Optimal Operation of Compressed Air Station

摘要

Compressed air is one of the most important utilities in industry. 75~90% of energy is dissipated during the compression process. Only 10%~25% of the energy is used efficiently. The cost of compressed air is double that of electricity and triple that of steam, so compressed air is the most expensive utility. In order to maintain production as normal, the compressed air station produces as much compressed air as possible. However, the pressure of the compressed air header will increase when demand is low and as a result increases production cost. The normal outlet pressure of the compressor is at 5-6 kg/cm~2 -g. The energy consumption of the compressor is reduced by 1% for every 0.14 kg / cm~2 (2 psi) outlet pressure reduction. We use an Exponential Weighting Moving Average (EWMA) method to predict the pressure of the compressed air header based on the historical process data. The operators can regulate the compressor operation unit to maintain the stability of the pipe pressure and reduce the use of the compressor units. The online test results show that the electricity can be reduced 7,200 kWh per day, saving 6 million NTD in annual operation cost.