Experimental Investigation of Stall and Surge in a Multistage Compressor

Munari, Enrico; Morini, Mirko; Pinelli, Michele; Spina, Pier Ruggero; Suman, Alessio

doi:10.1115/1.4034239

Cited by 28 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…However, this mode of stall and surge alternating belongs to a progressive stall type, where stall and surge often occur in turn. This mode has been found in the experiments conducted by other researchers in recent years [23,27]. It suggests that the compressor is transitioned from stall to surge gradually rather than abruptly.…”

Section: Discussion Of Unstable Flow Patternssupporting

confidence: 67%

Experimental and Computational Analysis of the Unstable Flow Structure in a Centrifugal Compressor with a Vaneless Diffuser

Xue

Wang

2019

Chin. J. Mech. Eng.

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The unstable flow phenomena in compressors, such as stall and surge, are closely related to the efficiency and the operating region. It is indispensable to capture the unstable flow structure in compressors and understand the mechanism of flow instability at low flow rates. Cooperated with the manufacturer, an industrial centrifugal compressor with a vaneless diffuser is tested by its performance test rig and our multi-phase dynamic measurement system. Many dynamic pressure transducers are circumferentially mounted on the casing surface at seven radial locations, spanning the impeller region and the diffuser inlet region. The pressure fields from the design condition to surge are measured in details. Based on the multi-phase dynamic signals, the original location of stall occurring can be determined. Meanwhile, the information of the unstable flow structure is obtained, such as the circumferential mode and the propagating speed of stall cells. To get more details of the vortex structure, an unsteady simulation of this tested compressor is carried out. The computational result is well matched with the experimental result and further illustrates how the unstable flow structure in the impeller region gradually affects the stability of the total machine at low flow rates. The dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) method is applied to get the specific flow pattern corresponding to the stall frequency. Both experimental and computational analysis show that the flow structure at a particular radial location in the impeller region has a great impact on the stall and surge. Some differences between the computational and experimental result are also discussed. Through these two main analytical methods, an insight into the unstable flow structure in an industrial compressor is gained. The result also plays a crucial role in the guidance of the compressor stabilization techniques.

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Section: Discussion Of Unstable Flow Patternssupporting

confidence: 67%

Experimental and Computational Analysis of the Unstable Flow Structure in a Centrifugal Compressor with a Vaneless Diffuser

Xue

Wang

2019

Chin. J. Mech. Eng.

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“…Lots of studies were carried out in the past, trying to reduce the instability working region of dynamic compressors, starting from axial machines and then also on radial ones, even multi-stage, till to experimental campaigns about axial-centrifugal compressors, as reported in [3]. A remarkable example of experimental analysis on multistage centrifugal compressor can be found in [10].…”

Section: Experimental Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Its onset can be detected by pressure measurements which reveal a distortion in the ondesign expected load distribution along the blade surface in a stage of a certain row of the machine. Surge is not anymore only a disturbance, but it represents, to all effects, an anomalous and dangerous operating condition of a compression system [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surge prevention in gas turbines: an overview over historical solutions and perspectives about the future

et al. 2019

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The aim of the present work is to retrace experimental, analytical and numerical analyses which deal with compressor instability phenomena, such as rotating stall and surge. While the first affects only the machine itself, the second involves the whole energy system. Surge onset is characterized by strong pressure and mass flow rate fluctuations which can even lead to reverse flow through the compressor. Experimental studies on prevention of axial compressor fluid dynamic instabilities, which can be propagated and eventually damage the solid structure, have been carried out by many authors. The first important studies on this topic tried to underline the main aspects of the complex detailed mechanism of surge, by replacing the compression system with an equivalent conceptual lumped parameter model. This is specially meant to capture the unsteady behaviour and the transient response of the compression system itself, particularly its dependence on variations in the volume of discharge downstream and in the settings of the throttle valve at its outlet (which simulates the actual load coupled to the compressor). Greitzer’s model is still regarded as the milestone for new investigations about active control and stabilization of surge and, more generally, about active suppression of aerodynamic instabilities in turbomachinery. During the last years, a lot of simulations and experimental studies about surge have been conducted on multistage centrifugal compressors with different architectures (e.g. equipped with vaneless or vaned diffusers). Moreover, further kinds of analysis try to extend the stable working zone of compressors, identifying stall and surge precursors extractable from information contained in the vibro-acoustical and rotodynamic response of the system.

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“…Compressor behavior is simulated through steady-state maps both for normal and unstable operating regions. They also analyzed that through an experimental approach for stable and unstable operating conditions of compressor [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Compression System Dynamic Simulation Code for Testing and Designing of Anti-Surge Control System

Mohajer

Abbasi

2017

Volume 9: Oil and Gas Applications; Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles; Wind Energy

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As cost of damages to the compression systems in oil and gas industry can lead to significant capital cost loss and plant downtime, these valuable assets must be carefully protected to achieve a high level of production and operational reliability. In recent years, several research activities have been conducted to develop knowledge in analysis, design and optimization of compressor anti surge control system. Since, the anti-surge control testing on a full scale compressor are limited for possible consequences of failure and also the experimental facility can be expensive to set up control strategies and logics, design process often involves analyses using compression system dynamic simulation. Such Simulator enables the designer to test the new control logic and see the results before implementing it on governor system. This would increase the reliability and prevents undesirable costs resulting from practical trial and error process. Taking into account its own requirements and market demand, a high fidelity compression system dynamic simulation environment has developed by MAPNA Turbine (TUGA) to verify the anti-surge control system design and test the control logic across the all operating range of the compressor performance. Typical control scenarios that have to be considered are process control, starting and stopping, and emergency shutdowns. Having such simulator is also deemed to be essential to serve other applications during all stages of system life cycle, including but not limited to the educational tool for operators training, Site Acceptance Test (SAT) and Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and compression plant design optimization. This research focuses on developing and validating a physics-based, modular, non-linear and one-dimensional dynamic model of a compression system: centrifugal compressor and its surrounding process equipment like scrubber, cooler, a recycle line with a control valve and check valve. The mathematical approach of the model is based on laws of conservation and the included ordinary differential equations (ODEs) which describe the system dynamics, is solved by using advanced computational method in an in-house FORTRAN code. Compressor characteristics maps generated from company compressor test bench are used to determine compressor pressure ratio and efficiency. All equipment and inlet/outlet accessories as well as test instructions follow the requirements of PTC10. The simulation within a wide range of operating conditions allows a parametric study to be performed and the optimal values of the control parameters to be selected. In order to check the validity of the model, the simulation results are then compared with experimental data taken on the company industrial compressor test facility and also with operational field measurement.

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Experimental Investigation of Stall and Surge in a Multistage Compressor

Cited by 28 publications

References 40 publications

Experimental and Computational Analysis of the Unstable Flow Structure in a Centrifugal Compressor with a Vaneless Diffuser

Experimental and Computational Analysis of the Unstable Flow Structure in a Centrifugal Compressor with a Vaneless Diffuser

Surge prevention in gas turbines: an overview over historical solutions and perspectives about the future

Development of Compression System Dynamic Simulation Code for Testing and Designing of Anti-Surge Control System

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