Problem 2

The Great Squeeze

E371 Turbine Engine Systems
Axial Compressors
Axial compressors are rotating, airfoil based
compressors in which the working fluid
principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation.
Axial flow compressors produce a continuous
flow of compressed gas, Rotor

and have the benefits of

high efficiencies and large
mass flow capacity,
particularly in relation to
their cross-section. They
do, however, require Stator

several rows of airfoils to

achieve large pressure
rises making them complex
and expensive relative to
other designs

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Axial Compressors
Axial compressors are widely used in gas turbines, such as jet
engines and high speed ship engines.

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Axial Compressors
In the axial flow compressor setup, the rotor is rotating and the
stator is stationary. A shaft drives a central shaft, retained by
bearings, which has a number of annular airfoil rows attached.
These rotate between a similar number of stationary airfoil rows
attached to a stationary tubular casing. The rows alternate between
the rotating airfoils (rotors) and stationary airfoils (stators),

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 Axial Compressors
• A compressor stage comprises of a rotor followed by a stator.
• The incoming air passes through a set of inlet guide vanes (IGV) which guide
the airflow to enter the first stage of rotor blades at the correct angle.
• The IGVs cause a slight increase in velocity and a corresponding small
decrease in pressure.
• After leaving the IGV, the air enters the first
stage of compression. The rotor blades,
turned at high speed by the turbine, pick up
the air and force it back across their airfoil
shape.
• Energy taken from the turbine is added to the
air as it passes through the rotor, and the air
is accelerated.
• The air leaves the trailing edges of the rotor
blades and flows between the stator vanes.
• The stator vanes form a series
of divergent ducts and, as the air flows
through them, its pressure increases and its
velocity drops back to its original value
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Divergent Ducts
Axial Compressors
The air passes through all
stages of compression and then
leaves the compressor through a
set of exit guide vanes.

As it moves through the

compressor, it flows in a more or
less straight line, usually swirling
less than 180°.

The exit guide vanes remove this

swirl and direct the air into the
diffuser, where it is prepared for
the combustion section.

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Centrifugal Compressors
A typical centrifugal compressor consists of 3 components, the
impeller, the diffuser and the manifold.

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Centrifugal Compressors
• Air enters the eye of the fast rotating impeller
and is accelerated to a high velocity as it is
slung to the outer edge by centrifugal force.
• The high velocity air then flows into the
diffuser which fits closely around the
periphery of the impeller.
• It then flows through divergent ducts where
some of the velocity energy is changed into
pressure energy.
• The air which has slowed down and has had its pressure increased,
flows into the manifold through a series of turning vanes.
• From the manifold, the air flows into the combustion section of the
engine.
• When a large volume of air is needed, double entry
compressors are used.

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Fan Trim Balancing
For the purpose of fan trim balance in a Turbofan Engine, vibration
can be described as the unwanted, unproductive, cyclic oscillation
of the fan assembly about its rotational axis. One of the typical
reason to perform a balancing is when there is higher than normal
engine vibration. Left Engine Right Engine
Vibration is measured by
sensors fitted on the
engine. The vibration
indication is available in
the flight deck.
Depending on the aircraft and engine type,
some balancing can be performed with the
engine installed on the aircraft and some
require the engine to be removed. There
is specialized equipment that is available
that can aid in balancing the fan on wing.
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Fan Trim Balancing

Balance weight are

used on the air intake
spinner of the fan.
Depending on the
requirements, different
weights are removed or
installed.

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Compressor Stall and Surge
A compressor stall is a situation of abnormal airflow resulting from
a stall of the aerofoils within the compressor of a jet engine. The
rotor blades are similar to those used on an airplane wing or a
helicopter rotor. The ‘lift’ they produce is the aerodynamic force that
moves the air through the various stages of the compressor. As
aerofoils, they are subjects to stalls when their angle of attack
becomes excessive. RPM
Airflow reduction remains
The angle of attack of an aerofoil the same
is the acute angle formed between
Resultant
its chord line and the relative increases
wind. In an axial flow compressor, angle of
the angle of attack is determined attack

by 2 parameters, the velocity of Common causes:

the air flowing through the
compressor and the rotational
speed of the compressor.
• Obstruction of airflow to the inlet.
• Abrupt flight maneuvers
• High crosswind component
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Compressor Stall and Surge
When only a few blades stall, the effect is minimal and is noticed
by a rumbling sound when the engine is running. When the
compressor disk stalls, the effect can be a drastic slowing of the
airflow through the engine. This can result in a loud explosion,
with resulting RPM fluctuating and a serious increase in EGT. A
stall that affects the entire compressor and restricts the airflow
through the engine is called a surge.

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Airflow Control / Bleed Bands
Bleed Band
An axial flow compressor with a
high compression ratio needs to
bleed excess air from the
mid-stages of the compressor
during start-up, to allow the
engine to accelerate
smoothly through the danger
regions of the start sequence.
This effectively lowers the risk
of a compressor stall or surge
during the different phases of
engine operation

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Airflow Control / Bleed Bands
Bleed Bands
One of the methods is by the use of bleed bands. Bleed bands are
simply a band drawn tight around a section of the compressor,
housing or case, covering a series of openings or ports in the case.
An actuator opens and closes the band as directed by the fuel
control unit and operated by bleed air Bleed Band
Schedule
muscle pressure. When the band is
released, the bleed ports are opened
releasing excess compressor pressure
to the atmosphere. As RPM increases
and pressure builds up, the actuator
closes the band allowing full
compressor pressure and
efficiency to control the operating
range of the engine.

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Airflow Control / Bleed Bands
Bleed Valves
They are essentially a set of floating poppet style bleed valves
positioned circumferentially around the compressor case, often
at two stages of the compressor(e.g. 8th and 13th Stage Bleed).
They are controlled by multiple parameters and are often auto
opened as compressor pressure builds up, and closed by bleed air
when the threat of an engine surge has subsided.

Bleed Valve

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Variable Inlet Guide Vanes
The function of these is to match the air angles to the rotor speed
to give the optimum angle of attack. The blades are actuated by a
control using fuel as a muscle pressure, with the mechanism
sensitive to RPM and ambient air temperature. The overall effect is
to change the characteristic of the compressor and cause the surge
line to move away from the operating line, thus increasing the
surge margin.

Linked together.
Open and close together

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Variable Stator Vanes
The VIGV’s provide an optimum angle of attack for the 1st stage of
compressor, while the VSV’s do the same for the remainder of the
stator blades. At low RPM the VSV’s are in the closed position and
as the RPM rises, they pivot towards the open. They are fully open
at max RPM. If VIGV’s and VSV’s are fitted to the same engine,
they will normally be operated by the same mechanism.

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Variable Stator Vanes

Airflow, RPM and

Cr in this area will
cause the engine
to stall/surge
Airflow, RPM and Cr
in this area, normal
operating range

The overall effect is to change the characteristics of

the compressor and cause the surge line to move
away from the operating line, thus increasing the surge
margin.
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Compressor Ratio
In a turbine engine it is defined as the ratio of the
pressure of air at the discharge to the pressure of the air
at the inlet. The compression ratio varies with the
number of stages of an axial compressor and the RPM.
The mass flow is the weight of the air flowing through
the unit in a given time(eg. Lb./sec). In general an
increase in RPM at the higher end of the RPM range,
gives a much greater increase in compression ratio and
mass flow than a similar change in RPM near idling
condition.

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Compressor Ratio
Example
A 9 stage compressor has a pressure ratio across
each stage of 1.2 and an ambient inlet pressure of
14.7. What is the final pressure? What is the
compression ratio? 14.7 X 1.2= 18
The final pressure is 76 psi 18 X 1.2= 21
The compression ratio =
Final Pressure = 76 = 5.17 : 1
Initial Pressure 14.7
Pressure increase across 1st stage is 18-14.7 = 3.3psi
Pressure increase across 9th stage is 76-63 = 13 psi

The pressure ratio is the same in both cases but the Final Pressure
actual increase in pressure towards the rear of the
compressor is much higher than towards the front.

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Honeywell TFE-731 Turbofan Engine
Low Pressure Group
In the TFE-731 engine, the construction consists of 4 stages of low
flow axial compressors housed within the LP case assembly.
Accordingly there are 4 stages of non-rotating stator rings. Each
stator consists of vanes which form a divergent duct allowing air
pressure to increase and serve to direct airflow
at the optimum angle to the succeeding wheel.

As airflow progresses through

the 4 stages of compression,
each stage becomes
smaller causing
a further increase
in pressure.

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Honeywell TFE-731 Turbofan Engine
High Pressure Group
Mounted to the back of the LP case, is the HP diffuser case. The high
pressure compressor shaft, and supporting bearings, accessory
gearbox towershaft, high pressure compressor impeller shroud are
contained within the HP diffuser case. The combustion plenum is
mounted to the HP diffuser case and houses the diffuser, the deswirl
and other combustion section components.

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Honeywell TFE-731 Turbofan Engine
Compressor Ratio
The TFE-731 engines are considered to be medium bypass engines,
combining the attributes of moderate mass airflow and moderate
velocity change to produce thrust.

The low pressure compressor ratio is 1.3 to 1 per stage and the high
pressure compressor ratio is 3.5 to 1 for all series of engines.

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Objectives
1. To understand constructional arrangement and
operations of a axial flow compressor.
2. To understand constructional arrangement and
operations of a centrifugal compressor.
3. To appreciate the purpose and basic concept
process of fan trim balancing
4. Understand compressor surge and the causes of it.
5. Understand the purpose of Airflow control and
components used in controlling it.
6. To understand the purpose of VIGV’s and VSV’s.
7. To know what is compressor ratio and know how to
calculate it.

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END

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