Compressor map | EPFL Graph Search

A compressor map is a chart which shows the performance of a turbomachinery compressor. This type of compressor is used in gas turbine engines, for supercharging reciprocating engines and for industrial processes, where it is known as a dynamic compressor. A map is created from compressor rig test results or predicted by a special computer program. Alternatively the map of a similar compressor can be suitably scaled. This article is an overview of compressor maps and their different applications and also has detailed explanations of maps for a fan and intermediate and high-pressure compressors from a three-shaft aero-engine as specific examples. Compressor maps are an integral part of predicting the performance of gas turbine and turbocharged engines, both at design and off-design conditions. They also serve a critical purpose in selecting the correct compressors for industrial processes. Fans and turbines also have operating maps, although the latter are significantly different in appearance to that of compressors. A compressor map shows the operating range of a compressor and how well it works within its operating range. Two fundamental requirements for the gas flowing through a compressor explain why it works best at a design condition and not so well at other conditions, known as off-design. First, the exit area has to be smaller than the inlet area because the compressed gas has a higher density. The exit area is sized to pass the specific volume at the design condition. Second, all the rotor and stator blades in an axial compressor, and impeller inducer and diffuser vanes in a centrifugal compressor, are angled to meet approaching air head-on at the design condition to minimize incidence losses. Incidence losses reduce the efficiency of compression. Satisfactory operation of the compressor relies on controlling the angle at which the gas approaches rotating and stationary blades to within an acceptable range.

An Integrated Approach to Designing Robust Turbocompressors on Gas Bearings Through Surrogate Modeling and Constrained Multi-Objective Optimization

Jürg Alexander Schiffmann, Soheyl Massoudi, Cyril Picard

Designing turbocompressors is a complex and challenging task, as it involves balancing conflicting objectives such as efficiency, stability, and robustness against manufacturing deviations. This paper proposes an integrated design methodology for turbocomp ...

2023

Information-Driven Gas Distribution Mapping for Autonomous Mobile Robots

Alcherio Martinoli, Chiara Ercolani, Faezeh Rahbar

The ability to sense airborne pollutants with mobile robots provides a valuable asset for domains such as industrial safety and environmental monitoring. Oftentimes, this involves detecting how certain gases are spread out in the environment, commonly refe ...

MDPI2023