CENTRIFUGAL AND AXIAL FLOW COMPRESSORS

By Mr. Manoj Kumar Elipey

Tip Speed & Materials

The precise stress limits of a given impeller material will depend upon factors such as the required cyclic duty (number of startstop cycles per unit time).
Cast aluminium to be used up to a tip speed of around 200300 m/s,

forged machined aluminium up to where a maximum of about 500 m/s. titanium up to around 650700 m/s.
Titanium aluminides and titanium metal matrix composites are currently being researched for the higher tip speeds.

Efficiency of A Centrifugal Compressor

The loss models are tuned so that the method obtains reasonable agreement with a representative range of test cases

Centrifugal compressors sometimes termed radial compressors, are a sub-class of dynamic axisymmetric work-absorbing turbo machinery. The idealized compressive dynamic turbomachine achieves a pressure rise by adding kinetic energy/velocity to a continuous flow of fluid through the rotor or impeller. This kinetic energy is then converted to an increase in potential energy/static pressure by slowing the flow through a diffuser. The pressure rise in impeller is in most cases almost equal to the rise in the diffuser section.

Centrifugal impeller

The key component that makes a compressor centrifugal is the centrifugal impeller, It is the impeller's rotating set of vanes (or blades) that gradually raises the energy of the working gas. This is identical to an axial compressor with the exception that the gases can reach higher velocities and energy levels through the impeller's increasing radius. In many modern high-efficiency centrifugal compressors the gas exiting the impeller is travelling near the speed of sound.

Diffuser

The next key component to the simple centrifugal compressor is the diffuser. Downstream of the impeller in the flow path, it is the diffuser's responsibility to convert the kinetic energy (high velocity) of the gas into pressure by gradually slowing (diffusing) the gas velocity. Diffusers can be vane less, vaned or an alternating combination. High efficiency vaned diffusers are also designed over a wide range of solidities from less than 1 to over 4.

Collector The collector of a centrifugal compressor can take many shapes and forms. When the diffuser discharges into a large empty chamber, the collector may be termed a Plenum. When the diffuser discharges into a device that looks somewhat like a snail shell, bull's horn or a French horn, the collector is likely to be termed a volute or scroll. As the name implies, a collectors purpose is to gather the flow from the diffuser discharge annulus and deliver this flow to a downstream pipe.

Surge

Surge is the point at which the compressor cannot add enough energy to overcome the system resistance or backpressure This causes a rapid flow reversal (i.e. surge). As a result, high vibration, temperature increases, and rapid changes in axial thrust can occur. These occurrences can damage the rotor seals, rotor bearings, the compressor driver and cycle operation. Most turbo machines are designed to easily withstand occasional surging. However, if the machine is forced to surge repeatedly for a long period of time, or if it is poorly designed, repeated surges can result in a catastrophic failure. Of particular interest, is that while turbo machines may be very durable, the cycles/processes that they are used within can be far less robust.

Surge Line

The Surge-line is the curve that passes through the lowest flow points of each of the four speed lines. As a test map, these points would be the lowest flow points possible to record a stable reading within the test facility/rig. In many industrial applications it may be necessary to increase the stall line due to the system exhibits a stalling characteristic or positive slope within that range of flows. When placed in a different system those lower flows might not be achievable because of interaction with that system.

Choke

The speed lines of gas turbine centrifugal compressors typically exhibit choke. This is a situation where the pressure ratio of a speed line drops rapidly (vertically) with little or no change in flow. In most cases the reason for this is that close to Mach 1 velocities have been reached somewhere within the impeller and/or diffuser generating a rapid increase in losses. Higher pressure ratio turbocharger centrifugal compressors exhibit this same phenomenon. Real choke phenomena is a function of compressibility as measured by the local Mach number within an area restriction within the centrifugal pressure stage.

Axial flow compressors Axial compressors are rotating, aerofoil based compressors in which the working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation. This is in contrast with centrifugal, axicentrifugal and mixedflow compressors where the air may enter axially but will have a significant radial component on exit. Axial flow compressor is capable of higher pressure ratio on a single shaft. The energy transfer in a single stage is very limited (stage pressure ratio of about 1.2).But ease of combining axial flow stages leads to pressure ratios of up to 6/1 or even higher. Thus axial flow compressor is considered as consisting of many stages. Single stage is considered as a fan For most aircraft & industrial gas turbine, axial flow compressor is used in preference to radial flow type.

Axial flow compressor basic operation

Working fluid initially accelerated by rotor blades, then decelerated in stator blades where kinetic energy transferred in rotor is converted to static pressure. Many stages necessary for required overall pressure ratio. Flow always subject to adverse pressure gradient Process consists of series of diffusions in both rotor & stator blade passages. Careful design of compressor balding necessary to prevent wasteful losses and minimize stalling. Flow reversals may occur at mass flow conditions different from blade design conditions.

Isentropic efficiency

Isentropic efficiency is ratio of ideal specific work input, or total T rise, for given pressure ratio to actual. Definition of isentropic is adiabatic reversible. Total T rise & power input to sustain given P ratio is proportional to inlet total temperature Polytropic efficiency is isentropic efficiency of an infinitesimally small compression step, such that its magnitude is constant throughout Isentropic efficiency falls as pressure ratio is increased for same polytropic efficiency.