Compressor Design

Fluid Machinery

Positive Displacement Dynamic

• Working fluid is confined • Working fluid is not confine
within a boundary. within a boundary.
• Energy transfer is by volume • Energy transfer is by dynamic
changes due to the effects of the rotor on the
movement of the boundary. fluid stream.
 Dynamic Machine
A.K.A. Turbomachines

* Radial-Flow - Also called Centrifugal.

- Radial flow path.
- Large change in radius
from inlet to outlet.

* Axial-Flow - Flow path nearly parallel

to the axis of rotation.
- Radius of the flow path
does not very significantly.

* Mixed-Flow - Flow path radius changes

only moderately.
Or the load could be a compressor
within a Turbocharger for an
automobile, or a compressor in a jet
engine.
 Turbomachines that add energy to the fluid stream

 Pump - when the fluid is a liquid or a slurry.

 Very small to very large pressure rise.
 Rotating element is called an impeller.

 Fans, Blowers, or Compressors when handling a gas or a vapor.

• Fans - generally have a small pressure rise (< 1 inch water)

• Blowers - moderate pressure rise (1 inch of mercury)
• Compressors - very high pressure rise (up to 150,000 psi)
 Jet Propulsion Principle (Thrust)

Pa Po Ai

Pa
T=Ai(po-pa)
T Po

T: Thrust
Pa
T Po Pa: Ambient
ue
Pressure Po: Internal
Steady-Flow
Pressure ue: Exit
Pa

.
T Po Velocity
ua
T=mua ua: Mass-average Exhaust Velocity
 Propeller
Theory Air Velocity (u)
Air Motion
Axis of Blade Speed (Ut)
Rotation
w1t
u Relative
Approach
Ut Velocity
Relative (w1t)
Leaving
Velocity (w2t)
Blade Motion
u Swirling Velocity (u)
Axial Component of
Leaving Velocity (ue)
D w2t
u ue
c2 Leaving Velocity (c 2)
w1t Turning Angle ()
 Limitation of the Propeller in Propulsion

In order to maintain good flow over the blade certain

conditions must be meet.
1. The relative approach angle and the blade leading
edge angle must be close to prevent flow
separation from the blade.
2. The turning angle must be keep quite small, or the
flow will also separate from the blade.
3. The relative approach velocity must not be too
close to the speed of sound. This is to
prevent shock waves from forming on the blade.

Thus conventional propellers are used for flight speeds well below
the speed of sound; usually at or below 135 m/s (300 mph).
 Air
Axis Blade speed too high
Motion w1t
u Flight speed too slow
Ut Operating outside of design
parameters
Blade
Motion

Axis Air
Motion w1t
Poor design: Turning angle u
is too large Ut
Blade
Motion
 The Importance of the Compressor/Turbine in Modern Flight
It was not until 1939 that a compressor, combuster, and turbine
were coupled together to create the first turbo engine for aircraft
propulsion.

Air Inlet Exhaust

Gas Out
1. The turbine engine made supersonic flight possible in aircraft
2. Reduced the cost of air travel.
3. Lead to great improvements in aircraft safety.
 Turboprop

Allison T56 Turboshaft

 Turbofa
n

General Electric CF6 Turbofan

 Turboje
t

General Electric J79 Turbojet with Afterburner

 Turbo Engine Comparison
Turboprop Turbofan Turbojet
• Medium-speed • Internal Propeller • High speed
•Moderate-size craft • Supersonic speeds • Mach 4
•High efficiency • High bypass airflow • Low airflow rate
•Limited flight speed • Med/High efficiency • Low efficiency
•Geared transmission • No gearbox • High op temps

NOTE: Due to the ram compression due to flight speed, the optimum
compressor pressure ratio (CPR) goes to zero around Mach 4.
CPR 30:1 for subsonic flight.
CPR 10:1 @ Mach 2.
Compressor not needed at
 Comparison of the Axial-Flow and Radial-Flow Compressors

Axial-Flow compressors do not significantly change the direction of

the flow stream, thus Axial-Flow Compressor allows for multiple
stages. Radial-Flow Compressors can not be staged.
While the Radial-Flow Compressor has a larger Compressor
Pressure Ratio (CPR) per stage, the multi-stages of the Axial-Flow
compressor allows for a larger overall CPR.
The frontal area for a given air flow rate is smaller for an Axial-
Flow Compressor than for a Radial-Flow Compressor.
The Axial-Flow Compressor has a higher efficiency.
Disadvantages are the higher cost to manufacture the Axial-Flow
Compressor, and the Radial-flow Compressor is more durable than
the Axial-Flow Compressor.
 Example Problem
Given a first single stage of an Axial Compressor with the
following conditions: ambient pressure (Pin) 1 atmosphere, ambient
temperature (Tin) 300K, aircraft cruising speed (Vin) 170m/s, median
blade diameter (D) 0.5m, rotor rpm (Urotor) 8000rpm, turning angle
() 15 degrees, specific heat ratio () 1.4, air mass flow rate (mdot)
35kg/s, and (Cp) conversion factor 1004 m2/s2*K, calculate the first
stage Compressor Pressure Ratio (CPR).

Pin  1atm Tin  Vin  170 s

m D
300K  .5m
2
8000rp   15deg   1.4 m
Urotor
m Cp  1004
s 2 K
kg  kg
mdo t  35 s
1000gm
 Step 1.
W1

Vin 1
Create the velocity triangle
and calculate the relative
U speed of the rotor blade from
the rotational velocity.
Blade motion

U r D 2
U  2  8000
m
U  209.4 60s
4
s
m
Wx  U W x  209.44
s
 Step 2.
W1
Vin  1
Calculate the air to blade
relative velocity and the
U angle between the relative
and actual air speed.

m
W  269.7
W 1  Wx 2  V
2
i 1
5
n s

 W x
 1  atan     50.934deg
 V in  1
 Step 3.
Axial velocity (Vin) does not change.
W2 Calculate relative exit angle(2), then
 2
portion of the relative blade speed
Vin
(Uw2). Calculate relative air speed
U w2 (W2)

V in
U w2  V intan  W 2 
 2     cos 
2
1

m 2  m
 123.21 W  209.95
U w2 4 6
 2  35.934deg s 2
s
 Step 4.
Calculate the portion of the relative
V2 W2 blade speed associated with the actual
 2
air velocity (Uv2), the calculate the
Vin
actual air speed (V2).
U w2
U v2

m
 86.22
U v2  W x  U w2 U v2 6
s
m
2 V  190.61
V2  Vin  Uv2 2
2
7
s
The Compressor Pressure 

Ratio (CPR) is found from P o2  T o2 

T 
the isentropic P1
o1  o1 
relationship.
To1 is calculated from the following equation.
To2 has to be calculated from the specific work
of the compressor stage.

2
Vin
T o 1  T i n 
2C p T o 1  314.392K
 Specific work of the stage is
calculated from the torque of the Tsha ft
shaft, angular velocity of the blade, wstage m
and mass flow rate of the air. dot

Torque of the shaft is: Tshaf  

D
dot U v1 
mt 2
Uv1 m
0 v2 U
s
T s h a f t  7 54 . 4 76J
No initial tangential component
to the inlet velocity.
Power   8000
2

sha ft
T  60s
Power of the shaft is: Power  632.068kW
Specific work of wstage  Power 4
J
wstage  1.806 10
the stage is k
then: mdot g

Now To2 can be calculated from the specific work

To1, and the conversion factor.

T o2  T o1  wstage To2  332.38K

Cp
Finally, the Compressor Pressure Ratio can be
calculated!!!

 1
 To2 
CPR  
 T o1 
The answer is:

CPR  1.215