Sensitivity Study of Greitzer Model Based on Physical System Parameters of Radial Compressing Units

Centrifugal compressors are key elements of energy systems and industrial installations including fluid flow. Their operating range is strictly limited by the surge phenomenon. The Greitzer model is a known way of simulating the compressor’s behaviour at the surge. In this paper, the parametric study of different versions of the Greitzer model is conducted. There are several versions of this model that include 4 to 2 equation models. The system behaviour depends on the features of the compressor itself as well as of the plenum. In this paper, all terms connected with the compressor were grouped into the “Co” parameter, while those associated with the plenum were grouped into the “Pl” parameter. The study shows how each component influences the system stability. The comparison of analytical data with experimental results allowed to draw conclusions regarding the way of choosing the model parameters that provide the best simulation of the real system behaviour. The study shows that the system is well simulated by a model with relatively large values of the Lc parameter. The length of the compressor parameter Lc=3.57 m was performing well for the machine with impeller radius 0.33 m. Possible explanations of this finding are presented and compared to the state of the art. This result may provide possible help in adjusting the model parameters for other machines and designing reliable anti-surge systems based on the Greitzer model suited to energy conversion systems.