Axial Flow Compressor

• Basic Theory of Axial Flow Compressors

• Thermodynamics of compression
• Efficiency of Compressor
• Velocity Triangles and Degree of Reaction
• Three Dimensional Flow and Vortex Theory
• Compressor Efficiency
• Performance Characteristics
• Stall and Surge Phenomena in Compressors
 Axial Flow Compressor

Compressor Combustor Turbine

Intake
Exhaust
 Axial Compressor Blading

ROTOR BLADES ROTOR BLADES

 Introduction
 In axial flow compressors, flow enters the first blade row and
leaves the last blade row in axial direction.
 Flow through the machine is parallel to the axis of the shaft.
 Axial compressors are characterized by lower pressure ratio
per stage at higher mass flow rates compared to centrifugal
compressors; and hence these machines are preferred for civil
and military aero engines as well as for industrial gas
turbines.
 Axial compressors are classified as subsonic, transonic and
supersonic depending on whether the relative flow Mach
number at rotor inlet is fully subsonic, partly subsonic and
partly supersonic, or fully supersonic along the blade height.
 Mechanical Features
• Basic components are: rotor and stator.
• Rotor carries moving blades.

• Stator has stationary rows of blades, which convert kinetic

energy of air into pressure energy and also redirect the flow at
an angle suitable for entry to the next row of moving blades.

• Both, rotor and stator blade passages, are basically diffusers.

• A stage comprises one rotating row followed by a stator row.

• Sometimes, a row of so-called Inlet Guide Vanes (IGV) is
provided upstream of the first rotor, forming an additional row
of stator blades. These IGV serve to direct the axially
approaching flow correctly into the first row of rotor blades to
meet the design and off-design requirements.
Axial Flow Compressors– Basic Operation
• Axial flow compressors usually consists of a series
of stages.
• Each stage comprises of a row of rotor blades
followed by a row of stator blades.

• The working fluid is initially accelerated by the

rotor blades and then decelerated in the stator
passages.
• In the stator, the kinetic energy transferred in the
rotor is converted to static pressure.

• This process is repeated in several stages to yield

the necessary overall pressure ratio.
•The compression process consists of a series of
diffusions.

•This occurs both in the rotor as well as the stator.

•Due to motion of the rotor blades two distinct

velocity components: absolute and relative
velocities in the rotor.

•The absolute velocity of the fluid is increased in the

rotor, whereas the relative velocity is decreased,
leading to diffusion.
Flow through stages in Axial Flow
Compressor
Flow through an Axial Compressor
Rotor Stator
Thermodynamics of compression

(i) Adiabatic (process 1-2/) ,Pvγ=c

(ii) Isothermal process (1-2//), Pv=c
(iii) Isochoric (Process 1-2///), Pv =c
Thermodynamics of compressors

X1 , X2 are the
losses in the rotor
and the stator
respectively

Compression in
terms of static
parameters
Thermodynamics of compressors

Compression in
terms of total
parameters
Thermodynamics of multi-stage compressors

Rotor isentropic, stator isothermal

Rotor polytropic, stator isothermal
 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

ηc = (T02s – T01)/(T02 – T01)

 Efficiency
• 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