Technology

An air compressor is synonymous with an electric heater – providing compressed air as a side effect. 85-90% of the electrical energy taken in by the air compressor is converted into heat, while the maximum efficiency of compressed air generation is less than 10%. In air compressor heat recovery systems, the focus is on capturing the heat energy contained in the oil, as up to 80% of the energy extracted from the power plant is found there.

In extreme situations, raw battery materials can react with water molecules in the air, causing explosions. In semiconductor development, wafer manufacture requires a highly controlled environment and precise data on the manufacturing environment. Moisture can cause defects in the microelectronic components, impacting their functionality and reliability. For each application, a fast response time allows for quick detection of dew point changes, which can be addressed before they cause damage to the product or equipment.

Aftermarket genuine parts ensure that the compressed air system will continue to meet the requirements it was engineered to achieve. Replacement parts must fit the compressor correctly so that operation continues to function properly. Parts that are not fitted properly could affect the function of the unit downstream.

The 2023 Hannover Messe was held April 17-21 at the Fairgrounds in Hannover, Germany. I have been visiting this event, since 1992, and it’s great to see old friends, new companies and the latest company and technology developments of firms in the compressed air industry. This article will provide readers with a sampling of compressed air technologies seen. 

A focus on sustainable products and packaging, in combination with a passion for quality, has resulted in considerable growth for the firm. Plans to add production lines at facility #1, in turn, drove the need to address the plant’s faltering compressed air system.

Pneumatics and the generation of compressed air accounts for about 10% of a typical facility's energy consumption. That number could be much lower, but because of leaks and poor air pressure regulation, a surprising amount of energy is wasted in the process. Yet, most manufacturers are not taking full advantage of smart pneumatic technologies or data analytics to improve energy efficiency. By installing connected pneumatic solutions in their plants, manufacturers can continuously collect critical data to understand where energy is being wasted and make informed decisions to optimize energy consumption. 

The Cooling Technology Institute’s (CTI) four educational sessions drew standing-room-only crowds. Representatives from BPEARSON Consulting, SPX Cooling Tech, Eurovent and Baltimore Aircoil Company presented Fundamentals of Water Treatment; Cooling Tower Fundamentals; System Sustainability? Prove it with Certified Performance; and Fundamentals of Adiabatic Heat Rejection. Owners and operators of heat rejection equipment can join the CTI and attend its annual conference to meet the several dozens of technical experts with hundreds of years of combined experience capable of assisting with your next project. 

This article will be of particular interest to industrial system operators unfamiliar with tankless (primarily closed) systems who may be considering either installing new systems without tanks or removing existing open tanks.  The topics covered step through an understanding of tankless systems while also including tank system pointers and insights on converting systems with tanks into tankless systems. 

Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine interviewed Mr. Bill Kennedy, Global Marketing Manager, Mattei Compressors.

If the electricity costs 8x what you paid to purchase the compressor, and you can reduce that value by 20% or more, the compressor is virtually free as the energy savings provide a return-on-investment that exceeds the purchase price. Now, if you eliminate the need to ever have to overhaul the airend you gain a massive financial and long-term reliability advantage.

Utilities monitoring paired with machine learning models can reliably predict anomalies, prompting action that can prevent waste and optimize resource use.