MAE 570 Aeropropulsion

Axial Flow Compressors, a

 Aircraft Engine Compressor
Engine performance, and thus aircraft range, is strongly dependent on
compressor pressure ratio and compressor efficiency.

General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofan

The compressor pressure
ratio can be the order of
30:1 or more.
The axial compressor
therefore have many
stages and tends to be a
massive part of the engine.

Since engine mass must be as low as possible, the

design of axial compressors for aircraft engines is a
great challenge, both aerodynamically and mechanically.
 Axial Flow Compressor
Two-spool, turbofan engine

The fan and low pressure

compressor stages (green)
are driven by the 2-stage low-
pressure turbine (green).

The 6-stage high-pressure

compressor (purple) is
powered by the 2-stage
high-pressure turbine
(purple)

The air flow remains parallel to the axis of thrust

 Axial Compressor
Many axial compressors have
• two or three separate compressor sections;
• sections are able to rotate at different speeds
• mounted on concentric shafts.
 Centrifugal Compressor
In centrifugal compressors, the fluid flow includes a "radial component" through
the compressor. Centrifugal compressors do work on the flow by turning, and
accelerating, the flow radially.

The very first jet engines used centrifugal compressors, and they are still
used on small turbojets and turbo shaft engines.
The operational details are complex because the blade geometries and
the resulting flows are three dimensional, unsteady, and can have
important viscous and compressibility effects.
 Axial Compressor
General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofan
• Takeoff thrust (sea-level) = 53,000 lbf • Compressor pressure ratio = 31:1
• Bypass ratio = 5 • Airflow rate = 1770 lb/s

The 2-stage high-pressure turbine drives the 14-stage high-pressure compressor.

The 5-stage low-pressure turbine drives the 3-stage low-pressure compressor and
the fan through a shaft internally concentric with the rotating structure that connects
the high-pressure compressor and turbine.
 General Electric J85
The J85 is a small single-shaft turbojet engine.

A J85 engine sectioned for display

 GE J85 compressor
This compressor has seven stages; each
rotor blade row is mounted on a separate
disc, but all discs are bolt connected and
driven by a single shaft.

Overall pressure ratio ~ 6.5. (a later

version has an extra stage and an overall
pressure ratio of 9.3.)
Mass flow = 69.6 lb/s (static sea-level);
Inlet blade tip diameter = 0.51 m.

Sketch of a typical axial compressor assembly: the GE J85 compressor. (Courtesy GE Aircraft
Engines)
 General Electric F404 engine
Figure shows the low-pressure compressor and turbine combination of the
General Electric F404 engine.

A single-stage low-pressure turbine drives a 3-stage axial compressor.

 General Electric F404 engine
Figure shows the close spacing, flatness, and
thinness of the first-stage rotor blades.
At the outer radius the velocity of the flow
relative to these blades is supersonic.

7-stage high-pressure compressor,

driven by a separate high-pressure
turbine through a shaft concentric with
the one shown in Fig. (a).
Overall compressor ratio = ~ 26: 1,
Average pressure ratio per stage = ~ 1.39.
Flow through low-pressure compressor ~ 64.5 kg/s
 Axial Compressor
An axial compressor is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the
gas principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation.

The air in an axial compressor flows

through a series of rotating rotor
blades and stationary (stator) vanes.

Increase in pressure by a single stage is

limited by the relative velocity between
the rotor and the fluid, and the turning
and diffusion capabilities of the airfoils.

A typical stage produces a pressure

increase of 15% - 60% (pressure ratios
of 1.15–1.6) at design conditions.

The energy of the fluid increases as it flows through the compressor due to the
action of the rotor blades, which exert a torque on the fluid.
 Axial Flow Compressor
Rows of closely spaced rotor blades (R), which rotate with the shaft, are each
followed by rows of closely spaced stator blades (S).
Compressor Stage
One rotor blade row plus a row
of stator blade make up a single
stage of the compressor.

Inlet Guide Vanes

Some compressors have stationary
blades, (known as inlet guide vanes)
just ahead of the first rotor blade row

Most axial compressors are designed so that the axial component of the average
velocity is approximately the same for all stages.
Blade height is much less at the back end of the compressor than at the front end.
 Axial Compressor

The stationary blades slow the fluid, converting the circumferential component
of flow into pressure.
Each blade on the compressor produces a pressure variation much like
the airfoil of a spinning propeller.
The performance of the compressor is characterized by
• the pressure ratio across the compressor,
• the rotational speed of the shaft to produce the pressure increase, and
• an efficiency factor that indicates how much additional work is required
relative to an ideal compressor.

Axial compressors have high efficiency and large mass flow rate, particularly
in relation to their size and cross-section. However, they require several rows
of airfoils to achieve a large pressure rise, making them complex and
expensive relative to centrifugal compressors.
 Axial Compressor
Flow path of an axial compressor decreases in cross-section area in direction of
flow, reducing the volume of air as compression progresses from stage to stage.

The air delivered to the face of compressor by the air inlet duct, may pass
through inlet guide vanes .
Upon entering the set of rotating blades, air is deflected in the direction of
rotation. The air is arrested and turn as it is passed on to a set of stator vanes.
The pressure increases as air passes through a set of rotors and stators.
 Axial Compressor

Let c = velocity of flow through c  cr r  c θ  cz z
turbomachine rotor.

F  Fr r  F θ  Fz z

Motion of single particle in cylindrical coordinates

 Axial Flow Compressor

c  cr r  c θ  cz z
Let c = velocity of flow through
turbomachine rotor.
Flow inside a turbomachine rotor is
unsteady (but periodic) and
asymmetric relative to a control surface
fixed in space. On average, we omit the
time-dependent behavior.

Torque equation
Control volume for application to steady
axisymmetric flow entering and leaving a rotor.

 = torque c = tangential component

  m (rc ) 2  (rc )1  of velocity
 Axial Compressor
We first consider the increment of flow rate that enters control volume through
an incremental area of mean radius r1 and radial width dr. This flow occupies a
cylindrical annular stream tube that leaves the control volume at radius r2.

d  dm
 (r2c 2  r1c 1 )

   (rc ) c dA   (rc ) c dA
n n
A2 A1

  m (rc ) 2  (rc )1 

Assumptions of steadiness and axisymmetry mean that both at inlet and outlet,
velocity components cz, cr, and c will be taken to be independent of r and .
 Axial Compressor
With little change in average blade diameter:
• Ratio of axial velocity (cz) to blade speed varies little from stage to stage;
• cz = constant (under design conditions), from stage to stage. This requires
that the annular flow area at the entrance to each stage vary inversely with
density.
• At the back end of the compressor, where pressure and density are highest,
blade height is least.
 Axial Compressor
The blade itself is rotating. Let the local blade velocity be U (=r)

Let w be fluid velocities, viewed from relative reference frame.

Absolute velocity of fluid particles obtained by vector addition:

  
c U  w

Absolute velocity, c is fluid velocity observed from the absolute reference

frame.
 Axial Compressor stage
Mean radius section of a single compressor stage
  
c U  w

 = Absolute flow angles

 = Flow angles relative to rotor

z Velocity triangles at (1) and (2)

show the relation of absolute and

relative velocities.

The absolute exit angle from the previous stage is 1 may be equal to 3.

In many compressors, the blade angles are similar for all stages.
 Axial Compressor Stage
Angular momentum of the fluid is changed as it travels through a blade row.

Pressure on the convex surface (called suction side) is generally relatively low. Pressure
on the concave side (called pressure side) is generally relatively high.

Absolute velocity of flow entering the rotor is c1.

Velocity relative to the rotor, w1 is derived by vector subtraction

w1 = U – c1

Flow turns in the blade passage to the new relative velocity vector w2.
Absolute velocity c2 (rotor exit or stator entrance):

c 2 = w2 + U
 Axial Compressor Stage
The component of the absolute velocity in the tangential direction increases.
Hence, rotor imparts angular momentum.

In both rotor and stator, the velocity inside the blade passage (relative to the
blades) usually decreases and the pressure rises, in each blade row.
 Axial Compressor Stage
Generally, there is a little radial displacement of a fluid particle as it moves
through a rotor blade row, so strictly speaking, r2 # r1 and U2 # U1.

Usually, r2 - r1 << r1, so we make the approximation

U 2  U1  U
The axial velocity components cz1 and cz2 are approximately equal.

cz1  cz 2  cz Typically cz will vary with radius in different ways

upstream and downstream of the rotor.

Mid-radius Design Condition

We are interested initially in how the stage pressure ratio depends on fluid
velocities under (mid-radius) design conditions, so we confine our attention here
to the mid-radius design flow condition.
At mid-radius, cz may differ appreciably when compressor runs at off-design flow
or speed.
 Axial Compressor Stage
U 2  U1  U cz1  cz 2  cz
(1) (2)


c 2  U  cz tan  2

c 1  cz tan 1 c  c 2  c 1  U  cz tan  2  cz tan 1

Velocity triangles for entrance to a compressor stage

w 1  cz tan 1  w1 sin 1

c 1  cz tan 1

cz

U  cz tan 1  cz tan 1 c12  c z21  c21 w12  cz21  w21

 Axial Compressor Stage
Velocity triangles for a compressor stage

Assume each fluid particle passing through the

stage has the velocity vectors shown in figure.

Torque on fluid within rotor :

  m (rc ) 2  (rc )1 
At mid radius r = constant

  m rc 2  c 1   m rc
c 2  U  cz tan  2

c 1  cz tan 1
U  cz tan 1  cz tan 1
U  cz tan  2  cz tan 2
c  c 2  c 1  U  cz tan  2  cz tan 1
Power supplied to drive the stage:
P  
 Axial Compressor Stage
Power output from the pump (negative):

U = r = blade speed (constant, at mid-radius)

Work per unit mass wc (done on the fluid by the rotor )

P  m
 Uc wc  Uc c  c 2  c 1

Work done by stator on the fluid = 0, because Ustator = 0.

Torque on Stator (opposite to that on the fluid):

 Axial Compressor Stage
1st Law: Q  m (h02  h01 )  W where Ps is shaft power =Ẇ

The flow between stations (1), (2), and (3) is close to adiabatic (Q = 0).
(Even at high-temperature end of compressor, heat transfer from the air, per unit
mass, is negligible relative to work transfer.)

P  m
 Uc

h0  Uc We assume uniform

stagnation enthalpy in
Uc radial direction.
T0  Assuming constant cp
cp
Define a nondimensional stagnation temperature (T0/T01) rise across the rotor:

Note: For stator row, flow is adiabatic and no work is done on

T0 Uc
 the fluid as it passes through the stator row, T03 = T02
T01 c pT01 This is the stagnation temperature rise across the entire stage.

We are interested in pressure rise across stage. So we will relate this

temperature rise to pressure rise.
 Axial Compressor Stage
Stagnation pressure rise across the blade stage depends strongly on the
efficiency.

If the whole process were isentropic, the

final stagnation pressure for the same work
input would be p0max.
Because of losses in the rotor and stator, p03
< p02 < p0max

The stage efficiency st is defined by

T03s  T01 T03s  T01
 st  
T03  T01 T0

T0 T03s
st T0  T03s  T01  st  1
T01 T01

T-s plane the path of the compression process through the stage.
 Axial Compressor Stage
Stagnation Pressure Ratio

 /( 1)
p03  T03s 
  
p01  T01 

Higher blade speed U and higher c give

higher stage pressure ratio.
(true up to point at which the stage can provide a
given c with reasonably high stage efficiency)

If c is to large, misbehavior of boundary layers on the blade surfaces or on the end
walls of the blade passages may prevent any further increase in stage pressure ratio.
 Axial Compressor Stage
Example:
In one stage of an axial flow compressor, the pressure ratio is to be 1.22 and the air
inlet stagnation temperature is 288K. If the stagnation temperature rise of the stages is
21K, the rotor tip speed is 200 m/s, and the rotor rotates at 4500 rpm, calculate the
stage efficiency and diameter of the rotor
 Axial Compressor Stage
Example:
In one stage of an axial flow compressor, the pressure ratio is to be 1.22 and the air
inlet stagnation temperature is 288K. If the stagnation temperature rise of the stages is
21K, the rotor tip speed is 200 m/s, and the rotor rotates at 4500 rpm, calculate the
stage efficiency and diameter of the rotor

The diameter of the rotor can be calculated using

Dtip N
U tip 
60
 Axial Compressor Stage
Example
For a compressor stage at r = 0.75 m, the rotational speed is 2500 rpm. T0a = 350 K,
cz = cz1 = cz2 = 150 m/s, 1 = 35o and 2 = 10o. Complete the velocity triangle and
calculate the stagnation pressure ratio (p03/p01) for st = 0.9.
 Axial Compressor Stage
U
Equations Summary
U  cz tan 1  cz tan 1  tan 1  tan 1
cz
U  cz tan  2  cz tan 2

c  U  cz tan  2  cz tan 1

  m (rc ) 2  (rc )1 
cz = 150 m/s, 1 = 35o and 2 = 10o U  2rN  2 (0.75)( 2500 / 60)  196 m / s

c  U  cz tan  2  cz tan 1 c  196  150(tan 35  tan 10)  64.52 m / s

W shaft
wc   Uc  196(64.52)  12.662 103 J / kg
m

 /( 1) 1.4 /(1.4 1)

p03  Uc   (196)(64.52) 
 1   st   1  0.9   1.114
p01  c pT01   (1005)( 350) 

U 196
U  cz tan 1  cz tan 1 tan 1   tan 1   tan 35 1 = 31.235o
cz 150

U  cz tan  2  cz tan 2 tan  2 

U
 tan  2 
196
 tan 10 2 = 48.50o
cz 150
 Alternative Solution

U  2rN  2 (0.75)( 2500 / 60)  196 m / s

cz  c1 cos 1 c1 
cz

150m / s
cos 1 cos 35o
 183.11 m / s

c 1  c1 sin 1  (183.11m / s) sin 35o  105m / s

w 1  U  c 1  196  105  91 m / s

w1  cz2  w21  1502  912 m / s  175 m / s

w   91  cz 150m / s
1  tan   1   tan 1 
1
  31.3
o
w2    152.3 m / s
 cz   150  cos  2 cos10 o

w 2  w2 sin  2  (152.3 m / s ) sin 10o  26.4 m / s

c 2  U  w 2  196  26.4  169.6 m / s

c2  cz2  w22  1502  26.42 m / s  152.3 m / s

 c 2   169.6 
 2  tan 1    tan 1    48.5
o

 cz   150 

W shaft
wc   Uc  U (c 2  c 1 )  196(169.6  105)  12.662 103 J / kg
m

 /( 1) 1.4 /(1.4 1)

p03  Uc   (196)(169.6  105) 
 1   st   1  0.9  1.114
p01  c pT01   (1005)(350) 
 Axial Compressor Stage
Stage pressure ratio:

or

Blade speed Mach number

= U/(RT01

To estimate stage pressure ratio it is necessary to specify not only the values of c/U and
st but also the ratio U/(RT01)

Blade speed Mach number is the ratio of the blade speed to the speed of sound at inlet
stagnation temperature).
 Characteristic Performance of a
Compressor Stage
We have addressed the flow velocities and angles when the stage is
operating at design values of shaft speed and mass flow rate.
How may the performance of the stage change as a result of departure from
design conditions?
Recall:

c  U  cz tan 1  cz tan  2 h0  Uc

h0  Uc  U U  cz tan 1  tan  2 

In dimensionless form:
Single Stage Off-Design Conditions
Effects of small changes from design conditions

Departure from design flow rate will change the axial velocity component cz.
Departure from design shaft speed will necessarily change the blade speed U.
Changing either cz or U will alter angle 1 at which the flow approaches rotor (or
2, at which it approaches the stator).

(tan 1 + tan 2)  constant

Departure from design conditions are concentrated in the variable cz/U.

We assume that small changes in 1 do not affect 2. (Blades provide strong flow guidance, so
outlet angle 2 is essentially independent of the inlet angle, for small changes).
Note: the only blade angles appearing in above equation are outlet angles (2 from the rotor and 1
from the preceding stator). Therefore, (tan 1 + tan 2) is ~ constant. Results: departure from
design conditions is concentrated in the variable cz/U.
Off-Design Operation—Single Stage
c h0
 2  1  z tan 1  tan  2 
c
U U U

This equation give an ideal stage characteristic which we may plot and
compare with a measured stage characteristic.
 c h0
 2  1  z tan 1  tan  2 
c
U U U Small departures from (cz/U)design
• Actual and ideal work (h0/U2) agree
• Little effect on measured stage efficiency

Large departures from (cz/U)design

Large differences between ideal and
actual work.
This is because rotor inlet angle 1 is
uniquely determined by value of cz/U.

FIGURE 7.10 Ideal and actual stage characteristics.

Boundary Layer Separation Effects

Figure shows velocity changes due to changes in cz

(constant U) and constant stator outlet angle 1.

Large departures from (cz/U)design

• Expect boundary layer separation. Blades are no
longer effective in controlling the flow
• c/U drops considerably below the ideal
characteristic.

Flow separation also results in increased viscous

mixing loss.

Stage efficiency drops considerably below the ideal.

 Multistage Compressor

Off-Design
In a multistage axial compressor, small departure from design point operation
at the first stage causes progressively increasing departure from design
conditions from the first stage onward.
 Multistage Axial Compressor
Off-Design Condition
Small departure from design point at the first stage causes progressively increasing
departure from design conditions from the first stage onward.
Assume at design point, all stages operate with same cz/U.
Lower cz/U gives
higher c/U (work)
Entrance to the 1st stage
Flow rate into compressor is slightly reduced:
• Lower cz/U
• Increased work done by the first stage. (higher density)

Entrance to the 2nd stage

The value of cz/U falls below design for two reasons:
FIG. 7.10 Ideal and actual stage characteristics.
(1) lower mass flow rate (from 1st stage)
(2) extra increase in air density leaving 1st stage
(because higher-than-design work done in 1st stage).

   (rtip2  rhub
m 2
) cz Note: For a given ṁ and stage exit area, if  increases, cz decreases at exit from stage.
 Multistage Compressor

Off-Design
• Enhanced departure from (cz/U)design in 1st stage, causes even greater work
and density increase in the 2nd stage, with the result that cz/U at entrance to
the 3rd stage is still lower than it was at entrance to the 2nd.
• A small reduction from (cz/U)design at entrance to the 1st stage could lead to
positive-incidence flow separation in the last stage of the compressor.
• Similarly, a moderate increase in cz/U at the 1st stage could lead to large
negative-incidence flow separation in the last stage.
• It is possible, with the front stages operating normally, that the end stages
could be faced with such high values of cz/U as to produce negative
pressure rise, that is, to act as throttles rather than as compressor stages.
 Multistage Axial Compressor
Off-Design: Starting Conditions
Under operations at design conditions there will be a large change in density
between entrance and exit of a compressor. A change in blade length
accommodate this density variation.
Starting Condition: the density is the same at inlet and exit of compressor,
(exit/entrance remains low until compressor is actually working properly).

Startup: in  exit    (rtip2  rhub ) cz

2
m

• cz, very low in 1st stage,

• cz will be large in the last stage.
(Large enough to choke the flow.)

Ainc z ,in  Aexit c z ,exit

Ain >Aexit; cz,in < cz,exit

Extreme mismatching between front and back stages of a multistage axial compressor
may take place during starting (major problems for high-pressure-ratio compressor)
 Multistage Axial Compressor
Compressor Choking
The appearance of choking need not mean that flow velocities at the back end
of the compressor are actually sonic.
While the front stages of the compressor continue to act normally, the flow
separation produced by negative flow incidence at the back end had become so
severe that the last stage or two act like throttles rather than compressor stages.
 Multistage Axial Compressor
Starting Condition
Operation at below-design-density ratio causes variations in cz that tend to
overload (high angle of attack) the leading stages (cz below design), causing stall
and preventing proper compression, which would correct the poor density ratio.

Fig. 712 Effect of axial velocity change during starting

 Mustistage Compressor
Starting Conditions
Considering the first stages, decreased cz (1 and 2 constant) results in
increased 2 and 1 or increased loading (forces) on both rotor and stator
blades.
Considering the last stages, the opposite is true, increased cz results in
decreased loading of both rotor and stator blades.

The starting difficulty can be restated:

Operation at below-design-density ratio causes variations in cz that tend to
overload the leading stages, thus causing stall and preventing proper compression,
which would correct the poor density ratio.
 Multistage Compressor

Startup Condition
At startup, density is approximately constant throughout. Air velocity is greater
in rear than at 1st stage. With high-pressure ratio unit, choking can result.
Stall.
Solutions:
Designers use several solutions to allow compressors with high pressure
ratios to be self-starting.

1. Bleed valve located approximately midway between 1st stage and last
stage. This reduces mass flowing to end stages.
2. Separate Compressor Sections, operating at different speeds
3. Change stator blade angle
 Multistage Compressor
Startup Condition

1. Blow-off Valve
• The simplest device to aid starting is a blow-off valve located at about the
middle of the compressor, allows some of the incoming air to bypass the
second half of the compressor.
• The axial velocity is reduced in the last stages, allowing these stages to do
more work, at the same time the restriction encountered by the first stages
is reduced, allowing an increase in cz.
• This solution temporarily creates two low-pressure compressors in series
with a variable mass flow relationship between them.
• The Blow-off valve is acceptable for starting purposes, but undesirable for
in-flight application. Since in-flight conditions might involve off-design
operation similar to that encountered in starting, the blow-off valve is
employed only as an auxiliary device to be used with other continuously
variable devices.
• One method of doing this is by bleeding air from the middle or toward the
rear of the compressor.
 Multistage Compressor

Startup Solutions
In dual axial compressor engines, air is often bled from between the low and the
high pressure compressor. Air bleed ports are located in the compressor section.
These ports are fitted with automatic, overboard bleed valves which usually
operate in a specified range of engine RPM.
Some large engine have been provided with variable-angle stators ( variable
stators) in a few of the forward compressor stages. The angle of these vanes
change automatically to prevent the choking of the downstream compressor
stages as engine operating conditions vary.
 Multistage Compressor
Startup Solutions

2. Break compressor into two mechanically independent units

• The two ends of the compressor demand opposite variations of blade
speed.
• The first or low-pressure stages being driven by one turbine and the last or
high-pressure stages being driven by another.
• With this arrangement the lightly loaded high-pressure stages will
automatically run faster, improving their velocity triangles and picking up a
greater share of the starting load.
• The effect is to reduce the downstream restriction encountered by the low-
pressure stages, while at the same time the overloaded low-pressure
stages will automatically run more slowly, also improving their velocity
triangles and avoiding stall.
 Multistage Compressor
Startup Solutions

3. Vary Stator Blades

• The first stages is the result of an increased angle of attack on the blades.
Though it would be desirable to vary all blade angles, it is mechanically
feasible to vary only stator blade angles, by rotating the stator blades about
their radial axis.
• Figure shows how much change in stator angle 1 is necessary to restore 1
to approximately the design value for a given cz/U.
• This does not change 2, but if the following stator is rotated in the same
manner as the preceding one, the angle of attack on the following stator will
be reduced by the same quantity.
 Multistage Compressor
Startup Solutions
4. Variable-Stator configuration
 Multistage Compressor

4. Varying the design point loading throughout the stages.

Realizing that the first stages will be overloaded during starting, one may
design them for light loading.
Conversely, the last stages should be heavily loaded. The first- and last-stage
design points should appear as shown in Fig. 7.13.
Note that this choice leaves a relatively large range of increased 1 before stall
occurs in the first stages.
The light loading of the first stages is somewhat compensated for by the heavy
loading of the last stages. This technique alone may be sufficient to provide
starting ability in moderate-pressure-ratio machines, but it is not adequate for
high-pressure ratio machines. Hence one or more of the mechanical methods
just described finds application on all modern high-pressure-ratio engines.
Work Ratio and Stage Efficiency
We discussed the work ratio h0/U2 and the stage efficiency st (as functions of
the axial velocity ratio cz/U for a given stage).

Stage pressure ratio:

or

To estimate the stage pressure ratio it is necessary to specify not only the values of c/U
and st but also the value of the ratio U/(RT01) (called a blade speed Mach number)

Blade speed Mach number is the ratio of the blade speed to the speed of sound at inlet stagnation
temperature).
 Degree of Reaction
Degree of Reaction, R

Poor flow characteristics can occur across rotor/stator if pressure gradient is too
adverse.
Degree of Reaction, R, measures the sharing of the static pressure rise between
rotor and stator. Goal: To keep pressure increase across rotor and stator about
equal.

The degree of reaction is defined as the change in enthalpy in the rotor divided by
the change in stagnation enthalpy in the stage.

h2  h1
R
h03  h01
 Degree of Reaction
Incompressible fluid:
h2  h1 p  p1
R  2
h03  h01 p03  p01

cz = constant

For a single stage within a multistage machine, the initial and final absolute velocities
are nearly identical: h03 – h01 = h3 – h1

We can take a coordinate system fixed to the rotor blade. In this system there is no work
observed since, relative to an observer, the blade is stationary.
 Degree of Reaction

Constant axial velocity:

If the exit flow angles 1 and 2 are equal and of opposite sign and if the axial velocity is
constant, the velocity triangles are symmetrical and the degree of reaction = 0.5. This is the
50% reaction stage: half the enthalpy rise takes place in the rotor and half in the stator.
 Axial Compressor
Blade tip Mach number
(1) (2)
At rotor inlet, location (1), balde tip
Mach number is defines as

w1
M r1 
RT1
 Summary Equations
Velocity triangles

Torque: Power :

  m (rc ) 2  (rc )1  P  

Pressure ratio:

Work, wc
Uc
wc  h0  Uc T0  T02  T01 
cp
U  cz tan 1  cz tan 1 c  U  cz tan  2  cz tan 1
Degree of Reaction
U  cz tan  2  cz tan 2

c  U  cz tan  2  cz tan 1

 Analysis of Axial Compressor Stage

Example
An axial flow compressor stage has the following data:
Air inlet stagnation temperature, T01: 295 K
Blade angle at outlet measured from the axial direction: 32o
Flow coefficient (cz/U): 0.56
Relative inlet Mach number: 0.78
Degree of reaction: 0.50
Find the stagnation temperature rise in the first stage of the compressor
 Recall

w 1  cz tan 1  w1 sin 1

c 1  cz tan 1  c1 sin 1

cz

U  cz tan 1  cz tan 1 c12  c z21  c21 w12  cz21  w21

Degree of reaction, R = 50%
The velocity triangle is symmetrical: 1 = 2; 2 = 1

cz
 0.56 2 = 32o 1 = 32o
U
U
 tan 1  tan 1
1
U  cz tan 1  cz tan 1 0.56
 tan 32o  tan 1 tan1 = 1.1608
cz

1=49.26o
w1 c12
Given: T01 = 295 K Mr1 = 0.78 M r1  T01  T1 
RT1 2c p
The relative Mach number at inlet is Mr1

w1 w 2 c12 w12 c12

M r1   T1  1 T01  T1   
RT1 RM r21 2c p RM r1 2c p
2

cz cz cz
w1    c1 
cz

cz

cz
cos 1 cos 49.24 o 0.653 cos 1 cos 32o 0.8480
 Axial Compressor Stage
w12 c12 cz2 cz2
T01   w 
2
c 
2
RM r1 2c p
2 1
0.426 1
0.719

c z2 c z2
295    c z  169.51 m / s
0.426R(0.782 ) 0.719(2c p )

cz
 0.56  U  302.7 m / s
U

h0  Uc T0  T02  T01 

Uc c  U  cz tan  2  cz tan 1
cp
U 
T0  U  cz tan  2  cz tan 1 
U Uc
T0  z   tan  2  tan 1 
cp cp  cz 

(302.7)(169.51)  1 
T02  T01    tan 32  tan 32   27.36 K
(1005)  0.56 