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Why do compressor blades become shorter toward the high-pressure end of an axial compressor?
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gas-turbine engine
Open-cycle constant-pressure gas-turbine engine.
In an axial-flow compressor, compressor blades become shorter toward the high-pressure end because the volume of the air decreases as it is compressed.1
To maintain a nearly constant through-flow velocity, the annular passage area must decrease in proportion to the reduction in air volume. Consequently, the blades are designed to be shorter at higher pressures to accommodate this change in the flow path.1