Turbomachinery

ME 101: Lecture 11

Md Ashiqur Rahman, Ph.D.

BUET, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1
TURBOMACHINERY

 The word “turbo” implies a spinning action.

 A turbomachine is basically a rotating machine.
 A turbomachine is any device that extracts energy
from or imparts energy to a continuously moving
stream of fluid (liquid or gas).
 “A turbomachine is a device in which energy transfer
occurs between a flowing fluid and a rotating
element due to dynamic action resulting in a change
in pressure and momentum of the fluid.”
 (Usually) a blade or row of blades rotates and
imparts or extracts energy to or from the fluid.

ME 101: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering 2

 TURBOMACHINERY
o The turbomachine is used in several applications, such as electrical power
generation, aircraft propulsion, vehicular propulsion, and so on.
o Examples: Windmill, steam turbine, gas turbines, pump, fan, blower, compressor, etc.

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CLASSIFICATION OF TURBOMACHINERY
o The working principle of turbomachine:
o The turbomachine involves, in principle, a steady flow of fluid and a purely
rotary motion of the mechanical element.
o The energy transfer being carried out by the action of one or more rotating
blade rows.
o The dynamic action of rotating blades give rise to the energy transfer
between the blades and fluid in the direction of blade motion.

o The positive-displacement machines, on the other hand, commonly

involve a reciprocating motion and unsteady flow of the fluid
o A positive-displacement machine creates thermodynamic and mechanical
action between a nearly static fluid and a relatively slowly moving surface. It
involves a change in volume or a displacement.

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 CLASSIFICATION OF TURBOMACHINERY

o Many kinds of turbomachines are encountered in practice.

 From energy use, turbomachines may
be classified into two categories:
 those that absorb energy to increase
the fluid pressure (fluid movers), i.e.
pumps, fans, and compressors.

 those that produce energy by

expanding to lower pressures, such as
turbines.

[Source: Introduction to Turbomachines, M. S. Ramaiah

School of Advanced Studies]
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CLASSIFICATION OF TURBOMACHINERY
 Turbomachines are also categorized according to the type or direction of flow-
 Axial Flow: When the flow is parallel to the axis of rotation
 Radial Flow: when flow is perpendicular to the axis of rotation
 Mixed Flow: when both radial and axial flow velocity components are present.

 Most important applications of turbomachinery are pumps, fans, compressors,

and turbines.
 They are essential in almost all mechanical systems such as power and
refrigeration cycles.

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CLASSIFICATION OF TURBOMACHINERY

 Fluid Movers:
 The power absorbing turbomachines are usually called fluid movers.
 Pumps, fans, blowers, and compressors are all devices that move fluids
across an adverse pressure difference, i.e., from a region of lower pressure
to a region of higher pressure.
 The two broad categories of fluid to be moved are liquids and gases.
 Liquids are moved by pumps; gases are moved by fans, blowers, and
compressors.
 The main differences between the moving of liquids and the moving of gases
is that gases undergo significant changes in volume and temperature if the
rise in pressure is appreciable.

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CLASSIFICATION OF TURBOMACHINERY
o Fluid movers fall into two general types:
o Kinetically Driven
o Positive-Displacement
o Kinetically driven devices impart internal velocity to the fluid, then convert
this momentum to pressure at the exit.
o Positive-displacement devices trap incremental volumes of lower pressure
fluid and transport it forcibly into the region of higher pressure.

o Another distinction among fluid movers is whether they operate in a Rotary

or Non-Rotary manner.
o This distinction applies to both the kinetically driven and positive-
displacement devices.

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CLASSIFICATION OF TURBOMACHINERY
Classification of Fluid Movers:

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PUMPS
 The two broad categories of fluid to be moved are liquids and gases.
 Liquids are moved by pumps; gases are moved by fans, blowers, and
compressors.

 Pumps are fluid machines which increase the pressure of a liquid,

to enable the fluid to be moved from one location to another.
 Pumps are typically used to overcome losses due to friction in pipes over
long distances, losses due to fittings, losses due to components, and
elevation differences.

Mechanical Energy Hydraulic energy

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APPLICATION OF PUMPS
o To deliver fluid at a higher elevation or at a long distance.
o To deliver fluid at a pressurized device
o For the control of hydraulic systems
o For drainage system, removing slurries, mud, water
o For irrigation systems

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PUMPS
CLASSIFICATION: PUMPS
Kinetic Displacement

Positive-Displacement Rotodynamic
Pumps Pumps

Reciprocating Pump Rotary Pump

Vane
Diaphragm Lobe
Piston Gear
Screw
Plunger
Spur
Internal
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