CHAPTER 3

COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE—
DYNAMIC
Paolo Bendinelli
Turbocompressors Chief Engineer
Nuovo Pignone

Massimo Camatti
Turbocompressors Design Manager
Nuovo Pignone

Marco Giachi
Turbocompressors R&D Manager
Nuovo Pignone

Eugenio Rossi
Turbocompressors Researcher
Nuovo Pignone

LIST OF SYMBOLS
A ⫽ Area
␣ ⫽ Absolute flow angle
b ⫽ Blade height
␤ ⫽ Relative flow angle
␤b ⫽ Blade angle
B ⫽ Blockage factor
C ⫽ Absolute velocity module
C␪ ⫽ Absolute velocity tangential component
Cm ⫽ Absolute velocity meridian component
CP ⫽ Specific heat at constant pressure or pressure recovery coefficient
D ⫽ Diameter or diffusion factor
␦ ⫽ Deviation angle
E ⫽ Kinetic energy
␾ ⫽ Flow coefficient
h ⫽ Enthalpy
h0 ⫽ Total enthalpy

3.1
3.2 CHAPTER THREE

H ⫽ Load
K ⫽ Loss coefficient based on total pressure
i ⫽ Incidence angle
␮0 ⫽ Viscosity at reference condition
␭ ⫽ Total pressure recovery coefficient
m ⫽ Mass flow rate
M ⫽ Mach number
MU ⫽ Peripheral Mach number
n ⫽ Polytropic exponent
N ⫽ Rotational speed (rpm)
␩ ⫽ Efficiency
Q ⫽ Heat exchange or volumetric flow rate
␥ ⫽ Ratio between heat values of the gas
␳ ⫽ Density
␳0 ⫽ Total density
p ⫽ Pressure
␺ ⫽ Load coefficient
p0 ⫽ Total pressure
r ⫽ radius
R ⫽ Gas constant
Re ⫽ Reynolds number
␴ ⫽ Slip factor
␶ ⫽ Torque or working factor
T ⫽ Static temperature
␪ ⫽ Blade deflection angle
T0 ⫽ Total temperature
U ⫽ Tip speed
VS ⫽ Absolute tangential velocity effect
␻ ⫽ Rotational speed (rad/s)
Z ⫽ Compressibility factor or blade number
W ⫽ Relative velocity
WA ⫽ Friction losses

3.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF A CENTRIFUGAL

COMPRESSOR

A centrifugal compressor is a ‘‘dynamic’’ machine. It has a continuous flow of

fluid which receives energy from integral shaft impellers. This energy is trans-
formed into pressure—partly across the impellers and partly in the stator section,
i.e., in the diffusers. This type of machine is composed (see Fig. 3.1) of an outer
casing (A) which contains a stator part, called a diaphragm bundle (B), and of a
rotor formed by a shaft (C), one or more impellers (D), a balance drum (E), and
thrust collar (F).
 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE—DYNAMIC 3.3

FIGURE 3.1 Sectional view of centrifugal compressor schematic.

The rotor is driven by means of a hub (G) and is held in position axially by a
thrust bearing (I), while rotating on journal bearings (H). The rotor is fitted with
labyrinth seals (L) and, if necessary, oil film end seals (M).
Gas is drawn into the compressor through a suction nozzle and enters an annular
chamber (inlet volute), flowing from it towards the center from all directions in a
uniform radial pattern (see Fig. 3.2). At the opposite side of the chamber from the
suction nozzle is a fin to prevent gas vortices.
The gas flows into the suction diaphragm and is then picked up by the first
impeller (see Fig. 3.3).
The impellers consist of two discs, referred to as the disc and shroud, connected
by blades which are shrunk onto the shaft and held by either one or two keys. The
impeller pushes the gas outwards raising its velocity and pressure; the outlet ve-
locity will have a radial and a tangential component (see section 3.7 for further
details). On the disc side, the impeller is exposed to discharge pressure (see Fig.
3.4) and on the other side partly to the same pressure and partly to suction pressure.
Thus a thrust force is created towards suction.
The gas next flows through a circular chamber (diffuser), following a spiral path
where it loses velocity and increases pressure (similar to fluid flow through con-
duits). The gas then flows along the return channel; this is a circular chamber
3.4 CHAPTER THREE

FIGURE 3.2 Qualitative view of the flow in the volute.

bounded by two rings that form the intermediate diaphragm, which is fitted with
blades (see Fig. 3.5) to direct the gas toward the inlet of the next impeller. The
blades are arranged to straighten the spiral gas flow in order to obtain a radial outlet
and axial inlet to the following impeller. The gas path is the same for each impeller.
Labyrinth seals are installed on the diaphragms to minimize internal gas leaks
(see Fig. 3.5). These seals are formed by rings made in two or more parts. The
last impeller of a stage (the term stage refers to the area of compression between
two consecutive nozzles) sends the gas into a diffuser which leads to an annular

FIGURE 3.3 First stage sectional view.

 COMPRESSOR PERFORMANCE—DYNAMIC 3.5

FIGURE 3.4 Pressure distribution on the impeller.

chamber called a discharge volute (see Fig. 3.6). The discharge volute is a circular
chamber which collects the gas from the external boundary of the diffuser and
conveys it to the discharge nozzle. Near the discharge nozzle there is another fin
which prevents the gas from continuing to flow around the volute and directs it to
the discharge nozzle (see Fig. 3.7).
The balance drum (E) is mounted on the shaft after the end impeller (see Fig.
3.1). It serves to balance the total thrust produced by the impellers. Having end
impeller delivery pressure on one side of the drum, compressor inlet pressure is
applied to the other by an external connection (balancing line, see Fig. 3.8). In this
way, gas pressures at both ends of the rotor are roughly balanced. To get even
closer pressure levels and, therefore, the same operating conditions for the shaft-

FIGURE 3.5 Labyrinth seals and diaphragms.