COMPRESSOR

PURPOSE OF COMPRESSOR
The compressor section of the gas turbine engine has many
functions. Its primary function is to supply air in sufficient quantity to satisfy the
requirements of the combustion burners. Specifically, to fulfill its purpose, the
compressor must increase the pressure of the mass of air received from the air inlet
duct, and then, discharge it to the burners in the quantity and at the pressures
required.
A secondary function of the compressor is to supply bleed-air for
various purposes in the engine and aircraft. The bleed-air is taken from any of the
various pressure stages of the compressor.
The exact location of the bleed ports is dependent on the pressure
or temperature required for a particular job. The ports are small openings in the
compressor case adjacent to the particular stage from which the air is to be bled
Air is often bled from the final or highest pressure stage since, at
this point, pressure and air temperature are at a maximum.
Some of the current applications of bleed air are:

1. Cabin pressurization, heating, and cooling;

2. Deicing and anti-icing equipment;
3. Pneumatic starting of engines; and
4. Auxiliary drive units (ADU).

The two principal types of compressors currently being used in

gas turbine aircraft engines are
1. CENTRIFUGAL FLOW COMPRESSOR
2. AXIAL FLOW COMPRESSOR

CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR

CONSTRUCTIONAL FEATURES
The centrifugal-flow compressor consists of an impeller, a
diffuser, and a compressor manifold. Generally centrifugal compressors are
limited to two stages due to efficiency concerns.
The two main functional elements are the impeller and the
diffuser. Although the diffuser is a separate unit and is placed inside and bolted to
the manifold, the entire assembly (diffuser and manifold) is often referred to as the
diffuser. The impeller is usually made from forged aluminum alloy, heat treated,
machined, and smoothed for minimum flow restriction and turbulence.

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The above two figures shows the basic construction of a centrifugal compressor

Principle of Operation
Air is sucked into the impeller eye through an
accelerating nozzle and whirled round at high speed by vanes of impeller disc.
Due to rotation of impeller at high speed the kinetic energy and pressure of
incoming air will increase and directed towards the diffuser. In diffuser the
pressure will increase further required for combustion.

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Function of Impellers
Impeller consist of forged disc with integral blades fastened by
a splined coupling to a common power shaft
The function of the impeller is to take the air in and accelerate it
outward by centrifugal force

Impellers may be either of two types -- single entry or

double entry. The principal differences between the two types of impellers are size
and ducting arrangement.

 The double-entry type has a smaller diameter but is usually

operated at a higher rotational speed to ensure enough airflow.
 The single-entry impeller must be large in diameter to deliver the
same quantity of air as the double-entry type. This of course,
increases the overall diameter of the engine

Function of diffuser
 The diffuser is an annular chamber provide with a number of vanes forming
a series of divergent passages into the manifold.
 The function is to transform high kinetic energy of fluid at impeller outlet
into high static pressure satisfactory for combustion chambers. .
 The diffuser vanes direct the flow of air from the impeller to the manifold at
an angle designed to retain the maximum amount of energy imparted by the
impeller.

Types
1. Single stage centrifugal compressor
Single stage compressor has only one stage of compressor
mounted on main shaft.
In a single stage we can obtain the required pressure and
velocity for combustion and its size will vary according to required
pressure

2. Multi stage centrifugal compressor

Multistage centrifugal compressors consist of two or more
single compressors mounted in tandem on the same shaft.

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The air compressed in the first stage passes to the second

stage at its point of entry near the hub. This stage will further
compress the air and pass it to the next stage if there is one.
The problem with this type of compression is in turning
the air as it is passed from one stage to the next.

3. Double entry centrifugal compressor

Double sided or double entry compressors have two
impellers mounted back to back
The air compressed in one side is directed to other side for
another compression and from the other side the compressed air is
directed towards combustion chamber
The process of directing air from one side to other side is
difficult

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ADVENTAGES
 High pressure rise per stage.
 Efficiency over wide rotational speed range.
 Simplicity of manufacture with resulting low cost.
 Low weight.
 Low starting power requirements.

DISADVENTAGES
 Its large frontal area for a given airflow
 Losses in turns between stages.

AXIAL FLOW COMPRESSOR

Axial flow compressors produce a continuous flow of compressed
gas, and have the benefits of high efficiency and large mass flow rate, particularly
in relation to their size and cross-section. However, require several rows of airfoils
to achieve a large pressure rise, making them complex and expensive relative to
other designs

A pair of rotating and stationary airfoils is called a stage. The rotating

airfoils, also known as blades or rotors, accelerate the fluid. The stationary airfoils,
also known as stators or vanes, convert the increased rotational kinetic energy into
static pressure through diffusion and redirect the flow direction of the fluid,
preparing it for the rotor blades of the next stage. The cross-sectional area between
rotor drum and casing is reduced in the flow direction to maintain an optimum
Mach number using variable geometry as the fluid is compressed.

CONSTRUCTION

The rotor features either drum-type or disk-type construction. The drum-type

rotor consists of rings that are flanged to fit one against the other, wherein the
entire assembly can then be held together by through bolts. This type of
construction is satisfactory for low-speed compressors where centrifugal stresses
are low

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. The disk-type rotor consists of a series of disks machined from

aluminum forgings, shrunk over a steel shaft, with rotor blades dovetailed into the
disk rims. Another method of rotor construction is to machine the disks and shaft
from a single aluminum forging, and then to bolt steel stub shafts on the front and
rear of the assembly to provide bearing support surfaces and splines for joining the
turbine shaft.

The rotor blades are usually made of stainless steel with the latter stages being
made of titanium. The design of blade attachment to the rotor disk rims varies, but
they are commonly fitted into disks by either bulb-type or fir-tree methods.
The blades are then locked into place by differing methods.
Compressor blade tips are reduced in thickness by cutouts, referred to as blade
profiles.
These profiles prevent serious damage to the blade or housing
should the blades contact the compressor housing.

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DRUM TYPE DISC TYPE

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
The basic principle of operation of axial flow
compressor is same as that of centrifugal compressor but the compression takes
place in axial direction
In this compressor, rotor impart kinetic energy to the air and
this kinetic energy is converted to pressure rise using stator through diffusion. It
also redirects the fluid at an angle suitable for entry into the rotor of following
stages

FUNCTION OF ROTOR
The rotor blades increase the air velocity. When air
velocity increases, the ram pressure of air passing through a rotor stage also
increases. This increase in velocity and pressure is somewhat but not entirely
nullified by diffusion. When air is forced past the thick sections of the rotor blades
static pressure also increases. The larger area at the rear of the blades (due to its
airfoil shape) acts as a diffuser.

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FUNCTION OF STATOR
The stator vane row behind this rotor is configured as a
diffuser to slow the airflow down again by turning it back parallel to the rotor axis.
In so doing, it converts that excess velocity into a rise in static pressure. Modern
engines can achieve a pressure rise of up to 40-50% (absolute pressure) per stage.
They also control the direction of air to each rotor stage to obtain the maximum
possible compressor blade efficiency.

FUNCTION OF INLET GUIDE VANE

The guide vanes direct the airflow into the
first stage rotor blades at the proper angle and impart a swirling motion to the air
entering the compressor. This preswirl, in the direction of engine rotation,
improves the aerodynamic characteristics of the compressor by reducing drag on
the first stage rotor blades. The inlet guide vanes are curved steel vanes usually
welded to steel inner and outer shrouds.

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ADVENTAGES

 High peak efficiencies;

 Small frontal area for given airflow;
 Straight-through flow, allowing high ram efficiency; and
 Increased pressure rise by increasing number of stages, with negligible losses.

DISADVENTAGES

 Good efficiencies over only narrow rotational speed range,

 Difficulty of manufacture and high cost,
 Relatively high weight, and
 High starting power requirements (partially overcome by split compressors).

Compressor Stall and Surge

Surge will takes place when maximum discharge pressure is obtained
at minimum flow and vice versa for a particular speed. Now surge is the operating
point, where Maximum head and minimum flow capacity is reached.
Now principle of working of a compressor is - Imparting Kinetic
Energy to the fluid in impeller and conversion of this energy into pressure energy
by decreasing speed in Diffuser. So, if maximum head capacity is reached, then
pressure in diffuser will be greater than pressure at impeller outlet.
This will prevent fluid from moving further at impeller outlet and
causes the fluid in diffuser to flow back, i.e. flow reversal takes place. This can be
deteriorating as it has potential to damage rotor bearings, rotor seals, compressor
driver and affect the whole cycle operation, and also cause high vibrations and
high temperature,.
This can be rectified by providing an anti surge valve, which
takes fluid from discharge and directs it to suction so that flow is increased and
surge is controlled.
A compressor can be brought out of surge in a number of ways. The most
obvious is to increase flow (Antisurge Valves). Decreasing discharge pressure
and/or increasing speed are other ways to move out of a surge condition.
Compressor manufacturers usually perform an aerodynamic
performance test before delivering the compressor. Determination of the
compressor’s actual surge limit is a very important aspect of the manufacturer’s
shop testing program.

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In above graph, the line joining minimum flow points for each speed is called
Surge Line, and compressor must operate to the right side of it.

Compressor Stall
A compressor stall is a local disruption of the airflow in
a gas turbine or turbocharger compressor. It is related to compressor surge which
is a complete disruption of the flow through the compressor.
There are two types of compressor stall:

Rotating stall

Rotating stall is a local disruption of airflow within the compressor

which continues to provide compressed air but with reduced effectiveness.
Rotating stall arises when a small proportion of airfoils experience airfoil stall
disrupting the local airflow without destabilizing the compressor. The stalled
airfoils create pockets of relatively stagnant air (referred to as stall cells) which,
rather than moving in the flow direction, rotate around the circumference of the
compressor. The stall cells rotate with the rotor blades but at 50–70% of their
speed, affecting subsequent airfoils around the rotor as each encounters the stall
cell

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Axi-symmetric stall or compressor surge

Axi-symmetric stall, more commonly known as compressor surge; or pressure
surge, is a complete breakdown in compression resulting in a reversal of flow and
the violent expulsion of previously compressed air out through the engine intake,
due to the compressor's inability to continue working against the already-
compressed air behind it. The compressor either experiences conditions which
exceed the limit of its pressure rise capabilities or is highly loaded such that it does
not have the capacity to absorb a momentary disturbance, creating a rotational stall
which can propagate in less than a second to include the entire compressor.

FACTOR WHICH CAUSE SURGE/STALL

 Ingestion of foreign objects which results in damage, as well as sand and dirt
erosion, can lower the surge line.
 Dirt build-up in the compressor and wear that increases compressor tip
clearances or seal leakages all tend to raise the operating line.
 Aircraft operation outside its design envelope
 Engine operation outside its flight manual procedures.
 Turbulent or hot airflow into the engine intake, e.g. use of reverse thrust at
low forward speed, resulting in re-ingestion of hot turbulent air or, for
military aircraft, ingestion of hot exhaust gases from missile firing.

RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

The appropriate response to compressor stalls varies
according to the engine type and situation, but usually consists of immediately and
steadily decreasing thrust on the affected engine. While modern engines with
advanced control units can avoid many causes of stall, jet aircraft pilots must
continue to take this into account when dropping airspeed or increasing throttle.

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