CHAPTER FIVE

CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS, FANS

AND BLOWERS
Contents
• Principle of operation
• Centrifugal fans and blowers
Principles of Operation
• Energy is transferred from the impeller to the fluid by almost purely centrifugal
effect. A rotating particle about some axis of rotation usually tends to escape in
the outward radial direction.
• The rotor in centrifugal turbomachines is also named as impeller.
• Flow enters into the compressor through the impeller eye. The rotating impeller
drives the inlet flow to the larger radius exit by centrifugal effect. Subsequently,
low pressure region is created around the impeller eye which allows fluid to be
sucked into the compressor.
• The part of the impeller that creates low pressure region is called the inducer.
The flow is induced through the impeller eye and is forced at impeller exit.
• Inlet guide vanes are usually provided before the impeller eye. The flow is
accelerated through a nozzle inlet casing in some centrifugal compressors
before it enters the IGVs.
• The fluid which gets out of the impeller is again diffuses through diverging area
of stationary blades (diffusers) to convert its kinetic energy into static pressure.
Volute casing surrounding the compressor stage collects the diffused flow.
• Practical pressure ratio is between 4 to 6 in a single stage centrifugal
compressor.
• At higher mass flow rate values, axial compressors have better
efficiency but at lower flow rates centrifugal compressors have better
performance.
• The center of discussion in this chapter lies on compressors because
the working principles can also apply for fans and blowers. The
boundary between these energy absorbing machines is the different
pressure rise achieved.
• Fans have the least pressure rise, where as blowers have a relatively
larger pressure rise and compressors deliver a substantial pressure
rise.
 Fig: - Types of impeller construction Fig: - Vane – less centrifugal compressor

• Shrouded impeller has the advantage of

no tip clearance loss but it has increased
friction loss.
Effect of blade shape on performance
• Three possibilities for impeller blade orientation : backward curved,
Radial and Forward curved impellers.
• For the same rotor tip speed, the highest pressure ratio is attained in
forward curved impellers and the least pressure ratio is obtained in
backward curved blades.
• The total pressure or head developed by the centrifugal impeller
depends on the mass flow rate in backward flow and forward flow
blades, whereas it doesn’t pose any effect on radial blade impellers.
• The curved blades tend to straighten due to centrifugal effect.
Strength is least concern in radial blade impeller.
• Better strength and design and manufacturing simplicity are
important justifications for choosing radial blading.
  𝑈 2  𝑈 2
 𝑊 2
 𝑊 2  𝐶 2  𝐶 2

Backward curved Radial blades

blades

 𝑈 2
 𝑊 2

 𝐶 2

Forward curved
blades
  𝐶 𝑦 2

𝐶
  𝑥 𝐶 𝑈
𝐶
  𝑥 𝑈
    𝑥  
𝑈
 
𝐶
  𝑥  𝛽
 𝛽 2 𝐶
  𝑥 2 𝐶
  𝑥

 𝐶 𝑦 2
 𝐶 𝑦 2 𝐶
  𝑦2 =𝐶 𝑦 2
 𝐶 𝑦 2

Backward Curved Forward Blades Radial Blades

Blades

 𝐶
  𝑚
˙ 𝑥
Velocity Triangle
• Radial
  blade impeller
• The design velocity diagram involves a purely axial entry at the inlet through
the impeller eye and the blade is radial at exit where the relative velocity
takes the radial direction.
• But due to the large centrifugal effect, slip occurs in the relative flow of fluid
in the impeller. Then, the relative velocity is more than the theoretical value
and it also fails to follow the blade profile at the impeller exit.
• A slip factor () is a coefficient introduced in calculation of specific work to
account for distortion of velocity triangle as a result of slip.

• A power input factor () is also introduced to account for windage, disk

friction and casing friction losses.
Pressure ratio
• 
Compressibility effect
Mach number in the Diffuser
Centrifugal compressor characteristics
 •Performance characteristics curve is plotted for
compressible flows, the one we encounter in
centrifugal compressor stage.
• The pressure ratio is plotted against the value of
relative to the design point, for various speed
and constant efficiency lines.
• The surge points for each operating conditions
can be indicated on the plotted surge line, which
is a critical design consideration in compressors.
Choking
• When the velocity of fluid in a passage reaches the speed of sound at
any cross – section, the flow becomes chocked (air ceases to flow).
The choking behavior of rotating passages differs from that of
stationary passages, and therefore it is necessary to make separate
analysis for impeller and diffuser, assuming one dimensional,
adiabatic flow, and that the fluid is a perfect gas.
• Inlet Choking
• Impeller choking
The above equation indicates that for rotating passages, mass flow is dependent
on the blade speed.
• Diffuser Choking