Multistage Axial-Flow Compressor Aerodynamic Design

Abstract

The basic concepts introduced in chapter 10 to design an ideal axial-flow compressor stage are easily extended to the design of a complete axial-flow compressor. When the specific working fluid, rotation speed, mass flow rate and inlet thermodynamic conditions are known, the design process can include the influence of total pressure loss and Mach number levels. This is possible as long as the design is restricted to blade operating conditions reasonably close to the design incidence angles, i*, such that the blades operate in the low-loss incidence angle range where loss coefficients are reasonably constant. This is normal practice at the compressor's design point, i.e., for the mass flow rate and speed condition at which the stages are to be well matched throughout the compressor. An axial-flow compressor design system of this type is unlikely to produce all of the aerodynamic and structural design features desired and all of the off-design operating characteristics required. But it can produce an excellent preliminary configuration to be fine-tuned using the performance analysis of Chapter 9.