Compared with large centrifugal air compressors, the flow rate and operating range of electric high-speed centrifugal air (EHSCA) compressors are smaller, and the operating points are closer to the surge condition. When surge occurs, sound is the most direct and convenient signal to be received. In order to quantify the acoustic characteristics of the compressor during surge, this paper combines experiments and simulations to study and analyze the acoustic characteristics of surge of EHSCA compressors. There are high-pressure sound frequency bands distributed near the impeller blade passing frequency BPF, BPF×2, the diffuser’s BPF, and the diffuser BPF×1.5. During surge, the high sound pressure frequency bands spread out, forming a wide-band noise. There is intense turbulence at the top gap of the impeller and the leading edge of the diffuser vanes, which results in extremely loud noise. Finally, a broadband noise is detected at a frequency of 9.6 kHz, which dose not change. The sound field simulation reveals that the impeller outlet sound frequency is close to 9.6 kHz. This indicates that this high sound pressure frequency band is related to the dynamic and static interference caused by the high-energy fluid at the impeller outlet. This study analyzed the causes of surge formation and characterized the surge acoustic characteristics, (a) for studying the characteristics of surge, and (b) for preventing surge occurrence.
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