I appreciate this may be a slight drift, but I've been asked to produce an article on 'Compressor Stall/surge' which is very much associated with engine intakes.
Dennis- Compressor surge is basically the operating condition at which the compressor cannot impart enough energy to the fluid to overcome the system resistance or backpressure. In this regard, centrifugal compressors have an inherent advantage over axial compressors, since they can achieve much higher single stage pressure ratios. This is due to the way in which the compressor airfoil imparts momentum to the airflow. In short, the centrifugal compressor with its longer radial flow path performs this task more effectively than the axial compressor with its shorter axial flow path.
As for stall, the outboard tip of the leading edge of a centrifugal compressor runs at a lower velocity than that of an axial compressor. The outboard tips of an axial compressor airfoil leading edge tend to operate much closer to transonic.
Good luck with the article.