Volume 66

Variable Geometry-Based Integrated Modeling for Compressor Surge in Gas Turbines Jinshi Du, Yu Zhang, Miguel Martínez García, Adrian Spencer

Abstract

Compressor surge as a typical fault in gas turbines, poses a serious threat to stability and reliability. Traditional surge control strategies typically rely on bleed valves to extend the stability margin. However, this approach comes at the expense of overall engine performance, leading to significant efficiency and power losses. Modern advanced gas turbines often adopt variable-geometry designs, such as inlet guide vanes, to provide additional flexibility for performance and stability management. This paper presents an integrated surge modeling framework for a variable-geometry compressor, combining a physics-based surge model with a component-level gas turbine model. The surge model is integrated with a component-level model, thereby enabling accurate representation of system behavior under both stable and unstable conditions. The results indicate that properly selected guide vane angles have a pronounced impact on the surge margin and effectively postpone the onset of surge, thus creating a wider window for implementing effective control actions. This work provides a physics-based modeling foundation for real-time gas turbine surge monitoring and lays the groundwork for developing active control strategies that balance stability enhancement with performance preservation in advanced variable-geometry gas turbines, while also offering practical insights into variable-geometry operation for improved efficiency in future energy conversion systems.

Keywords Gas turbine, Compressor surge, Variable geometry, Physics-based modeling