Compressed Air Best Practices - January 2008 - (Page 22)

| 01/08 Focus Industry ENERGY MANAGEMENT | THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT BY RANDY GREENWOOD Compressed air has been used in industry and manufacturing processes for well over a hundred years. Virtually every plant has a compressor and uses compressed air in the manufacturing process. The supply of the raw material (the air in the atmosphere) is abundant, and compressed air is easily transported from the compressor to the point of use at the machine. It is easily understood by most people who use it and it is safe around most processes because air is generally considered to be benign in nature. It can be easily adjusted to vary the manufacturing process. So, it is easy to understand why its use in industrial manufacturing is so pervasive. Unfortunately, it is one of the most neglected systems in any plant, and as a result can easily be the most costly energy transmission source. While many people understand how to make something work using compressed air, relatively few people have a good understanding of the problems inherent in the system, and even fewer have an understanding of what to do to improve the system. Examine the Demand Side The demand side of the system is any area or device that consumes air, regardless of whether it is performing useful work or not. This includes, but is not limited to: Valves Cylinders Air Motors Actuators like grippers or rotary actuators Condensate drains Filters, regulators and lubricators (point of use) Painting and finishing equipment Diaphragm Pumps Blow guns Piping Air knives, air curtains Parts cooling Material conveying Venturi-type vacuum generators Air tools (impact wrenches, screwdrivers, nut runners, grinders, etc.) Quick couplings and fittings, including hose and tubing Leaks 22 www.airbestpractices.com A COSTLY UTILITY According to the Department of Energy studies, in an average manufacturing plant, only about 50% of the compressed air generated is actually consumed by normal production processes. As much as 25–30% is wasted in leaks, another 15–20% is consumed in inappropriate uses of compressed air, such as personnel cooling and handheld blowguns for cleaning and the remaining air goes to what is termed “artificial demand,” caused by operating the system at excessively high pressure. For every dollar spent on electricity to generate compressed air, only about 12–17¢ is actually used productively. These figures only take into account direct energy costs, and do not reflect the cost of capital equipment investment and maintenance. http://www.airbestpractices.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Compressed Air Best Practices - January 2008

Compressed Air Best Practices - January 2008 Contents Focus Industry Features Compressed Air Industry Articles From the Editor Real World Best Practices: Selecting A VSD Rotary Compressor Audit of the Month: Energy Savings in Peru The Low-Hanging Fruit in Pneumatic Systems Mikropor America, Inc. Wireless Sensor Networks: Improve Efficiency in Compressed Air Systems Special Report: The Chicago Pneumatic Compressor Launch in North America The Importance of Measuring Vacuum The Comp-Air Service Co. Special Report: The 2007 NAACD Wall Street Watch Advertiser Index Job Market

Compressed Air Best Practices - January 2008

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