This was recently published and is a pretty good primer (basic explanation) of axial compressor stall and surge. The examples towards the end of the document apply primarily to aircraft engines, but since the basic fundamentals are similar for Industrial Gas Turbines (IGTs) and aeroderivative gas turbines, they show some of the possible destructive effects of the phenomenon.
http://www.ccj-online.com/stall-and-surge-a-primer/
One has to remember when dealing with axial compressors: they are unlike many other types of compressors in many respects and have their own idiosyncrasies and characteristics. One of the biggest limiting factors to increasing the power output of many heavy duty gas turbine designs is the inability to get ever higher air mass flow-rates through the axial compressor, which can then be used to burn more fuel and produce more power. (This is in addition to material science needing to be improved to allow hot gas path parts to withstand higher and higher temperatures.) Many newer designs of IGTs have multiple stages of variable stator vanes which is helping to improve the ability to move air through the compressor increasing the mass flow-rate while still protecting the compressor. Stall and surge, if one has ever experienced it, can leave a large impression on an individual, and a company's and their insurance company's bank account (in more ways than one).
I can't provide any more to this discussion, nor any specifics regarding compressor operating limit protection or surge detection for GE-design heavy duty gas turbines. Most manufacturers consider their axial compressor designs to be proprietary and don't share or publish much, except what's "visible" in the turbine control and protection configuration and programming. But, still this document has some very good basics without a lot of higher maths and formulae (which don't make for easy reading).
Hope this helps enlighten many readers! (P.S. Share it with your supervisors and technicians and operators, too.)
http://www.ccj-online.com/stall-and-surge-a-primer/
One has to remember when dealing with axial compressors: they are unlike many other types of compressors in many respects and have their own idiosyncrasies and characteristics. One of the biggest limiting factors to increasing the power output of many heavy duty gas turbine designs is the inability to get ever higher air mass flow-rates through the axial compressor, which can then be used to burn more fuel and produce more power. (This is in addition to material science needing to be improved to allow hot gas path parts to withstand higher and higher temperatures.) Many newer designs of IGTs have multiple stages of variable stator vanes which is helping to improve the ability to move air through the compressor increasing the mass flow-rate while still protecting the compressor. Stall and surge, if one has ever experienced it, can leave a large impression on an individual, and a company's and their insurance company's bank account (in more ways than one).
I can't provide any more to this discussion, nor any specifics regarding compressor operating limit protection or surge detection for GE-design heavy duty gas turbines. Most manufacturers consider their axial compressor designs to be proprietary and don't share or publish much, except what's "visible" in the turbine control and protection configuration and programming. But, still this document has some very good basics without a lot of higher maths and formulae (which don't make for easy reading).
Hope this helps enlighten many readers! (P.S. Share it with your supervisors and technicians and operators, too.)
