Compressed Air Best Practices-August 2008

Focus Industry COMPRESSED AIR AUDITS | 08/08 | Drop Legs Drop legs in the distribution system are one of the causes of poor vacuum performance to production machinery. Drop legs at the old-style routers are 4" diameter PVC that split in two branches to supply two tables at each router. In line in each branch is a Solberg Model CT vacuum filter. A 4" diameter PVC pipe connects these vacuum filters to each routing table at the primary isolation feed valve located near the floor. Pressure differential was measured from the 12" diameter primary supply loop to the vacuum feed valve and was found to be 3" HgV total which includes the canister style inlet filter. The existing canister style vacuum filters were tested and were found to have a pressure differential of 1.5" HgV during normal operation and moderate loading. Pressure drop of this magnitude is significant in that reducing pressure drop in supply piping will directly increase vacuum holding force at use points. Increased holding force results in fewer waste problems related to vacuum and a possible increase in machine production throughput. We are recommending that the 4" diameter PVC drop legs be replaced with 8" diameter drop legs to reduce the pressure differential. Note that 90° elbows and changes in direction should be kept to the absolute minimum. All necessary elbows should have large radius turns, and “T” connections should be “Y” connections if possible. This is true of all piping modifications for vacuum service. Vacuum piping should be as straight as possible, as short as possible and have large diameters. Vacuum Filters The canister style vacuum filters on the old style router drop legs are adding 1.5" HgV pressure differential. These filters are cleaned several times each day and serve as the first and primary protection for the vacuum supply pumps. To eliminate the existing pressure differential, we are recommending that the canister style vacuum filters are replaced with Solberg “L”-style CSL filters. These filters have a paper filter element with a pressure drop of 2.05" H2O (0.15" Hg) at a flow rate of 1,000 scfm. Connection size for this filter is an 8" flange. The addition of an 8" diameter drop leg to each machine and installation of one of these filters per old style table (20 total) will reduce pressure differential to less than 0.3" HgV per table. DO NOT RELY ON MAKESHIFT SOLUTIONS trust in the system solutions from BAUER. BAUER COMPRESSORS INC., 1328 Azalea Garden Road, Norfolk, VA 23502 Phone 757-855-6006, Fax 757-857-1041, sls@bauercomp.com, www.bauercomp.com www.airbestpractices.com 11 http://www.bauercomp.com http://www.bauercomp.com http://www.airbestpractices.com

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

Compressed Air Best Practices- August 2008 Contents From the Editor Utility-Air News The August Audit of the Month: A Vacuum System Audit Energized for Savings at Seattle City Light and Tacoma Power Know Your System CASE: Compressed Air Supply Efficiency Ecos Air: Managing Incentive Programs Kaeser Compressors: Loyalty, Energy and Growth Building Relationships at Cummins-Wagner McIntire is Moving Forward The 2008 A.I.C.D. Conference & Exhibition Tuthill Vacuum and Blower Systems Resources for Energy Engineers: Training Calendar & Product Picks Wall Street Watch Advertiser Index Job Market

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