Up Time Magazine - February/March 2009 - (Page 50) ultrasound upload When Green Is Good Business Sustainability Through Ultrasonic Energy Conservation by Allan Rienstra I n 2008, there arose a broad selection of solution providers specializing in helping the community of maintenance and reliability professionals to ‘Go Green’. It is unlikely that the original mandate of most of these companies was to “help save the environment”, but it does show how nimble entrepreneurialism adjusts to accommodate the demands of corporate social responsibility. The term corporate social responsibility eventually gave way to the broader catchphrase “sustainability” in 2008. Maintenance departments formed energy management teams to focus on the dual win of saving both money and the environment with efficiency initiatives. For them, and most of us, the definition of “sustainability” closely mirrored that of the trusted EPA; “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In 2009, sustainability may well be redefined as “doing whatever it takes to keep our doors open for business.” A stubborn economic and environmental crisis grips the globe. There are obvious virtues to positioning our business as a provider of green solutions with benefits for both energy savings and reducing a factory’s carbon footprint. This is the re-emphasis of an original mission statement made some thirty years ago when ultrasound inspection first appeared as an answer to curbing sources of waste energy in factories, but this time around the stakes are higher. As consumers we have an insatiable thirst for electricity, and the fossil fuels consumed by its creation. That fossil fuels are running scarce is not just rhetoric. Conservation must be made as mandatory as the ongoing search for alternative energy sources is. Those alternatives will have to be planet friendly, as the reckless use of energy has loaded our environment with CO2 and other greenhouse gases, changing our planet forever. Expect continued and dramatic changes in global weather patterns illustrated by extreme storms, draughts, cold waves, and heat waves. And while the price per barrel of oil was low at the time of writing, expect higher prices to return as the globe moves through, and out of recession. Now is the time to look to your airborne ultrasound program for some assurance about your company’s sustainability in 2009. chine without intrusion or shutdown. These problems all have one characteristic in common; they produce noise in the ultrasonic range with peaks between 35-40 kHz. Ultrasound inspection is useful because it focuses on these specific noises while filtering away ambient plant noise, making it extremely handy in loud plants. This makes the technology available for use during peak production hours, reducing the need for overtime. It is advantageous to use this technology to pinpoint the source of problems because ultrasound is more directional than audible sound. Subtle changes to plant machinery can be heard in the ultrasonic frequencies first. Inspectors are rewarded with an earlier indication of a problem, and a larger window to schedule repair. So ultrasound inspection extends the abilities of human hearing and empowers companies to pursue some of the easiest wins in the sustainability business. Going “green” and saving energy are two separate ideals that merge by circumstance, and focus on a campaign with huge potential wins. This battle starts in the air compressor room (supply side) and branches throughout the facility (distribution) to wherever air is needed (demand side). Along the way there are leaks, wasted dollars spent and energy consumed, all the while enlarging your carbon footprint. Take a look at the benefits of a well managed compressed air leak program. Here are some compelling reasons to tighten your compressed air system. • Compressed air production is the 2nd or 3rd highest source of energy consumption in most companies. • On average, air compressors account for 18% of all industrial electrical consumption in European manufacturing plants. Some suggest that compressed air costs account for as much as 30% of a manufacturing plant’s electricity bill. • For every kWh spent on compressed air, an additional 0.8kg of CO2 per month is spewed into our atmosphere. • 75% of the total cost of your compressed air february/march 2009 Airborne Ultrasound Inspection Airborne ultrasound inspection refers to the technology of detecting and localizing the sources of ultrasonic phenomena for the purpose of identifying a) sources of wasted energy, b) sources of mechanical failure, c) sources of electrical failure, and d) faults within a ma- 50
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