Industrial Utility Efficiency

Compressor Controls

Egger Modernizes Its Compressed Air System for the ESG Era

By Graham Coats, Director of Strategic Product and Business Development, CMC

Wood-based materials manufacturing plant transformed its compressed air system from an invisible utility into a data-driven energy asset by deploying a modern, multi-zone monitoring and control platform. The upgrade delivered real-time transparency, ISO 50001- and ESG-ready reporting, and verified annual savings of 1.43 GWh, \$166,500 and 889 tons of CO2.

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Open-Minded System Assessments Part 1. Petrochemical Plant Optimizes Centrifugal Compressors

By Paul Edwards, Compressed Air Consultants

Keeping an open mind is critical in all system assessments. Each client has different priorities and circumstances. In this case, the elimination of the “close-scrapes” with insufficient pressure was the priority. The energy and rental/maintenance savings realized were just an added bonus. In this article, we have focused on the supply-side of the system and how the centrifugal compressors could be made to supply the system reliably – without the need for rental air compressors.
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Plastics Processor Outsources Compressed Air as the 4th Utility

By Tim Tensing, DirectAIR®

Treating compressed air as a true utility and outsourcing the entire process is a growing trend in the industry. If a plant does not generate their own power, provide their own water or deliver their own natural gas, then why not treat compressed air requirements in the same manner? This article will use a recent project as a case study to show the benefits one factory received by making the decision to outsource compressed air like a utility.
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The Biggest & Worst: Tales from a Compressed Air System Auditor’s Personal Notebook

By Chris E. Beals, President of Air System Management, Inc.

Years ago, while managing the service department of my compressor distributorship, I received a call from a nearby customer who told me his 200hp compressor wouldn’t make any air. When I arrived at the plant I found the inlet air filter differential indicator showing “Red”, which indicates the filter element was dirty. When I pointed this out the maintenance manager said he had just changed the filter element; however, when I removed the element the compressor immediately started making air. He then admitted that the element was one that they had simply washed out approximately seven times before. Unwittingly, when he tried to save money by cleaning the filter element he was increasing his energy cost several times more than the cost of the element.
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Comprehensive Compressed Air Audits: The 5-Step Process

By Neil Mehltretter, System Engineering Supervisor, Kaeser Compressors

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that air compressors use as much as 10% of all electricity generated in the United States. Further, the DOE calculates that as much as 50% of this energy is wasted. Compressed air leaks alone account for 25-30% of compressed air use.
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Control (Wet) Storage – a Misunderstood Concept

By Ron Nordby

While control storage was originally an integral component of a reciprocating air compressor installation, this article will only briefly explore that application. The content of this article will focus instead on rotary screw installations since the rotary screw air compressor has essentially replaced the reciprocating as the compressor of choice in industrial applications. It should also be noted that in compressed air systems where reciprocating and rotary screw air compressors are operating together, control storage should always be utilized.
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Automating Energy Efficiency in Compressed Air System Sub-Zones

By J. Ned Dempsey, P.E., Pneu-Logic Corporation

The objective of a compressed air management system is to improve the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of “Energy Intensity” as it relates to compressed air. This translates into improving the ratio between the volume of product shipped and the net electricity (kWh) consumed by the compressed air system. How many thousand bottles, per compressed air kWh consumed, were shipped this month?
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Matching the Supply and Demand in a Compressed Air System

By Bob Wilson, PEMCO Services for the Compressed Air Challenge®

Production processes get their energy from the air stored at higher pressure in the piping distribution system. The air compressors simply replenish the air that is consumed. It is an important distinction to make. The energy input in compressing the air is supplied to the connecting pipes for delivery to the various demands throughout the facility.
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Three Energy Efficiency Measures for a Pulp & Paper Mill

By Tim Dugan, P.E., Compression Engineering Corporation

Recently, this major pulp & paper mill made compressed air optimization a mill-wide priority. At the request of the utility company providing energy to the mill, Compression Energy Services performed a comprehensive energy analysis that outlined the following four energy efficiency measures (EEM’s) for the mill to consider.
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A View From Europe. Challenge Convention: Compressor Management Systems Applied in the Automotive Industry

By Nicolas De Deken, EnergAir

“First there are the old conventions. The majority of compressor houses still employ fixed speed compressors and a cascaded pressure switch control system. This arrangement will be familiar to many, but it is outdated and inefficient, and needs to be changed. There is a comfort factor with familiar technology, which is exacerbated by constant time pressure due to other day-today responsibilities and a lack of information and good advice on what can be achieved.”  
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