Compressed Air Best Practices - February 2008 - (Page 10)

| 02/08 Focus Industry BULK HANDLING | CO2 O kW The Pro Problem Sitting on his desk the day Brian began his new job as Plant Engineer for a ceramics processin processing facility was a proposal to purchase a new 150 HP air compressor as a backup m machine. The facility already had six of these machines and, yes, all six ran almost continuou continuously. A rental unit was already on site and “installed” as a backup, just in case a permanen permanent machine failed. The new compressor was intended to replace that rental. Brian had work with me (Brent Ehrlich) together on a couple of projects in the past and worked had learn enough from those projects to recognize that nowhere did the proposal state learned that the e existing compressors were being used efficiently. Nor did the proposal identify the prob problem a new compressor would solve. There was only a mention of the symptoms: all instal compressors ran continuously, and pressure was unstable, fluctuating as much installed as 25 p The source of these symptoms was not evident. It might be on the demand side, psi. in th compressor controls, or reflect a real lack of capacity. Brian suspected that if the the u underlying problem was understood, the existing compressors could be used more efficie efficiently, allowing one of them to be turned off and used as the backup compressor. ide To identify the problem, we needed more data. We needed a thorough understanding of how compressed air was being applied. The data presented to support the purchase of a ne compressor showed the amperes used by each compressor, with a separate trend new for each. This showed that all compressors remained on-line continuously (or nearly so), but it als revealed that multiple compressors were simultaneously running at part load, also an indica indication of inefficient operation. My guess was that production events creating significant peaks in demand were causing all six compressors to load. When the events ended, some would un unload and run unloaded until the next event occurred. But nothing was known about th these peaks, or even if they existed at all. How much air (volume) was involved? What did the flow profile (rate and magnitude of change) look like? What was the maximum flow rate? How long did the events last? What were the actual pressure requirements? My goal was to provide Brian with a clear picture of production’s needs so that he could make an informed decision. Compressors make flow. Production demands flow. So if we want to match compressor horsepower (supply) with the demand, shouldn’t we measure flow? As we all know, we can’t manage what we don’t measure, so we jolly well had better measure something! Having received the same training in flow measurement that NASA engineers get, I tend to favor measuring this parameter, however, similar information can be obtained from data for kW, amps or pressure. AirMaster+ software, available from the D.O.E., will even correlate flow to load/ unload cycle times. The Audit Proposed a Compressed Air Storage Solution to Ensure Adequate Air Pressure C onth of the M Air Audit d ompresse ase Dense-Ph eaks r ransport W on T Havoc d Compresse m Air Syste Ehrlich By Brent February Audit of the Month Where: Georgia Industry: Ceramics Processing Issue: Periods with Insufficient Air Pressure Audit Type: Supply-Side Compressed Air Storage Question: Buy a new air compressor or install storage capacity? Scenario #1: Buy a New Air Compressor: Capital Costs: Power & Maintenance Cost Increase*: 1-Year Cost Increase: 5-Year Cost Increase: $ 50,000 $40,600 $90,600 $253,000 Scenario #2: Install Storage Capacity & Modify Controls Capital Costs: Power & Maintenance Cost Decrease*: 1-Year Cost Increase: 5-Year Cost Decrease: $123,000 $81,200 $41,800 $283,000 Conclusion: Installing Storage Capacity and Modifying Compressor Controls will solve the insufficient pressure issue while saving the company $536,000 (over 5 years) versus purchasing a new air compressor. *Annual increase/decrease at 50% load 10 www.airbestpractices.com http://www.airbestpractices.com

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Compressed Air Best Practices - February 2008 Contents From the Editor Utility-Air News February Audit of the Month: Dense-Phase Transport System Wreaks Havoc on Compressed Air System Real World Best Practices: Material Conveying with Pneumatic and Vacuum Systems Industrial Vacuum Cleaners Use Compressed Air in Portland Cement Manufacturing Processes The Numatics Air Preparation Group The Ins and Outs of Vacuum Generators Dekker Vacuum Technologies Do Your Meetings Sabotage Your Profits? Resources for Energy Engineers Wall Street Watch Advertiser Index Job Market

Compressed Air Best Practices - February 2008

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