(#103) Turbomachinery Design From 2D to 3D

Mechanical Engineering Made Simple · Feb 23, 2026 · 14m · transcript

This episode maps the hard performance limits of turbomachinery, where the math stops being polite and the flow starts doing whatever it wants. We dive into how modern 3D flow modeling exposes secondary flows, tip leakage, and vortex structures that quietly steal efficiency in axial and centrifugal machines. You’ll learn how vortex behavior can be shaped or minimized through blade loading, diffusion control, and smarter geometry, not just “more RPM.”

We break down high-speed compressor and radial turbine constraints, including slip factor, incidence, diffusion limits, and Mach number effects…