Introduction to Turbomachines

Turbo machine.
A turbo machine is a device in which energy transfer takes place between a flowing fluid and a rotating
element due to the dynamic action, and results in the change of pressure and momentum of the fluid.
The following are the principal components of turbo machine:
(i) Rotor, (ii) Stator and (iii) Shaft.
1. Rotor is a rotating element carrying the rotor blades or vanes. Rotor is also known by the names
runner, impellers etc. depending upon the particular machine. Here energy transfer occurs
between the flowing fluid and the rotating element due to the momentum exchange between
the two.
2. Stator is a stationary element carrying the guide vanes or stator blades. Stator blades are also
known by guide blades or nozzle depending upon the particular machine. These blades usually
control the direction of fluid flow during the energy conversion process.
3. Shaft is transmitting power into or out of the machine depending upon the particular machine.
Classification of Turbo machines
Turbo machines are broadly classified into power generating, power absorbing and power transmitting
turbo machines.
1. Power generating turbo machine is one which converts fluid energy in the form of kinetic energy
or pressure energy into mechanical energy in terms of rotating shaft.
Turbines are the best example for this type.
Gas turbines – air and combustion gas is the working medium
 axial flow
 radial flow
Steam turbine – steam is the working medium
 impulse turbine
 reaction turbine
Hydraulic turbines – water is the working medium
 impulse turbine
 reaction turbine
 mixed flow
 axial flow
Wind turbines – air / wind is the working medium
 vertical axis
 horizontal axis

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2. Power absorbing turbo machine is one which converts mechanical energy into fluid energy.
Compressors, fans, pumps and blowers are the best example for this type.
3. Power transmitting is one which is used to transmit power from driving shaft to drive shaft with
the help of fluid. There is no mechanical connection between the two shafts. The best examples
for this type are hydraulic coupling and hydraulic torque converter.
What is an axial flow turbo machine? How is it different from a radial flow turbo machine? Give one
example each.
In axial flow turbo machine, the major flow direction is approximately axial, example: Kaplan turbine.
Whereas in radial flow turbo machine, the major flow direction is radial, example: Francis turbine.

Positive-Displacement machine and Turbo machines:

Modes Positive-displacement Machine Turbo machine
(a) It creates thermodynamic and (a) It creates thermodynamic and dynamic
mechanical action between a nearly interaction between a flowing fluid and
static fluid and a relatively slowly moving rotating element.
surface.
Action
(b) It involves a change in volume or a (b) It involves change in pressure and
displacement of fluid. momentum of the fluid.
(c) There is a positive confinement of the (c) There is no positive confinement of the
fluid in the system. fluid at any point in the system.
(a) It involves a reciprocating motion of (a) It involves a purely rotary motion of
the mechanical element and unsteady mechanical element and steady flow of
flow of the fluid. But some rotary positive the fluid. It may also involve unsteady flow
displacement machines are also built. for short periods of time, especially while
Examples: Gear pump, vane pump starting, stopping or during changes of
Operation
load.
(b) Entrapped fluid state is different from (b) The fluid state will be the same as that
the surroundings when the machine is of the surroundings when the machine is
stopped, if heat transfer and leakages are stopped.
avoided.

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Introduction to Turbomachines

(a) Because of the reciprocating masses, (a) Rotating masses can be completely
vibrations are more. Hence low speeds balanced and vibrations eliminated. Hence
are adopted. high speeds can be adopted.
Mechanical
(b) Heavy foundations are required. (b) Light foundations sufficient.
Features
(c) Mechanical design is complex (c) Design is simple.
because of valves.
(d) Weight per unit output is more. (d) Weight per unit output is less.

Efficiency (a) High efficiency because of static (a) Efficiency is low because of dynamic
of energy transfer. energy transfer.
conversion
process
(a) Much below that of a turbomachine (a) It is almost 100%.
Volumetric because of valves.
efficiency (b) Low fluid handling capacity per unit (b) High fluid handling capacity per unit
weight of machine. weight of machine.
(a) Causes cavitation in pumps and
turbines. Therefore leads to erosion of
blades.
Fluid phase
No such serious problems are (b) Surging leads to unstable flow. And also
change and
encountered. causes vibrations and may destroy the
surging
machine.
(c) These factors deteriorate the
performance of the machine.

Application of Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics Laws in Turbo machines

Fluid flow is governed by:
1. The First Law of Thermodynamics, which relates to energy balance
2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics, which relates heat interaction and irreversibility to
entropy
3. The Newton’s Laws of Motion, which describe both static and dynamic effects that affect the
flow

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Introduction to Turbomachines

The Laws of Conservation of Mass, Momentum and Energy

 The conservation of mass principle states the following:
Net mass transfer to or from a system during a process is equal to the net change in the
total mass of the system during that process
 The law of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum of an object does not
change (i.e. it remains at rest or in motion with constant velocity) if there are no external forces
acting on it.
 The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can
only be transformed from one form to another. Hence, the total energy of an isolated system
never change.
Static Properties
Static state is the property of fluid measured in while fluid is in motion. They are called static properties
since they are measured with instruments which are at rest relative to the fluid.
Stagnation Properties
When a fluid is decelerated to zero velocity in a steady flow adiabatic and isentropic process, the
resulting properties of the fluid are called stagnation properties
Stagnation conditions are also known as Total conditions
Write expressions for (i) stagnation enthalpy, (ii) stagnation temperature, (iii) stagnation pressure
For an isentropic and work free process the initial state is always the static state and final state is
stagnation state. A steady flow energy equation (SFEE) for this fictitious process can be written as:

For isentropic and work free process, q=0 and w=0 and at the final state (stagnation state) of this
process, ke=0 and pe=0. Thus steady flow energy equation is:

1. Stagnation Enthalpy: It is defined as the enthalpy of a fluid when it is adiabatically decelerated to

zero velocity. The stagnation enthalpy can be written as:
𝟏
𝒉𝒐 = 𝒉 + 𝑽𝟐 + 𝒈𝒁
𝟐

𝟏
𝒉𝒐 = 𝒉 + 𝑽𝟐
𝟐
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Introduction to Turbomachines

2. Stagnation Temperature: It is defined as the temperature of a fluid when it is adiabatically

decelerated to zero velocity. The stagnation temperature defined through stagnation enthalpy as:
1
𝑐𝑝 𝑇𝑜 = 𝑐𝑝 𝑇 + 𝑉 2
2
𝑽𝟐
𝑻𝒐 = 𝑻 +
𝟐𝒄𝒑

3. Stagnation Pressure: It is defined as the pressure of a fluid when it is adiabatically decelerated to

zero velocity. The relation between the stagnation and static pressures can be written as:
By using Bernoulli’s theorem
𝐩 𝐯𝟐
+ + 𝐠𝐳
𝛒𝐠 𝟐𝐠
Multiply whole term by ρg
Neglect gz
𝑝 𝑣2
+ 𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑏𝑦 𝜌𝑔
𝜌𝑔 2𝑔
𝝆𝑽𝟐
𝑷𝟎 = 𝑷 +
𝟐
Numericals:
1.Air as a perfect gas flows in a duct at a velocity of 60 m/sec. a static pressure of 2 atm. & a static
temperature of 300 K. Evaluate the total temperature & total pressure of the air at this point. Assume
γ =1.4.
Given: V=60 m/sec T= 300 K P = 2 atm. = 202650 Pa
Ideal gas equation P=ρRT
I.e. ρ = P/ (RT) =202650/ (287*300) = 2353.65 kg/m3

V2 60 2
T0  T   300   301.429 K
2CP 2 *1005
V 2
P0  P   202.95 KPa  2.11atm
2

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Introduction to Turbomachines

2. Liquid water of standard density flows at a temperature of 20°C .A static pressure of 10 atm &a
velocity of 20 cm/sec. Evaluate the total temperature & total pressure of water

Given: V=0.2 m/sec T= 20°C P = 2 atm. = 202650 Pa

V2
T0  T 
2C P `
0.2 2
T0  293   293.047 K
2 * 4187
V 2
P0  P 
2
1000 * 0.2 2
P0  1013250   10.017 atm
2
Dimensional Analysis:
The dimensional analysis is a mathematical technique deals with the dimensions of the
quantities involved in the process.
The three primary purposes of dimensional analysis are:
1. To generate non-dimensional parameters that help in the design of experiments and in the
reporting of experimental results.
2. To obtain scaling laws so that prototype performance can be predicted from model
performance.
3. To predict the relationship between the parameters.
Fundamental Quantities: Mass (M), length (L), time (T) and temperature (ɵ) are called fundamental
quantities since there is no direct relation between these quantities. There are seven basic quantities
in physics namely, mass, length, time, electric current, temperature, luminous intensity and amount of
a substance.
Secondary Quantities or Derived Quantities: The quantities derived from fundamental quantitie are
called derived quantities or secondary quantities. Examples: area, volume, velocity, force, acceleration,
etc
Procedure for Applying Buckingham’s π-Theorem:
1) With a given data, write the functional relationship.
2) Write the equation in its general form.
3) Choose repeating variables and write separate expressions for each π-term, every π-term must
contain the repeating variables and one of the remaining variables. In selecting the repeating
variable the following points must be considered:

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(a) Never pick the dependent variable.

(b) The chosen repeating variables must not by themselves be able to form a dimensionless group..
4) The repeating variables are written in exponential form.
5) With the help of dimensional homogeneity, find the values of exponents by obtaining simultaneous
equations.
6) Now, substitute the values of these exponents in the π terms.
7) Write the functional relation in the required form.
Performance of a turbo machine depends on the variables discharge (Q), speed (N), rotor diameter
(D), energy per unit mass flow (gH), power (P), density of fluid (ρ), dynamic viscosity of fluid (μ).
Using the dimensional analysis obtain the π-terms.
General relationship is:
f(Q, N, D, gH, P, ρ, μ) = constant
Number of variables, n = 7
Number of fundamental variables, m = 3
Number of π-terms required, (n-m) = 4
Repeating variables are: D,N,ρ

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Introduction to Turbomachines

Give the significance of the dimensionless terms (i) Flow coefficient (ii) Head coefficient (iii) Power
coefficient with respect to turbo machines.
The various π-terms have the very significant role in a turbo machine as explained below.
Q
(i) Flow Coefficient: It is also called as capacity coefficient or specific capacity. The term ND3 is the

capacity coefficient,
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Speed ratio: The specific capacity is related to another quantity called speed ratio and is obtained as
Q D2 V V V 1 πD2 V
follows: ∝ ND3 ∝ ND ∝ U = φ (Because Q = AV = ∝ D2 V and also U ∝ ND)
ND3 4
U
Where φ = V is called the speed ratio, which is defined as the ratio of tangential velocity of

runner to the theoretical jet velocity of fluid. For the given machine, the speed ratio is fixed.
gH
(ii) Head Coefficient: The term N2 D2 is called the head coefficient or specific head. It is a measure of

the ratio of the fluid potential energy (column height H) and the fluid kinetic energy while moving at
gH gH
the rotational speed of the wheel U. The term can be interpreted by noting that: N2 D2 ∝ U2
P
(iii) Power Coefficient: The term ρN3 D5 is called the power coefficient or specific power. It represents

the relation between the power, fluid density, and speed and wheel diameter
Discuss the effect of Reynolds number on turbo machine
The Reynolds number defined as the ratio of the inertial force to the viscous force. It is an important
parameter, which represents the nature of flow. If the Reynolds number is greater than 4000, the flow
is termed as turbulent, in which the inertia effect is more than the viscous effects. And, if Reynolds
number is less than 2000, then flow is laminar in which viscous effects are more than the inertia effect.
The values of Reynolds number in turbines are much higher than the critical values. Most of the
turbines use relatively low viscosity fluids like air, water and light oil. Therefore, the Reynolds number
has very little effect on the power output of the machine. But, Reynolds number is an important
parameter for small pumps, compressors, fans and blowers. Their performance improves with an
increase in Reynolds number.
ρVD
The Reynolds number for the pipe flow is expressed as R e = μ

Specific Speed:
The specific speed is the dimensionless term and is the parameter of greatest importance in
incompressible flow machines. The specific speed is only the parameter that doesn’t contain the linear
dimension of the runner. Hence, while operating under the same conditions of flow and head, all
geometrically similar machines have the same specific speed, irrespective of their sizes.
The specific speed can be expressed in terms of discharge (Q) for power absorbing machine or
the power (P) for power generating machine.
Specific power is referred as the ratio of Power in or out of turbo machine to its weight/Unit Mass/
Unit Volume.

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Introduction to Turbomachines

Specific Speed of a Pump:

Define specific speed of a pump. Derive an expression for specific speed of a pump from
fundamentals.
Specific speed can be defined as “a speed of geometrically similar machines discharging one cubic
meter per second of water under head of one meter”.
gH
Head coefficient is given by N2 D2

N2 D2 ∝ gH
(gH)1⁄2
or D∝ (1.9)
N
Q
Flow coefficient is given by ND3

or Q ∝ ND3
(gH)3⁄2
From equation (1.9) Q∝ N2
(gH)3⁄2
or Q=C (1.10)
N2

Where C is proportionality constant, from the definition of specific speed of pump:

If Q = 1 m3 ⁄s, and H = 1m , then N = Ns
N2s
Then equation (1.10) can be written as, C = (1.11)
g3⁄2
𝐍𝐐𝟏⁄𝟐
Substitute equation (1.11) in equation (1.10), then 𝐍𝐬 = (1.12)
𝐇𝟑⁄𝟒

The equation (1.12) gives the specific speed of a pump.

Specific Speed of a Turbine:
Define specific speed of a turbine. Obtain an expression for the same in terms of shaft power, speed
and head.
Specific speed of a turbine is defined as “a speed of a geometrically similar machine which produces
one kilowatt power under a head of one meter”.
P
Power coefficient is given by (1.13)
ρN3 D5

(gH)1⁄2 ρ(gH)5⁄2
From equation (1.9) D ∝ , then equation (1.13) can be written as, P ∝
N N2

ρ(gH)5⁄2
or P=C (1.14)
N2

Where C is proportionality constant, from the definition of specific speed of turbine:

If P = 1kW and H = 1m, then N = Ns
N2
Then, equation (1.14) becomes C = ρg5s⁄2 (1.15)

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𝐍𝐏 𝟏⁄𝟐
Substitute equation (1.15) in equation (1.14), then 𝐍𝐬 = (1.16)
𝐇𝟓⁄𝟒

The equation (1.16) gives the specific speed of a turbine.

Unit Quantities:
Unit flow (Qu): Unit flow is the flow that occurs through the turbine while working under unit head.
𝐐
𝐐𝐮 =
√𝐇

Unit speed (Nu): Unit speed is the speed at which the machine runs under unit head.
𝐍
𝐍𝐮 =
√𝐇
Unit power (Pu): Unit power is the power developed by the hydraulic machine while working under a
unit head.
𝐏
𝐏𝐮 =
𝐇 𝟑⁄𝟐

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Numerical
1. At a stagnation temperature of 400 K & at a stagnation pressure of 8 atm. The outlet total pressure
is 1 atm. If the expansion process through the turbine is assumed to be
Adiabatic & loss free. Evaluate (1).Work done per Kg of fluid assuming it to be incompressible with a
specific with a specific weight of 1g/cc. (2) Work done per Kg of fluid assuming it to be air behaving as
a perfect gas with γ = 1.4
Given:
T01 = 400 K P01=8atm. =810600Pa. P02 = 1 atm. = 101325 Pa

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