Tri-Sen Turbomachinery Controls

Deriving the Tri-Sen Surge Curve

Compressor manufacturers present their performance maps as the polytropic head vs. the inlet
volumetric flow.
The polytropic head can be expressed with the following equation:

 P   1  ZRT 
Head   d   1  1

 Ps  
  MW 

Where: Pd = compressor discharge pressure

Ps = compressor suction pressure
σ = polytropic exponent
= (k-1)/kη
k = specific heat ratio
η = compressor polytropic efficiency
Z = compressibility at suction conditions
R = universal gas constant
T1 = compressor suction temperature
MW = molecular weight of gas

The inlet volumetric flow can be expressed with the following equation:

hZRT1
Flow  c
P1MW
Where: c = flow coefficient of flow meter
h = differential pressure across flow meter

One objective in the development of a surge line prediction algorithm is to simplify these
equations if possible. In the forms shown above, no simplification is possible. But if the flow
equation is squared, several of the gas terms will cancel out.

1 of 1 Deriving the Tri-Sen Surge Curve

 Tri-Sen Turbomachinery Controls

Head vs. Flow

35000.0

30000.0

25000.0

20000.0
ft-lbf/lbm

Full Speed
15000.0
0.9
0.8
0.7
10000.0
0.5
0.3
Surge
5000.0
Op Pt
Poly. (Surge)

0.0
0.0 500.0 1000.0 1500.0 2000.0 2500.0
ACFM

Figure 1 – this is a performance map for a single stage centrifugal compressor. The surge curve
for a single stage compressor is a parabola [Head = f(Flow2)].

Head vs Flow^2

35000.0

30000.0

25000.0 Full Speed

0.9
20000.0 0.8
ft-lbf/lbm

0.7
0.5
15000.0 0.3
Surge
10000.0 Linear (Surge)

5000.0

0.0
0.0 1000000.0 2000000.0 3000000.0 4000000.0 5000000.0 6000000.0
ACFM squared

Figure 2 – If the compressor capacity map is plotted as Head vs. Flow2 the surge curve is linear.
When the compressor curve is expressed in terms of the head vs. the flow squared, it is
possible to see how the algorithm will reliably predict the surge line even if the gas changes.

2 of 2 Deriving the Tri-Sen Surge Curve

 Tri-Sen Turbomachinery Controls

 1 ZRT 

   MW 
1
  1 



Head   d
 Ps
 P

 hZRT 1 
Flow 2  c 2  
 P1 MW 

Figure 3 – When the surge line is expressed in terms of the head vs. flow squared, any changes
to the molecular weight will affect the head term in the same way that it affects the flow term. So
if the molecular weight drops by 10%, the head will increase by 11% and the flow will also
increase by 11% (1/0.9). The new surge point will fall on the same line.
By cancelling like terms between the head equation and the flow squared equation, the surge
line algorithm reduces to:


 P   1
  1  vs c 2
h
 d
 Ps     Ps

The polytropic exponent can be treated as a constant since the specific heat ratio tends to
change very little and the efficiency is constant along the surge line (see figure 5). The flow
meter coefficient is a constant, as well. This reduces the surge line algorithm to

 Pd  h
   1 vs
 Ps  Ps
If the origin of the map is moved up to a y intercept of 1, the algorithm is

 Pd  h
  vs
 Ps  Ps

3 of 3 Deriving the Tri-Sen Surge Curve

 Tri-Sen Turbomachinery Controls

Surge Line

3.5

2.5
Pd/Ps

Prat

1.5

1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
h/Ps

Figure 4 – the surge line of the compressor shown in figure 1 becomes the above curve when
our surge curve algorithm is applied.

Head vs. Flow

1.000

0.900

0.800

0.700

0.600
ft-lbf/lbm

0.500

0.400 Full Speed

0.9
0.300 0.8
0.7
0.200 0.5
0.3

0.100 Surge curve

0.000
0.0 500.0 1000.0 1500.0 2000.0 2500.0
ACFM

Figure 5 – Efficiency curves – in this example, there is a change in the efficiency at the surge
line over the entire speed range of less than 7%. In the speed range from 70% to 100% (normal
speed range), the deviation is only about ½%. For predicting the surge line, the efficiency can
be assumed constant.

4 of 4 Deriving the Tri-Sen Surge Curve