- The primary receiver capacity should be six times the compressor capacity per second of free air for automatic valve unloading.
- At 100 psi, a 4-inch diameter airline will carry 1,000 cfm one mile with a loss of approximately 12 psi
- 1 psig = $398 per year in energy cost for every 100 hp.
@ 6¢/kWh 8000 hours per year, 4.0
cfm/input hp
Hank Van Ormer, AIR POWER USA
PART 6
The past four months we’ve looked at the top 9
energy losses in your compressed air system.
They are:
1. Until management believes that compressed air is not cheap or even free, no action is taken.
2. Pressure loss in the interconnecting piping and air treatment equipment between the compressor discharge and the system entry.
3. LEAKS
4. Running the header pressure higher than required
5. Regulators wide open
6. Inappropriate uses of compressed air
7. Misapplied high pressure air
8. Opportunities for energy savings through heat recovery
9. Compressed air supply and system maintenance
This month we'll look at:
#10 MEASUREMENT:
If you don’t measure it you can’t manage it!
- Do you have appropriate flow meters?
- If so are they calibrated? - Recently?
♦ Do you track critical pressures? Where?
♦ Do you track input kW (particularly on
positive displacement compressors – reciprocating and rotary screw)?
♦ If you do have and/or collect this data what do you do with it? Does it directly impact your energy management plant?
PRESSURE READING
♦ Most compressor rooms use OEM Supplied gauges! – No point for test Gauge!! - other gauges on filters and receivers - No point for Test Gauge!
♦ No gauges or test points in interconnecting piping – actual point or at process, etc, with point for a test gauge. No point for Test Gauge!
Plan the pressure readings required – you don’t have to track and trend it all! But you do need access to measure – and troubleshoot. Whenever you have multiple gauges or transducers you NEVER have an accurate “Relative Pressure Differential” – which is ALL that counts.
For our purposes we use a high quality, digital test gauge and read the pressure at each point WITH THE SAME GAUGE. This is the only way to know what’s going on. Leave in place gauges or transducers that may flag a problem and are monitored – but it should only be checked or confirmed with the same gauge.
Meet Keith Hayes!
He’s another one of our 63 service
technicians. He's been with Air
Technologies over eight years.
Outside of work Keith likes to
make flies for fishing. Keith is
blessed with a full beard that grows six inches every day. His beard gives him an endless supply fly material. Keith is in the record books for catching the largest rainbow trout from the Ohio River at 66 lbs. 7 ounces. Each day Keith adds to his hair ball which is now over seven feet in diameter. He said it's the largest hair ball in Clinton County.
Keith's family is in show business, this is his uncle who played Grandpa on The Waltons. Keith has show business in his blood - at our annual talent contest last year he dressed up as a mime and entertained the crowd during dinner and when it was his turn on stage he juggled six cats while walking on a tight wire that was 20 feet above the stage.
Keith is our January Featured Associate of the Month!
RECOMMENDATION:
♦ Install gauge test points in piping as required – compressor discharge. Before prefilter – after dryer – after the afterfilter – header entry points to process – at process etc.
♦ Wherever you install gauges – put a
test point under it.
Another measurement we often get
asked to make is relative humidity or
pressure dew point.
♦ If Pressure dew point or lack of water in the air in critical to your system then you should consider a permanent monitored pressure dew point. - These are very sensitive and also need annual calibration. A good, professional planned measurement program is an essential part of a well controlled compressed air system.
You know what all this was – common sense and dedication to a program. - There is “NO SILVER BULLET”.
KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPRESSED
AIR SYSTEM REVIEW
√ Compressed air supply
√ Unloading controls (capability to translate less air usage into lessinput energy)
√ Air treatment (performance – effect on energy)
√ Interconnecting and distribution piping
√ Air receiver placement (opportunities for demand control)
√ Current cost per cfm and pressure
√ Current load profile
√ Point of use air demand standards (quality, pressure, identify event demand, etc.
√ Identify waste and inappropriate uses of compressed
√ Opportunities for air saving devices
√ Energy recovery possibilities
√ Short and long term projects - PAYBACK
Hank van Ormer has been a leader in compressed air systems and applications for more than 30 years. He has worked with many of the leading compressor manufacturers in product development, sales, and technical applications. He is one of the founding members of the Department of Energy’s Compressed Air Challenge Program (CAC).
Hank started Air Power USA, an independent
consulting firm, in 1985 to help industrial companies better understand and manage their compressed air systems. He has conducted more than 100 workshops and written 200+ technical articles on compressor system operation and maintenance.
He and his staff have reviewed 2200 air systems and have managed the implementation of 1200 air improvement projects. Those audits identified projects that could reduce operating costs of air systems by an average of 35% with a typical payback of 12-18 months. Such projects also improved system reliability and air quality and eliminated key production bottlenecks.
Meet Keith
Our Featured
Air Tech Associate
Scroll Down & Check Out
January 2007
Rule of Thumb
513-218-9136
Why Atlas Copco is the air compressor of choice....
5 hp through 125 hp features include...
- Extreme duty gearbox
- Vacuum operated unloaders - no heavy spring
- Aftercooler with integrated water separator
- Electronic waterdrains for aftercooler and IFD
- Extreme duty IFD’s
- 115F Ambient standard
Don't buy another compressor without looking at the Atlas Copco air compressor. Call for a free air analysis...
513-218-9136
Ask the Experts
Q: Why is there moisture in my air lines even though a dryer is installed after the compressor?
A: An obvious answer could be the dryer isn't working properly, but the likely cause for this moisture is leaks in the air lines. It could also mean the bypass piping installed around a dryer has been left open, or the block valve in that pipe is leaking. Either condition allows moisture to bypass the dryer and pass downstream with the compressed air. Small pinhole leaks that develop in compressed air pipelines allow moisture to enter and deteriorate the dew point. These leaks can be caused by corrosion in the pipe or at nearly every fitting or connection along the pipeline. Once inside, this newly added moisture condenses as the compressed air cools while traveling through the pipelines.
A good solution for this problem requires the installation of filters, dryers, and purifying devices at each point-of-use in a compressed air system. These devices remove unwanted water, oil, and dirt immediately preceding the end use of the air. This also allows selecting a suitable purification device.
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- Ask the Expert
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