Compressors

Compressor
Draws in air and compresses it •

Compressor types •
Radial/centrifugal flow compressor –
Axial flow compressor –
Introduction
 Examples of Application
Impeller of a compressor
 Examples of Application
• Vaned diffuser for centrifugal compressor
The two principal types of compressors are:

 Centrifugal flow compressor

 Axial flow compressor.

The centrifugal-flow compressor draws in air at the

center or eye of the impeller and accelerates it around
and outward.

In the axial flow compressor, the air is compressed

while continuing its original direction of flow (parallel
to the axis of the compressor rotor).
 Centrifugal Compressors
• Air is sucked into the impeller eye and whirled at high
speed by the vanes of the impeller disc.
• The static pressure increases from eye to tip.
• Remainder of static pressure rise occurs in diffusers.
• Normally half of pressure rise occurs in the impeller
and 50% in diffuser.
• Some stagnation pressure loss occurs.
Centrifugal Compressor:

The centrifugal compressor is usually located between the

accessory section and the combustion section. The basic
compressor section consists of an impeller, diffuser, and
compressor manifold.

The diffuser is bolted to the manifold. Often the entire

assembly is referred to as the diffuser. For ease of
understanding, we will discuss each unit separately.

The impeller may be either single entry or dual entry. The

main differences between the single-entry and dual-entry
impeller are the size of the impeller and the ducting
arrangement.
Centrifugal compressor (Single Entry)
Centrifugal compressor (Dual Entry)
 The single-entry impeller permits convenient
ducting directly to the inlet vanes.

 The dual-entry impeller uses a more complicated

ducting to reach the rear side of the compressor.

 Single-entry impellers are slightly more efficient

in receiving air, but they must be of greater
diameter to provide sufficient airflow. This
increases the overall diameter of the engine.
 Dual-entry impellers are smaller in diameter and
rotate at higher speeds to ensure a sufficient airflow.

 Most modern GTEs use the dual-entry compressor

to reduce engine diameter. Because the air must
enter the engine at almost right angles to the engine
axis, a plenum chamber is required for dual-entry
compressors. The air must surround the compressor
at a positive pressure before entering the
compressor to ensure an undisturbed flow.
PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
The compressor draws in the air at the hub of the
impeller and accelerates it radially by centrifugal force
through the impeller.

It leaves the impeller at a high velocity and a low

pressure and flows through the diffuser.

The diffuser converts the high-velocity, LP air to low

velocity, HP air.

The compressor manifold diverts the flow of air from the

diffuser (an integral part of the manifold) into the
combustion chambers.
CONSTRUCTION
In a centrifugal compressor the manifold has one outlet
port for each combustion chamber. The outlet ports are
bolted to an outlet elbow on the manifold.

The outlet ports ensure that the same amount of air is

delivered to each combustion chamber.

Each outlet port elbow contains from two to four

turning vanes to change the airflow from radial to axial
flow and to reduce air pressure losses by presenting a
smooth turning surface.

The impeller is usually made from a forged aluminum

alloy that is heat-treated, machined, and smoothed for
minimum flow restriction and turbulence.
Centrifugal compressor components
Some types of impellers are made from a single
forging, while in other types the inducer vanes are
separate pieces that are welded in place.

Centrifugal compressors may achieve efficiencies of

80 to 84 percent at pressure ratios of 2.5:1 to 4:1

and efficiencies of 76 to 81 percent at pressure ratios

of 4:1 to 10:1.

Advantages of centrifugal compressors are as

follows:
 Rugged, simple in design
 Relatively light in weight
 Develop high-pressure ratio per stage
Disadvantages of centrifugal compressors are as
follows:

 Large frontal area

 Lower efficiency than axial-flow compressors

 Difficulty in using two or more stages due to the air

loss that occurs between stages and seals
Axial-Flow Compressors
The only compressor type in large marine gas turbine
engines is the multistage axial flow compressor, a
cutaway view of which is illustrated in the following
figure.

Rotor and Stator (cut away view) of multi stage axial flow compressor
Different components of a multi stage axial flow compressor
The two main elements of an axial-flow compressor are
the rotor and the stator. The rotor has fixed blades
which force the air rearward much like an aircraft
propeller. Behind each rotor is a stator which directs the
air rearward to the next rotor.

Each consecutive pair of rotor and stator blades

constitutes a pressure stage.

The action of the rotor at each stage increases

compression and velocity of the air and directs it
rearward.

By virtue of this increased velocity, energy is transferred

from the compressor to the air in the form of velocity
energy.
The stators at each stage act as diffusers, partially
converting this high velocity to pressure.

The number of stages required in a compressor is

determined by the amount of air and total pressure
rise required by the GTE.

The greater the number of stages, the higher the

compression ratio.

Most present-day engines have 8 to 17 stages.

COMPRESSOR CONSTRUCTION
The rotor and stators are enclosed in the compressor case.
Today’s GTEs use a case that is horizontally divided into
upper and lower halves.

The halves are bolted together with fitted bolts and dowel
pins located at various points for casing alignment. This
ensures proper casing half alignment.

Other assemblies can then be bolted to either end of the

compressor case.

On some older design engines, the case is a one-piece

cylinder open on both ends.
The one piece compressor case is simpler to
manufacture, but any repair or detailed inspection of
the compressor rotor requires engine removal and
delivery to a shop. At the shop it is disassembled for
inspection or repair of the rotor or stator.

On engines with the split case, either the upper or

lower case can be removed, allowing the engine to
remain in place for maintenance and inspection.

The compressor case is usually made of aluminum or

steel. The material used will depend on the engine
manufacturer, the weight requirements of the engine,
and the accessories attached to the case.
The compressor case may have external connections
made as part of the case. These connections are
normally used as bleed air ports to aid in the
prevention of stalls during starting and acceleration
or at low-speed operation.

The two main types of axial compressor rotors are

the drum type and the disk type.

Drum Type:
The drum-type rotor consists of rings that are flanged
to fit one against the other. The entire assembly may
then be held together by through bolts (often called
tie bolts). The drum is one diameter over its full
length.
Drum-type compressor rotor Disk-type compressor rotor.
The blades and stators vary in their radial length from
the front to the rear of the assembly. The compressor
case tapers accordingly. This type of construction is
satisfactory for low-speed compressors where
centrifugal stresses are low.

Disk Type: The disk-type rotor consists of a series of

disks of increasing diameter which are machined from
forgings and shrunk fit over a steel shaft.

Another method of rotor construction is to machine the

disks and shaft from a single aluminum forging and
bolt steel stub shafts on the front and rear of the
assembly.
The stub shafts provide bearing support surfaces and
splines for joining the turbine shaft.

The blades decrease in length from entry to discharge.

This is due to a progressive reduction in the annular
working space (drum to casing) toward the rear. The
working space decreases because the rotor disk
diameter increases.

The disk-type rotors are used almost exclusively in all

present-day, high-speed engines.
COMPRESSOR BLADING
Each stage of an axial compressor has a set of rotor and
stator blades. Stator blades may also be referred to as
vanes. The construction of these blades is important to
efficient operation of a GTE.

Rotor Blades: The rotor blades are usually made of

aluminum, titanium, or stainless or semistainless steel.
Methods of attaching the blades in the rotor disk rims
vary.

They are commonly fitted into the disks by either the

bulb or the fir-tree type of roots.

The blades are then locked with grub-screws, lockwires,

pins, or keys.
Compressor blade tips are reduced by cutouts, which
are referred to as blade profiles.

Some manufacturers use a ring (usually called a

shroud) that acts as a spacer for the stators.

The shroud can also act as a wear surface when the

blade tips come into contact with the ring.

This rubbing of blade tips maintains the close

tolerances necessary to maintain the efficiency of the
compressor and the profiles prevent serious damage to
the blade or housing.
Blade with squealer tip
Another method of maintaining minimum clearance
is to metal-spray the case and stators. Thin squealer
tips on the blades and vanes contact the sprayed
material. The abrasive action of the blade tip cuts into
the sprayed material, thus obtaining minimum
clearance.

The primary causes of rubbing are an excessively

loose blade or a malfunction of a compressor support
bearing. This causes the compressor rotor to drop.

Large compressors have loose-fitting blades on the

first several stages. These move during acceleration
to minimize vibration while passing through critical
speed ranges.
Once up to speed, centrifugal force locks the blades
in place and little or no movement occurs.

Movement of the blades also occurs during rundown.

On a clean engine some of the blades may have as
much as 1/4-inch radial movement, which can cause a
tinkling sound during rundown.

Large compressor rotors have long blades on the first

stage. They have a wing tip on the blade faces called
a midspan platform. The platform gives some radial
support to the blades during acceleration. This
midpoint support is needed because of the length and
amount of movement of the blades.
Midspan
platforms

Large engine compressor rotor with midspan platforms

Stators.—The stator vanes project radially toward the
rotor axis and fit closely on either side of each stage of
the rotor.

The function of the stators is twofold:

(1) they receive air from the air inlet duct or from each
preceding stage of the rotor and deliver the air to
the next stage or to combustors at a workable
velocity and pressure;
(2) they control the direction of air to each rotor stage
to obtain the maximum compressor blade
efficiency. The stator vanes are made of alloys with
corrosion- and erosion-resistant qualities.
Frequently, the vanes are shrouded by a band of
suitable material to simplify the fastening problem.

The outer shrouds are secured to the inner wall of the

compressor case by radial retaining screws.

Some manufacturers machine a slot in the outer

shrouds and run a long, thin key the length of the
compressor case.

The key is held in place by retaining screws to prevent

the stators from turning within the case. This method
is used when a one-piece compressor case is slid over
the compressor and stator assembly.
A pressure rise of about 1.2 times the preceding stage
is about as much as a single stage can handle.

Higher pressure rises result in higher diffusion rates

with excessive turning angles. This causes excessive
air instability and low efficiency.

Preceding the first stage compressor blades is a row of

vanes known as inlet guide vanes (IGVs).

The function of the IGVs varies somewhat, depending

on the size of the engine and the air inlet construction.
On smaller engines the air inlet is not totally in line with
the first stage of the rotor. The IGVs straighten the
airflow and direct it to the first-stage rotor.

On large engines the IGVs are variable and move with

the variable stators.

The variable IGVs on large engines direct the airflow at

the proper angle to reduce drag on the first-stage rotor.

Variable IGVs achieve the same purposes as variable

stator vanes (VSVs).
Some GTEs have moveable, or variable, stators.

The position of the variable stators is determined by

compressor inlet temperature (CIT) and engine power
requirements.

They are moved by mechanical linkages that are

connected to, and controlled by, the fuel-control
governor.

Variable stators have two purposes. First, they are

positioned at various angles, depending on compressor
speed, to ensure the proper angle of attack of the air in
the compressor blades.
Varying the stator angle helps to maintain maximum
compressor efficiency over the operating speed range
of the engine. This is important in variable-speed
engines, such as those used for main propulsion.

Second, the variable stators on large engines greatly

reduce incidences of compressor surge.

Surge:
Surge results when the airflow stalls across the
compressor blades; that is, air is not smoothly
compressed into the combustion and turbine section.

Stalling may occur over a few blades or a section of

some stages. If enough flow is interrupted, pressure
may surge back through the compressor.
Compressor surge
This occurrence can be minor or very severe with
damage to the turbine resulting.

If severe disturbance occurs, all the air in the

combustor may be used for combustion instead of only
the primary air.

This would result in a lack of cooling air (secondary)

that may cause extreme temperatures which burn the
combustor and turbine section.
By a change in the angle of the stators and use of bleed
valves, smooth airflow through the compressor is
ensured.

Constant-speed engines, such as those used to drive

generators, normally do not use variable stators. They
are designed to operate at 100 percent rpm all the time.
Proper fuel scheduling and use of bleed air valves are
used to reduce the probability of compressor surge in
these engines.
 Centrifugal Compressors
• Work done and Pressure Rise:

• Absolute velocity of air at impeller tip. V2

• tangential or whirl component V 2
• radial component. V r2

• θ is the blade angle at inlet.

• α is the blade angle at outlet or diffuser

inlet angle.

• β angle given by the direction of the

relative velocity at outlet with tangential
velocity
 Velocity Triangles

• momentum Theoritical power required to run the compressor,

equation Wc  Vw 2u2 - Vw1u1  Vw 2 u 2 (Vw1  0)
 Centrifugal Compressors

Slip phenomenon: air trapped between the impeller vanes does not
move with the impeller, thus air acquire whirl (Vw) velocity at the
tip which is less than u.
Centrifugal Compressors
Influence of Impeller Blade Shape
Influence of Impeller Blade Shape
AXIAL FLOW
COMPRESSOR

The basic components of an axial flow compressor are a rotor and stator,
the former carrying the moving blades and the latter the stationary rows of
blades. The stationary blades convert the kinetic energy of the fluid into
pressure energy, and also redirect the flow into an angle suitable for entry
to the next row of moving blades. Each stage will consist of one rotor row
followed by a stator row, but it is usual to provide a row of so called inlet
guide vanes. This is an additional stator row upstream of the first stage in
the compressor and serves to direct the axially approaching flow correctly
into the first row of rotating blades. For a compressor, a row of rotor blades
followed by a row of stator blades is called a stage.
AIR IN COMPRESSOR STAGES

STATOR COMP. STATOR

BLADES BLADES BLADES

FIXED MOVING FIXED

AIR IN COMPRESSOR STAGES AIR PRESSURE THROUGH
COMPRESSOR BLADES
HAS NO CHANGE
STATOR BLADES AS X = X
ACT AS DIFFUSER
AS Y2 > Y1

Y2
X

X
Y1

STATOR COMP. STATOR

BLADES BLADES BLADES
FIXED MOVING FIXED
 HOW PRESSURE BUILDS UP
IN COMPRESSOR STAGES

STATOR BLADES ACT AS DIFFUSER

VOLUME INCREASED
PRESSURE INCREASED
VELOCITY (IN STATOR ) DECREASED
VELOCITY (IN MOVING ) INCREASED

VELOCITY IS CONSTANT
ALONG THE COMPRESSOR STATOR COMP. STATOR
BLADES
V inlet = V outlet BLADES
MOVING
BLADES
FIXED FIXED
Axial Flow Compressor Pressure

Constant Velocity
Velocity

Pressure increased

Pressure

Stator Rotor Stator Rotor Stator

 Centrifugal Compressors
 Stall
• Defined as the (aerodynamic stall) or the break-
away of the flow from the suction side of the blades.
• A multi-staged compressor may operate safely with
one or more stages stalled and the rest of the
stages unstalled . but performance is not optimum.
Due to higher losses when the stall is formed.
 Surge
• Is a special fluctuation of mass flow rate in and out
of the engine. No running under this condition.
• Surge is associated with a sudden drop in delivery
pressure and with violent aerodynamic pulsation
which is transmitted throughout the whole machine.
 Compressor

Radial/centrifugal flow •
Adv: simple design, good for low –
compression ratios (5:1)
Disadv: Difficult to stage, less efficient –

Axial flow •
Good for high compression ratios (20:1) –
Most commonly used –