CHAPTER 6

AXIAL FLOW COMPRESSORS

Introduction:
An axial flow compressor is a pressure producing machine. The energy level of air or gas
flowing through it is increased by the action of the rotor blades which exert a torque on the fluid.
This torque is supplied by an external source- an electric motor or a steam or gas turbine. Besides
numerous industrial applications the multistage axial flow compressor is the principal element of
all gas turbine power plants for land and aeronautical applications.

Components

A single stage axial flow compressor consisting one row of inlet guide vanes, one row of rotor
blades (moving blades) and one row of diffusers (fixed blades) as shown in figure. The main
function of the inlet guide vane is to control the direction of fluid flow at the rotor inlet. The
rotor blades exert a torque on the fluid, its pressure and velocity increases. The diffuser blades
increase the fluid pressure further by decreasing fluid velocity. It Converts kinetic energy
associated with swirl to internal energy by raising static pressure of flow

NB:-

• The height of the blades is seen to decrease as the fluid moves through the compressor.

• As the pressure increases in the direction of flow, the volume of air decreases. To keep
the air velocity the same for each stage, the blade height is decreased along the axis of the
compressor.
Working principle

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. Gasses 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.

Due to motion of the rotor blades-- 2 distinct
velocity compnts: abs and rel velocities in
the rotor. The abs velocity of the fluid is
increased in the rotor, while the rel one is
decreased, leading to diffusion. %tage
pressure ratio is limited b/se a compressor
operates in an adverse pressure gradient
environment.
The pressure and velocity variations through
an axial flow compressor stage are shown in
the figure. Velocity increases in each rotor
stage and decreases in stator, while pressure
increases both in rotor and stator
 Compressor Stage Velocity Triangles

Air enters the rotor blade with C 1at an angle α 1from the axial direction and leaves the rotor blade
with absolute velocityC 2at an angle α 2. As work is done on the air in the rotor blades, C 2is larger
thanC 1. The rotor row has tangential velocity U. Combining the two velocity vectors gives the
relative velocity at inlet W 1 at an angle β 1. W 2 is the relative velocity at the rotor outlet.

For axial flow compressors the mean tangential rotor velocity and the axial velocity may assume
to be remains constant (U1=U2=U and C a 1=C a 2=Ca ). If the flow is repeated in another stage of
axial flow compressor, then V1=V3 and α1=α3.
Euler’s equation provides the work done on the air:

W c =U ¿ )

Using the velocity triangles, the following basic equations can be written:

U
=tan α 1+ tan β 1
Ca 1

U
= tanα 2+𝑡𝑎𝑛 β 2
Ca 2

If C a 2=C a 1=C ais the axial velocity, assumed constant through the stage.

The work done may be written in terms of air angles:

W c =U C a ( tan α 2−tan α 1 )∨¿

W c =U C a ( tan β1−tan β 2)
This work is used to:-

• Raise pressure

• Raise velocity

• Equal with change in enthalpy

• Raise stagnation temperature of the air

Stage temperature raise

The work done is equal to the change in stagnation enthalpy across the stage.

h02−h01 =U ∆ C x

Regardless of the losses, all the energy is used to increase the stagnation temperature of the air,
∆ T os .

U ∆ C x UC a
T 02−T 01= = (tanβ 1−tanβ 2)
Cp Cp

This is theoretical temperature rise of the air in one stage. In reality, the stage temperature rise
will be less than this value due to 3-D effects in the compressor annulus. To find the actual
temperature rise of the air, a factorλ, which is between 0 and 100%, will be used. Thus the actual
temperature rise of the air is given by:

λ UC a
∆ T os= (tanβ 1−tanβ 2)
Cp

Calculation of pressure raise/ pressure ratio/

 h0 −h0 T 0 −T 0
ηis = 3s 1
= 3s 1

h0 −h 0
3 1
T 0 −T 0
3 1

But the overall pressure ratio per stage is,

γ −1
To3s Po3
T o1
=
Po 1 ( ) γ

P 03 ( γ −1 )

ηis =
( ( ) P01
¿¿
γ
−1)T 0 1

¿
T 0 −T 0
3 1

γ
P 03 ∆ T os
P 01 [
= 1+ ηis
T0 1
] γ −1

Substituting for ∆ T os

γ
P 03 λ U ∆ Cx
P 01 [
= 1+ ηis
Cp T 0 1
] γ−1
From the above equation that relates the per stage temperature rise to the pressure ratio, it can be
seen that to obtain a high temperature ratio for a given overall pressure ratio (for minimizing
number of stages),

• High blade speed: limited by blades stresses

• High axial velocity, high fluid deflection (β1-β2): Aerodynamic considerations and
adverse pressure gradients limit the above.

Axial comp characteristics

mass flow rate

Flow Coefficient (𝜙) ϕ=
mass flow at tip

The flow coefficient relates the axial velocity component to the circumferential speed as follows;

Ca 1
ϕ= =
U tanα 1+tanβ 1

The only observation to make for this coefficient is that the higher the axial velocity in the stage
the higher the flow coefficient.

Head coefficient

It is the ratio of entalphy raise in stage to entalpy corresponding to peripheral velocity

Δ h 2 U (C x 2−C x 1) 2(C x 2−C x 1)

λ= = =
1 2
U U2 U
2

2C a ( tan α 2 −tan α 1 )
¿
Ca ( tan α 1+ tan β 1 )

2(tan α 2−tan α 1)
λ=
(tan α 1+ tan β 1)

Loading Coefficient (ψ)

The stage loading factor is an important design parameter of a compressor stage and is one
which strongly affects the off-design performance characteristics.
 h 03−h01 C x2−¿ C
Ψ= 2 ¿λ x2
¿
U U

Under application of Euler’s equation of change in enthalpy

U 2 C w 2−U 1 C w1
Ψ= λ , since U 2=U 1
U2

Cw 2−C w 1
Ψ=λ
U

Degree of Reaction

The degree of reaction, R, is defined as:

static enthaly rise ∈the rotor ∆ hrotor

R= =
static enthalpy rise ∈the whole stage ∆ h stage

The degree of reaction indicates the distribution of the total pressure rise into the two types of
blades. The choice of a particular degree of reaction is important in that it affects the velocity
triangles, the fluid friction and other losses.

h2 −h1
R=
h 02−h01

1
W s− （ C22−C 21 ）
2
R=
Ws

1
W s− （ C2 x2 +C 2a−C 2x 1−C 2a ）
2
R=
Ws

（ C 2x 2−C 2x 1 ）
R=1+
2 U (C x 2−C x 1)

C x 2 +C x1
R=1+
2U
 2 U Ca
R= ( −(tan α 2−tan α 1))
Ca 2 U

But from the velocity triangles

U
=tan α 1+ tan β 1
Ca 1

U
= tanα 2+𝑡𝑎𝑛 β 2
Ca 2

Therefore,

2 U C a 2U
R= ( − + tan β 2+ tan β 1)¿
Ca 2 U Ca

2U
R= (tan β 2 + tan β 1)
Ca

Special cases

 R=0 , β 2=−β1 , there is no pressure rise in the rotor, the entire pressure rise is due to the
stator, the rotor merely deflects the incoming flow.
 R=0.5 , β 2=α 1, β 1=α 2 the velocity triangle is symmetric, equal pressure rise in the rotor
and stator
 R=1, α 2=−α 1, entire pressure rise takes place in the rotor.

AXIAL FLOW COMPRESSOR CHARACTERISTICS

It covers a narrower range of mass flow than the centrifugal compressors, and the surge line is
also steeper than that of a centrifugal compressor. Surging and choking limit the curves at the
two ends. However, the surge points in the axial flow compressors are reached before the curves
reach a maximum value. In practice, the design points is very close to the surge line
Examples

1. In an axial flow compressor air enters the compressor at stagnation pressure and
temperature of 1 bar and 292K, respectively. The pressure ratio of the compressor is 9.5.
If isentropic efficiency of the compressor is 0.85, find the work of compression and the
final temperature at the outlet. Assume gama 1.4, and Cp=1.005 kJ/kg K
2. An axial flow compressor is to be designed to generate a total pressure ratio of 4.0 with
an overall isentropic efficiency of 0.85. The inlet and outlet blade angles of the rotor
blades are 45 degree & 10 degree respectively and the compressor stage has a degree of
reaction of 50 percent. If the blade speed is 220 m/s and the work done factor is 0.86, find
the number of stages required. Is it likely that the compressor will suffer from shock
 losses? The ambient air static temperature is 290 K and the air enters the compressor
through guide vanes.
3. A 50% reaction axial flow compressor has inlet and outlet blade angles of 45o and 12,
respectively. The blade speed at the tip of the rotor is 320 m/s. If the inlet total
temperature is 300 K, determine the tip relative Mach number.
4. An axial flow compressor has a tip diameter of 0.95 m and a hub diameter of 0.85 m. The
absolute velocity of air makes an angle of 28 degree measured from the axial direction
and relative velocity angle is 56 degrees. The absolute velocity outlet angle is 56 and the
relative velocity outlet angle is 28. The rotor rotates at 5000 rpm and the density of air is
1.2 kg/m. Determine:
a. The axial velocity.
b. The mass flow rate.
c. The power required.