Some Notes on Centrifugal Compressors: Derivation of The Basic Theory and Some Comparisons with Axial Machines

CENTRIFUGAL compressors have found their main use to date in jet engines—for example, all the early Whittle engines and many subsequent machines were fitted with this type. This was initially due to the fact that when aircraft gas turbines were first being considered seriously considerable experience had already been gained in the design and use of centrifugal superchargers for piston‐type aircraft engines. The similarity between the two types of machine therefore led to the adoption of centrifugals in the initial development stages of the gas turbine.