ElectronicNotesandWorkSheets

Chapter32.PolytropicorSmallStageEfficiency

Purpose:toinvestigatetheisentropicefficiencyofthepolytropiccompression&expansionprocesses.
1. MultiStageCompressionofAnIdealGasintheMollier(hs)Diagram

Figure:Amultistagecompressionprocess.

Subscriptsdenotesstagein TS and TS ;and

indicatesisentropicin2s.

Idealgasassumption: h = CP T and h T .
Therefore,theconstanthlinesoverlapthe
constantTlineinthehsdiagram(foranidealgas).

Isentropicefficiencyforasinglestagecompression
process:

CP TS TS
=

CP TS TS
T 1
T = S = S = S (Eq.1)

S =

2. ComparisonoftheOverallandSmallStageEfficiencies(IdealGas)
SlopesofthePressureLinesintheMollier(hs)Diagram
Fromtherelation: Tds = dh vdp ,
h
= T .
s P

Thisindicatesthatthehigherthefluidtemperature,thegreatertheslopeoftheconstantpressurelines
ontheMollierdiagram.Forthisreason,
TS > T .
Theoverall/totaltototal(isentropic)efficiencyofthecompressoris c =
AlsoconsideringEq.1,weobtain

S TS
=
> 1 ,or C < S .
C
T

TS =

T
T
.Therefore, T =
.
C
T

T = T .Therefore,

Thisindicatesthattheoverallisentropicefficiencyissmallerthan
thesinglestageisentropicefficiencyduringacompressionprocess.

3. PolytropicEfficiencyforACompressor(IdealGas)

PolytropicProcessHere, n iscalledthepolytropicindex,and

n
pv = c = C p / Cv istheindexfortheisentropicprocess.
Ifn=0,thenp=c(isobaricprocess)(Recallthatthegasconstant R = C C )
p

Ifn=1,thenpv=c(isothermalprocess)

Ifn=,thenpv=c(isentropicprocess)

PolytropicProcessEquation:pvn=c
Question:dothefollowingequationsholdforan
isentropicprocess?
Stateequationforanidealgas:pv=RT
Youransweris:_________if___________________.
Fromthesetwoequations,weobtain:

n
n 1
n 1
p2 v1
T2 v1

n
n
n 1

T
T
p
=
2
2
pv = c ,or
Tv = c ,or =

=
=
c
,or

(
n

1
)
/
n
p1 v2
T1 v2

T1

p1

TheGoal:becauseweknowtheprocessequationofapolytropic
h
P2
processforanidealgas,itispossibletoexplicitlyexpressthe
overallisentropicefficiencyofacompressionprocess(12)based
2
ontheoverallpressure/temperatureratioasshowninthefigure.

2s
P1
Definepolytropicefficiency( )foracompressionprocessas
c
T

T
theisentropicefficiencyofaninfinitesimalstepofcompression,

= dT ' = const
c

dT
1
Usetheprocessequationshownabove,weobtain
s
Finitechangeinpressure

n 1
n 1
T = cp n .So, ln T = ln c +
ln p .Differentiateboth
h
n

P+dp
sidestoobtain:
P
dT
n 1 dp
=
T+dT
.If n = r ,theprocessbecomesisentropic

T
n p
T+dT

dT
dT
and dT becomes dT ' .
dT ' 1 dp
=
.Therefore,
T

T
p

c dT 1 dp
s

=
.Integratingthisequationfrom1to2,
Infinitesimalchangeinpressure

T
p

1 p2
T
Determinetheoveralltotaltototal
ln ,or
ln 2 =
efficiencyandthepolytropicefficiency
T1 c p1

forthecompressor.Assumethatfor
1

airis1.4.
T2 p2 c

=
.(Eq.2)
Solution

1 p1

T T
T /T 1
c = 02 s 01 = 02 s 01
1

T02 T01 T02 / T01 1

T2 s p2

1
=
Fortheisentropicprocess, c = 1 ,

1 p1
p02
1.4 1

p
Theoverallisentropicefficiencyforthepolytropicprocess12is:
8 1.4 1

= 01
=
= 0.85
1
1

T02 / T01 1 586.4 / 300 1

c
p
T T1 T2 s / T1 1 p2
c = 2 s
=
= 1 2
1 TakelogsofbothsidesofEq.2,weget

T
T
T
/
T
1
p
p
2
1
2
1

1
1
= 1 ln( p02 / p01 )

c
ln( T02 / T01 )
Example

1 .4 1
ln 8
Anaxialflowaircompressorisdesignedtoprovideanoverall

totaltototalpressureratioof8to1.Atinletandoutletthe
stagnationtemperaturesare300Kand586.4K,respectively.

1.4 ln( 586.4 / 300 )

= 0.887

Asecondmethodtoderivethepolytropicefficiencyofacompressionprocessforanideagas:
n 1

Fromthepolytropicprocessequation T = cp n ,wederive
dT n 1 dp
dT ' 1 dp
=
=
and
.Fromthesetwoequations,wefurtherobtain:
T
n p
T
p
dT ' 1 n 1
1 n 1
c =
.Therefore,
.
=
=
dT

n
c
n
Theoverallisentropicefficiency(forthepolytropiccompressionprocess12)is
1
1
1
n 1

c
n

T2 s T1 T2 s / T1 1 p2
p
p
p

2
2
2
1 = 1

= 1
=
1 (Eq.3)
c =
p1
p1
p1

T2 T1
T2 / T1 1 p1

4.PolytropicEfficiencyforATurbine(IdealGas)

Similarlytoacompressor,wecandefinethepolytropicefficiency
(

infinitesimalstepofexpansion:

PdP

dT
t =
= const .Similarly,
dT '
t ( 1 ) n 1
dT n 1 1
t =
=
.Therefore,
=
.
dT '
n

n
Theoverallisentropcefficiency(forprocess12)is
n 1
1

T1 T2
1 T2 / T1 p2 n p2
t =
1
=
= 1
T1 T2 s 1 T2 s / T1 p1 p1

t ( 1 )

= 1

p /p

1 2

t )foranexpansionprocessastheisentropicefficiencyofan

1
1

p1 / p2

T
dT

dT
TdT
TdT
s

Infinitesimalchangeinpressure
duringanexpansionprocess

(Eq.4)

Question:Whydowewriteinthe
formofp1/p2(insteadofp2/p1)here?
Youransweris:_________________.

5.RelatsionshipbetweentheOverallIsentropicEfficiency&PolytropicEfficiency
TheresultscalculatedusingEq.3andEq.4(correspondingtothepolytropiccompressionandexpansion
processes)areshowninthefollowingtwofigures,respectively.

Conclusions:theoverallisentropicefficiencyforafiniteprocessislessthanthatforasmallstage
(infinitesimal)processforpolytropiccompression;andtheoppositeistrueforpolytropicexpansion.

Compressor

Turbine

Question:Doesit
makeanysenseto
comparethe
isentropicefficiency
oftwomachines
withdifferent
pressureratios?
Youransweris:___.
Why?___________
________________.