Finite-time active fuzzy sliding mode approach for deep surge control in nonlinear disturbed compressor system with uncertainty in charactrisitic curve

In this paper, a novel active control approach is designed for surge instability in the compressor system using the finite-time fuzzy sliding mode scheme. The primary novelty of this study lies in the development of a finite-time fuzzy sliding mode control for the surge instability in a compressor system in the presence of disturbance and uncertainty in the characteristic curve of the compressor and also throttle valve. To ensure the stability of the closed-loop system in Lyapunov\u27s concept, a finite time active control method is proposed based on fuzzy estimation method and robust adaptive and sliding mode methods. Achieving finite time stability and rapid elimination of deep surge instability occurs through a fast sliding mode design, while fuzzy and adaptive techniques are used to estimate uncertainty and nonlinear terms, as well as to obtain optimal estimation weights. The simulation results in MATLAB environment and comparison show that the suggested method provides better quality control in terms of surge suppression, robustness, and overcoming uncertainty and disturbance effects

Model Predictive Anti-Surge Control of Centrifugal Compressors with Variable-Speed Drives

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Model based MIN/MAX override control of centrifugal compressor systems

We consider an application-oriented nonlinear control of centrifugal compressors. Industrial applications require the compressor system to adjust to variable process demands and to be restricted to the valid operation range (e.g. surge limit). We modify a compressor model of Gravdahl and Egeland to account for characteristic features of industrial compressors and combine the framework of nonlinear output regulation via the internal model principle with MIN/MAX-override control in order to implement trajectory tracking between given state constraints. Furthermore the switching scheme as well as the practical stability of the closed-loop MIMO system is analysed by the corresponding switched and impulsive error system. The override control is demonstrated by applying discharge pressure control, anti-surge control and maximum discharge pressure limitation

Performance analysis of deterministic, min-max and multi-stage NMPC applied to a subsea gas compression system

In recent years, subsea technologies have become more reliable. New projects emerged and an increase of investment in the area is expected in the following years. However, subsea installations are becoming more complex and smart decision making controllers are necessary to reduce operational costs and increase process reliability. Besides, the presence of uncertainties makes the development of controllers that can handle operation in an uncertain environment imperative. A prominent subsea technology is the subsea compression, which has been recently delivered in the North Sea. Åsgard eld compression system design was based on topside design. Therefore, surge avoidance strategy is necessary in order to operate without major issues in presence of disturbances and uncertainties. If surge occurs, compression system operation is strongly a ected, leading even to compressors breakage. Thus, in this work, Nonlinear Model Predictive Controls (NMPC), such as deterministic, o ine min-max and multi-stage were employed to a subsea compression system to evaluate controllers performance and closed-loop robustness in an environment with unknown disturbances a ecting upstream pressure. For performance assessment, indicators that consider set-point tracking, constraint violation, gas production, energy consumption, and production e ciency were employed. Deterministic NMPC was the most e cient controller, but constraint violation was detected. Although o ine min-max operation managed to handle constraint violation, it proved to be overly conservative. Multi-stage NMPC controller was able to also handle constraint violation, while being less conservative than o ine min-max NMPC.Recentemente, tecnologias subsea têm se tornado mais con áveis. Novos projetos foram elaborados e, nos próximos anos, um grande volume de investimentos é esperado na área. No entanto, instalações subsea têm se tornado cada vez mais complexas e controladores capazes de tomar decisões de forma inteligente são necessários para redução de custos e aumento da con abilidade. No entanto, devido à presença de incertezas em operações subsea, novos controladores capazes de operar em um ambiente incerto devem ser desenvolvidos. No Mar do Norte, uma tecnologia promissora de compressão subsea de gás começou recentemente a operar. No campo de Asgard, o projeto do sistema de compressão foi baseado em instalações topside. Devido a isso, estratégias anti-surge são necessárias para que o sistema possa operar sem maiores problemas frente à presença de perturbações e incertezas. Caso a operação entre em surge, o sistema de compressão pode ser afetado ocasionando a quebra do compressor. Devido a isso, foram avaliados o desempenho e a robustez de um sistema de compressão subsea quando controlado por um NMPC determinístico, o ine min-max e multi-estágio. Indicadores que levam em consideração o desempenho do controle de set-point, violação de restrições, produção de gás, consumo energético e e ciência na produção foram utilizados para avaliação dos controladores. O NMPC determinístico foi a solução mais e ciente, no entanto violações nas restrições foram detectadas. Apesar do controlador min-max conseguir impedir que restrições sejam violadas, ele teve um desempenho conservativo. Já o controlador NMPC multiestágio também conseguiu lidar com a restrição do processo, apresentando um desempenho menos conservativo que a solução NMPC o ine min-max

Efficiency and time-optimal control of fuel cell - compressor - electrical drive systems

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) based power generation sys- tem is regarded as one of the perspective energy supply solutions for a wide variety of applications including distributed power plants and transport. The main compo- nent of the FC system is the FC stack, where the process of electrochemical energy conversion takes place. Additionally, such systems usually contain an auxiliary compression subsystem which supplies the reactant gases to the FC stack as well as maintains certain operation conditions: pressure, temperature, humidity, etc. The proper operation of the compression system signi¯cantly improves the performance characteristics of the total system. On the other hand, it consumes a portion of the electrical energy produced, thus reducing the net e±ciency of the total system. This thesis focuses on an innovative way to improve both the energy e±ciency and the response characteristics of a power generation system with a PEMFC. The approach principally consists of the control of the air compressor powered by the electrical drive. This method could be considered as an alternative to a redesign of the complete system (changing the power level, using an extra energy bu®er, etc). The modern high-speed centrifugal compressor has been regarded as one of the best candidates for the FC system. It has appropriate characteristics with respect to e±ciency, reliability, compact design, etc. However, the presence of a stability margin or so-called "surge line" limits its operation area. With the aim to overcome this constraint, a novel active surge suppression approach has been proposed for application in the system. This control method relies on the high-performance speed control of the electrical drive and accurate measurement and estimation of the thermodynamic quantities, such as air pressure and mass °ow. The choice of an induction motor drive has been justi¯ed by its commonly known advantages: low cost, simple construction, high reliability, etc. These features be- come especially important in high-speed applications. For the detailed investigation and performance prediction of the prime mover, a global electromagnetic design pro- cedure with thermal analysis of a high-speed induction motor has been performed. The obtained analytical results have been veri¯ed numerically by a high-precision Finite Elements Method. A good agreement between the analytical and FEM simu- lation results has been achieved. The mentioned active surge control in combination with the high-performance ¯eld-oriented control of the induction motor has been im- plemented and tested. The test bench comprises the centrifugal compressor with the PVC piping system, the high-speed induction motor drive, the real-time data acquisition and the control system. The experimental results proved the e®ective- ness of the active surge suppression by means of the drive torque actuation: the operation point of the compressor can be moved beyond the surge line while the process remains stable. Using the combined mathematical models of the FC stack, the centrifugal com- pressor and the ¯eld-oriented controlled induction motor drive, the static and dy- namic behavior of the total system have been simulated, allowing to clarify the interaction between the electrochemical processes in the FC stack, the thermody- namic processes in the compression system and the electromechanical performance of the drive. Various system operating regimes have been proposed and analyzed. When the FC electrical load changes frequently and fast, the constant-speed operating regime can be used. In case of a slow variation of the FC electrical load, the variable- speed operating regime is advisable, providing a high energy e±ciency at low FC load. In intermediate cases, the load-following-mass °ow operating regime with the application of the active surge control of the compressor becomes preferable. This operating regime eliminates the relatively long mechanical transient process, keep- ing the energy consumption of the balance of plant (BoP) approximately linearly proportional to the main load. The operating regime with applied linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) time-optimal control has been proposed as an alternative to the load-following-mass °ow operating regime and the variable-speed operating regime. The transition between two steady-state operating points, where the system e±- ciency is maximum, follows the time-optimal trajectory, keeping the transient re- sponse time small. Finally, recommendations for further research have been formulated concerning the dynamic response and energy-e±ciency of a fuel cell system. Mainly, the recom- mendations concern further improvements of presented control strategies and their more comprehensive experimental veri¯cation using a complete FC system. First of all, the use of a direct induction motor drive for the compressor stabiliza- tion would signi¯cantly improve the e®ectiveness of the surge control. It would allow to control the surge of higher frequency, or to stabilize the compressor operation at larger distance from the surge line. Second, a combination of the electrical drive torque control with a valve position control would result probably in a more e®ective surge control, together with fast transients of the system operating point. Third, the application of the electrical drive for the compressor active surge control in a FC system would require new control algorithms for energy-e±ciency improvement of the induction motor, not compromising its high-performance capa- bilities

Surge Detection in Turbocharger Compressors for Automotive Application and Development of a Control-Oriented Model

The increasingly strict regulations on emissions and fuel consumption of internal combustion engines for automotive applications has pushed researchers and manufacturers to develop new technologies and control strategies. One of the solutions widely adopted for gasoline engines is downsizing coupled with turbocharging. While this improves an engine\u2019s emissions and fuel consumption, turbocharging has its own challenges. The limitation to high performance boosting and boost pressure control lies in the difficulty of predicting and controlling the instability phenomenon that occurs in centrifugal compressors for small mass flow rates. Many different approaches have been followed to study and analyze the behavior of the compressor during this unstable operation and many different models have been developed as a result: ranging from high-fidelity multi-dimensional models to simplified lumped parameter models. The development of control-oriented models is still limited due to the difficulty of accurately representing the complex fluid dynamic phenomena occurring in the compressor while being able to execute on embedded hardware in real time. This work will identify the main causes that lead to a transition from stable to unstable behavior which will provide the knowledge required to develop a control-oriented model. This work describes the design of two experimental investigations performed at the University of Genoa test bench and the development of a one-dimensional distributed-parameter model of the centrifugal compressor and piping system. The aim of the first experimental investigation was to analyze the behavior of the compressor in stable conditions far from and close to the stability limit and to investigate the effect of the compressor outlet circuit on the transition to unstable behavior. The data and the knowledge collected were used to develop a compressor and piping system model that could represent the physical phenomena observed. Following the development of the model, the second experimental investigation was performed to collect data to calibrate and validate the model. The second experimental investigation also offered the opportunity to study the behavior of the compressor during deep surge in more detail. Specifically, the increased number of measurements allowed for study of the shape and position of the cycles occurring during deep surge conditions. The model was then used to perform a preliminary analysis of the parameters and loss mechanisms that cause a transition from stable to unstable behavior

Large Eddy Simulation of flows in industrial compressors: a path from 2015 to 2035

A better understanding of turbulent unsteady flows is a necessary step towards a breakthrough in the design of modern compressors. Due to high Reynolds numbers and very complex geometry, the flow that develops in such industrial machines is extremely hard to predict. At this time, the most popular method to simulate these flows is still based on a Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach. However there is some evidence that this formalism is not accurate for these components, especially when a description of time-dependent turbulent flows is desired. With the increase in computing power, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) emerges as a promising technique to improve both knowledge of complex physics and reliability of flow solver predictions. The objective of the paper is thus to give an overview of the current status of LES for industrial compressor flows as well as to propose future research axes regarding the use of LES for compressor design. While the use of wall-resolved LES for industrial multistage compressors at realistic Reynolds number should not be ready before 2035, some possibilities exist to reduce the cost of LES, such as wall-modelling and the adaptation of the phase lag condition. This paper also points out the necessity to combine LES to techniques able to tackle complex geometries. Indeed LES alone, i.e. without prior knowledge of such flows for grid construction or the prohibitive yet ideal use of fully homogeneous meshes to predict compressor flows, is quite limited today

Degradation modelling in process control applications

Degradation of industrial equipment is often influenced by how a system is operated, with certain operating points likely to accelerate degradation. The ability to mitigate degradation of an industrial system would result in improved performance and decreased costs of operation. The thesis aims to provide ways for managing degradation by adjusting the operating conditions of a system. The thesis provides original insights and a new classification of models of degradation to facilitate the integration of degradation models into process control applications. The thesis also develops an adaptive algorithm for degradation detection and prediction in turbomachinery, which is able to predict the expected future values of a degradation indicator and to quantify the uncertainty of the prediction. The thesis then proposes two frameworks for load-sharing in a compressor station in which the compressors are subject to degradation. One framework considers management of degradation and the other one focuses on power consumption of the whole station. These examples show how modelling of degradation can have an impact on the operation of an industrial system. The approaches have been evaluated with case studies developed in collaboration with industrial partners. As demonstrated in the case studies, the outcomes of the research presented in this thesis provide new ways to take account of degradation in process control applications. The thesis discusses steps and directions for future work to facilitate the technology transfer from academic to industrial implementation.Open Acces

Model predictive control of gas compression station in off-shore production platforms

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Automação e Sistemas, Florianópolis, 2016.Uma plataforma off-shore normalmente produz petróleo bruto e gás natural. O gás é tratado para a remoção da humidade e sua pressão e sua temperatura são modificadas de acordo com sua aplicação final. Parte do gás é direcionado para a linha de exportação de gás para ser comercializado. Muitas vezes o gás é utilizado por poços que operam com elevação por gaslift. O gás natural também é usado em turbinas para gerar eletricidade. Um sistema de compressão de gás é uma parte importante de uma unidade de produção off-shore de petróleo. O tipo de compressor mais usado em um sistema de compressão de gás é o compressor centrífugo. Uma falha do compressor pode fazer com que uma unidade de produção completa seja desligada. Os compressores centrífugos têm limites operacionais muito restritos e são muito sensíveis a mudanças na vazão de entrada de gás ou nas propriedades do mesmo. O compressor pode entrar em surge, que é uma condição operacional instável caracterizada pelo fluxo reverso de gás dentro do compressor e que pode acontecer quando a vazão de entrada de gás é muito baixa. Um compressor centrífugo que opera em surge não comprimirá o gás corretamente, causando danos permanentes à máquina. O procedimento normal utilizado quando se detecta a ocorrência de surge é parar o compressor. Geralmente, os compressores centrífugos são instalados com um controle regulatório que inclui a prevenção de surge. No entanto, mudanças bruscas na vazão de entrada de gás e na composição do gás são conhecidas por fazer com que o compressor centrífugo pare com frequência. Esta dissertação propõe um controlador MPC que reduz o consumo de energia do sistema de compressão e melhora sua proteção contra surge. Este trabalho também apresenta a modelagem de uma estação de compressão real composta de dois compressores de três estágios. Com base na análise do comportamento do sistema e da relação dinâmica entre as entradas e saídas do sistema, são propostas e testadas duas formulações de MPC diferentes. Para ajustar o controlador MPC foi aplicada a técnica de ajuste satisfatório, melhorando o desempenho do controlador.Abstract : An offshore oil production unit normally produces crude oil and natural gas. The gas is treated for removal of moisture and its pressure and temperature are conditioned to its target application. Part of the gas is directed to the gas export line for sales. Often it is used by wells operating with gas lift. Natural gas is also used in turbines to generate electricity. A gas compression system is an important part of an offshore oil production unit. The most important type of equipment used in a gas compression system is the centrifugal compressor. A compressor failure may cause a complete production unit shut down. Centrifugal compressors have a limited operational range and are very sensitive to changes in the gas flow rate or in its properties. Compressor surge is an unstable operational condition characterized by reverse flow inside the compressor and it can happen when the gas flow rate is too low. A centrifugal compressor operating in surge mode will not compress the gas as required and the machine could be damaged permanently. The normal procedure used when surge is detected is to stop the compressor. Usually centrifugal compressors are installed with a regulatory control that includes the avoidance of surge. But abrupt changes in gas flowrate and gas composition are known to cause centrifugal compressor to stop the production operations too often. This dissertation proposes a MPC controller that reduces the energy consumption of the compression system and improves its protection against surge. This work also presents the modeling of a real compression station composed of two three-stage compressors. Based on the analysis of the system?s behavior and the dynamic relation between inputs and outputs, two different MPC formulations are proposed and tested. To tune the MPC controller the satisficing tuning technique is applied, improving the controller?s performance