Macchine

(Machine Efficiencies)

Prof. Claudio Dongiovanni

E-mail: claudio.dongiovanni@polito.it

2017-2018
 Efficiency
• The machine efficiency is the ratio between
the actual shaft work generated/absorbed and
the work generated/absorbed by the ideal
machinery that is assumed as reference
machine:
Li
– For Turbines and Motors hid =
Lid

Lid
– For Compressors and Pumps hid =
Li

• The efficiency is always lower than 1

 Actual Shaft Work
• With reference to the following generic adiabatic
machine sketch (Turbines and Motors)

• By applying the First Law of Thermodynamics and

the Mechanical Energy Conservation
2
Li = h - h - DEg = - ò vdp - DEc , g - Lw
0
0
0
2
0
 Actual Shaft Work
• With reference to a compressible fluid
Li = h00 - h20
• With reference to an incompressible fluid
æ p c2 ö
Li = - gDçç z + + ( )
÷÷ - Lw = - g H 20 - H 00 - Lw = gH u - Lw
g 2g ø
è
where Hu is the Head (specific energy)
H u = H 00 - H 20
• Similarly, for
gas compressors and pumps
Li = h2 - h0
0 0
Li = g (H 0
2 - H 0 ) + Lw = gH u + Lw
0
 Ideal Machines
• Usually, the ideal machine is defined as:
• Isentropic with null output kinetic energy
• Isentropic with recovered output kinetic energy
• Polytrophic

• The choice of the ideal machine changes the

meaning of the efficiency by changing the
typologies of irreversibilities that are taken
into account
 Isentropic Machine
• With reference to the isentropic machine
(Turbines and Motors)

• By applying the FLT and the MECL

c 2
2is c 2
-c 2

- DE g = - ò vdp -
2id 2id 0
Li is = h - h2 is -
0
0 - DE g
2 0 2
 Isentropic Machine
• With reference to a compressible fluid
2
c2
Li is = h00 - h2 is - id

2
• With reference to an incompressible fluid

c22id - c22 c22id - c22

( )
Li is = - g H 20 - H 00 -
2
= gH u -
2

• Similarly, for
gas compressors and pumps

c22id c22id - c22

Li is = h2 is - h00 + Li is = gH u +
2 2
 Total to Static Isentropic Efficiency
• The ideal machine considers the output kinetic energy
as lost energy. So, it can work without kinetic energy
at the discharge c22id/2=0

• It follows the Total to Static Efficiency

h00 - h20
h is = hq = 0
for turbines and motors h0 - h2 is
h2 is - h00
for compressors and pumps his = hq = 0 0
h2 - h0

• It is used to evaluate the efficiencies of the whole

machine
 Total to Total Isentropic Efficiency
• The ideal machine considers the output kinetic energy as
useful energy. So it works with a kinetic energy at the
discharge equal to that of the actual machine (c2id=c2)

• It follows the Total to Total Efficiency

h00 - h20
hQ = 2
for turbines and motors c
h00 - h2 is - 2
2
2
c
h2 is - h00 + 2
for pumps and compressors hQ = 2
h20 - h00
• It is used to evaluate the efficiencies of the single machine
stage
 Polytrophic Machine
• With reference to the polytrophic machine
(Turbines and Motors)

• The polytrophic machine is a diabatic machine

that exchanges with the surrounding an amount
of heat equal to the Lw of the actual machine
 Polytrophic Machine
• By applying the FLT and the MECL

2 c 2
- c 2
Li pol = h00 - h20 - DEg + Lw = - ò vdp - 2 0 - DEg = gH u
0 2
Li pol = Li + Lw = gH u

• Similarly, for gas compressors and pumps

Li pol = Li - Lw = gH u
 Polytrophic Efficiency
• It follows the Polytrophic Efficiency

Li L
for turbines and motors hy = = i
Li + Lw gH u

Li - Lw gH u
for pumps and compressors hy = =
Li Li
 Polytrophic Efficiency
• By remembering that for a compressible fluid
é m -1
ù
k ê æ p2 ö úm
Li = h0 - h2 =
0 0
RT0 1 - çç ÷÷ - DEc
k -1 ê è p0 ø ú
êë úû
é m -1
ù
2 m ê æ p2 ö úm
Li pol = - ò vdp - DEc = RT0 1 - çç ÷÷ - DEc
0 m -1 ê è p0 ø ú
ëê ûú
when the variation of the kinetic energy is negligible,
we obtain the following interesting relation between
the polytrophic efficiency and the polytrophic index m
(for turbines and motors)
k m -1
hy =
k -1 m
In a similar way, for gas compressors
m k -1
hy =
m -1 k
Polytrophic vs. Isentropic efficiency
• In order to show the difference between the
polytrophic and the isentropic machines, we
analyze the thermodynamic expansion
process on the T-S plane

Li = Li is - Lw + LR
Polytrophic vs. Isentropic efficiency
• LR is a portion of the irreversibility work Lw
that is not lost because the gas, which is
heated by Lw, increases its expansion
• For turbines or motors, it follows that
Li Li
hy = £ = his
Li is + LR Li is

• The recovered work LR is called reheating work

and it is null for an incompressible fluid
(hydraulic turbines). In this case
Li pol = Li is h y = his
Polytrophic vs. Isentropic efficiency
• With reference to a thermodynamic
compression on the T-S plane

Li = Li is + Lw + LR
Polytrophic vs. Isentropic efficiency
• LR is a portion of the irreversibility work Lw that is
required because the gas, which is heated by Lw,
increases its specific volume
• For compressors and pumps, we have
Li is + LR Li is
hy = ³ = his
Li Li

• This additional work LR is null for incompressible

fluid (hydraulic pumps). In this case

Li pol = Li is h y = his
Polytrophic vs. Isentropic efficiency
• The polytrophic efficiency does not take in to account
the effects of fluid compressibility, that is the reheating
effect. Therefore, the polytrophic efficiency does not
depend on the expansion/compression pressure ratio
 Efficiency vs. Degree of Reaction
• In order to highlight the relation between
isentropic efficiency and degree of reaction,
we consider a compression process and define
the isentropic efficiency for both rotor and
stator (by neglecting the kinematic energy
term) h -h h -h
his = 1is 0
his = 2 'is 1
R
h1 - h0 S
h2 - h1

• The stage efficiency is

h2is - h0 h1is - h0 h2is - h1is h1is - h0 h2'is - h1
his = = + @ +
h2 - h0 h2 - h0 h2 - h0 h2 - h0 h2 - h0
 Efficiency vs. Degree of Reaction
• By remembering the Degree of Reaction
definition
h1 - h0
R=
h2 - h0

• The stage efficiency can be expressed as

follow h @
h -h h -h h -h h -h
1is
+ 0 1 0 2 'is 1 2 1
is
h1 - h0 h2 - h0 h2 - h1 h2 - h0

his @ Rhis + (1 - R )hisR S

• Similar conclusions can be deduced by

analyzing the expansion in a turbine stage
1 R 1- R
= +
his hisR hisS
 Efficiency vs. Degree of Reaction
• Therefore the isentropic efficiency of the stage
is the weighted mean of the efficiencies of
rotor and stator and the weights are simple
functions of the degree of reaction
• It means that the stator plays a most
important role than the rotor in the efficiency
definition of low degree of reaction machines,
vice versa in high degree of reaction machines
• Machines with R approximately equal to 0.5
potentially have the highest efficiency
 Mechanical Efficiency
• The mechanical efficiency takes into account the
energy dissipated by mechanical friction (for example,
at the machine’s bearing), and, with reference to high
power machines, the power required by the
accessories (for instance: lubricating pumps,
refrigerating pumps)
Turbines & Motors and Compressors & pumps
Pi - Pfr Pu Pi P
hm = = hm = = i
Pi Pi Pi + Pfr Pa

• Turbomachineries under the design operating

conditions have mechanical efficiencies usually in the
range of 0.95÷0.98
 Volumetric Efficiency
• Volumetric efficiency takes into account the
effects of working fluid leakages. The fluid
leakages (DG) flow in the opposite direction of
the pressure gradient
Turbines & Motors Compressors & Pumps

G - DG G
hv = hv =
G G + DG

• Note: Turbomachines usually present a very

high volumetric efficiency (hv@1)
 Power
• Turbines and Motors: (Useful Power or Net
Power)
Pu = Pi - Pfr = h m Pi = h m (G - DG ) Li = h mh v GLi = h mhvhisGLi is

h = h mhvhis Pu = h mh vhis GLiis = hGLiis

Pu = h mh v GLi = h mh vh y G (Li + Lw )
æ ö
– Compressible fluid ç 1 ÷
Pu = h mh v Gc pT1 ç1 - k -1 ÷
ç b k ÷
hy
è ø
– Incompressible fluid
Pu = h mhvh y GgH u = h mhvh ygQH u
 Power
• Compressors and Pumps: (Consumption Power)
1 1 1 1
Pa = Pi + Pfr = Pi = (G + DG ) Li = GLi = GLiis
hm hm h mhv h mhvhis
1 1
h = h mhvhis Pa = GLiis = GLiis
h mh vhis h
1 1
Pa = GLi = G(Li - Lw )
hmhv hmhvh y
– Compressible fluid 1 æ k -1
ö
Gc pT1 b - 1÷
ç kh y
Pa =
h mhv ç ÷
– Incompressible fluid è ø
1 1
Pa = GgHu = gQH u
hmhvh y hmhvh y