Compressed Air Load Reduction Approaches and Innovations

摘要

The use of compressed air is widespreadrnthroughout every sector of industry and acts as arnprimary energy source for many industrialrnapplications. Compressed air systems are asrnessential a utility as electricity, gas, or oil, and canrnaccount for a significant percent of arnmanufacturing facility’s electricity bill. Althoughrnthe development of compressed air is veryrnexpensive, this energy cost is rarely evaluatedrnwithin the plant operation and is commonlyrnoverlooked when energy reduction opportunitiesrnare assessed. It is a common practice in facilities tornsimply add compressor capacity when faced withrnsupply pressure or volume deficiencies, increasingrnthe energy consumption associated withrncompressed air systems in industry. Additionally,rnin recent years, compressor plant installations andrnenhancements have trended toward minimizing thernfirst cost of installation at the expense of increasedrnoperating costs. This can be seen in the rise ofrnpackaged rotary screw system purchases thatrnrequire no foundations in lieu of the larger, morernefficient reciprocating compressors that requirernmore involved site work. With such a trend in thernsupply side of compressed air systems, it becomesrnincreasingly important to improve the efficiency ofrnthe demand side, or end-use side, of compressed airrnsystems.