Turbine and

Compressor Design

Major Topics
Compressor and Turbine Design
Cooling
Dynamic Surge
Stall Propagation

Background
History:

First gas turbine was developed in 1872 by Dr. F.

Stolze.

Gas Turbine EngineWhat does it do?

Generates thrust by mixing compressed ambient

air with fuel and combusting the mixture through

a nozzle to propel an object forward or to produce
shaft work.

How Does it Work?

Newtons third law
For every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction.

As the working fluid is exhausted out the

nozzle of the gas turbine engine, the object

that the engine is attached to is pushed
forward. In the case of generating shaft
work, the shaft turns a generator which
produces electrical power.

How Does it Work?

Cont.

Exhaus
t Gas

Ambient
Air In
Shaft

Operation
Compressor is connected to the turbine via a
shaft. The turbine provides the turning
moment to turn the compressor.

The turning turbine rotates the compressor

fan blades which compresses the incoming
air.

Compression occurs through rotors and

stators within the compression region.
Rotors (Rotate with shaft)
Stators (Stationary to shaft)

Types of Gas Turbines

Centrifugal
Compressed air output is around the outer perimeter of
engine

Axial
Compressed air output is directed along the centerline of
the engine

Combination of Both
Compressed air output is initially directed along center
shaft of engine and then is compressed against the
perimeter of engine by a later stage.

Example of Centrifugal
Flow

Centrifugal
Compressor

Airflow being
forced around
body of
engine

Intake airflow is being forced around

the outside perimeter of the engine.

Example of Axial Flow

Multistage
Axial
Compress
or
Center
Shaft

Intake airflow is forced down the center

shaft of the engine.

Example of
Combination Flow
Centrifugal
Compress
or
Intake Air
Flow

Axial
Compressor

Intake air flow is forced down the

center shaft initially by axially
compressor stages, and then forced
against engine perimeter by the
centrifugal compressor.

Major Components of
Interest
Compressor
Axial
Centrifugal
Axial Compressor

Turbine
Axial
Radial

Centrifugal
Compressor

Axial Compressor
Operation

Axial compressors are designed in a

divergent shape which allows the air
velocity to remain almost constant,
while pressure gradually increases.

Average
Velocity

A&P Technician Powerplant Textbook published by Jeppesen Sanderson Inc.,

Axial Compressor
Operation
cont.
The airflow comes in through the inlet

and first comes to the compressor rotor.

Rotor is rotating and is what draws the
airflow into the engine.
After the rotor is the stator which does not
move and it redirects the flow into the next
stage of the compressor.

Air flows into second stage.

Process continues and each stage

gradually increases the pressure
throughout the compressor.

Axial Compressor
An axial compressor stage consists of a
Staging
rotor and a stator.
The rotor is installed in front of the
stator and air flows through
accordingly. (See Fig.)

www.stanford.edu/ group/cits/simu

Centrifugal Compressor
Operation

Centrifugal compressors rotate ambient air about

an impeller. The impeller blades guide the airflow
toward the outer perimeter of the compressor
assembly. The air velocity is then increased as the
rotational speed of the impeller increases.

Axial Turbine Operation

Hot combustion
gases expand,
airflow pressure and
temperature drops.
This drop over the
turbine blades
creates shaft work
which rotates the
compressor
assembly.

Axial Turbine with airflow

Airflow through
stator
Airflow around
rotor

Radial Turbine
Operation
Same operation
characteristics as axial
flow turbine.

Radial turbines are simpler

in design and less
expensive to manufacture.

They are designed much

like centrifugal
compressors.

Radial Flow Turbine

Airflow is essentially

expanded outward from

the center of the turbine.

Gas Turbine Issues

Gas Turbine Engines Suffer from a
number of problematic issues:

Thermal Issues
Blade (airfoil) Stalls
Dynamic Surge

http://www.turbosolve.com/index.ht

Thermal Issues
Gas Turbines are limited
to lower operating
temperatures due to
the materials available
for the engine itself.

Operating at the lower

temperature will
decrease the efficiency
of the gas turbine so a
means of cooling the
components is
necessary to increase
temperatures at which
engine is run.

Cooling Methods
Spray (Liquid)
Passage
Transpiration

Spray Cooling
The method of spraying a
liquid coolant onto the
turbine rotor blades and
nozzle.
Prevents extreme turbine
inlet temperatures from
melting turbine blades by
direct convection
between the coolant and
the blades.

Passage Cooling
Hollow turbine

blades such that a

passage is formed
for the movement of
a cooling fluid.

DOE has relatively

new process in
which excess highpressure compressor
airflow is directed
into turbine
passages.

http://www.eere.energy.gov/inventions/pdfs/fluidtherm.p

Transpiration Cooling
Method of forcing air
through a porous
turbine blade.

Ability to remove heat

at a more uniform rate.
Result is an effusing
layer of air is produced
around the turbine
blade.
Thus there is a
reduction in the rate of
heat transfer to the
turbine blade.

Blade (airflow) Stalls

When airflow begins

separating from the

compressor blades over
which it is passing as
the angle of attack w.r.t.
the blades exceeds the
design parameters.
The result of a blade
stall is that the blade(s)
no longer produce lift
and thus no longer
produces a pressure rise
through the compressor.

Separation
Regions

Dynamic Surge
Occurs when the static (inlet)
air pressure rises past the
design characteristics of the
compressor.
When there is a reversal of
airflow from the compressor
causing a surge to propagate
in the engine.
Essentially, the flow is
exhausted out of the
compressor, or front, of the
engine.
Result, is the compressor no
longer able to exhaust as
quickly as air is being drawn
in and a bang occurs.

Compressor
Inlet

Turbine
Exit

http://www.turbosolve.com/inde

Dynamic Surge Effects

Cause: Inlet flow is reversed

Effect: Mass flow rate is reduced into engine.

Effect: Compressor stages lose pressure.
Result: Pressure drop allows flow to reverse back
into engine.
Result: Mass flow rate increases

Cause: Increased mass flow causes high

pressure again.

Effect: Surge occurs again and process continues.

Result: Engine surges until corrective actions are
taken.

Dynamic Surge
Process
Compresso
P
r Pressure
Loss
Occurs

Flow
reverses
back into
engine

mout

min
mout

Surge
Point,
Flow
Reverses
No
Surge
Conditi
on
Corrective
Action
Taken

Axial Compressor
Design
Assumption of Needs

Assumption of Needs
Determination of Rotational Speed
Estimation of number of stages
General Stage Design
Variation of air angles

Assumption of Needs
The first step in compressor design in
the determination of the needs of the
system
Assumptions:

Standard Atmospheric Conditions

Engine Thrust Required
Pressure Ratio Required
Air Mass Flow
Turbine inlet temperature

Rotational Speed
Determination
First Step in Axial Compressor Design
Process for this determination is based
on assumptions of the system as a
whole
Assumed: Blade tip speed, axial
velocity, and hub-tip ratio at inlet to first
stage.

Rotational Speed
Equation

Derivation of
Rotational Speed
First Make Assumptions:

Standard atmospheric conditions

m
C
150

200
Axial Velocity: a
s
Tip Speed: U t 350 m
s
No Intake Losses
Hub-tip ratio 0.4 to 0.6

Compressor Rotational
Speed
Somewhat of an iterative process in

conjunction with the turbine design.

Derivation Process:
First Define the mass flow into the system

mdot AU

where U =

C a1

C a1is the axial velocity range from the

root of the compressor blades to the tips

of the blades.

Axial Velocity
Relationship

r
rr
C a1 1

rt

* C a

rt

rr

r Radius to root of

rt

blade
Radius to tip of
blade

Tip Radius
Determination
By rearranging the mass flow rate equation we

can obtain an iterative equation to determine the

blade tip radius required for the design.

rt

mdot

rr
1Ca1 1

rt

Now Looking at the energy equation, we can

determine the entry temperature of the flow.
2
0

2
1

U
U
c pT0
c pT1
2
2

2
a1

C
T1 T0
2c p

Isentropic
Relationships
Now employing the isentropic relation

between the temperatures and pressures,

then the pressure at the inlet may be

obtained.
T 1
P1 P0

T0

Now employ the ideal gas law to obtain

the density of the inlet
P1 air.
1
RT1

Finally Obtaining
Rotational
Speed
Using the equation for tip speed.
U t 2rt N

Rearranging to obtain rotational speed.

Ut
N
2rt
Finally an iterative process is utilized to
obtain the table seen here.

Determining Number
of
Stages
keen assumptions
Make
Polytropic efficiency of approximately
90%.
Mean Radius of annulus is constant
through all stages.

Use polytropic relation to determine

the exit temperature of compressor.

P02
T02 T01

P01

n 1
n

n = 1.4, Ratio of Specific

Heats, Cp/Cv
P
02 is the pressure that the
compressor outputs
To1 is ambient temperature

Determine Temperature
Change
Assuming that Ca1=Ca
is the work done factor
Work done factor is estimate of stage
efficiency
Determine the mean blade speed.

U m 2rmean N

Geometry allows for determining the rotor

blade angle at the inlet of the compressor.

Um
tan 1
Ca

Temperature Rise in a
Stage
Determine the speed of the flow over the blade
profile.

Ca
V1
cos 1

Velocity flow
over blade
V1.

This will give an estimate of the maximum possible

rotor deflection. C

cos 2

V2

2 1 Blade _ Deflection

Finally obtain the temperature rise through the stage.

U m C a tan 1 tan 2
T0 s
cp

Number of Stages
Required

The number of stages required is

dependent upon the ratio of temperature

changes throughout the compressor.

T
Stages
T0 s
T

T T2 Tamb

is the temperature change within a stage

T0 s is the average temperature change over all the

stages

Designing a Stage
Make assumptions
Assume initial temperature change
through first stage.
Assume the work-done factors through
each stage.
Ideal Gas at standard conditions

Determine the air angles in each stage.

Stages 1 to 2
Determine the change in the whirl
velocity.

Whirl Velocity is the tangential

component of the flow velocity around
the rotor.

Stage 1 to 2
Change in whirl velocity through stage.
Cw Cw 2 C w1
c p T
C w
U m
Cw1 Ca tan 1
U m Cw2
tan 2
Ca
Cw2
tan 2
Ca

Alpha 1 is zero at the first

stage.

Compressor Velocity
Triangles

Pressure ratio of the

Stage
The pressure ratio in the stage can be determined
through the isentropic temperature relationship and
the polytropic efficiency assumed at 90%.

P03
s T0 s
Rs
1

P01
Tamb

s 0.9

Stage Attributes
The analysis shows that the stage can be
outlined by the following attributes:
1.) Pressure at the onset
of the stage.
2.) Temperature at the
onset of the stage.
3.) The pressure ratio of
the stage.
4.) Pressure at the end of
the stage.
5.) Temperature at the
end of the stage.
6.) Change in pressure
through the stage.

Example of a single
stage

Variation in Air Angles

of Assume
Blade
the free vortex condition.
C w 2 r const
Determine stator exit angle.

Um
tan 3
tan 1
Ca
Then determine the flow velocity.
Um
C3
cos 3

Air Angle Triangle

Note: This
is the
whirl
velocity
compone
nt and
not a
blade
spacing!

Alpha 1 is 0
at the inlet
stage
because
there are
Thus,
no
IGVs.
Ca1=C1,
and Cw1
is 0

Velocity Triangle
Red isCa
Ca

Green is

Blue
is

Ca

Variation in Air Angles

of Blade
the exit temp., pressure, and density of
Determine
stage 1

P3
T3
C
3
T3 T0
P3 P03

RT3
2c p
T
03
Determine the blade height at exit.
2
a

mdot
A3
3Ca

A3
h
2rmean

Finally determine the radii of the blade at stator exit.

h
rts rmean
2

h
rrs rmean
2

Variation in Air Angles

of Blade
the radii at the rotor exit.
Determine
rtri rts
rtr
2

rtri
Note: That
r
rotor
Note: inlet.
Thatrri

rrri rrs
rrr
2

is the radius of the blade at the tip at

is the radius of the blade at the root at

rotor inlet.

Determine the whirl velocities at the blade

root and
C tip.
C
w2r

w2m

rmean
rrr

Cw 2t Cw 2 m

rmean
rtr

Note: w 2 m
because there is no other whirl velocity
w2
component in the first stage.

Finally determine the Air

C
Stator air angle at root of
Angles
tan
blade
C
2r

w2 r
a

Cw2 m
tan 2 m
Ca

Stator air angle at middle

of blade

Cw 2t
tan 2t
Ca

Stator air angle at tip of

blade

U rr Cw 2 r
tan 2 r
Ca
U m Cw2m
tan 2 m
Ca
U tr Cw 2t
tan 2t
Ca

Deflection air angle at

root of blade
Deflection air angle at
middle of blade
Deflection air angle at tip
of blade

Compressor Design
Example
Design
of a 5 stage axial compressor:
Givens:

rt 0.2262m

Ta 288 K

Use this and chart to

get Rotational speed of
engine.

T2 452.5K
Ca 150 ms

0.98

Once rotational speed is found, determine mean

blade tip speed.

Example
rt rr
0.1697 m
2
m
U m 2rmean N 266.6
s
rmean

Determine the total temperature rise through the first

stage.
T T T 164.5 K
2

amb

We are designing for more than just one

stage, so we need to define an average
temperaturerise
T per stage:

T0 s

# Stages

32.9 K

Example (Air Angle

Determination)
U
tan
60.64
1

Ca

Cw Cw 2 Cw1
m
C w1 0
s
c p T0 s
m
Cw
126.55 C w 2
U m
s

Example (Air Angle

Determination)
2 tan 1

U m Cw 2
43.03
Ca

Ca
m
V2
205.21
cos 2
s

Cw2
2 tan
40.15
Ca
1

Questions???