Turbo compressor is dynamic compressor with high-speed rotating blades. It relies on the interaction between the rotating impeller and the airflow to increase the air pressure. The airflow during the compression process is continuous.
What is a turbo compressor?
A turbo compressor is a kinetic air compressor that uses a rotating turbine to compress gas into high-pressure gas, including turbine air compressors like centrifugal compressor and axial compressor.
Turbo compressors enable engines to produce high power output without significantly affecting the size and weight of the engine. There are different types of air compressors, each with its own benefits. Here is how turbo compressors work and their advantages.
Working principle of turbo compressor
The turbo compressor accelerates the gas through the rotating turbine and uses the kinetic energy of the gas to achieve gas compression. The turbo compressor is usually composed of multiple levels of rotors and stators.
The gas enters the first-stage compression assembly through the inlet, and the high-speed rotation of the rotor accelerates the gas, causing the airflow to accelerate and gain kinetic energy, and the pressure increases. The airflow is then decelerated in the diffuser, and the kinetic energy will be converted into pressure energy, further increasing the pressure and passing it to the next stage.
In each stage, the gas is further accelerated and compressed, and finally reaches the required pressure.
Advantages of turbo compressors
High-pressure output: Turbo compressors are suitable for applications with a higher pressure range and can provide a stable supply of high-pressure gas. It can meet the needs of industrial systems, energy stations, etc. for high-pressure air.
Large capacity: Turbo compressors usually have a large capacity and can provide a large amount of compressed air. This makes it suitable for applications that require high flow, such as large industrial systems and energy stations.
High efficiency: Turbo compressors have high energy efficiency and can provide a large amount of compressed air at a lower energy consumption.
Its design optimizes the internal airflow path, reduces energy loss, and improves energy utilization.
Continuous operation: Turbo compressors are usually designed for continuous operation and can meet the needs of continuous and stable air supply in industrial production.
Lower noise: Compared with other compressors, such as reciprocating air compressor vs rotary screw, turbo compressors usually have a lower sound level. It uses sound insulation materials and vibration reduction measures to reduce the interference of noise to the working environment and operators.
Turbo compressor applications
Turbo compressors are widely used in various industries, such as manufacturing, automotive, energy, petrochemical, aviation industry, etc. When selecting a turbo compressor, factors such as the required pressure range, capacity, energy efficiency, noise level, and maintenance and operating costs need to be considered.
In the manufacturing industry, turbo compressors are often used in pneumatic tools, paint spraying equipment, and cooling systems, etc., and can provide stable high-pressure compressed air to ensure the normal operation of the equipment.
(Turbo compressor applications)
In the automotive field, the application of turbo compressors in the automotive industry is mainly reflected in the use of turbochargers. Its core function is to use engine exhaust gas to increase the power and torque of the engine, thereby improving the power performance and fuel economy of the car.
In the chemical industry, turbo compressors can be used to produce gas mixtures, manufacture plastic products and fine chemicals, etc. The stable compression performance and high working efficiency of centrifugal compressorย make it occupy an important position in chemical production.
(KOA Series Centrifugal Compressors)
In the oil and gas industry, turbo compressors are mainly used to extract and transport natural gas, oil and other liquids. Its strong compression capacity ensures the effective exploitation and transportation of oil and gas resources.
In the aviation field, turbo compressors are used in aircraft engines, and gas turbines are an important source of aircraft power drive. Turbocharging technology was first used in the aviation field and will continue to provide the aviation industry with more efficient and sustainable power solutions.
(Gas Turbine)
Turbo compressor in car
How to use air compressor for car? As the requirements for automobile exhaust emissions become increasingly stringent, automobiles are polarized.
One part is developing in the direction of new energy, with the emergence of electric and hybrid vehicles; the other part is developing in the direction of small displacement, but small displacement means poor power, so a turbo compressor is installed on the engine to achieve small displacement and high power.
This is what we often hear about turbocharging. Turbocharging is actually an air compressor solution, which is a technology that uses the exhaust gas generated by the operation of the internal combustion engine to drive the turbo compressor.
Working principle of turbocharger compressor
The turbocharger uses the exhaust gas energy discharged by the engine to drive the turbine to rotate, and then drive the coaxial compressor(booster)ย to work.
The boosterย air compressorย compresses the outside air and sends it into the combustion chamber of the engine, increasing the intake pressure, allowing more air to enter the combustion chamber, improving the combustion efficiency of the fuel, and thus improving the power and torque of the engine.
(turbocharger compressor working principle)
The turbocharging system of the turbocharger compressor includes an intake system, an air brake system, a turbocharger compressor and a controller; the outlet end of the intake system is connected to the turbine end of the turbocharger compressor; the air brake system includes a turbine compressor, an air storage unit and a brake actuator.
The intake end of the air compressor is connected to the outlet end of the intake system, and the outlet end of the air compressor is connected to the intake end of the air storage unit; the outlet end of the air storage unit is selectively connected to the brake actuator on one side, and selectively connected to the turbine end of the turbocharger compressor on the other side.
The controller is used to control the air in the air storage unit to guide the turbine end of the turbocharger when the vehicle speed is lower than the preset speed. In this way, when the engine is in a low-speed operating condition, the high-pressure gas stored in the gas storage section can be directed to the turbocharger to supercharge the turbine, so that the turbocharger can still obtain a higher speed when the engine speed is slow, thereby improving the low-speed supercharging performance.
Advantages of using turbo compressors in engines
โImprove power performanceโ: Turbocharger compressors can produce greater horsepower and torque with the same displacement, significantly improving the vehicle’s acceleration performance and ability to cope with diverse driving conditionsโ.
โImprove fuel economyโ: By improving combustion efficiency, turbocharger compressors not only increase power output, but also reduce fuel consumption and improve the fuel economy of the car.
โEnvironmental protection and emission controlโ: Turbocharging technology helps reduce exhaust emissions, meeting the high environmental protection requirements of modern society.
The difference between turbocharged and naturally aspirated
- Power. Under the same displacement, turbocharged engines are more powerful than naturally aspirated engines;
- Maintenance costs. Although turbocharging has better power performance, it may cause performance and reliability to decay faster than naturally aspirated engines, so the later maintenance cost is higher than naturally aspirated engines;
- Fuel consumption. Under the same displacement, turbocharged engines are not as fuel-efficient as naturally aspirated engines in congested urban areas, but turbocharged engines are more fuel-efficient on highways;
- Manufacturing cost. Turbocharged engines themselves have redundant parts, and the working environment is high temperature and high pressure, which has high requirements for the materials used, and the manufacturing cost is higher than that of naturally aspirated engines.
(Turbocharged Engine)
Automotive fuel cell air system using turbo compressor
The vehicle fuel cell air system using a turbo compressor belongs to the technical field of vehicle fuel cell air system design. It is characterized in that there is a turbo compressor between the air filter and the air humidifier.
A bypass pipe is connected between the outlet end of the turbo compressor and the wet air outlet end of the air humidifier, and an electric control valve is installed on the bypass pipe; an air flow meter is installed at the inlet end of the turbo compressor, and its signal output end is connected to the fuel cell system control unit, and the electric control signal port of the turbo compressor is connected to the signal input and output port of a frequency converter, and the other signal input and output port of the frequency converter is connected to the fuel cell system control unit, and the control signal input end of the electric control valve is connected to the fuel cell system control unit.
This turbo compressor technology enables the existing turbo compressor to meet the requirements of the vehicle fuel cell system to work in a wide flow range under all working conditions.
Common turbocharger compressor troubleshooting
- Abnormal vibration and noise
The turbo compressor produces abnormal vibration and noise, which directly affects the service life of the supercharger. The main reasons are: the supercharger rotor shaft is bent or deformed, the blades are deformed, and the bearing is damaged, resulting in the disappearance of the gap between the outer arc of the impeller and the casing, causing friction. Carbon deposits on the rotor cause the dynamic balance accuracy to decrease, and the pipeline connected to the supercharger leaks partially.
- Poor boost effect
The main manifestations are power decline, black smoke, blue smoke, poor fuel economy, and significantly excessive fuel consumption. There are three reasons for this: the air filter is too dirty and cannot provide high-density clean air for the engine. The impeller is damaged, causing insufficient air intake. There is too much dust in the intake air, and there is sludge at the junction of the impeller and the turbo compressor housing, which affects the speed of the turbo compressor impeller and causes insufficient air intake.
- Turbo compressor surge
In addition to the compressor surge caused by improper matching of the turbo compressor and the diesel engine, a well-matched turbo compressor may still experience surge when the operating conditions change. The root cause is the reduction of the air flow of the compressor.
(Turbo compressor)
- The air filter is too dirty or clogged
When the air filter is not properly supplied due to excessive dust or other reasons, negative pressure will be generated behind the turbine and compressor impeller of the turbo compressor, and the negative pressure at the compressor inlet will be too high, making the internal pressure at one end of the compressor higher than the external pressure, causing oil leakage in the turbo compressor.
- The turbo compressor speed is too high
The reason for the high turbo compressor speed is that the energy at the turbine inlet is relatively high or the load of the compressor is relatively low.
- Exhaust temperature is too high
Exhaust temperature is too high to affect the life of the turbine. The reason is that the cylinder afterburning is serious. It may be that the boost pressure is too low and there is insufficient air in the cylinder.
- Low boost pressure
Low boost pressure means compared with normal (boost pressure is lower than 90% of normal). Low boost pressure will reduce the amount of air in the cylinder, which will not only reduce the power of the diesel engine, but also worsen the combustion process in the cylinder, increase fuel consumption and exhaust temperature.
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