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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Roxane Laboratories’ System Assessment

By Hank Van Ormer, Air Power USA

Roxane Laboratories, Inc., a subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation located in Columbus, Ohio, created a world-class air system that generated \$61,314 per year in electrical energy cost savings (1,156,868 kWh), improved productivity and quality, and allowed the successful completion of a significant plant expansion.

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Ultrasound Leak Tests on Heat Exchangers

By: Alan S. Bandes Vice President, UE Systems, Inc.

The secret to success is to understand the nature of what type of leak produces a detectible ultrasound and what does not, along with the techniques that can be used for effective leak identification.

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Aluminum Mill Reconfigures Compressed Air System

By Hank Van Ormer, Air Power USA

This aluminum mill spends \$369,000 annually in energy costs to operate their compressed air system. This system assessment recommends actions reducing annual energy costs by \$120,000 and improving productivity and quality by delivering clean, dry compressed air.

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Savings at the Steel Mill

By Chuck Gerbe, Total Equipment Company

This major mill complex upgraded their compressed air system and thereby eliminated \$500,000 in annual rental compressor costs, reduced annual cooling-water costs by \$500,000, and reduced electrical energy costs by \$135,000 per year.

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The Systems Approach. What are Your Demands?

By the Compressed Air Challenge®

A basic element in the Compressed Air Challenge® (CAC) philosophy is that compressed air system optimization should be addressed using the “Systems Approach”. This method recognizes that improving and maintaining peak compressed air system performance requires addressing both the supply and the demand sides of a system and understanding how the two interact. “The road to energy efficiency involves more than just fixing the leaks,” says Ross Orr, an experienced auditor with Scales Industrial Technologies and a certified CAC instructor.

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Compressed Air Piping Distribution Systems

By Gary Wamsley, PE, CEM, JoGar Energy Services

Perhaps your facility recently had a compressed air system survey, conducted by an air systems services company, that resulted in a couple of major recommendations, such as: • Install a new smaller compressor and new control systems on all of the units • Repair the many air leaks (identified as 30% of your system capacity)

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Batch Transport Conveyor System Audit Saves Energy

By Hank Van Ormer, Air Power USA

A compressed air system assessment saved this building materials manufacturer over \$518,000 per year in energy costs, with a simple ROI of 11 months.

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Distribution Piping: Understanding Pressure Drop

By the Compressed Air Challenge®

The Compressed Air Challenge® (CAC) is a voluntary collaboration of industrial users; manufacturers, distributors and their associations; consultants; state research and development agencies; energy efficiency organizations; and utilities. This group has one purpose in mind - helping you enjoy the benefits of improved performance of your compressed air system. The mission of the Compressed Air Challenge (CAC) is to provide resources that educate industrial users about optimizing their compressed air systems.

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Four Action Items Save Money and Energy at a Refinery

By Hank Van Ormer

This refinery currently spends \$735,757 annually on the electricity required to operate the compressed air system at its plant. The group of projects recommended in the system assessment will reduce these energy costs by an estimated \$364,211 (49% of current use). Estimated costs for completing the recommended projects total \$435,800. This figure represents a simple payback period of 14.4 months. The firm also reduced compressed air demand by 732 scfm allowing them to save \$441,544 by down-sizing the back-up rental diesel air compressors.

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