PROTECTINGACENTRIFUGALCOMPRESSORFROMSURGE

Surge is defined as the operating point at which centrifugal compressor peak head capability and minimum
flow limits are reached. Actually, the working principle of a centrifugal compressor is increasing the kinetic
energy of the fluid with a rotating impeller. The fluid is then slowed down in a volume called the plenum,
.where the kinetic energy is converted into potential energy in form of a pressure rise
When the plenum pressure behind the compressor is higher than the compressor outlet pressure, the fluid
tends to reverse or even flow back in the compressor. As a consequence, the plenum pressure will
decrease, inlet pressure will increase and the flow reverses again. This phenomenon, called surge, repeats
and occurs in cycles with frequencies varying from 1 to 2 Hz. So, the compressor loses the ability to
maintain the peak head when surge occurs and the entire system becomes unstable. A collection of surge
points during varying compressor speed or varying inlet gas angle is fitted as surge line. In normal
conditions, the compressor operates in the right side of the surge line. However, during startup/emergency
shutdown, the operating point will move towards the surge line because flow is reduced. If conditions are
such that the operating point approaches the surge line, flow recirculation occurs in the impeller and diffuser
(Figure 1). The flow separation will eventually cause a decrease in the discharge pressure, and flow from
suction to discharge will resume. Surging can cause the compressor to overheat to the point at which the
maximum allowable temperature of the unit is exceeded. Also, surging can cause damage to the thrust
bearing due to the rotor shifting back and forth from the active to the inactive side. This is defined as the
.surge cycle of the compressor

Anti-Surge Control Systems

These systems detect when a process compression stage is approaching to surge and subsequently take
action to reverse the movement of the operating point towards the surge line (SL). This decreases the
plenum pressure and increases the flow through the compressor, resulting in stable working conditions. It is
normally achieved by opening a control valve in a recycle line (Anti-Surge Control Valve or ASCV), returning
the discharge gas to the inlet of the compressor via a suction cooler. The resulting increase in compressor
.inlet volume flow moves the operating point away from surge
Due to inaccuracies in measurements and response times of transmitters and valves, Anti-surge control
achieves a surge control line (SCL) parallel to the surge limit line. The control line is offset to the right of the
surge line by a margin; typically equal to 3- 10% of inlet volume flow at surge (Figure 2). However, a lower
.margin is also desirable because higher efficiency could be obtained by closing the recycle valve

.Figure 2: Surge Protection Definitions

Anti-Surge Input Requirements
As earlier mentioned, flow rate is the main data obtained from suction or discharge. Moreover, pressure and
temperature in suction and discharge are needed to establish the operating point on the compressor
performance curve. Recommendations for the minimum input requirements for a given system arrangement
.can be found in Figure 6

.Figure 6: Compressor Surge Control System Layout

Additionally, it should be noted that a molecular weight change of 50% or a variation of 10 or more is
considered a significant change in the mixture gas composition. In such conditions, compressor map and
relevant surge line is individually generated for each gas component and the magnitude and direction of
each is compared with the other. Obviously, the finalized surge line shall cover and include all unstable
.regions, obtained by the performance maps

The response time of a transmitter for the measurement of a process variable used by the surge control
algorithm should be less than 100 milliseconds. Moreover, the emergency shutdown situation will require the
fastest response time from the control system. The shutdown operation does not affect the surge control
algorithm because the sole function of the controller under the shutdown operation is to fully open the
control valve as quickly as possible. In such condition, the recycle control valves should be able to move
.from fully closed to fully open in less than 2.0 seconds
Anti-Surge System layout
Figure 6 is an illustration of the Anti-Surge System layout. On centrifugal discharge, a check valve shall be
installed to prevent reverse flow and minimize surge. The check valve shall be located as close as possible
downstream of the compressor to minimize mass inventory. In other words, a check valve at the compressor
outlet will limit the downstream volume and increase the required system response time of the surge control
system. In parallel operations, compressor units should have check valves installed to assure effective surge
.control of each compressor
In order to protect the compressor adequately from surge, the discharged flow must be restored very quickly.
For this reason the anti-surge recycle connection and anti-surge control valve shall be located upstream of
the check valve as close as practical to the compressor discharge connection. Moreover, a cooler in the
recycle line may have to be considered, to suitably control the suction temperature and thereby prevent the
compressor from going into surge. The line-up and tie-in point of the recycle line on the suction side of the
compressor shall be at the upstream of the suction scrubber in order to prevent liquid from entering the
.compressor
If the compressor bypass control line is taken downstream of the discharge cooler (called cold bypass
line), an additional hot gas bypass line upstream of the discharge check valve is required to protect the
.compressor against surge during start-up, trip and normal operation (Figure 7)
In hot bypass lines, the suction cooler is installed after the recycle line, which is taken directly from the
.discharge and recycled to the upstream of the suction cooler

.Figure 7: Hot and Cold Recycle Valves

Recycle lines and their components shall be sized to handle compressor flow rates under rated conditions
.and all other specified operating and start / stop conditions
Anti-Surge Valve Specification
The anti-surge valve (ASV) is a fail open solenoid valve. This means that it needs a high signal of 20 mA to

close the valve, and a low signal of 4 mA to open the valve. When a failure occurs, the valve will usually
.receive a low signal and it will open, which is the safe position
In startup and normal stop, the compressor will initially operate with the valve at 100% open. The valve
characteristic for 100% open should be sufficiently removed from the compressor operational region, during
compressor startup. ASV should be sized for 1.8 to 2.2 times of maximum surge point flow rate. Oversized
valves will not provide the sensitivity required for particular operational settings and will restrict the
performance of the compressor; actually, the valve characteristic lines will become too far from the right of
.the operation