System Assessments

Thought Leaders on System Optimization Past & Future

Edited by Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

We asked a hand-selected list of original equipment manufacturers, independent compressed air system sales and service companies, manufacturing plants and independent system auditors to share their thoughts, highlighting the changes they’ve seen over the past 20 years, then predicting what the next 20 years will bring.

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Meat Packager Reduces Compressed Air Demand

By Don van Ormer, Air Power USA

This meat processing and packaging factory spent an estimated \$203,640 annually on energy to operate the compressed air system at their Midwestern facility. Based on the air system operating 8,760 hours per year, the group of projects recommended below could reduce these energy costs by an estimated \$107,522 or 47% of current use. In addition, these projects will decrease compressor maintenance costs. Estimated costs for completing the recommended projects total \$21,900. This figure represents a simple payback period of 2 months.

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How to Become a Compressed Air Auditor

By Ron Marshall with Steve Briscoe for the Compressed Air Challenge®

How does one become a top notch compressed air auditor? There is very little in the way of formal schooling available to help interested persons become competent in the art of assessing compressed air systems or recommending improvement measures. As we will read in the following interview, having an excellent attitude a good aptitude, applying continuous learning techniques, using the Compressed Air Challenge’s excellent training seminars and materials, and seeking out mentorship opportunities have allowed one compressed air auditor to progress from a ”dumb kid” parts clerk to the Vice-President of Business Development for Industrial Air Centers.

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Compressed Air Energy Savings Project at Archer Daniels Midland BioProducts - Part One

By Scott Bogue

This facility operates one of the largest compressed air installations in industry, with 21 4000 hp process air and five 750 hp instrument air centrifugal compressors to support large-scale aerobic fermentation and related processes that require large volumes of oxygen.

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Analyzing Interval Data to Establish Compressed Air Flow

By Hank van Ormer, Air Power USA

Energy management requires accurate and repeatable measurement of critical data, which is easily monitored and analyzed as required to stimulate required action. When a compressed air system assessment is implemented, the basic minimum measurement protocol to establish the baseline (pre‐measurement) and qualify and quantify the results (post‐measurement)

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Auto Manufacturer Eliminates Dryer Purge Air

By Hank van Ormer, Air Power USA

This northeastern U.S. automotive manufacturing facility spends \$269,046 annually on energy to operate their compressed air system. This figure will increase as electric rates are raised from their current average of .019 cents per kWh. The set of projects, in this system assessment, reduce these energy costs by \$110,166 or forty percent. Reliability of compressed air quality, however, is the main concern in this plant and the primary focus of this system assessment.

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Food Processor Saves $101,000

By Hank van Ormer, Air Power USA

This facility is part of a major corporation with dozens of manufacturing facilities where consumer good food products are processed and packaged for shipment to retail outlets. The factory was spending \$210,000 annually on energy to operate their compressed air system. This system assessment detailed four (4) project areas where yearly energy savings totaling \$100,855 could be found with an investment of \$100,000.

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Pressure-Flow Control: It’s More Than Stabilizing Pressure

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

The Compressed Air Challenge® Fundamentals and Advanced training discuss the benefits of using central controllers to efficiently control system compressors. These systems are called “System Master” controls. Modern day System Master Controls use advanced technologies to network air compressors in a preprogrammed sequence. A properly configured network with the right size and type of trim compressor can typically hold the supply air pressure in a tight band of +/- 2 psi. Because of this capability, many users feel the application of System Master Control negates the benefit of applying Pressure-Flow Control to stabilize the plant air pressure.

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Value in Valves – Why a Compressed Air Control System is Worth a Look

By Paul Humphreys, Vice President Communications and Branding, Atlas Copco Compressors

A large multi-service public utility provider was faced with an ongoing problem. The utility, which services 93,000 retail and wholesale customers, employed five oil-free compressors at one power generation facility, but, if they needed to take down Unit 2 at the facility, it almost always pulled Unit 1 down with it, overloading the system’s capacity and causing service interruptions.

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A Compressed Air Management System for Five Compressors

By Don van Ormer, Air Power USA

This building products factory spent an estimated \$240,000 annually on energy to operate the compressed air system at their Midwestern facility. This figure will increase as electric rates rise from their current average of 7.8 cents per kWh. The set of projects recommended, by the system assessment, reduced these energy costs by an estimated \$104,336 or 43% of current use. Project costs totalled \$73,000, representing a simple payback period of 8 months.

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Peerless Energy Helps Molex Save Energy

By Jan Michael Hoetzel, Dipl. Wirt-Ing.(FH), Airleader North America

Air Demand Increase of 43% Results in Only a 5% Energy Cost IncreaseCompressed air is an expensive medium; yet, many compressed air systems are wastefully managed with minimal system transparency. Capturing essential system performance data and monitoring critical air quality data is not only eye opening, it enables future investments in compressed air systems to be fact-based and traceable.

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