Book excerpt: A comprehensive introduction to turbomachines and their applications With up-to-date coverage of all types of turbomachinery for students and practitioners, Fundamentals of Turbomachinery covers machines from gas, steam, wind, and hydraulic turbines to simple pumps, fans, blowers, and compressors used throughout industry. After reviewing the history of turbomachinery and the fluid mechanical principles involved in their design and operation, the book focuses on the application and selection of machines for various uses, teaching basic theory as well as how to select the right machine for a specific use. With a practical emphasis on engineering applications of turbomachines, this book discusses the full range of both turbines and pumping devices. For each type, the author explains: * Basic principles * Preliminary design procedure * Ideal performance characteristics * Actual performance curves published by the manufacturers * Application and appropriate selection of the machine Throughout, worked sample problems illustrate the principles discussed and end-of-chapter problems, employing both SI and the English system of units, provide practice to help solidify the reader's grasp of the material.