ME 2301 THERMAL ENGINEERING Unit IV ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Rotary compressors are those compressors in which rotating action is used for compression of fluid. Rotary air compressors have capability of running at high speeds up to 40,000 rpm and can be directly coupled to any prime mover such as electric motor, turbine etc. due to compact design, no balancing problem and less no. of sliding parts. Comparative study of rotary compressor with reciprocating compressor shows that rotary compressors can be used for delivering large quantity of air but the maximum pressure at delivery is less compared to reciprocating compressors. Generally, rotary compressors can yield delivery pressure up to 10 bar and free air delivery of 3000 m3/min. Rotary compressors are less bulky, and offer uniform discharge compared to reciprocating compressor even in the absence of big size receiver. Lubrication requirement and wear and tear is less due to rotary motion of parts in rotary compressors compared to reciprocating compressors. Rotary compressors may work on the principle of positive displacement and dynamic action both. Rotary compressors having positive displacement may be of following types: (i) Roots blower (ii) Vane type compressor

Rotary compressors employing dynamic action may be of centrifugal type or axial type dependingupon the direction of flow. These centrifugal type or axial compressors may also be termed as nonpositive displacement type steady flow compressors.

(i) Roots blower: Roots blower is a positive displacement type rotary compressor. It has two rotors having two or three lobes having epicycloid and hypocycloid or involute profiles such that they remain in proper contact. Figure 1 a shows two lobe rotors in a roots blower. To prevent wear and tear two rotors have clearance in between. Out of two rotors one is driven by prime mover while other one is driven by first rotor. When two rotors rotate then their typical geometry divides the region inside casing into two regions i.e. high pressure region and low pressure region. Although there occurs slight leakage across the mating parts which can only be minimised not eliminated completely.

Figure 1 b shows the general arrangement in roots blower. It has inlet at section 11 and exit at 22. Air at atmospheric pressure enters the casing and is trapped between rotor A and the casing.When the rotor rotate then air trapped in volume space V is displaced towards high pressure region due to rotation of rotor. Exit end is connected to receiver in which air is gradually transferred and the pressure inside receiver increases due to cumulative effect of air being transferred from atmospheric pressure region to receiver region. In one revolution this positive displacement of air trapped between rotor and casing from inlet end to receiver end shall occur four times in case of two lobe rotor as shown. While in case of three lobes rotor this transfer shall occur six times. Every time when V volume of air is displaced without being compressed to the receiver side high pressure region, then the high pressure air rushes back from receiver and mixes irreversibly with this air until the pressure gets equalized. Thus, gradually air pressure builds up and say this pressure becomes p2. For inlet air pressure being p1, the work done per cycle,

Figure 1 Roots Blower

(ii) Vane type compressor: Schematic of vane type compressor is shown in Fig. 2. It has cylindrical casing having an eccentrically mounted rotor inside it. The rotor has number of slots in it with rectangular vanes of spring loaded type mounted in slots. These vanes are generally non metallic and made of fibre or carbon composites or any other wear resistant material. These vanes remain in continuous contact with casing such that leakage across the vane-casing interface is minimum or absent. It has one end as inlet end and other as the

delivery end connected to receiver. Upon rotation the eccentric rotor has the vanes having differential projection out of rotor depending upon their position. Air is trapped between each set of two consecutive blades in front of inlet passage and is positively displaced to the delivery end after compressing the volume V1 initially to V2, V3 and V4. When compressed volume comes in front of delivery passage and further rotation results in the situation when partly compressed air is forced to enter the receiver as their is no other way out. This cumulative transfer of partly compressed air in receiver causes irreversible compression resulting in gradual pressure rise. The p-V representation shown in Fig. 2 (b) indicates that the total pressure rise is due to the combined effect of reversible pressure rise inside casing and irreversible pressure rise inside receiver. Generally, the contribution of reversible pressure rise and irreversible pressure rise is in proportion of 50 : 50.

Figure 2 Vane Compressor Vane compressors are available for capacity up to 150 m3/min and pressure ratios up to 8 and efficiency up to 75%. For higher pressure ratios the efficiency of vane compressors is more than that of roots blower but the vane compressors have maximum speed up to 2500 rpm as compared to 7500 rpm in case of roots blower. Vane compressors have large power requirement as compared to roots blower due to large number of vanes on rotor. However, with small number of vanes the power required by vaned compressor may be comparable to roots blower. Vane compressors require large maintenance due to wear of vanes and other moving parts. Work required per revolution for vane compressor with n number of vanes shall be partly in reversible and partly in irreversible process.

CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS
Centrifugal compressor is a radial flow machine compressing the fluid due to the dynamic action of impeller. Centrifugal compressors have impeller mounted on driving shaft, diffuser and volute casing as shown in Fig. 3. Centrifugal compressors have air inlet at the centre of impeller. The portion of impeller in front of inlet passage is called impeller eye. Impeller is a type of disc having radial blades mounted upon it. Compressor casing has a diffuser ring surrounding impeller and the air enters the impeller eye and leaves from impeller tip to enter diffuser ring. Volute casing surrounds the diffuser ring.

Figure 3 Centrifugal Compressor

Volute casing has cross section area increasing gradually up to the exit of compressor. These impellers of centrifugal compressors may also be of double sided type such that air can enter from two sides (both) of impeller. Thus double sided impeller shall have double impeller eye compared to single impeller eye as shown in Fig. 4.

Figure 4 Impellers

Air enters the impeller eye axially and flows radially outwards after having entered compressor. Radial flow of air inside compressor is due to impeller (blades) rotating about its axis. These impeller blades impart momentum to the air entering, thereby rising its pressure and temperature. Subsequently the high pressure fluid leaving impeller enters the diffuser ring where the velocity of air is lowered with further increase in pressure of air. Thus in diffuser ring the kinetic energy of air is transformed into pressure head. High pressure air leaving diffuser is carried by volute casing to the exit of compressor. Due to increased cross section area of volute casing some velocity is further reduced causing rise in its pressure, although this is very small. Total pressure rise in compressor may be due to impeller action and diffuser action both. Generally, about half of total pressure rise is available in impeller and remaining half in diffuser. Pressure and velocity variation in centrifugal compressor is shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 5 Pressure and Velocity Variation in Centrifugal Compressor

Centrifugal compressors are used in aircrafts, blowers, superchargers, etc. where large quantity of air is to be supplied at smaller pressure ratios. Generally, pressure ratio up to 4 is achieved in single stage centrifugal compressors while in multistage compressors the pressure ratio up to 12 can be achieved. These compressors run at speed of 20,00030,000 rpm.

AXIAL FLOW COMPRESSORS

Axial flow compressors have the fixed blades and moving blades mounted along the axis of compressor. Air enters axially and leaves axially. It has primarily two components i.e. rotor and casing. The rotor has blades mounted on it constituting moving blade ring. Blades are also mounted on the inner side of casing thereby constituting stages as fixed blade ring followed by moving blade ring followed by fixed blade ring, moving blade ring and so on.

Due to the reduction in volume the volume space for compressed air may be gradually reduced. Gradual reduction in volume can be done by flaring the rotor while keeping stator diameter uniform or by flaring the stator while keeping rotor diameter constant as shown in fig. 6. The pressure of fluid entering the axial flow compressor increases upon passing through the fixed and moving blades. This flow of fluid over moving blades is accompanied by enthalpy rise while the fixed blades merely deflect the fluid so as to facilitate smooth entry into moving blades. Absolute velocity of air increases along axis of rotor due to work input from the prime mover. Relative velocity of air decreases during its flow through rotor. Blades have aerofoil section so as to have minimum losses due to turbulence, boundary layer formation and separation, eddy formation etc.