DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL

ENGINEERING
COURSE: Turbo-Machinery

Chapter one: Introduction

By Kumera K.
 INTRODUCTION
• A Turbo machine is a device which converts the
energy stored by a fluid into mechanical energy or
vice versa.
• The energy stored by a fluid mass appears in the form
of potential, kinetic and intermolecular energy.
• The mechanical energy, on the other hand, is usually
transmitted by a rotating shaft.
• Machines using liquid (mainly water, for almost all
practical purposes) are termed as hydraulic machines.
 DEFINITION OF TURBOMACHINES

• All those devices in which energy is transferred either to, or

from, a continuously flowing fluid by the dynamic action of
one or more moving blade rows.
• The word turbo or turbinis is of Latin origin and implies that
which spins or whirls around.
• Essentially, a rotating blade row, a rotor or an impeller
changes the stagnation enthalpy of the fluid moving through it
by either doing positive or negative work, depending upon the
effect required of the machine.
• These enthalpy changes are intimately linked with the pressure
changes occurring simultaneously in the fluid.
 Principle of Turbo machine
• The important element of a Turbo machine is a rotor
consisting of a number of vanes or blades.
• There always exists a relative motion between the rotor vanes
and the fluid.
• The fluid has a component of velocity and hence of
momentum in a direction tangential to the rotor.
• While flowing through the rotor, tangential velocity and hence
the momentum changes.
• The rate at which this tangential momentum changes
corresponds to a tangential force on the rotor.
 CONT…
•• In
  a turbine, the tangential momentum of the fluid is reduced
and therefore work is done by the fluid to the moving rotor.
• But in case of pumps and compressors there is an increase in
the tangential momentum of the fluid and therefore work is
absorbed by the fluid from the moving rotor.
• Turbo ........ Latin world Which means
“Spins” or “Whirls” around
 Due to Newton’s Second Law of Motion

It means if we provide a force through jet on

blade. There will change in linear velocity and if
blade is
• fixed on runner then it will start to rotate at
particular angle due to rate of change of
angular momentum
 CLASSIFICATIONS OF TURBO
MACHINES
The Turbo machines may be classified under different
categories as follows:
• On the Basis of Direction of Energy Conversion
• On the Basis of Power
• On the Basis of Main Direction of Fluid Path in the Rotor
• On the Basis of Fluid Used
• On the Basis of Fluid Action on the machine (Operation)
• Based on Operating Head
• Based on Specific Speed
• On the Basis of Fluid used
 Classification of TM
On the Basis of Direction of Energy Conversion
• The device in which the kinetic and potential energy of
the fluid is converted in the form of mechanical energy of
a rotating member is known as a turbine.
• The machines, on the other hand, where the mechanical
energy from moving parts is transferred to a fluid to
increase its stored energy by increasing either its pressure
or velocity are known as pumps, compressors, fans or
blowers.
 Classification of TM
On the Basis of Power
• (a) Power producing machine: Fluid transfer its energy to the
machine
• Pressure Energy (Pr E) of fluid is converted into mechanical
energy in a close container by a machine- Hydrostatic machine
• Pressure Energy (Pr E) of fluid is converted by the dynamic
action of fluid due to relative motion between the fluid and
machine - Hydro Dynamic machine
• Hydraulic turbines (the work is done by the fluid on the
rotor).
 Classification of TM
On the Basis of Power
• (b) Power Absorbing machine: Energy supplied to the
shaft of a machine (Shaft Power) is transfer to the Fluid due
to relative motion between the fluid and machine
• Pump, compressor, fan or blower (the work is done by the
rotor on the fluid element).
On the Basis of Main Direction of Fluid Path in the
Rotor
(a) Tangential flow: Fluid velocity is in the direction of
tangent to the runner and it strikes in the form of jet.
 Classification of TM
On the Basis of Main Direction of Fluid Path in the
Rotor
(b) Radial Flow- flow of fluid is in radial direction
(i) Radial inward flow- The flow is towards the centre of the rotor
and away from the Rim.
Eg. Inward flow Turbine
(ii) Radial outward flow- The flow is away from the centre and
towards to Rim
Eg. Pumps and Compressors
Examples of radial flow machines are the Francis turbines and the
centrifugal pumps or compressors
 Classification of TM
On the Basis of Main Direction of Fluid Path in the
Rotor
(c) Axial flow: If flow is axially to the machine means
fluid insert at centre and exit at centre also
Eg. Axial flow turbine, axial flow pump and compressor
(d) Mixed flow: If the flow is partly radial and partly axial, the
term mixed-flow machine is used
 Classification of TM
• Type of flow
 Classification of TM
On the Basis of Fluid Used:
• The machine transferring mechanical energy of rotor to the
energy of fluid is termed as a pump when it uses liquid, and is
termed as a compressor or a fan or a blower, when it uses gas.
• The compressor is a machine where the main objective is to
increase the static pressure of a gas.
• The mechanical energy held by the fluid is mainly in the form
of pressure energy.
• Fans or blowers, on the other hand, mainly cause a high flow
of gas, and hence utilize the mechanical energy of the rotor to
increase mostly the kinetic energy of the fluid.
• In these machines, the change in static pressure is quite small.
 Classification of TM
On the Basis of Fluid Used:
• For all practical purposes, liquid used by the turbines
(for producing power) is water, and therefore, they
are termed as water turbines or hydraulic turbines.
• Turbines handling gases, steam in practical fields are
usually referred to as steam turbine, gas turbine, and
air turbine depending upon whether they use steam,
gas (the mixture of air and products of burnt fuel in
air) or air.
 Classification of TM
On the Basis of Fluid Action on the machine
(Operation):
• On the basis of operation turbo machines are two
types:
• (1) Impulse
• (2) Reaction
 Classification of TM
Based on Operating Head:-
(a) Low Head – (< 60 m) – Kaplan Turbine
(b) Medium Head – (60 m < H < 250 m) – Francis Turbine
(c) High Head – (> 250 m) – Pelton wheel Turbine
Based on Specific Speed:-
(a) Low Specific Speed – (< 50 RPM) – Pelton wheel
Turbine
(b) Medium Specific Speed – (50 RPM < Ns < 400 RPM) –
Francis Turbine
(c) High Specific Speed – (> 400 RPM) – Kaplan Turbine
 Classification of TM
•On  the Basis of Fluid used:
• (i) Incompressible Fluid ( = C)
Ex.–Liquid Pump
• (ii) Compressible Fluid ( # C)
Ex.– Compressor (air), fan and Blower
 Parts of Turbo machines
The principal components of turbo machines are
• Rotating element (vane, impeller or blades)- operating in a
stream of fluid
• Stationary elements: which usually guide the fluid in proper
direction for efficient energy conversion process
• Shaft: which either gives input power or takes output power
from the fluids under dynamic conditions and runs at required
speed
• Housing: to keep various rotating, stationary and other
passages safely under dynamic conditions of the flowing fluid
 Applications Turbo machines
• Turbo machines are essential to the operation of the modern
world.
• Turbines are used in all significant electricity production
throughout the world in steam turbines, gas turbines, hydro-
electric power plants and wind turbines
• Pumps are used to transport water around the municipal water
systems
• Pumps and turbines are also essential in transportation of fuel
oil and gas around pipe networks
• Gas turbine engines are used to power all large passenger
aircrafts.
 Dimensional Analysis
• The widest comprehension of the general behaviour of all
turbo machines is, without doubt, obtained from dimensional
analysis
• To study the performance characteristics of turbo machines, a
large number of variables are involved
• The use of dimensional analysis reduces the variables to a
number of manageable dimensional groups
• Usually, the properties of interest in regard to turbo machine
are the power output, the efficiency, and the head
• Dimensional analysis applied to turbo machines has two more
important uses:
• (1) prediction of a prototype’s performance from tests
conducted on a scale model (similitude),
• (2) determination of the most suitable type of machine, on the
basis of maximum efficiency, for a specified range of head,
speed, and flow rate.
 DIMENSIONS AND EQUATIONS
• The variables involved in engineering are expressed
in terms of a limited number of basic dimensions.
• For most engineering problems, the basic dimensions
are:
• 1. SI system: mass, length, temperature and time.
• 2. English system: mass, length, temperature, time
and force.
CONT…
 THE BUCKINGHAM P THEOREM
•• Buckingham
  showed that the number of independent
dimensionless group of variables (dimensionless parameters)
needed to correlate the unknown variables in a given process is
equal to nm, where n is the number of variables involved and m is
the number of dimensionless parameters included in the variables.
• Suppose, for example, the drag force F of a flowing fluid past a
sphere is known to be a function of the velocity (v) mass density
(r) viscosity (m) and diameter (D).
• Then we have five variables (F, v, r, m, and D) and three basic
dimensions (L, F, and T ) involved. Then, there are 5 3 = 2 basic
grouping of variables that can be used to correlate experimental
results.
 How to find the pi groups
1. List and count the n variables involved in the problem. If any
important variables are missing, dimensional analysis will fail.
2. List the dimensions of each variable according to {MLTt}
3. Find m. Initially guess j equal to the number of different
dimensions present, and look for m variables that do not form a pi
product. If no luck, reduce m by1 and look again
4. Select m repeating parameters that do not form a pi product. Make
sure they please you and have some generality if possible, because
they will then appear in every one of your pi groups. Pick density
or velocity or length.
5. Add one additional variable to your j repeating variables, and form
a power product.
6. Write the final dimensionless function, and check the terms to
make sure all pi groups are dimensionless.
Guidelines for selecting repeating variables

• They must not form a dimensionless group among themselves,

but adding one more variable will form a dimensionless
quantity
• Do not select output variables for your scaling parameters.
• If convenient, select popular, not obscure, scaling variables
because they will appear in all of your dimensionless groups.
Select density, not surface tension.
• Select body length, not surface roughness. Select stream
velocity, not speed of sound.
 BASIC THERMODYNAMICS
• In this section, the basic physical laws of fluid
mechanics and thermodynamics will be
discussed.
1. The continuity equation.
2. The First Law of Thermodynamics.
3. Newton’s Second Law of Motion.
4. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
 CONTINUITY EQUATION
• For steady flow through a turbo machine, m remains
constant. If A1 and A2 are the flow areas at Sections
1 and 2 along a passage respectively, then
THE FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
•• According
  to the First Law of Thermodynamics, if a system is
taken through a complete cycle during which heat is supplied
and work is done, then
-=0
• Q represents the heat supplied to the system during this cycle
and W the work done by the system during the cycle
• The units of heat and work are taken to be the same. During a
change of state from 1 to 2, there is a change in the internal
energy of the system

• For an infinitesimal change of state

 The Steady Flow Energy Equation
• The First Law of Thermodynamics can be applied to a system
to find the change in the energy of the system when it
undergoes a change of state.
• The total energy of a system, E may be written as:

• where U is the internal energy.

• Since the terms comprising E are point functions,
 CONT…
• The First Law of Thermodynamics for a change of state of a system may
therefore be written as follows

• Let subscript 1 represents the system in its initial state and 2 represents the
system in its final state, the energy equation at the inlet and outlet of any
device may be written

• for stationary closed systems, the changes in kinetic and potential energies
are negligible (i.e. K(K.E.) =K(P.E.) = 0), and the first law relation reduces
to
 NEWTON’S SECOND LAW OF MOTION

• Newton’s Second Law states that the sum of all the forces acting on a
control volume in a particular direction is equal to the rate of change of
momentum of the fluid across the control volume.
• For a control volume with fluid entering with uniform velocity C1 and
leaving with uniform velocity C2, then

• Equation above is the one-dimensional form of the steady flow

momentum equation, and applies for linear momentum.
• However, turbo machines have impellers that rotate, and the power
output is expressed as the product of torque and angular velocity.
• Therefore, angular momentum is the most descriptive parameter for this
system.
 THE SECOND LAW OF
THERMODYNAMICS: ENTROPY
•• This
  law states that for a fluid passing through a cycle
involving heat exchanges

• where Qis an element of heat transferred to the system at an

absolute temperature T. If all the processes in the cycle are
reversible, so that Q ¼=QR, then

• The property called entropy, for a finite change of state, is then

given by
 CONT…
•• For
  an incremental change of state

where m is the mass of the fluid.

• For steady flow through a control volume in which the fluid
experiences a change of state from inlet 1 to outlet 2,

• For adiabatic process, Q = 0 so that

 CONT…
• For reversible process

• In the absence of motion, gravity and other effects, the first

law of thermodynamics

• Putting h = u + pv and dh = du + pdv + vdp in Eq. above gives

 Velocity Triangle
• The component velocities of flow through the
impeller passages are studied graphically by means of
velocity vectors which form triangular shapes
• These figures are called velocity triangle.
• They can be drawn for any point of the flow path
through the impeller, but the usual procedure is to
study the velocity triangles of an impeller at its inlet
point and at discharge point
 Rules to draw Velocity Triangle
Velocities to be used
• a) V or C = Absolute velocity of liquid or exit velocity of
liquid through nozzle or actual velocity.
• (b) u = Tangential velocity or blade velocity. (It is tangent on
impeller or it is parallel to tangent on
• Impeller
• It’s direction is same as rotational direction of rotor.
• (c) Vr or W = Relative velocity or imaginary velocity.
• – It shows relativity of V and u.
• – It is tangent to blade.
RTR
STEPS TO BE USED
 Assumptions
•   out
1. For Infinite No. of Vanes: Liquid flowing in the passage follow the path
lines by the vanes.
2. No energy loss in the impeller due to friction and eddy formation.
3. Even/uniform velocity distribution in the narrow passages formed
between two adjacent vanes.
4. No Loss due to shock at entry i.e. inlet edge of the impeller blades is
parallel to the relative velocity
5. For the best efficiency of pump it is assumed that = 90º, liquid enters in
impeller eye in an axial or radial direction i.e. the whirl component (Vf1)
of inlet absolute velocity (V1) is zero i.e. Vw1 = 0 and V1= Vf1 by
diagram.
 Performance of Vane (Blade) Shapes
• The
  exit relative velocity Vr2 is fixed by 2, hence the
exit velocity triangle depends upon 2 and 2 depends
upon blade profile.
1. Forward curved vanes
• The vane is curved in the same direction of rotation
and 2 > 90º.
2. Radial Vanes
• Liquid leaves the vane in radial direction as
•3.  Backward Curved Vanes
• The vane is curved in the opposite direction of
rotation and 2 < 90º
•  Notes
 The curve rises upwards.
 The efficiency increases with decreases of 2.
 For radial blades,η = 80% – 85% – for blower and
fans
 For forward curved blades, η = 75% – for compressor
and fans
 For backward curved blades, η = 85 – 90% – for
centrifugal pump.
• The
  energy conversion efficiency is maximum for
forward-curved vanes, but the exit velocity (V2) is
very
• high which is not desirable. Normally backward-
curved vanes with 2 between 20° and 30° are used for
low and medium head pumps.
• For high head pumps, forward-curved or radial vane
impeller are preferred.
 Vane Congruent Flow

• When the value of flow angles at the rotor inlet and exit are
not known they are assumed equal to the blade angles of the
rotor at the inlet and exit.
• And this assuming that the fluid follows the blade surfaces and
is known as ideal or vane congruent flow
• This flow can only be realized if there is an infinite no of
infinitely thin blades.
• However this assumption is never valid in practice.
• Turbo machine always have a finite no of blades with finite
thickness.
• Hence the actual flow in Turbo machine’s blade passages
differs or deviates from the ideal flow and this flow is said to
take place with SLIP.
Actual Flow patterns in the rotors
• Due to Inertia Forces liquid is reluctant to move round with
the impeller (which trapped between the impeller blades).
• This result in a difference of pressure forces across the vane
(blades) and this develops.
• + Pressure  outer side of blades
• – Pressure  inner side of blades
• The pressure difference is called Vane Loading and it increases
with no. of Vanes increased.
• Due to pressure variation a velocity gradient exit across
the channel.
• On High pressure side Liquid leave tangentially.
• On lower pressure side Liquid leave circumferentially.
• This developed path deviation.
• Due to this path deviation exit Blade angle shift from
and blade angle reduced.
• So due to this, there is fluid deviation and the tangential
component get reduced from