1 Efficiency dependence on design parameters

It can be shown that many of the impeller design parameters, together with the inlet geometry com-
pletely specifies the polytropic impeller efficiency. As a consequence, one can have the misfortune
to chose design parameters in such a way that the polytropic efficiency exceeds one (1).
Below, subscript 1 will refer to the inlet of the impeller, subscript 2 refers to the impeller outlet
while subscript 5 denotes the compressor stage outlet. Subscript 0 identifies a stagnation property.
From the definition of a impeller total-to-total polytropic efficiency ηI , the following relationship
holds
  γηI
p02 T02 γ−1
= (1)
p01 T01
where p is a pressure, T a temperature and γ is the ratio of specific heats. The total-to-static
pressure ratio P R of the complete compressor stage is simply
p5
PR = (2)
p01
Introducing a static pressure recovery coefficient CpD for the diffuser following the impeller, the
stage outlet (static) pressure can be written (see Figure 6.3 in ”Centrifugal Compressor Design and
Performance, David Japikse, 1996)

p5 = p2 + CpD (p02 − p2 ) (3)

The polytropic identity (basically saying that ηI equals one (1) in one and the same point, when
applying equation 1)
  γ
p2 T2 γ−1
= (4)
p02 T02
Combining equations 1 to 4 yields
 γηI "
 γ−1   γ #
T02 T2 γ−1
PR = (1 − CpD ) + CpD (5)
T01 T02

The diffusion ratio is given by

W1s
DR = (6)
W2
where W denotes a relative velocity and subscript s a position at the shroud. In LURC, the Euler
turbo-machinery equation is used to find the impeller discharge stagnation temperature, rewritten
according to
U2 Cθ2 − Ū1 C¯θ1
T02 = + T01 (7)
cp
Here, U is the impeller ”blade” velocity, C the absolute velocity and cp the specific heat at constant
pressure. An over bar denotes ”mean” conditions, located at a ”mean” point at the impeller inlet
while subscript θ indicates a tangential velocity. Further, LURC uses the following relationship to
find the absolute meridional (subscript m) velocity Cm2 at the impeller outlet (see ”A Preliminary
Design Tool For Radial Compressors”, Johannes Schiff, 2013)

W2 σ
Cm2 = q (8)
2
(tan β2 + σλ2 − λ2 ) + σ2

where σ is the slip factor, β2 the impeller backsweep angle and λ2 the ratio of tangential to merid-
ional velocity according to
Cθ2
λ2 = (9)
Cm2

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Which means that the tangential tip velocity may be expressed as
λ2 W2 σ
Cθ2 = λ2 Cm2 = q (10)
2
(tan β2 + σλ2 − λ2 ) + σ 2

and the absolute impeller velocity is given by

s
1 + λ22
q
C2 = 2 + C2 = W σ
Cm2 (11)
θ2 2 2
(tan β2 + σλ2 − λ2 ) + σ 2

Further, the impeller blade ”velocity” U2 can be expressed as

Cm2 (λ2 − tan β2 ) W2 (λ2 − tan β2 )
U2 = =q (12)
σ 2
(tan β2 + σλ2 − λ2 ) + σ 2

Equation 7 can therefore be written

 
2
1  λ2 W2 σ (λ2 − tan β2 )
T02 =   − Ū1 C¯θ1  + T01 (13)
cp 2
(tan β + σλ − λ ) + σ 2
2 2 2

Making use of the diffusion ratio DR, the above relation for T02 can be recast into
 
2
1  λ2 W1s σ (λ2 − tan β2 )
T02 =   − Ū1 C¯θ1  + T01 (14)
cp DR2 (tan β + σλ − λ )2 + σ 2
2 2 2

The static impeller discharge temperature is easily calculated from the definition of the stagnation
temperature


C2 1 W22 σ 2 1 + λ22
T2 = T02 − 2 = T02 −
2cp 2cp (tan β2 + σλ2 − λ2 )2 + σ 2
2 2

(15)
1 W1s σ 1 + λ22
= T02 −  
2cp DR2 (tan β + σλ − λ )2 + σ 2
2 2 2

Introducing
2
W1s σ
Z=   (16)
2
DR2 (tan β2 + σλ2 − λ2 ) + σ 2

means that
 γηI
 γ−1
1

PR = λ2 (λ2 − tan β2 ) Z − Ū1 C̄θ1 + 1 ·
cp T01

γ
! γ−1  (17)
σ 1 + λ22 Z
(1 − CpD ) 1 −
+ CpD 
2 λ2 (λ2 − tan β2 ) Z − Ū1 C̄θ1 + cp T01

Solving for the efficiency finally yields

( "  γ
 γ−1 #)
σ (1+λ22 )Z
ln P R/ (1 − CpD ) 1 − 2 λ (λ −tan β )Z−Ū C̄ +c T + CpD
γ−1 ( 2 2 2 1 θ1 p 01 )

ηI = n o (18)
γ ln cp T1 01 λ2 (λ2 − tan β2 ) Z − Ū1 C̄θ1 + 1
 

This cumbersome expression shows that:

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 • If the large fraction on the right hand side of equation 18 is larger than γ/ (γ − 1), the efficiency
becomes larger than one (1). The risk of this happening is the highest if the denominator is
very small, i.e. that the expression within the brackets are close to one.
• The efficiency comes directly from the properties of the gas, the design of the impeller inlet
(inducer) and a few design parameters (P R, CpD , σ, DR, λ2 and β2 ). Logically, if these
design parameters are chosen ”poorly”, non-physical efficiencies (larger than one) can occur.

From the first bullet point it is easily understood that if

Ū1 C̄θ1 ≈ λ2 (λ2 − tan β2 ) Z (19)

a large efficiency will be found. This shows that the impeller inlet can have a direct influence on
the polytropic impeller efficiency.

2 Sensitivity analysis
In order to determine what design parameters having a major impact on the polytropic efficiency,
a small sensitivity study has been performed. Basically, a very simple compressor design was taken
as a rough reference design. Thereafter, each design parameter was increased by 1%, one at a
time. The change in polytropic impeller efficiency as compared to the reference design where then
calculated, using equation 18. The inlet of the compressor was assumed to have a uniform flow
and the ”mean” inlet position was considered to be that having equal inlet areas below and above
itself. Blade blockage was not considered. Table 1 below summarizes the result of the sensitivity
study. In this table, ṁ denotes the mass flow, r1h and r1s the impeller inlet hub and shroud radius,

Parameter Unit Design value Altered value Efficiency change [%]

T01 K 288.00 290.88 0.4856
p01 bar 1.0135 1.0236 0.2933
cp J/kgK 1005.0 1015.1 0.7850
γ − 1.4000 1.4140 2.149
ṁ kg/s 1.0000 1.0100 −0.2966
r1h mm 50.000 50.500 −0.3847
r1s mm 80.000 80.800 −0.3465
◦
α1 5.0000 5.0500 −0.04225
N rpm 17500 17675 −1.260
◦
β2 −30.000 −30.300 0.4682
σ − 0.86000 0.86860 −2.523
λ2 − 3.3000 3.3330 −1.040
DR − 1.5000 1.5150 1.596
PR − 1.9000 1.9190 1.325
CpD − 0.60000 0.60600 −0.2300

Table 1: The design paramters’ values, units and altered values. The far right column shows the
influence of increasing the value of the corresponding parameter by 1% on the polytropic impeller
efficiency.

respectively, α1 the inlet flow pre-swirl and N the angular frequency. It is clear that the parameter
having the largest impact on the efficiency is the ratio of specific heats, γ. For a given design,
however, only limited freedom to change any of the gas parameters exists. Excluding them from
the analysis means that the slip factor σ, the diffusion ratio DR and the total-to-static pressure
ratio P R influences the efficiency the most. It must be noted that the influence factors on the
efficiency depend on the specific compressor design. The main point from this sensitivity analysis is
that small changes in various design parameters may have a greater-than-expected influence on the

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efficiency. As a consequence, the basic design parameters must be chosen carefully. They should
not only themselves be reasonable for the given design problem, but also, as a whole, be compatible
with each other.

3 Final conclusion
The design module ”Impeller Detailed Design” implemented in LURC provides great freedom in
choosing design variables. This is one of the module’s greatest advantages - but also one of the
greatest dangers. The designer must in all cases analyse all result parameters, and use engineering
judgement and experience when determining whether the compressor design is appropriate or not.
This freedom may even allow computations resulting in impeller efficiencies larger than one, even
though such designs are not, by far, recommended. LURC should however, at least, display warnings
when such results appear. The sensitivity analysis also shows that many of the design parameters,
to a large extent, influences the efficiency. For instance, increasing both the diffusion and pressure
ratio by 1%, would yield an efficiency increase of almost 3%.