Turbomachinery

Lecture # 10: Axial-Flow Compressors (II)

Pejman Akbari, Ph.D.

Fall 2015, Columbia University
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Lecture # 10: Axial-Flow Compressors

Variation of Air Angles from Hub to Tip
As mentioned before, for preliminary design our calculations is often based on the
mean radius (mean-line calculation). However for long blades (low hub-to-tip
ratios), like the first two stages, blade speed significantly increases from the
hub/root to tip. There is a considerable difference in the shape/magnitude of the
velocity diagrams between the blade hub and tip sections. This variation will have a
major effect on air/blade angles. Also, important variables, such as the reaction,
flow coefficient, and blade-loading coefficient vary along the blade span from the
hub to the tip.
Besides the blade speed variation in radial direction,
in a three-dimensional flow the flow has a radial
component of velocity which is generally small
compared with the axial and whirl component, but it
cannot be ignored for long blades. In addition, due to
centrifugal forces, flow properties like pressure,
temperature, density etc. will change along the long
blades.
In present day turbomachinery, 3D effects are hardly negligible and their
incorporation into the design or analysis is essential for the accurate prediction
of the performance or improved design of either compressors or turbines.

Lecture # 10: Axial-Flow Compressors

The radial variation of the blade is clearly pronounced in the velocity triangle(s)
shown below for the first stage with no IGV.
W2
W2
W1

V2

V1

W2
W1

V2

V1

W1

V2

V1

The difference in
the blade angles
at different
stations along
the blade span
represents the
blade twist.
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Lecture # 10: Axial-Flow Compressors

Free Vortex Design
It is often attractive to design a blade such that the stagnation temperature/
pressure are assumed to be constant across the height of the blade while the
static flow properties may vary. Such a design is known as the free vortex
design which is widely used in axial-flow machines. For such a common
design, it can be shown (see section 7.3 of your textbook):
In general, the amount
of work done on each
kilogram of air depends
upon the radius of the
blade.

Lecture # 10: Axial-Flow Compressors

Reminder: in this figure

taken
from
another
resource C represents
flow velocity (we use V in
our notation).

Lecture # 10: Axial-Flow Compressors

In a free vortex design, reaction R will vary greatly form the blade root to its
tip. To see this, consider again the Euler equation:

R 1

Vu average
U

Lecture # 10: Axial-Flow Compressors

Free vortex method is one of the simplest

design methods in axial compressors.
Thus, adopting free vortex design yields a
highly twisted blade and a great variation
in the degree of reaction from hub to tip.
The blade must be twisted from root
to tip to suit the changing air angles.

Lecture # 10: Axial-Flow Compressors

Example:

Reminder: in the solution C represents flow velocity (we use V in our notation)
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Compressor Efficiencies
The measure of irreversibility in a compressor may be thermodynamically
defined through some form of compressor efficiency.

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The above relationship is only valid if the blade design is similar in successive
blade rows and isentropic efficiency of each stage remains the same through
the compressor.
The isentropic efficiency considers only the start and end states of the
compression and expansion processes and pays no attention to the actual
paths the compression and expansion processes take. Since the work is not a
thermodynamic property and depends on the actual path, the polytropic
analysis endeavors to account for the path taken during the compression and
expansion processes in determining the actual work.
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Lecture # 10: Axial-Flow Compressors

infinitesimally small step

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Lecture # 10: Axial-Flow Compressors

Homework (8)
Study Chapter 7 (pages 229-229, 235-236, 259-261). Then, solve these two
problems: 7.7, and 7.16.
Note that to solve the latter problem, 7.16, you need to review materials in
page 126-127 of Chapter 4 which discusses the work calculation of
incompressible flow.

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