Anti Surge Control Valve

Design Requirements for Efficient Anti Surge Control
Many industries rely on large compressors for their operation, either axial
or centrifugal in design. These units constitute a significant capital
investment for the company.
The latest technology is employed to give maximum efficiency from the

compressor and turbine drive and also to protect the compressor from
failure during a plant upset condition.
When looking at compressors the biggest concern is the potential for surge
conditions. It is sensible, therefore, to look at how the surge condition
occurs prior to looking at the means to combat its effects.
The compressor turns at the required speed to maintain the required

downstream pressure for plant requirements. If there is a sudden decrease
in plant demand then there will be a downstream pressure spike causing a
sudden increase in head across the compressor. If the pressure spike is
high enough then it is possible to achieve a flow reversal in the
compressor. This bleed back will cause a loss of pressure on the
downstream side of the compressor causing the load to pick up in the
forward flow direction.
Surging of the compressor can lead to catastrophic failure after only a

short period of time. In addition to the possibility of failure surge conditions
can upset operations, alter the internal compressor clearances and
overstress the compressor seals. Should the seals need to be replaced
due to this overstressing there is not only a large maintenance cost but
also the high cost of plant downtime that is also incurred.
To prevent the system from experiencing a surge event there are two
possible methods that can be applied.
1. The speed of the compressor could be varied to stop the

compressor from reaching the surge point as the flow varies. This is
not an efficient way of running a compressor and also speed
reduction may not be achieved quick enough to catch the surge.
2. The second, and most favored method is to install an efficient anti-

surge system. This is fast acting and consists of an anti-surge valve,
controller and various other additional accessories.
Figure 1 shows a typical anti-surge control schematic. The surge controller

takes into account the temperature (TT), flow (FT) and pressure (PT)
Presented by Mr. Pete Underhill of Alpret Control Specialists to SAIMC Johanesburg -1-
upstream of the compressor, the head across the compressor (DPT) and
the compressor speed (ST). Other variables may be included depending
on the constituency of the gas. The surge controller will operate as close to
the surge line as possible to maximize the efficiency of the compressor
and turbine without jeopardizing the performance of the compressor. The
use of high quality surge controllers, anti-surge valves and additional
accessories will allow for operation closer to the surge point, hence,
improving the operational efficiency.
Figure 1
In the event of a potential surge condition, the anti-surge controller will

send a signal to the anti-surge valve (FCV) to open to the required set
point to pass a given amount of flow back to the suction side of the
compressor. Depending on the process upset, this may be a small opening
or full stroke. For full stroke operation this must be achieved in less than
two seconds. Failure to achieve this speed of operation can expose the
compressor to additional surges.
In the process of trying to achieve these fast operating speeds dynamic

performance of the valve at low valve openings is often compromised. The
last five years has brought dramatic improvements in anti-surge control
valve and system design.
The following text will highlight some of these enhancements.
Valve Body Design:

The standard balanced control valve has small balancing holes. During
fast opening the air trapped above the plug has to pass through these
holes causing a resistance to upward movement. The plug on the larger
size valves has now been redesigned, by using spokes, to reduce this
resistance. As high flow rates cause axial and radial thrusts, an extra
piston ring has been supplied at the lower end of the plug to reduce these
effects.
Repeated axial plug motion can also lead to downstream pressure

pulsations leading to excessive piping vibration. The extra piston ring also
assists in reducing clearance flow, which may affect controllability at very
low flows.
Valve Noise:
Due to the high flow rates experienced in large anti-surge valves in
conjunction with high differential pressures across the unit, excessive
sound pressure levels (SPL) are generally experienced if special noise
attenuating trims, such as the WhisperFlo, are not utilized in the unit.
The WhisperFlo is a latest development from Fisher Controls and

combines velocity control with frequency shifting (Figure 2) to achieve SPL
reductions up to 40 dBA (this is 10 dBA more attenuation than the
traditional drill hole cage technology) when used in severe service
applications.
Figure 2
These high SPL figures may not be of concern environmentally as the
compressor is generally generating a higher SPL than the valve, however,
excessive valve SPL may damage the valve itself and also lead to stress
fatigue in the adjacent pipe work.
Actuation:
Due to the fast stroking requirements of anti-surge valves, actuators and

accessories were often selected purely on the basis of achieving full stroke
as quickly as possible. Such selection may cause unacceptable overshoot
when partial stroke is required during the surge condition.
In the past the use of electro-hydraulic actuation for anti-surge applications

was pursued. These actuators gave fast stroking and accurate positioning.
The problem with this option is that, over a period of time, not only was it
found that a large capital investment was required for the initial installation,
but high maintenance costs made this selection unattractive.
Advancements in pneumatic technology have led to pneumatic actuation

becoming the prevalent choice for anti-surge applications. On smaller
systems, spring return piston/diaphragm actuators may be used and are
normally designed to fail open on loss of air pressure.
On larger systems, valves often require large actuator forces in conjunction

with long strokes. The most common type of actuator used in this case is
the double acting piston type which then requires a trip valve and volume
tank option to achieve the required air fail action.
Where large actuators are installed, full stroking of the valve may cause
severe damage to the actuator as the piston reaches the limit of its travel.
This could also lead to unwanted vibration in the downstream pipework. To
this end, piston actuators are often supplied with air brakes within the
cylinder that will rapidly decelerate the piston in the last 3-5% of its travel.
Air Cushioning:
When using piston type actuators in anti-surge applications it is important
to review the frictional effects that can occur in the unit. Attention to detail
such as chrome plating the internals of the cylinder and using a piston with
a wear band will reduce frictional effects and eliminate galling respectively.
Accessories:
The common approach to obtain fast stroking is to incorporate volume
boosters into the system. The booster amplifies the air volume enabling
the valve to attain required stroking speed. In order for the boosters to
operate properly, the air on the other side of the piston must be exhausted
quickly. Quick exhaust valves have met this need in the past.
Quick Exhaust Valve and Volume Booster:

Quick exhaust valves are on/off devices and small differential pressures
can quickly switch the device and give rapid opening of the valve. Due to
their extreme sensitivity, bypasses are often installed around the unit to
this.
Although quick exhaust valves have been applied to low-pressure spring

and diaphragm type actuators as well as high-pressure piston actuators,
they can cause severe overshoots that are difficult to tune out. Therefore,
in anti-surge applications, care should be taken in the selection and use of
these devices especially where large volume actuators are being used and
large overshoots cannot be tolerated. Instead, for these applications,
dynamic performance objectives should be achieved using multiple
boosters. Multiple booster selection will also lead to easier tuning of the
valve and minimize the need for repeated tuning that may be required
using quick exhaust valves.
Tuning and Control:

The control valve positioner holds the greatest potential to improve
actuator control and response time. In the past, it was common for spool
type positioners with fast response to be used in these applications
because of their ability to respond quickly to step changes, however, these
devices often require constant 'tweaking' and do not allow the user to
monitor the performance of the valve.
As the performance of smart transmitters has improved, so as their ability

to be used to facilitate tuning on the valve and the ability to predict
potential problems before they occur. This has been brought about by
improvements in the positioner gain settings and in performance
monitoring systems.
The smart positioner recommended for this application is a high gain,
proportional plus derivative controller that has three adjustments - forward
path gain, minor-loop feedback gain and velocity feedback gain.
The forward path gain is used to set the speed of response where a higher
gain value yields a faster response. The velocity feedback gain controls
the secondary damping, which is used to attenuate slight overshoots in the
response. The minor-feedback controls the primary damping and is used
to reduce the cycling in the response and allow higher forward path gains
to be used.
Figure 3 shows the step response performance test for a 30" valve with a
24" stroke beginning with 10% step change up to 70%. It should be noted
that the higher gain settings allow the valve to react quickly to the step
response change with minimal overshoot. The valve met the stroke time
requirements and also improved the ability to attain accurate closed loop
control.
Figure 3
The correct selection of positioning devices in conjunction with applicable
accessories can dramatically reduce dead time whilst increasing accuracy
of stem position and linearity.
With traditional anti-surge systems, using combinations of volume boosters

and quick exhaust valves, it can take an experienced technician many
hours to properly tune a single valve. The elimination of quick exhaust
valves in conjunction with the use of smart positioner technology can
reduce this operation to 30 minutes.
CONCLUSIONS:
The proper selection of anti-surge valves relies on more than just meeting
noise and stroking speed requirements. Elimination of the potential for
damaging vibration in the system is normally the bigger concern and goes
beyond just selecting a low noise trim. Advances have been made in
overall trim selection that provides better control whilst eliminating the
potential for axial and radial vibration.
Meeting stroking speed requirements is the first part of the puzzle.

Ensuring that the valve can perform well in closed loop control completes
the picture. The elimination of quick exhaust valves goes a long way to
achieving this. The use of smart positioners also ensures that gains can be
increased whilst preventing excessive overshoot in the system.
By looking at the latest technologies in valve and actuator designs, whilst

coupling this with smart positioner technology and good accessory
selection, optimal performance from an anti-surge system can be
achieved.
This material was presented by Pete Underhill of Alpret Control Specialists

to SAIMC Johannesburg branch at its June 2005 meeting.

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Design Requirements for Efficient Anti Surge Control

The latest technology is employed to give maximum efficiency from the

The compressor turns at the required speed to maintain the required

Surging of the compressor can lead to catastrophic failure after only a

1. The speed of the compressor could be varied to stop the

2. The second, and most favored method is to install an efficient anti-

Figure 1 shows a typical anti-surge control schematic. The surge controller

In the event of a potential surge condition, the anti-surge controller will

In the process of trying to achieve these fast operating speeds dynamic

Valve Body Design:

Repeated axial plug motion can also lead to downstream pressure

The WhisperFlo is a latest development from Fisher Controls and

Due to the fast stroking requirements of anti-surge valves, actuators and

In the past the use of electro-hydraulic actuation for anti-surge applications

Advancements in pneumatic technology have led to pneumatic actuation

On larger systems, valves often require large actuator forces in conjunction

Quick Exhaust Valve and Volume Booster:

Although quick exhaust valves have been applied to low-pressure spring

Tuning and Control:

As the performance of smart transmitters has improved, so as their ability

With traditional anti-surge systems, using combinations of volume boosters

Meeting stroking speed requirements is the first part of the puzzle.

By looking at the latest technologies in valve and actuator designs, whilst

This material was presented by Pete Underhill of Alpret Control Specialists

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