Compressed Air Usage

Air Compressor

10% of industrial electricity used to power air compressors

7,500 kWh€498m per annum10%

A Typical Rotary Screw Air Compressor

Represents by far:

The single largest cost associated with compressed air

Example Case Study

64 m³/min360 kW(2260cfm)

CapacityInstalled

4 x 90kW Air Compressor1 x Refrigerant Air Dryer1 x Air Receiver2 x Air Filters8 x Drain Valves

Hours per Annum :6000 Operational2424 Non-Operational

2 weeks annual Shutdown

Example case study

€21841€14 561

€109 208

AnnualCost

Key Savings Opportunities

Optimisation of:

PressureControlLeakageFilter Elements

Energy Savings PotentialExample Case Study

Energy Savings PotentialExample Case Study

Energy Consumption - Pressure

1.5%

€1 639

Energy Consumption - Pressure

Designing and operating a system at unnecessarily high pressures will waste energy and increase running costs

PressureUtilising a number of individual pressure switches forces the system to produce compressed air at a pressure above that required.

140

120

100

80

60

40

400

350

300

250

200

Flow

(l/s

)

Pressure (bar)

Pow

er (k

W)

4 8 9 10 115 6 7

Power

Flow

Energy Consumption - Pressure

Energy Consumption - Pressure

1

2

4

3

5

Conventional Cascade

100%Air Demand

+6.25%

+5.00%+3.75%

+2.50%+1.25%

Additional cost ofinput power aboveassumed optimum

System Pressure

Enercon S5

Air Demand 100%

7.0

7.5

8.0

8.5

Optimised System Pressure

Additional cost ofinput power aboveassumed optimum

bar

6.5

+0.5% +0.5% +0.5% +0.5% +0.5%En

erconS5

12345

CAP!!

PressureEnergy Consumption - Control

5.2%

€5733

Energy Consumption - Control

Supplying an air main at high pressure is costly.

Additionally, any losses arising from leaks in the system would reduce as air pressure is regulated downwards

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Selects the most efficient combination of compressors to satisfy demand

AIR

DEM

AN

D

HIGH

LOW

AIR DEMAND

min

7.6

7.5

7.4

7.3

7.2

7.1

7.0

6.9

6.8

6.7

AIR

SYS

T EM

PR

ESSU

RE

( bar

)

Conventional

DEMAND

321

max

7.6

7.5

7.4

7.3

7.2

7.1

7.0

6.9

6.8

6.7

Managed

AIR

SYS

TEM

PR

ESSU

RE

( bar

)

1 2 3

min DEMAND max

SYSTEM PRESSURE

5 - 10% Energy Saving Potential

COMPRESSOR UTILISATION

1

3

2

10 - 15% Energy Saving Potential

EnergyConsumption

18%

€19657

Leakage Rate

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100

2

4

6

8m³/min

HOLE SIZE (mm )

@7.0 bar g

£1 Coin(size reference)

1mm (0.07m³/min)

2mm (0.29m³/min)

3mm (0.66m³/min)

5mm (1.87m³/min)

10mm (7.31m³/min)

EnergyConsumption

Even after corrective action, a survey of 47 typical UK industrial sites found

that the average compressed air leakage rate was 18% of total demand

Energy Consumption - Leakage

6.8%

€7426

EnergyConsumption

6 Bar

3 Bar

Atmosphericpressure

The higher the pressure, the more air that will escape through a

given-size hole !9 Bar

1.0

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

m³/min

bar g

3mm

Energy Consumption – Drain Valves

1.0%

€1091

Cost of Condensate Removal8 x 3mm Condensate Drain Values

@7.0 bar g

£1 Coin(size reference)

Typical Solenoid Valve:

orifice dia. 3mmopen time 5 secondsclosed time 55 seconds

1mm (0.07m³/min)

2mm (0.29m³/min)Example Case Study

8 x 0.66m³/min = 5.25m³/min8 x 3.2kW = 25.6kW5 sec’s/min = 730hrs

€0.0586 x 730hrs x 25.6kW = €1091assumes 4.9kW/m³/min

3mm (0.66m³/min)

5mm (1.87m³/min)

10mm (7.31m³/min)

Energy Consumption – Filters (X2)

Minimum savings through filter optimisation €207.48

Tests indicate that average energy savings of 10.4% can be made by improving compressor

efficiency

Generation

Even after corrective action, a survey of 47 typical UK industrial sites found that the

average compressed air leakage rate was 18% of total demand

Leakage

Treatment

After improvements had been carried out, average energy savings of approximately 35% were

achieved across the ten sites surveyed

Installation of efficiency analysing equipment and knowledge based analysis of system:

EfficiencyConsumptionOutputFlowPressureQualityDistribution

To generate a report of:

• Financial• Environmental

Overall compressed air system efficiency :

To recommend and implement improvements where necessary

Reduced energy costs associatedwith compressed air

Improved system monitoring,diagnostics and responsiveness

Payback of investment in 12 months

The supply and installation of EnergAir products for monitoring & optimisation of compressed air systems providing energy cost reductions associated with system operation

Compressed Air Services Provider

12

910

1112

34

56

SEQ

ALARM

78

COMP

ALARM

EnergAir Hosting Service

On-Site PC Visualisation

Remote PCVisualisation

Energy andAlarm Reports

GSM-SMSAlarm Messages

Energy andAlarm Monitoring

CompressedAir System

EnergAir offer a support & training consultancy for the technical diagnostics associated with compressed air.

Consider your needs for compressed air

ProcessPressureQualityPower / Capacity

Breathing Suit ApplicationCase Study ( client name withheld )

Pre Filter

Post Filter

CarbonFilter

Fine Dust Filter

Suit Filter

22kW AirCompressor

AirReceiver

RefrigerantAir Dryer

DesiccantAir Dryer

BreathingSuit

108psi (7.5bar)bar

01

2

34

5 6 78

9

10

1112 7psi (0.5bar)

bar0

1

2

34

5 6 78

9

10

1112

Continually monitor the performance of your compressed air system

Your controller should be capable of continuously monitoring:

PowerPressureEfficiency

Onload

Offload

Onload 99%

Offload 1%

90kW

90kW

90kW

90kW

90kW

450kW available294kW/hr average consumption

259kW/hr average consumptionAnnual Saving = 35kW x 6000hrs

75kWVARIABLE

SPEED

30kW

90kW

90kW

90kW

No longer required - Standby

only

SMARTSEQUENCER

7.0

7.3

6.7

7.0

7.3

6.7

Two units required renewal

Before After

NIKO – BelgiumCase Study

End User Saving

€12301k / annum@€0.0586/kWh

For more information on how EnergAir can help your business please contact us

EnergAir Solutions LtdVictoria HouseDesborough StreetHigh WycombeBucks. HP11 2NF

Tel: +44 (0)1494 601155 fax: +44 (0)1494 601001email: sales@energair.co.uk web: www.energair.co.uk