Compressed Air Best Practices - September 2008 - (Page 32) | 09/08 Focus Industry FOOD PACKAGING & PROCESSING | ACCURATE AIR ENGINEERING AND CALIFORNIA’S FOOD INDUSTRY What techniques do you use to measure a compressed air system? We fundamentally follow the three-steps outlined by the DOE: 1. 2. We collect true power data, using Veris kW transducers whenever possible. We measure pressure using multiple pressure point readings. Before any dryers and filtration and also downstream after the clean-up equipment. Then if there is pressure drop in the plant, we may put one downstream at the far end of the plant. We will spot check at different points like at open blowing. We use CECOMP gauges 4-20 milliamp with 2-channel loggers with an integral display. If it’s connected to a multi-channel data logger, we use Westronic Ranger or Monarch data loggers. They vary from 2 to 12 channel data loggers for large compressor rooms. We use Dixon loggers for single-point pressure readings, along with AEMC amp loggers for smaller systems or when only amp data is required. We use Airmaster+ software to develop baseline profiles and to run energy efficiency profiles. I (Kyle Harris) use flow meters in all centrifugal applications. Sometimes you have units at part load or minimal load conditions but your actual delivered energy is not similar. We like using flow meters in most audits and assessments but the reality is that it is not always possible. Flow meters can be intrusive to systems and can add costs to the project. We use them when the customer will permit it. “If a bakery is doing powdered or glazed doughnuts, they’ll lay a long piece of pipe across the conveyor line and shoot the air down onto the product.” 3. 4. 5. Anything new from the California utilities regarding incentives? California’s utilities have been very aggressive promoting energy efficient retrofits for many years. Since 1999, the Standard Performance Contract Program (SPC) has been offering 8 cents per kWH saved on compressed air energy reduction projects — up to 50% of the Project cost. They no longer require measurement verification when they use an engineering firm to review projects. Most of the California Utilities use Airmaster+ to model and verify the systems as well as third-party energy companies and technical review firms. This is why we (AAE) use Airmaster+ as a standard procedure. It is a quick seamless process that the utility company is comfortable with and applications go quickly. We will also provide a written overview of what is happening. Thank you, Accurate Air, for your insights. For more information, please contact Creg Fenwick, Accurate Air Engineering, tel: 562-484-6370 x134, email: cfenwick@accurateair.com, www.accurateair.com 32 www.airbestpractices.com http://www.accurateair.com http://www.airbestpractices.com
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