Technology

Safe Compressed Air Drying Systems for Class I, Division 1 Environments

By Jess Elley, Product Marketing Manager, Suburban Manufacturing Group – Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions

Learn how engineers can safely remove moisture from compressed air systems in hazardous environments by eliminating ignition risks through pneumatic controls. This article explores design considerations, performance characteristics and reliability factors for regenerative desiccant dryers operating in Class I, Division 1 locations.

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IPS Advises Midwest Industry on Compressed Air Efficiency

By Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

IPS supplies compressed air to a lot of machinery running outdoors, such as dust collectors and feed mills on grain elevators, as well as to other equipment in environments lower than 32°F (0°C). Temperatures that low require desiccant dryers. Hoffman helps his customers sort out their options and determine which type of desiccant dryer – heatless, heated purge, heated blower purge – is ideal for their needs.

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Industrial Chiller and Heat Rejection Innovation at the 2025 AHR Expo

By Brooke Jones, Digital Content Editor, Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine

More than 1,800 exhibitors and 350 speakers drew in over 50,000 attendees. HVACR professionals from across the globe gathered to discuss the latest regulation updates and explore innovations. This article focuses on chiller, heat rejection and related cooling technologies for industrial use.

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The Effect of Increased Storage Capacity on Load/No Load Air Compressors

By Frank A. Melch, Vice President of Sales & Marketing (ret.), Zorn Compressor & Equipment

Fixed speed, lubricated, rotary screw air compressors offer three different part-load control methods: inlet modulation, load/no load and variable displacement. Over the years, load/no load has become the predominant control method offered by fixed-speed air compressor manufacturers.

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New ABB Super Premium Motors Bring Energy Efficiency Gains

By Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

SP4 motors provide the high efficiency and reliability required for air compressors which operate under demanding and variable-load conditions. The reduced energy losses and cooler operating temperatures mean a lower total cost of ownership for manufacturers. Additionally, the NEMA Super Premium efficiency level ensures compliance with stringent energy regulations, making this a future-proof investment.

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New DOE Air Compressor Regulations

By Bruce McFee, President, Sullivan-Palatek

The U.S. Department of Energy has initiated the efficiency regulation of oil-flooded rotary air compressors. This has the potential to cause a big change for the air compressor industry, as models from 35-1,250 cfm with pressures ranging from 75-200 psi (5.2-13.8 bar) will need to meet a minimum isentropic efficiency.

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Compressed Air Scoping Tool Teaches Energy Efficiency Best Practices

By Alex Botts, R&D Associate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Department of Energy’s Better Plants program created the Compressed Air Scoping Tool with the most up-to-date best practices in the industry. It can be used as a nonbiased, one-stop shop for best practice recommendations. The Excel-based tool is designed to be an initial step in understanding the operation of a compressed air system, a baselining tool enabling users to comprehend various aspects of a facility’s system from the production of compressed air to its application by end users.

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Sizing Air Compressors for Spray Finishing

By Shane Vrankin, Service Consultant, C.H. Reed

Achieving a high-quality finish on a coated product, whether it’s painted or powder coated, is dependent on a variety of variables that impact coating quality before material ever comes out of a spray gun. For example, it’s essential to have the proper paint agitators, paint pumps, spray guns, hoses, line sizes and pump cycle rates. But an even bigger requirement is a properly sized compressed air system to effectively operate the pneumatic painting and powder coating equipment.

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Tools for Detecting Compressed Air Leaks

By Menno Verbeek, Sales Director, VPInstruments

This article discusses methods and techniques to increase the efficiency of a compressed air installation in both the short and long term. Start by identifying and repairing compressed air leaks, which can result in a decrease in energy use and a savings in operating costs. There are various methods for detecting and quantifying leaks. Simple methods provide a rough indication of the leakage level.

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Best Practices 2024 EXPO & Conference Show Report

By Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, and Brooke Jones, Digital Content Editor, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

From October 29-31, 2024, professionals who operate, maintain and design industrial compressed air, vacuum, blower, nitrogen generation, process cooling and HVAC systems gathered at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA, for the 6th annual Best Practices 2024 EXPO & Conference. The event featured two tracks of conference presentations and panels.

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HydroThrift Debuts Advanced Cooling System Control Panel

By Troy Dreier, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

The customers wanted to be able to monitor their system from a control room. They wanted to be able to see the overall view of how the system was running. The bigger thing on the backend – especially for us from an engineering perspective – was being able to do better troubleshooting and helping them without the need to be onsite.

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