Industrial Utility Efficiency

Technology

ASHRAE 90.1 Brings New Requirements to Compressed Air System Design

By Troy Dreier, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

Word is beginning to filter out about the 2022 changes to the ASHRAE 90.1 energy efficiency standard, and the changes it promises to bring to how compressed air systems are specified, commissioned and maintained. More specifically, the industry is learning about section 10.4.6 of 90.1, which is the first time the standard has included a section on compressed air. 

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Digital Valve Positioner enhances the performance of Pressure/Flow Control

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

Specifying a control valve for Pressure/Flow Control service should be a relatively straightforward process. The range of compressed air flow and pressures must be known along with the target delivered air pressure. With this information, the performance specifications published by the various suppliers can be referenced for selecting a valve package. Often, however, the valve selected is too large in size to ensure it will have sufficient capacity to satisfy current and future flow requirements. Valve manufacturers use different design criteria in rating their units and in how their product is presented. There are no standards.
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Types of Compressed Air Dryers Part 3 –Heat of Compression, Single-Tower Deliquescent and Membrane Type Dryers

By the Compressed Air & Gas Institute

A careful examination of a facility's compressed air system will likely reveal several opportunities to improve the performance of the compressed air system by effectively and efficiently removing moisture from the compressed air system. The Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI) committed to issuing a series of articles discussing moisture in the compressed air system.
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Optimizing Centrifugal Compressors at a Glass Bottling Plant

By Don van Ormer, Air Power USA

This glass bottle production plant had a complete compressed air audit in 2001 and 2002 at which time many successful projects reduced and stabilized the demand at 3,148 scfm at 95 psig for the high pressure system air and 9,300-9,500 scfm at 58 psig for the low pressure system. Successful application of an oversized 7,200-scfm rated cycling refrigerated dryer completely dried up the high-pressure air, allowing the removal of several non-performing desiccant dryers and savings in direct kW and purge air.
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Types of Compressed Air Dryers Part 2: Refrigerant and Regenerative Desiccant

By the Compressed Air & Gas Institute

Because of such a wide breadth of product offering, we will cover each of these dryer types in some detail. It is always recommended that the compressed air treatment products be discussed in concert with the entire compressed air system and the application of the products. You should consult a compressed air expert to assure that the compressed air dryer selected is correct for your application.
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Energy Savings Result from Compressed Air Dryer Selection

Christopher Ursillo, Marketing Manager — Air Treatment, Ingersoll Rand

Every facility has differing application needs and usage demands, but selecting the right compressed air dryer for the situation will have a significant impact on energy savings and efficiencies. Two categories of air dryers — refrigerated dryers and desiccant dryers — are widely used in industrial applications, and both have a place in the market. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all dryer solution for every facility. However, looking at the energy costs associated with the various options can help determine which solution will be most beneficial.
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Your Air Compressor May Be Smarter Than You Think

By Ron Marshall for the Compressed Air Challenge®

Not long ago most air compressors were controlled with mechanical pressures switches, relays and gauges. The setup of these units, especially when attempting to coordinate multiple compressors could be a frustrating and fruitless experience because often, no sooner than the controls were correctly adjusted, some sort of mechanical gremlin would throw something out of adjustment again.
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Machine Builders Optimize Pneumatic Circuit Tubing Volumes

By Jon Jensen, John Martin and Chris Latham, SMC USA

The advent of manifold mounted, plug-in pneumatic valves has been a boon for machine builders. It allows them to mount complete valve packages in a safe and secure location on a machine. Using a D-sub connector, serial interface module, or similar single-point wiring system, all of the electrical control outputs can feed into one location on the manifold, greatly simplifying the wiring. Plumbing issues are reduced, since a single air pressure line can be used to feed a common pressure gallery. The same advantage applies to the common exhaust gallery. No longer would both a plumber and an electrician be required to replace a valve, since any valve can be replaced without disturbing electrical connections or plumbing lines.
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Why Do Compressed Air Systems Need Drying?

By the Compressed Air & Gas Institute

The Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI) will be issuing a series of articles discussing moisture in the compressed air system and will provide a brief overview of the compressed air drying technologies available.
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Air System Pressure Influences Compressor Power - Part 3: The Influence of System Pressure on Compressed Air Demand

This is the third article in a three-part compressed air series by Mark Krisa, Director – Global Services Solutions, Ingersoll Rand

Energy conservation measures (ECM) associated with compressed air have received a significant amount of attention over the years, mostly due to a reasonably short financial return compared with other energy consuming equipment. Over time many of the corrective actions put forward to reduce compressed air energy consumption have been simplified with the goal of encouraging action. Although this is done with the best of intentions, sometimes simplifications and generalizations do not necessarily lead to positive results. One of the most common energy conservation measures for compressed air that leverages best practice calculations involves reducing system pressure. It is the objective of this series of articles to highlight some of the more common issues associated with estimating energy conservation resulting from changing system pressure.
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A Compressed Air & Gas Institute Session - Heat Recovery from Industrial Compressed Air Systems

By Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

The rise in energy prices is an unwelcome reality in today’s manufacturing and business environment. And while the rate of price increases for natural gas, heating oil and electricity may vary from year to year, the upward trajectory is clear. Energy cost reduction strategies are vital to staying competitive. Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine recently discussed heat recovery, from industrial compressed air systems, with the Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI). Their inputs should provide you with some insight in energy-saving technology.
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Air Compressors

Why a Centrifugal Air Compressor May Be the Better Choice
When selecting an air compressor for your manufacturing operation, the common choice is the
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Air Treatment/N2

Selecting a Reliable and Efficient Nitrogen Generation System
PSA nitrogen generators are fed compressed air which goes to two vessels alternately. One vessel
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Blowers

Fayetteville Wastewater Treatment Plant Lowers Operational Costs, Increases Efficiencies
The plant upgrades, in combination with a progressive management strategy, allows the plant to
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Compressor Controls

Hitting the Gas on Efficient Compressed Air Delivery at Hitachi Astemo
Hitachi Astemo’s efficiency gains will turn into significant cost savings. In this article we
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Instrumentation

Improve Process Efficiency and Reduce Energy Use with Compressed Air Monitoring
Without compressed air monitoring, up to 30% of the compressed air generated goes to waste. This
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Pneumatics

Improving the Efficiency of Pumping Systems through Pump System Optimization
The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2002 Motor Market Assessment established that pumping systems offer
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Vacuum

Advanced Vacuum Generation Reduces Maintenance
Industrial ceramics have been produced in Hermsdorf, near Jena, since 1890. In the past, high-
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Cooling Systems

The AIM Act’s Impact on HFC Gases
The AIM (American Innovation and Manufacturing) Act was finalized by the US government at the end
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