15.4 Compressors Flashcards
What is the compressors role?
Must increase pressure of the mass of air received from the air inlet duct and then discharge it to the combustion change in the quantity that is required
What is the secondary function of the compressors?
To supply sir to the systems that require bleed air to operate
What are the two main components of the compressor?
Compressor rotor, compressor stators
What do the rotor blades on the rotor do?
Suck in air and push it to the outlet side of the rotor, this action increases the energy of airflow
What do the compressor stator vanes do?
Guide and slow the airflow to cause an increase in pressure
What comes first rotor or stator in the compressor stage?
Rotor
What are the two types of compressors currently used in the gas turbine?
Centrifugal flow compressor, axial flow compressor
What does a centrifugal flow compressor consist of?
Impeller (rotor), diffuser (stator) and a compressor manifold
Why are centrifugal compressors limited to two stages?
Concerns about efficiency
Is the impeller single or double entry and what does it do?
Can be either and is to accelerate the air outwardly to the diffuser
How does double entry and single entry work?
Double has a smaller diameter but is usually operated at higher rotational speeds, single impeller permits convenient ducting directly to the impeller eye
What does a axial flow compressor consist of
An axial compressor consists of lots of aerofoil blades in lots or rows and made up of stators and rotors
Where are centrifugal compressors usually found?
Used in turboprop and turboshaft
What do compressors usually consist of?
Multiple stages
Why is a gradual decrease in diameter happening on the rotating drum?
To maintain a steady axial velocity, as the pressure of the air increases
What does the total number of stages depend on in a compressor?
Desired pressure increases
What are the advantages of centrifugal flow compressors?
High pressure rise per stage
Efficiency over a wide rotational speed range
The simplicity of manufacture and low cost
Low weight
Low starting power requirements
What are the disadvantages of centrifugal flow compressor?
Its large frontal area for a given airflow
Losses in turns between stages
What are the advantages of the axial flow compressor?
High peak efficiencies
Small frontal area for given airflow
Straight through flow, allowing high ram efficiency
Increased pressure rise by increasing the number of stages, with negligible losses
What are the disadvantages of axial flow compressors?
Good efficiencies over only a narrow rotational speed range
Difficulty of manufacture and high cost
Relatively high weight
High starting power requirements; (partially overcome by split compressors)
What are the only part of the engine that can be balanced without disassembly?
Fan blades
What are the three parameters the centrifugal force depends on?
Rotor speed, blade mass, distance of the centre of gravity of the fan blade from rotational axis