial, but out
flow is radial.

• For same flow rate, the axial compressors have much smaller
frontal area and drag than centrifugal compressors.

• Aerodynamically the axial compressor has better flow

characteristics than centrifugal.

• Axial compressors are easier to stage than radial.

• Axial compressors are more efficient than radial.

• Radial compressors are simpler to manufacture and cheaper and

have higher pressure ratios per stage than axail.

* Dr R K Tripathi 4
 Continued…..
• Multi-staging involves lot of losses in centrifugal compressors.

• For moderate pressure ratios and low mass flow rate centrifugal
are preferred over axial.

• Some of the applications for centrifugal machines are in natural

gas pumping and rocket motors. They are also used in chemical
process industry.

• For high pressure ratios and mass flow rate, the axial is preferred.
All large gas turbine engines use axial compressors.

* Dr R K Tripathi 5
 Centrifugal compressor impeller

* Dr R K Tripathi 6
* Dr R K Tripathi 7
 Axial Compressor Rotor

* Dr R K Tripathi 8
Single spool multistage compressor

* Dr R K Tripathi 9
 Compressor stage
• A compressor stage is defines as rotor blade row followed by
a stator blade row.

• A rotor blade is fixed on the rotor drum and the stator blade
is fixed on the casing.

• Some times there are blades upstream of the first rotor that
are called guide vanes. They are not part of the first stage and
are treated separately.

• Usually axial compressors are multi-stage. A multi-stage axial

compressor comprises of many stages. Each stage provides a
small pressure rise. The pressure keeps building up over the
stages.

* Dr R K Tripathi 10
 Multi-stage Axial Compressor

* Dr R K Tripathi 11
 Pressure and velocity variation

Axial velocity is maintained

constant by changes in
annulus geometry.

* Dr R K Tripathi 12
 Open System Control Volume

h = cvT + p/ρ
ho=h+V2/2

* Dr R K Tripathi 13
 First law of Thermodynamics

For adiabatic flows (no heat transfer)

For compressors

For turbines

* Dr R K Tripathi 14
 A Generalized Turbomachine

* Dr R K Tripathi 15
 Torque Equation

* Dr R K Tripathi 16
 Euler’s Equation

* Dr R K Tripathi 17
 Enthalpy change

* Dr R K Tripathi 18
 Velocity triangle
• Absolute frame of reference: Fixed to frame of m/c (test bed or
aircraft frame)

• Fluid Velocity observed with this frame is absolute velocity

denoted by C

• Relative frame: Rotates with the rotor of the m/c. Velocity

observed with this frame is called relative velocity and denoted
by W
C=U+W

• The relative velocity W is the vector difference between C and U

(the local blade speed)

* Dr R K Tripathi 19
 Compressor Stage Velocity diagrams

* Dr R K Tripathi 20
 Observations on velocity triangles
• Relative to the blades of the rotor, the flow is turned to the
direction β2 at a velocity W2.

• The stator blades deflect the flow towards the axis and the exit
velocity as C3 angle α3.

• For normal stage C3 = C1 and α3= α1

• Relative velocity in the rotor and absolute velocity in the stator are
diffused. The static pressure rises as a consequence of this
diffusion.

• Absolute velocity increases across the rotor due to increase in the

tangential velocity. This is due to work transfer to the flow by the
rotor.
* Dr R K Tripathi 21
 Property changes across comp. stage
Property Changes Rotor Stator
Static pressure rises rises

Total pressure rises Constant for ideal flow

Static Temperature rises rises

Total Temperature rises Constant

Density increases increases

Entropy ( Real flows) increases increases

* Dr R K Tripathi 22
 Relating enthalpy change

* Dr R K Tripathi 23
 Stage pressure rise

* Dr R K Tripathi 24
 Factors that affect stage pressure rise
• High pressure rise can be achieved by (i) increasing blade speed
(ii) high axial velocity and by (iii) high fluid deflection (β1- β2) in
the rotor blades.

• The centrifugal stress in the rotor blades depends on the

rotational speed, the blade material and length of rotor blade. It
is proportional to the square of the tip speed. Tip speeds upto
450 m/s are common in the fans of high bypass ratio turbofan
engines.

• High axial velocity would increase the stage temperature rise. A

high axial velocity is also required to provide high flow rate per
unit frontal area.

* Dr R K Tripathi 25
 Limitation on axial velocity
• The axial velocity at inlet is limited by aerodynamic reasons.

• W12 = C12 + U2 (for axial inlet)

• For constant axial velocity from hub to tip, the maximum

relative velocity would occur at the tip.

* Dr R K Tripathi 26
Relative Mach no. as a function of axial velocity

Mr
C1=200m/s
1.4

C1 = 100m/s

0.8
U
500m/s

* Dr R K Tripathi 27
 Diffusion Factor
• With fans of large bypass ratio turbofan engines, the rotor tip
Mach number may be of the order of 1.5.

• High fluid deflections in the rotor blades increases the

pressure ratio per stage.

• High deflection also is accompanied by a large static pressure

rise on the blade suction surface.

• This pressure rise arises due to deceleration from Vmax to V2.

• This pressure rise can cause the suction surface boundary

layer to separate with associated total pressure losses.

* Dr R K Tripathi 28
 Blade Surface Velocity Distribution

* Dr R K Tripathi 29
 Compressor efficiency

* Dr R K Tripathi 30
 Over all efficiency, stage efficiency and
polytropic efficiency
• Compressor efficiency is defined as the ratio of ideal work
required for a given pressure ratio to the actual work.

• More the real process departs from the isentropic process (ideal),
lower is the efficiency.

• The efficiency of a stage of a compressor would be greater than

the over all efficiency of a multi-stage compressor comprising of
similar stages.

• The efficiency of a compression process undergoing

infinitesimally small pressure rise is called polytropic efficiency.

* Dr R K Tripathi 31
 Through flow

* Dr R K Tripathi 32
 Theory of radial equilibrium

A fluid element
In radial equilibrium

* Dr R K Tripathi 33
Simple Radial Equilibrium Equation
Consider a small element of fluid of mass dm rotating at a
tangential velocity Cθ. The pressure forces balance the
centrifugal forces in radial equilibrium,

dm=ρrdθdr and ignoring second order terms,

* Dr R K Tripathi 34
 Simple Radial Equilibrium Eqn.
Neglecting radial velocity, the stagnation enthalpy is given as:

* Dr R K Tripathi 35
 Continued
From second law of thermodynamics:

* Dr R K Tripathi 36
 Continued
If stagnation enthalpy and entropy remain same at all radius,
dho/dr = ds/dr = 0,

The above equation holds for flow between the

blade rows when rotor delivers equal work at
All radii.

* Dr R K Tripathi 37
 Free Vortex Design
• (r.Cθ) is a constant in free vortex design.

• As an implication of above, work done at all radii (Δho) is constant at all

radii.

• Axial velocity is constant at all radii.

• It is assumed that losses are equal at all radii as the work done is equal.

• The velocity triangles at hub, mean and tip radii are shown in following
slide for free vortex design.

• The blades are twisted in a free vortex design.

* Dr R K Tripathi 38
 Velocity triangles at hub, mean and tip
radius

* Dr R K Tripathi 39
Design with Symmetrical Velocity Triangles

* Dr R K Tripathi 40
 Compressor Airfoils

* Dr R K Tripathi 41
 Blade geometry and angles

* Dr R K Tripathi 42
 Loss as a function of incidence

* Dr R K Tripathi 43
 Compressor Stall
• When a compressor stalls, the flow over the compressor blade
separates. The compressor performance suffers. The pressure
rise capability and the mass flow capacity both are reduced.

• Separation is caused by higher (or lower) incidence angle than the

design value. This may arise during off design performance such
as compressor operating at rpm much different from design value
or mass flow rate less than design value. It may also arise due to
inlet flow distortions. During stall, only a few blades may
experience flow separation or a large number of them
simultaneously.

• Rotating stall, is stall propagation around annulus

* Dr R K Tripathi 44
 Part and full span stall
• Part span stall is usually encountered in the front stages of
compressor with large aspect ratio blades.

• It occurs during starting of compressors when mass flow is

low and incidence angle high.

• Full span stall usually occurs during peak loading. Normally

compressors don’t operate in this regime.

• Stall cell move opposite to the direction of rotation at almost

half the compressor speed.

* Dr R K Tripathi 45
 Compressor Stall

* Dr R K Tripathi 46
 Stall Propagation (Rotating Stall)

* Dr R K Tripathi 47
 Surge
• Surge is system phenomenon.

• Surge is a global instability, stall is a local instability. Stall is high

frequency instability, surge is a low frequency instability.

• Surge is always preceded by rotating stall.

• The local flow separation grows large enough to disturb the entire
machine.

• Surge can lead to violent oscillations in the flow, create noise and
may lead to mechanical failure of the compressor and the engine.

• Compressor is not operated close to surge point.

* Dr R K Tripathi 48