Entropy Generation in Turbomachinery Flows

The factors affecting the efficiency of turbomachines can be most clearly understood by considering the sources of entropy that are the root cause of lost efficiency. A physical understanding of the mechanisms of entropy generation is probably more important than are quantitative predictions of their magnitude. Such understanding may show how the losses can be reduced even when the magnitude of the reduction cannot be quantified. This paper attempts to provide a framework for the development of this physical understanding.