Stability parameter identification for a centrifugal compression system

This paper presents the application of a lumped parameter model to describe the dynamic behavior of a centrifugal compression system including surge. The response of the model is compared with experimental surge measurements from an industrial single stage compressor test rig. A parametric analysis of the model reveals the large influence of the stability parameter on the transient response. However, a good value for this parameter is not easily obtained from surge data. Therefore, an identification method is proposed to uniquely determine the stability parameter that is based on an approximate realization algorithm, making use of the fact that the step response of the system has the characteristics of a first order system. Simulation results show that this method can provide an estimate for the stability parameter of a centrifugal compression system.