Compressor blades
The compressor – is the most important part of the gas turbine unit. The compressor compresses air to the design parameters and delivers it to the combustion chamber. During compression, the air temperature rises, which contributes to the intensification of the combustion process in the combustion chamber.
The compressor consists of a rotor and disks on which blades are mounted. The main purpose of the compressor blades is – to raise the inlet air parameters to the design parameters and to convert the rotor rotation energy into compressed air energy.
The size of the compressor blades varies in length. This is because the flow rate of compressed air is constant, the pressure increases and the volume decreases. This is why the blades of the first stage are larger than those of the last stage.
Blades are manufactured by casting from blanks. The blade blanks consist of a feather and a shank. The blade is then machined to its final shape and profile. High demands are placed on the blade feather in terms of geometric shape and surface roughness.
The blades of the different compressor stages are made of different materials.
The blades of the first stages are particularly susceptible to abrasive wear, so they are often made of particularly high-strength titanium-based alloys. The blades of the last compressor stages operate at temperatures of about 500°C, which necessitates their manufacture from heat-resistant and heat-resistant materials.