The way compressed air is made has not changed for many years. The oil flooded rotary screw is by far the most popular method and is the industry’s standard today. What has changed is the technology and improvements in rotor design, compressor controls, motor efficiency and variable speed drives. Most plants are running the same compressors they purchased 15 to 20 years ago and most are running more horse power than they need. Even though your compressors are doing a great job and are very reliable, there are ways to make them run more efficiently.
Power Consumption Graph
Master Controller – Used to control all compressors in the most energy efficient cycles
The first step is to have your compressed air system evaluated. A Level I evaluation consists of a job site visit and a walk through of your compressor room and plant. This is done free of charge. Helpful recommendations can sometimes be made from this evaluation. We are looking for the following: How are your compressors operating? Load/No Load or Modulation control. Do you have enough air storage capacity? Is your air piping adequate? Will a master controller or a flow control valve work for your plant? Would a variable speed compressor work best? All these items are addressed during the visit. If we feel it’s necessary, we will recommend a Level II air study or energy air audit. This study will determine exactly how much cubic feet per minute (cfm) your plant is using. Our data loggers will be installed and take readings every 12 seconds for one week. We are measuring and logging flow (cfm), k/W (compressor amps), and plant pressure (psig). From this we can determine how efficiently your compressors are operating and how energy efficient we can make your plant operate after our recommendations are implemented. A return on investment (ROI) is also determined.
Your air compressors are one of the greatest energy users in your plant. If you can cut the cost of producing compressed air by 15% to 20%, you can see significant savings in overall costs. To get started, contact your local branch and request a Level I evaluation today.
