Module 1

Centrifugal and Axial

Compressors
Dr. Kankan Kishore Pathak

Department of Mechanical Engineering

GIMT, Guwahati
 What is a centrifugal Compressor?

 A centrifugal compressor is one of its class of machines in producing pressure

rise and is known as turbo-compressors. Also called as radial compressors.

 In this type, energy is transferred by dynamic means from a rotating member (or
impeller) to the continuously flowing working fluid.
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 What is a centrifugal Compressor?
 They achieve 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 the impeller is in most cases almost equal to the rise in
the diffuser.

 The main feature of the centrifugal compressor is that, the angular

momentum of the fluid flowing through the impeller is increased partly by
virtue of the impeller‟s outlet diameter being significantly larger than its
inlet diameter.

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 Essential Parts of a centrifugal compressor
The compression process is carried
out in a centrifugal compressor,
which comprises mainly of four
elements.

(i) The inlet casing with

converging nozzle, whose
function is to accelerate the
fluid to the impeller inlet. The
outlet of the inlet casing is
known as the eye of the
impeller.

(i) The impeller, in which the

energy transfer takes place,
resulting in a rise of fluid
kinetic energy and static
pressure.
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 Essential Parts of a centrifugal compressor
(iii) The diffuser, whose
function is to transform
the high kinetic energy of
the fluid at the impeller
outlet into static pressure
by lowering the velocity
of the fluid.

(iv) The outlet casing,

which comprises a fluid
collector known as a
volute or scroll.

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 Various impeller and diffuser components
(i) The impeller vanes, help
to transfer the energy from the
impeller to the fluid.

(ii) The hub is an entity on

which impeller blades are
mounted.

(iii) Impellers enclosed on the

surface CD are known as
shrouded impellers.

(iv) The purpose of the

inducer to increase the
angular momentum of the
fluid without increasing its
radius of rotation.

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 Various impeller and diffuser components
(v) The diffuser may
consists of any annular
space known as a vaneless
diffuser or may be in the
form of a set of guide
vanes, when it is known as
a vaned diffuser.

(The main aim of providing

diffusers is to increase the
static pressure by reducing
the kinetic energy.)

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To put it in a nutshell, a centrifugal compressor
has essentially two parts of energy transformation:

(i) Rotating impeller which imparts a high

velocity to the fluid and at the same time
increases the static pressure. Impellers are
housed inside a stationary casing.

(ii) A number of fixed diverging passage in which

the air is decelerated increasing the static pressure.

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 Principle of Operation

Impeller

Volute casing Impeller inside the

volute casing

Refer to the video „Velocity triangles of centrifugal compressor (Lecture 2)‟

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Vaneless diffuser Vaned diffuser
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 Streamline
flow

Turbulence
flow

The vanes in the diffusers help in guiding the flow through the diffuser to the volute
and to make the flow streamline as shown in the figure. 12
Principle of Operation

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Centrifugal compressor with double sided impeller

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Working/Principle of Operation

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 Working/Principle of Operation
 Air enters the eye of the “impeller” at a
mean radius with a low velocity c1 and
atmospheric pressure p1.
 The fluid is whirled around at a high
speed by the vanes of the impeller disc.
 Depending on the centrifugal action of
the impeller, the air moves radially
outwards and during its movement it is
guided by the impeller vanes.
 The impeller transfers the energy of the
drive to the air causing a rise both in
static pressure (i.e. increases from the
eye to the tip) and temperature, and
increase in velocity.
 Let the increased pressure and velocity
be p2 and c2 respectively. The work
input equals the rise in total
temperature.
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 Working/Principle of Operation

 The air now enters the

diverging passage called
“diffuser” where it is efficiently
slowed down.

 The kinetic energy is converted

into pressure energy with the
result that there is a further rise
in static pressure.

 Let the increased pressure and

the reduced velocity be p3 and
c3.

 The changes of pressure and

velocity of air passing through
the impeller and diffuser are
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shown in the Fig.
 Working/Principle of Operation

 In practice nearly half the total pressure is achieved in impeller and

remaining half in the diffuser. A pressure ratio of 4.5:1 can be
achieved with single-stage centrifugal compressor. For higher
ratios, multi-stage compressors are used.

 In multi-stage compressors, the outlet of the first stage is passed to

the second stage and so on. A pressure ratio of 12:1 is possible
with multi-stage centrifugal compressors.

 It should be noted that straight radial vanes are normally used

because the impellers are very highly stressed.

 Since no work is done on the air in the diffuser the energy

absorbed by the compressor will be determined by the conditions
of air at the inlet and exit of the impeller. 18
Blade/Impeller vane shapes

Vanes are oriented along Exterior tip of blade is Exterior tip of blade is
the radius of the rotor inclined in the direction inclined in the opposite
of the rotor in the direction, i.e anti-
clockwise direction clockwise direction, of
the rotor movement
direction
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 Velocity Triangles

Inlet velocity triangle

The velocity triangles are the graphical representation of velocity of air in connection with
the tangential velocity of rotor at inlet and exit. In turbomachinery, a velocity triangle or
a velocity diagram is a triangle representing the various components of velocities of the
working fluid in a turbomachine.

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 1. Velocity Triangles @ exit (for radial vanes)

Cart with jet of water coming out analogy. 21

2. Velocity Triangles @ exit (for forward vanes)

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2. Velocity Triangles @ exit (for forward vanes)

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2. Velocity Triangles @ exit (for forward vanes)

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3. Velocity Triangles @ exit (for backward vanes)

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3. Velocity Triangles @ exit (for backward vanes)

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β2=Relative air angles at outlet, i.e., angle made by the relative
velocity (Vr2) and the impeller/blade velocity (u2) at exit.

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Nomenclature used for velocity diagram/triangle (For Radial Vanes)

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 π𝑑1 𝑁
• u1 = mean blade velocity at inlet =
60
π𝑑2 𝑁
• u2 = mean blade velocity at inlet =
60
• 𝑉1 = absolute velocity of air at inlet to rotor
• 𝑉2 = absolute velocity of air at outlet from rotor
• 𝑉𝑟1 = relative velocity at inlet
• 𝑉𝑟2 = relative velocity at outlet
• Vw1 = tangential (Horizontal) component of absolute velocity V1 (velocity
of whirl) at inlet
• Vw2 = tangential (Horizontal) component of absolute velocity V2 (velocity
of whirl) at outlet
• Vf1 = axial component of absolute velocity V1 (flow velocity) at inlet
• Vf2 = axial component of absolute velocity V2 (flow velocity) at outlet
• 𝛼1 = outlet angle from guide vane or absolute angle at inlet.
• 𝛼2 = inlet angle to the diffuser
• 𝛽1 = inlet angle to the rotor blade
• 𝛽2 = outlet angle to the rotor blade

• For centrifugal machines usually the absolute velocity at the entry has no
tangential component (i.e., Vw1= 0), thus the inlet velocity triangle for all the 3
types of vanes is same.
Refer to the video „Velocity Diagram and Work Done on air of Centrifugal
Compressor (Euler's Work)‟ 29
Work done by the impeller (For Radial Vanes)
• Assuming ideal conditions (no pre-whirl, no slip)
𝑖 𝛼1 = 90° (axially entering)
𝑉𝑤1 = 0, 𝑉𝑓1 = 𝑉1
(ii) 𝛽2 = 90° (radially leaving)
𝑉𝑟2 = 𝑉𝑓2 , 𝑉𝑤2 = 𝑢2

• Work done by impeller on air,

• 𝑊 = 𝑚 𝑉𝑤2 𝑢2 − 𝑉𝑤1 𝑢1
• 𝑊 = 𝑚 𝑢2 . 𝑢2 − 0 [∵ 𝑉𝑤1 = 0, 𝑉𝑤2 = 𝑢2 ]
• 𝑊 = 𝑚𝑢22 Euler‟s work
Refer to the video „Velocity Diagram and Work Done on air of Centrifugal
Compressor (Euler's Work)‟ 30
Nomenclature used for velocity diagram/triangle (For Backward
Vanes)
• Consider an impeller in which the air enters the impeller eye in an axial
direction (𝜶𝟏 = 90°), but the air not leaving in radial direction (𝜷𝟐 < 90°,
i.e. backward curved blades), the velocity diagram of this impeller is
shown in the figure below.
Work done by impeller on air
𝑊 = 𝑚 𝑉𝑤2 𝑢2 − 𝑉𝑤1 𝑢1
= 𝑚 (𝑉𝑤2 𝑢2 ) [∵ 𝑉𝑤1 = 0]
𝑊 = [𝑉𝑤2 𝑢2 ]
Work done per unit mass flow
rate

Refer to the video „Velocity

Diagram and Work Done on air
of Centrifugal Compressor
(Euler's Work)‟

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From outlet velocity triangle
𝑉𝑓2
• tan 𝛽2 =
𝑢2 −𝑉𝑤2
𝑢2 −𝑉𝑤2
• cot 𝛽2 =
𝑉𝑓2

• 𝑉𝑤2 = 𝑢2 − 𝑉𝑓2 cot 𝛽2

∴ 𝑊 = 𝑢2 − 𝑉𝑓2 cot 𝛽2 . 𝑢2 = 𝑢22 − 𝑉𝑓2 𝑢2 cot 𝛽2
∴ 𝑄 = 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 × 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 = 𝑉𝑓2 × 𝐴2
𝑄
𝑉𝑓2 =
𝐴2
𝑄
∴ 𝑊 = 𝑢22 − 𝑢2 cot 𝛽2
𝐴2
𝑢2 cot 𝛽2
Euler‟s work, 𝐸 = 𝑊 = 𝑢22 − 𝑄
𝐴2
𝐸 = 𝐾1 − 𝐾2 𝑄
𝑢2 cot 𝛽2
Where 𝐾1 = 𝑢22 and 𝐾2 =
𝐴2

Refer to the video „Velocity Diagram and Work Done on air of Centrifugal
Compressor (Euler's Work)‟ 32
 Slip Factor
In case of ideal conditions it is assumed that velocity of
whirl at outlet (Vw2 ) is equal to the ideal blade/impeller
velocity at the exit (u2). But this condition is not satisfied in
actual practice due to secondary flow effects and therefore
in actual compressors velocity of whirl at outlet (Vw2 ) is
lower than the blade/impeller velocity at the exit (u2).
The difference between (𝒖𝟐 − 𝑽𝒘𝟐 ) is known as Slip.
And the slip factor is defined as the ratio of actual whirl
component (Vw2) to the ideal whirl component (u2).
i.e., Slip factor,   Vw 2
s
u2
s  1 while condition is ideal.
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 Power input factor
The stagnation (total head) pressure ratio is given by
 1  1
p02  T /
   T  T01
/
 
  02
 1  02

p01  T01   T01 
 1  1
p02  T /
    (T  T01 )  
  02
 1  isen 02 
p01  T01   T01 
(1)

Again if ω is the angular velocity in rad/s, the work done on 1 kg of fluid will be

W=Theoretical torque × angular velocity

= (Vw2 r2  Vw1r1 )

= (Vw2 r2  Vw1r1 )

= (Vw2 u 2  Vw1u1 ) (2)

as r1  u1 & r2  u 2

Above equation is known as Euler’s equation or Euler’s work.

Or we can write W  h02  h01  c p T02  T01 
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 If the working fluid enters axially i.e., if there is no prewhirl, Vw1 = 0, then
W  Vw2u2 J/kg (3)
The actual work done per kg of air by the compressor is always greater than Vw 2 u 2
due to fluid friction and windage losses, therefore the actual work is obtained by
multiplying Vw 2 u 2by a factor  w known as work factor or power input factor .
i.e., Work factor or power input factor =

Actual Work c p (T02  T01 )

w  
Euler Work Vw 2u 2

Thus, the actual work of compression can be written as

c p T02  T01   w Vw 2u2

or (4)
w Vw 2u 2
T02  T01  
cp
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Now, from Eqn. (1) we can obtain
 1  1

p02  T02/    isenw Vw 2u2  

    1   (5)
p01  T01   c T 
 p 01 
Again from the concept of slip factor, i.e., Vw 2   s u 2 we can rewrite the Eqn.5 as
 1  1

p02  T02/    isenw  u2

 
    1   (6)
s 2

p01  T01   c pT01 

 

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 Pressure Coefficient ( p )
It is defined as the isentropic work to the Euler’s work

Isentropic Work c p (T02/  T01 )

p   (7)
Euler Work Vw 2u 2
For radial vanes of the impeller,

c p isen (T02  T01 )

p  2
(8)
u2
Again using Eqn.4, we can write the above Eqn.8 as

isenw Vw2u2 isenw s u22

p  2
 2
 w sisen (9)
u2 u2

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