Compressed Air System Efficiency: What you can do today to

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Compressed Air System Efficiency: What you can do today to lower your operating costs

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With all capital equipment purchases, the initial cost is not the only expense to consider. Often there are associated costs that are not always apparent at the time of purchase and can significantly impact operational budgets. Organizations are becoming more aware that the main cost in the life-cycle of an air compressor is energy usage, followed by mainte-nance of the compressor, with the initial capital investment being the lowest of the three costs. Air audits are a great way to identify these costs, but it is important to understand how each of these impacts your bottom line and what steps can be taken to minimize the overall life-cycle cost. This article reviews how to quickly identify issues such as energy and mainte-nance costs, in addition to not so obvious items like product warranty impacts. It also exam-ines how one company used this process to save money while providing a reliable, quality air source.

ENERGY COSTS

The most commonly used power source in an industrial setting is electrical energy. Since the goal of all facilities is to deliver the larg-est volume of air using the lowest amount of energy possible, it is important to understand what the specific demands are for air capac-ity and how your existing installa-tions are managing those demands. The following are key elements to calculating the energy require-ments of a compressor, and Figure 1 shows how each element impacts annual energy cost.

1. Power and Motor Efficiency ‒ Every electrical motor has an ef-ficiency rating, which is the per-centage of electrical input power that the motor uses to power the air compressor. To calculate this for your air compressor, locate the motor efficiency in the mo-tor manufacturer’s data sheet and the horsepower from the motor nameplate.

2. Service Factor ‒ Service factor is a rating applied to the mo-tor that determines how far a motor can operate over the rated horsepower without damaging the motor. For example, a mo-tor with a service factor of 1.15 means that the motor can run at 15% over its rated horsepower. It is not a good practice to size motors to operate continuously above the rated load in the ser-vice factor area.

3. Running Hours and Energy Rate ‒ The running hours are the number of hours the air compressor is operating at the given power value and is typical-ly identified on a per year basis. The running hours are usually grouped by labor shifts due to air demand changes between shifts. The energy rate for your area can be obtained from your local power company.

FULL LOAD VS. PARTIAL LOAD

ENERGY USE

In an operating environment, there are usually demand cycles when a facility will require more or less compressed air during certain times of the day or week. The majority of air compressors are designed with sophisticated control systems that modulate along an operating range to meet demand. The demand could result in the air compressor running at full load


PLANT SERVICES: SPECIAL REPORT

Uncover Factors that Drive Up Your Compressed Air CostsYour guide to spotting and managing compressed air expenses that are

not always obvious at purchase

By Sue Benes, FS-Elliott

consistently, partial load, or modu-lating between the two. Because of this, it is best to identify when your compressors are the most ef-ficient and balance the compressor load for the most efficient opera-tion to meet system demand. The most efficient operating points can be identified by the compressor manufacturer or an auditor. When estimating the energy consumption of an air compressor, many audi-tors reference data sheets located on www.CAGI.org, which features the full load power consumption of most rotary screw air compres-sors. For all other types, such as centrifugal or reciprocating, it is best to ask the manufacturer for a data sheet with the full load energy consumption and partial load ef-ficiencies of the machine.

SYSTEM OVER PRESSURIZING

One common finding during an air audit is that the facility is op-erating their compressors well over the required system pressure. For example, the compressed air appli-cation may require 100 psi; how-ever, the compressors deliver air at 120 psi to overcome losses in the compressed air delivery system. Losses may be due to filtration after compressor discharge, poor piping design, or leaks in the air system. The greater the discharge pressure of the air compressor the more energy required to compress the air. As a rule of thumb, 0.5%

additional electrical energy is required for a discharge pressure increase of 1 psi. Therefore, a 20 psi increase in discharge pressure would require 10% more energy. Plugging this into our equation from Figure 1 would result in an additional $5,258 per year in energy costs due to system over-pressurizing. A properly trained air auditor can provide several solutions to reduce pressure drop in an air system.

MAINTENANCE COSTS

Every piece of machinery requires

some form of maintenance to keep operating efficiently. A mainte-nance review done during an audit can uncover hidden costs that a facility may not realize is a result of their compressed air system. The following are three key compressor maintenance cost areas.

CONSUMABLES

All air compressors rely on con-sumable products, such as filters, separators, and oil, which need to be replaced on a regular basis. The amount of consumable products varies greatly based on whether



The Hidden Costs of Air Compressor Operation by Sue Benes, FS-Elliott Co., LLC Page 3

RATED POWER

MOTOR EFFICIENCYANNUAL

ENERGY COST

SERVICE FACTOR

RUNNING HOURS

ENERGY RATEx x

=x

MOTOR EFFICIENCY

Operating efficiency of the motor; found on the motor nameplate.

RATED POWER

Horsepower rating of the motor powering the air compressor; found on the motor nameplate.

SERVICE FACTOR How far above the rated horsepower a motor can operate without damaging the motor; found on the motor nameplate.

RUNNING HOURS Number of hours the air compressor operates on a yearly basis.

ENERGY RATE Current cost of energy from your local power supplier.

Figure 1 –Air Compressor Energy Cost Calculation

air using the lowest amount of energy possible, it is important to understand what the specific demands are for air capacity and how your existing installations are managing those demands. There are five key elements to calculating the energy requirements of a compressor; these include rated power, motor efficiency, service factor, running hours, and energy rate. (See Figure 1 – Air Compressor Energy Cost Calculation.)

1. Power and Motor Efficiency

Every electrical motor has an efficiency rating, which is the percentage of electrical input power that the motor uses to power the air compressor. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has released guidelines for motor efficiency.

Although there is a wide range of efficiencies, a good rule of thumb is the older and smaller the compressor motor is, the less efficient it is. As an example, a 100 HP premium efficiency motor typically has a motor efficiency rating at around 96%. To calculate this for your air compressor, locate the motor efficiency in the motor manufacturer’s data sheet and the horsepower from the motor nameplate.

2. Service Factor

Service factor is a rating applied to the motor that determines how far a motor can operate over the rated horsepower without damaging the motor. For example, a motor with a service factor of 1.15 means that the motor can operate at 15% over its rated horsepower. It is not a good practice to size motors to operate continuously above the rated load in the

Figure 1. Air Compressor Energy Cost Calculation

the compressor is an oil-flooded or oil-free machine. Figure 2 shows a comparison of the compressed air systems of an oil-free and oil-lubri-cated compressor after discharge.

In addition to the filtration required to keep the air clean, there is the cost of oil itself. It is recommended to change the oil every 6-12 months in an oil-lubri-cated compressor. To operate one oil-lubricated compressor, many facilities pay between $3,000 and $6,000 per year for oil. Oil-free compressors still require oil, but since the oil never goes into the compression process, they only require oil changes every 2-3 years. Depending on the operat-ing location, there may also be disposal fees for properly remov-ing oil from the site.

CONDENSATE REMOVAL

Condensate is generated from both oil-flooded and oil-free compres-sors. The difference is that for oil-flooded machines the oil mixes with the condensate creating water/oil mixture that is regulated at the state and local level. This con-densate must either be properly disposed of or require another fil-tration system to filter the oil out of the water. Both alternatives can be a significant burden on operational expenses, with proper conden-sate disposal costing upwards of $50,000 per year.

AIREND REPLACEMENT

In most cases, an air auditor or manufacturer may recommend replacing or overhauling your entire airend to improve performance. Airend replacement can cost up to 70% of the original equipment price. The lifetime of an airend varies depending on the type of compressor (rotary screw, recipro-cating, centrifugal) and whether it is oil-lubricated or oil-free. Be sure to ask the manufacturer or auditor the expected lifetime of the airend and how this is addressed in the warranty of the machine.

FINISHED PRODUCT IMPACTS

Often it is overlooked that when an oil-flooded compressed air source is used, trace oil could transfer and affect the finished product. For some, this may not be an issue, but for companies that produce textiles, food products, or even medicines, clean, dry air is essential to the manufacturing process. Once the oil is injected into the air system, as in

an oil-flooded machine, it is impos-sible to produce 100% oil-free air. ISO 8573-1 establishes guidelines for purity classes of compressed air. It is critical for any manufacturer to ask themselves what level of oil can be tolerated in their production paths.

THE VALUE OF AIR SYSTEM

AUDITING

Although it can be a daunting pro-cess, reviewing the entire life-cycle cost of a compressor is essential to understanding the true cost of your purchase. This includes all the costs the compressor will require to operate. An air audit will provide a baseline of how your current system is operating, and can be done with little to no impact on the production process. An air system audit can encompass the following: • Energy usage data logging – Log

the energy air compressors are consuming.

• Air measurement – Identify a fac-tory’s true compressed air demand and operating schedule.



Figure 2. Oil-lubricated and oil-free compressor system comparison.

• Air leak detection and control – Identify how much air is being lost due to leaks.

• Air quality – Measure the amount of particulates in the air system, including water and oil which may have an impact on the efficiency of the machines.

• Maintenance review – Assess the effectiveness of the current main-tenance plan.

• Monitoring and control program – Make recommendations to maintain optimum efficiency.

While most manufacturers track the more obvious expenses such as maintenance and capital equipment costs, many are unaware how much they are spending on condensate removal, airend replacement and consumable products such as filters, separators, and oil. Often these seemingly minor costs that are not always apparent at the time of equipment purchase result in thousands of dollars in unnecessary expenses. Shedding light on these hidden items to understand the total system costs at your plant is the first step towards a more efficient manufacturing process.

Sue R. Benes is Polaris+

Product Marketing Man-

ager for FS-Elliott. Sue

manages FS-Elliott’s Polaris+ product

line of centrifugal compressors and is re-

sponsible for matching industrial require-

ments with current or future products.



A SIMPLE AIR AUDIT SAVES THOUSANDS

Rising energy costs forced an automotive component manufacturer located

in North Carolina to reevaluate where energy was being utilized in their

current plant operations. Knowing that they already had an issue with their

five oil-flooded rotary screw compressors forcing a shutdown in produc-

tion from lack of air supply, they thought they would start by looking at

their compressed air system. The facilities manager reached out to a local

compressor distributor to conduct an audit of their compressed air system.

The findings of the air audit were:

• The lack of air supply was due to insufficiently sized air compressors.

• The facility was using extra energy to operate their air compressors 10 psi

over the required system pressure.

• Consumable spending reached upwards of $50,000 per year to operate

all five oil-flooded rotary screw compressors.

The recommendations from the air audit were:

1. Replace three oil-flooded rotary screw compressors with a more efficient

oil-free centrifugal compressor and keep the remaining two rotary screw

compressors running.

2. Remove filtration that was required by the three oil-flooded rotary screw

compressors.

3. Minimize energy consumption by operating all compressors at the pres-

sure demanded by the applications.

The benefits of the new air system were:

• Due to higher efficiencies and lower discharge pressures, the facility was

able to meet their air demand requirement while saving $100,000 per year

in electrical energy costs.

• Due to the amount of energy saved by switching from their previous set up

to the new set up, the manufacturer was also eligible for a rebate program

through their local energy provider. The oil-free centrifugal compressor

required fewer consumable maintenance items and the manufacturer was

able to reduce their annual air compressor maintenance costs by $25,000.

You may have heard that compressed air is one of the most expensive utilities in an industrial plant. It is a fact that compressed air is a poor way to transmit energy to an industrial machine or tool if you want superior efficiency. That being said, it is unlikely you will convert all your industrial tools and equipment to direct drive electric, just based on energy efficiency alone. Compressed air will never disappear from industrial plants; it is a very useful utility.

Compressed air system costs vary widely in industry. This is because the efficiency of systems is often ignored, as there often are more important issues in running a sys-tem, especially keeping the pres-sure at a constant reliable level and maintaining adequate air quality so that production pro-cesses run smoothly. Sometimes systems run at excellent efficiency, but at other times things can go very wrong due to factors like equipment characteristics, system design, flow characteristics, and maintenance levels.

The good news is that something can be done about it.

This article outlines a dozen ways to optimize your compressed air system for increased energy ef-ficiency. Although certain points discussed in this article may relate just to the supply side of the sys-tem, or to the demand side, every-thing in compressed air systems is interrelated – items on the demand side can affect how the equipment on the supply side operates. In all cases the best compressed air system efficiency occurs when both sides of the system are optimized at the same time by taking a holistic systems approach.

1. TAKE AWARENESS TRAINING

With regards to compressed air, what you and your employees don’t know will hurt you. It is very common to see surprised looks on people’s faces when they discover how much it is costing to run their compressed air systems, and how little mechanical energy they receive for the expenditure. Compressed air system awareness

training is the best first step in optimizing your system by teaching you how to understand your equip-ment and how it is running. This knowledge is an important key to getting your costs in line.

The Department of Energy studied compressed air awareness train-ing and found that attending the training helped more than 75% of attendees initiate positive action.1 This action includes replacing inefficient equipment, changing maintenance procedures, and doing low cost/no cost measures such as leak detection and repair to reduce system waste (Figure 1). The study found that every dollar invested in compressed air training paid back at a rate of more than 80 times the initial outlay. More information on training for your staff can be found by visiting the Compressed Air Challenge website (www.com-pressedairchallenge.org).

2. MONITOR YOUR COM-

PRESSED AIR SYSTEM

In order to get a handle on your compressed air system costs you must measure your system. A system that is not measured can’t be effectively managed. Creating a baseline is important in under-standing the challenges involved in improving the eff iciency, air quality, air stability and reliabil-ity of your system. To monitor you must measure key parameters



Energy-Efficient AirMore than a dozen ways to optimize your compressed air system

By Ron Marshall, Compressed Air Challenge

like pressure, f low, power, and dew point over a period of time. Once collected, these data need to be analyzed to see if there are any issues.

For example, if your air compres-sors are rated at 18 kW input for every 100 cfm output, but system measurements reveal that your sys-tem is consuming 40 kW per 100 cfm, this is a pretty clear indicator that there is likely an efficiency problem. If you make adjustments to improve the situation, the system monitors will tell you if your efforts were successful, how much you

saved, and if any other important system parameters have been af-fected by the change.

More and more factories are implementing permanent moni-toring of their compressed air systems so that system parameters can constantly be monitored and adjusted. This is an exceptionally good practice, but good results can be still be obtained by bringing in temporary metering. The measure-ment and analysis of your system using the services of a qualified compressed air auditor can point you in the right direction.

3. IMPLEMENT EFFICIENT

COMPRESSOR AND DRYER

CONTROL

Are your compressors and dry-ers being controlled efficiently? In what control mode are they operat-ing? It is rare to find a compressed air system operator with the answer to these questions. The control of the air compressors and associated equipment like air dryers is very important to the efficiency and reli-ability of the system.

With regard to individual com-pressor controls there are various common modes of operation, with



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WASTED AIR, WASTED ENERGYFigure 1. Training attendees learn that typically half the compressed air produced is wasted. Source: Compressed Air Challenge

some more efficient than others. Some common modes are start/stop, inlet modulation, load/un-load, variable capacity control, and variable speed. Of these modes inlet modulation is the least ef-ficient way to control any compres-sor that is running at part load, but may be acceptable if the compressor is always at or near full load. The variable speed mode is the most efficient way of controlling com-pressors at part loads but may not be the most efficient at full loads. If you have a mix of control modes, some thought and planning needs to go into setting up and coordinat-ing multiple compressor systems.

A variety of control systems of varying complexity are widely available, and can be installed on compressed air systems to help coordinate compressors operation. This includes ensuring that correct compressors are running at any given time, that equipment is run-ning efficiently, and that the system pressure is kept within specified limits. Implementing controls may be as simple as using what is already built into the onboard compressor control systems, or by the use of more complex external master control systems. There are system controllers now available that can also help you monitor your compressed air system to ensure your efficiency remains within ac-ceptable limits.

Air dryer control is often a forgot-ten element in a system manage-ment effort, especially where desic-cant style dryers are used. If your system has non-cycling refrigerated dryers, then you can reduce energy costs by making sure that any spare dryers are turned off if their associ-ated compressors are not running. For desiccant dryers, there are dewpoint controls that can greatly reduce the dryer purge demand if the dryers are experiencing flows that are less than rated conditions. It is not uncommon to find desic-cant air dryer purge making up the largest component of the com-pressed air demand in an industrial plant, in some extreme cases even more than the demand consumed by production machinery.

4. IMPROVE EQUIPMENT EFFI-

CIENCY BY REPLACEMENT

The compressed air industry has changed for the better. Manufac-turers are very aware that their customers are interested in energy efficiency, and so they have rede-signed their equipment to be more efficient. When it comes time to do an expensive major overhaul on your old air compressors, keep in mind that the old equipment may not be up to present day standards. Rather than repairing an old inefficient compressor or compres-sor motor, it may be in your best interested to look at replacing the equipment with a brand new more

efficient unit. This replacement can reduce operating costs going for-ward and pay for the replacement costs in a short period of time.

When calculating the operating costs savings and choosing what model of new compressor to pur-chase the Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI) data sheets for the make and model in question can be used to compare various options. Most major compressed air compa-nies have their CAGI sheets pub-lished on their websites. The data from these sheets can be used an inputs for your economic analysis in deciding to fix or replace and what compressor to choose. Data sheets are also available for refrigerated air dryers and may help you choose an efficient cycling dryer to replace an old non-cycling unit containing ozone depleting refrigerants.

5. INSTALL STORAGE

RECEIVERS

The use of storage receivers can im-prove your overall system efficiency in a number of ways. For example, using a main air receiver at the compressor room can make load/unload compressor control more efficient. In the past it was thought that lubricated screw type compres-sors only needed about one gallon of storage capacity for every cfm of rated compressor output. But this has proven incorrect if efficiency is the goal. The addition of 5 gallons



of capacity per cfm or more has excellent benefits in reducing the effects of rapid cycling of screw compressors. Figure 2 shows the effect of adding storage which makes the compressor operate more closely to the “ideal compressor.”

Having significant storage at the compressor room also can help the compressors ride out transient high flow compressed air demands that might cause another compressor to start unnecessarily, or might re-quire a compressor to run continu-ally and inefficiently in unloaded mode to avoid low pressure events,

both of which would needlessly increase power costs,

Well placed storage receivers lo-cated in industrial facilities on the plant floor can also be of benefit. Storage receivers can be placed near machines that consume short duration high flows of compressed air that might cause localized low pressure events that affects other pressure sensitive equipment. Use of storage to supply these transient events can smooth out these high flows so as not to cause the start of an extra air compressor or cause localized low pressure.

And if production machinery is being affected by localized pres-sure fluctuations, storage receivers protected by check valves can be installed to protect this equipment from short term transient low pres-sure events. This can prevent the need to increase the plant pressures to compensate.

6. LOWER THE COMPRESSED

AIR PRESSURE

The higher the discharge pressure, the more power an air compressor consumes. A general rule of thumb states that around 100 psi, and at a constant flow, the compressor



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FLOW VS. POWER CURVESFigure 2. Storage capacity can have a big affect on compressor efficiency at part loads. Source: Compressed Air Challenge

power requirement increases about 1% for each 2 psi increase. There-fore, if this discharge pressure can be reduced some compressed air system savings can be gained.

Why is your system pressure so high? There could be a number of reasons, starting with end user re-quirements, pressure differentials, compressor control characteristics, etc. Often the operators of the system don’t know the answer to the question. Many times the pres-sure is set at a certain level because that is the rating of the compressor. It is important to know what your actual pressure requirements are, and realize that supplying excess pressure causes your compressors to consume more power than neces-sary, with typically no additional production improvements (Figure 3). If you find there is no good rea-son for high pressure, then lower it.

7. IMPROVE AIR TREATMENT

EFFICIENCY

An air compressor produces hot, wet, oily air that must be condi-tioned so as not to contaminate downstream machinery or pro-cesses. The compressed air is dried using air dryers and is typically filtered in some fashion to remove contaminants. Compressed air treatment equipment can be a significant source of energy loss through purge loss (for desiccant



HIGH PRESSUREFigure 3. It is important to know what your actual pressure requirements are, and realize that sup-plying excess pressure causes your compressors to consume more power than necessary.

CHECK YOUR EQUIPMENTFigure 4. Compressed air treatment equipment can be a significant source of energy loss through purge loss, electrical power consumption, pressure loss, or through excessive drainage while removing the captured liquids from the system.

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dryers), electrical power consump-tion (refrigerated dryers), pressure loss (causing the compressor to consume more power), or through excessive drainage while remov-ing the captured liquids from the system (Figure 4).

The selection of more efficient air dryers that use less power through efficient design, low- or no-purge flow, and/or lower designed pres-sure differential is a good energy efficiency measure. Airless con-densate drains will reduce the compressed air waste that might be occurring if cracked open manual drains or timer style drains are normally used to expel liquids from the system. Every psi reduction in pressure differential or reduced cfm of wasted compressed air translates to less energy being consumed at the air compressors.

8. UPGRADE PLANT PIPING

Undersized compressed air pip-ing can cause a restriction to flow in compressed air systems, which forces compressor discharge pres-sures higher to compensate. Often the compressor room header system and distribution piping was sized many years ago. Over a period of time the plant may have grown and compressed air demands increased to the point where the original piping is too small. As part of the system optimization process, the compressed air piping pressure

differential should be measured to determine if there is a problem. Pip-ing modifications such as looping the system may improve things, or pipe size increases may be required. A good system should have no more than 10% pressure differential across the complete system from the com-pressor room to the end use piping drop. An excellent system will have no more than 2% drop.

9. REDUCE COMPONENT

PRESSURE LOSS

A significant and important item to check is how much pressure dif-ferential exists between the piping drop and the actual end use of the compressed air. It is common to see the biggest pressure differential occurring in the “Dirty Thirty,”

i.e. the last 30 feet of pipe. In that last section of piping, there may be undersized filters, regulators, lubricators, connectors, and hoses, all elements that can contribute to significant pressure differential. This differential can also be inside the production machinery itself.

When major pressure differentials occur in this section of the system, the discharge pressures at the air compressor end of the system must rise to compensate, increasing the power costs. Care and attention to sizing these components for low pressure differential at peak flows can often cost only a few hundred dollars, but yield thousands of dollars in annual savings at the air compressors.



SOUND MONITORINGFigure 5. Implementing ultrasonic leak detection into a regular maintenance program can improve compressed air leakage. A good target to aim for would be a leak level of 10% of the average compressed air flow.

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10. IMPLEMENT LEAKAGE

DETECTION AND REPAIR

On average about 25-30% of all the compressed air produced by the air compressors never makes it to the end user. If there is no leakage detection and repair program in the plant, this number can be much higher, and in extreme cases can up to 80% of the average air demand can be leakage. The repair of compressed air leaks is one of the easiest ways to gain energy savings in a compressed air system – all you need in most cases is a keen sense of hearing, some time, and a few wrenches. And if better tools are used, like implementing ultra-sonic leak detection into a regular maintenance program, improved results can be achieved (Figure 5). A good target to aim for would be a leak level of 10% of the average compressed air flow.

It is important to ensure that the air compressors at the other end of the system are well controlled and have good turndown characteristics to get the most from leak repair. The reduction in leakage flow re-duces the power demanded by the air compressors; also, this reduced flow will cause reduced pressure differentials across all the system restrictions.

11. REDUCE OR ELIMINATE

INAPPROPRIATE USES

The inappropriate use of com-

pressed air is easy to implement. With proper training, your personnel might realize that seek-ing the easy way may not be in your best interest due to the high cost of compressed air (Figure 6). There are many compressed air powered activities that can more efficiently be achieved using other energy sources. Some of these may be blowing, cleaning, cool-ing, pumping, creating vacuum, agitation, moving material, run-ning air motors, and atomization of liquids.

In optimizing compressed air system, these potentially inap-propriate uses of compressed air are identified and analyzed during the air system study. The life cycle costs then are compared with other methods of doing the

same job. In some cases the use may not be completely eliminat-ed, but can still be optimized by supplying lower pressure, turning off the use when not required, or redesigning it to run with less compressed air.

12. REDUCE ARTIFICIAL

DEMAND

When equipment and processes receive compressed air at higher pressures than they are designed they typically consume more volume, but this may not result in an additional benefit to production. Air cylinders consume more air at higher pressure because it take more air to fill at higher pressure. Blowing devices use more flow at higher pressure because there is more force available to expel the air. All of this translates to higher

REMEMBER TRAININGFigure 6. With proper training, your personnel might realize that seeking the easy way may not be in your best interest due to the high cost of compressed air.

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total flow and resulting higher compressor power consumption.

Reducing plant pressure by reduc-ing compressor discharge pressure can yield savings, but so will the use pressure/flow control devices that regulate the complete main plant pressure to only the mini-mum level required by downstream equipment. And local, well-sized regulators that have been carefully selected to regulate without exces-sive drop can reduce the artificial demand at individual end users.

And, for a Baker’s Dozen:

13. USE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

Compressed air optimization can

definitely be implemented using low cost/no cost measures, but to really achieve the best results some significant expenditure is usually required. Your local power utility or energy organization may support compressed air improve-ments with financial incentives if the work you are doing saves energy. Some of these organiza-tions will support initial basic energy studies, more detailed full audits, and even fund a significant part of a compressed air energy project. These organizations may also have information resources and technical support personnel to assist you in applying for these funds. It pays to ask about the possibilities for your plant.

References1. U.S. Department of Energy, 2004. "Evaluation of the Compressed Air Challenge Training Program." http://www1.eere.energy.gov/manufacturing/tech_assistance/pdfs/eval_cactp_cd.pdf

Before retiring in 2016,

Ron Marshall was the

industrial compressed

air systems expert at Manitoba Hydro,

where he worked for 38 years. His

efforts supported the organization’s

Power Smart Performance Optimiza-

tion Program, and he now operates his

own compressed air energy efficiency

consulting firm and is a member of the

project development committee at the

Compressed Air Challenge.

1. AIRCOMPARE® COMPRESSED AIR ANALYSIS CALCULATOR

AirCompare provides manufacturers with insight into their compressed air system including identifying areas where they could reduce costs. To get started, you will need the HP or kW rating of your current compressors, an-nual operating hours, and the energy rate from your local energy supplier.

Calculate Your Compressed Air Costs

http://aircompare.fs-elliott.com/

2. HOW TO MAKE YOUR COMPRESSOR ROOM WORK

FOR YOUR WHITE PAPER

When trying to reduce plant operating costs and grow your bottom line, air compressors are often an afterthought. Most organizations focus on reducing utilities but frequently discount any benefits they may enjoy by addressing the compressor room. Ensuring your compressor room is opti-mized based on the needs of your facility should always be the first step in your cost savings journey.

View White Paper http://www2.fs-elliott.com/l/136321/2017-06-05/246zdj

3. HOW DOES A CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR WORK?

Watch an FS-Elliott centrifugal compressor in action as the air travels through each stage of the process, resulting in a reliable, ISO 8573-1 Class 0, 100% oil-free air stream to power a variety of industrial applications.

View Animation

http://www.fs-elliott.com/how-does-a-centrifugal-compressor-work



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Compressed Air System Efficiency: What you can do today to