7R7. Axial-Flow Compressors: A Strategy for Aerodynamic Design and Analysis. - Edited by RH Aungier (Ebara Group, Adv Tech, Elliott Turbomachinery Co Inc, Jeannette PA). ASME International, New York. 2003. 361 pp. ISBN 0-7918-0192-6. $95.00.
Reviewed by S Farokhi (Dept of Aerospace Eng, Univ of Kansas, 2004 Learned Hall, Lawrence KS 66045).
The title of the book is rather lengthy, but accurate, in describing the author’s goal in providing a foundation for aerodynamic design and performance analysis of axial-flow compressors. Therefore, the book is neither an introduction to the subject nor an academic textbook in a classical sense. Other important aspects of compressor design, namely, structural design and topics such as flutter or noise are entirely (and intentionally) omitted from this book. The author has thus produced successfully a reference book with sufficient detail that treats compressor aerodynamics from the viewpoint of a design and performance engineer. However, within the realm of aerodynamic design, the author does not treat compressor stall and surge phenomena in any great detail. The effects of unsteadiness on performance are left out of this book’s treatment of compressor aerodynamics. These omissions however do not detract from the value of this book being a modern reference to compressor aerodynamic design and performance evaluation. This book successfully integrates classical cascade aerodynamics of the 50’s with today’s computational methods dominating modern compressor design.
The Axial-Flow Compressor book by Aungier has 13 chapters spread over 348 pages. The average chapter length is thus ∼27 pages. Most chapters contain a few exercises at the end that are also nearly solved in the Answer to Exercises section at the end of the book. The introduction chapter quickly sets the stage for the rest of the book, which is entirely focused on axial-flow compressors. The review of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics in chapters two and three also follow the same principle. The author’s industrial turbomachinery background (as well as his personal contributions to the field) has prompted the inclusion of non-ideal gases and multi-phase flow in the thermodynamic review chapter. The treatment of general equation of state (other than the perfect gas law) is a valuable addition to any engineers’ toolbox tasked with treating general fluid flow problems. The fluid mechanics review chapter (Chapter 3) quickly evolves into an appropriate set of conservation equations describing compressible flow in turbomachinery including the end wall boundary layer equations. Blade profiles are treated in Chapter 4. The classical compressor profiles developed by NACA (eg, 63- and 65-series) and the British, as well as, double-circular arc blades are presented in detail in Chapter 4. The controlled-diffusion airfoil, as primarily a proprietary and application-specific profile, is only qualitatively presented. Chapter 5 treats 2D blade-to-blade flow through cascades of blades using possible approaches in computational fluid dynamics. These include the potential flow approach, the transonic time-marching approach as well as describing the blade surface boundary layer solution techniques. The author’s insight in the application of the computational techniques provides for valuable hints and suggestions for the readers who wish to implement the described methods. Chapter 6 contains numerous correlations of (classical) empirical cascade performance data and their modern extensions. The tip clearance loss, as well as the shroud seal leakage loss, is also presented in Chapter 6. Chapters 7–9 lay the computational foundation of meridional throughflow analysis, end-wall boundary layers and compressor aerodynamic performance analysis, respectively. These chapters are presented with sufficient detail and clarity that an engineer with some computational facility should navigate through them with no problem. Compressor stage aerodynamic design is presented in Chapter 10. Again, author’s insight and personal experience, guides the reader through conventional and non-conventional stage (vortex) designs and the range of appropriate non-dimensional parameters in compressor aerodynamics are explored. The principles that are detailed in the first ten chapters are used in designing several multi-stage axial flow compressors in Chapter 11. The impact of non-dimensional design parameters on compressor performance is explored. An extension of earlier computational techniques to quasi-3D inviscid flow analysis is covered in Chapter 12. Again, the viscous effects are treated by a boundary layer approach. Chapter 13 covers the Other Components and Variations with topics such as exhaust diffusers, adjustable stators, scroll or collector, Reynolds number and surface roughness effects and a brief discussion of axial-centrifugal compressor. As noted earlier, Answers to the Exercises section is nearly the complete solution to the exercises, which make it easy for those who intend on solving the problems. There are 104 references that are all collected at the end of the book. The classical works are cited. The latest work in the reference section is the author’s book on centrifugal compressors (2000). Thus later references beyond 2000 and many seminal contributions to the field of compressor aerodynamics are not included in the references. However, the author’s objective of providing a detailed strategy for aerodynamic design and analysis is clearly achieved, even with the shortcomings that are cited. Axial-Flow Compressors: A Strategy for Aerodynamic Design and Analysis is a valuable resource to engineers, students and academicians who are interested in elements of axial-flow compressor stage and system design.
