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Applications / Energy Management / Energy management

Step 1 for compressed air analysis: Compressed air and energy costs monitoring

The first step is to install precise flow meters for compressed air at all essential places in order to get reliable measured data. The instruments are directly mounted into the main pipes of the compressed air plant, (in the compressor room). In the first step the compressed air consumption in the main supply line is recorded ideally by means of an intelligent chart recorder. The compressed air lines which divert to the single final consumers of compressed air are only considered in the second step.

As indicated in the example, the intelligent chart recorder DS 500 determines and records directly at the compressed air production in the compressor room the compressed air consumption with the flow sensor VA 500, the dew point resp. pressure dew point with the dew point sensor FA 510, the current resp. energy consumption with the CS clamp-on ammeter and additionally the pressure with the CS pressure sensor.

In practice such a compressed air measurement should be carried out at least for the duration of one complete week. Ideally from Friday to Friday in order to get the consumption data of the compressed air plant for a complete production period. Compressed air leakages become transparent very quickly especially at weekends. In the production-free time the compressed air consumption should be nearly “Zero m³/h“.which is not realistic in practice. Load behaviors of the compressors at the weekend, when the compressors only run for pressure generation of the leakages, and peak compressed air consumptions at the beginning of the week become visible.

With the intelligent chart recorder DS 500 CS Instruments offers customized solutions.

Compressed air and energy costs monitoring

 

Step 2 for compressed air analysis: Localization of compressed air leakages resp. compressed air losses

Now in the second step compressed air leakages resp. compressed air losses are localized. For this purpose the compressed air lines of the most important consumers are included in the compressed air analysis. At first, the largest compressed air consumers should be determined. They should be itemized into single consumers like e. g. halls, floors, production lines or even single machines. As soon as the compressed air consumption is determined for each consumer it becomes very quickly transparent where which compressed air costs are generated. Even smallest leakages or compressed air losses also in case of a running production can be found quickly and easily by means of modern leak detectors on ultrasonic bases like e. g. our leak detector LD 400.

Use this chance and reduce your leakages and therefore the compressed air consumption resp. your current costs by means of a systematic compressed air analysis. Installing intelligent chart recorders like e. g. DS 500 into the most important compressed air lines helps to make the compressed air consumption, the compressed air costs and the leakages transparent. Additionally, the measured data can be stored reliably on the company server for many years. Alarm thresholds, threshold exceeding are supervised online so suddenly occurring compressed air peaks caused by defective lines or broken compressed air hoses can be recognized immediately. The responsible employee directly gets an alert via SMS or by E-Mail. The compressed air valves can be closed by means of the alarm relays.

Compressed air leakages partly can be eliminated quite easily by exchanging untight compressed air couplings or plug-in connectors or by tightening screwings like e. g. compressed air flanges. This is much more problematic in case of compressed air systems with long lines which have grown during the years, too small dimensioned inner diameters of the compressed air pipes, bends and rejuvenations in the line system, pressure losses at filters and dryers. Too small dimensioned inner diameters of compressed air pipes lead to an uneconomically high flow rate and therefore to pressure losses. The flow rate of compressed air should not exceed 6 m/s (under operating conditions). In case of higher flow rates there will be a too high pressure loss and therefore energy is wasted.

On the other hand a reduction of the line pressure by 1 bar can save approximately 8 % of energy. Soiled filters lead to an unnecessary differential pressure and to a pressure drop in the pipeline. In order to reduce these energy wasters and to have them under control in the long-term not only the recommended compressed air meters should be applied but also the differential pressures should be monitored at the most important filters by means of an intelligent chart recorder. With the use of chart recorders also service intervals for the filter exchange can be determined in an optimal way. For a failure-free production dry compressed air is required. Breakdowns of the compressed air dryers (refrigeration dryers, membrane dryers or adsorption dryers) lead to a formation of condensate, corrosion and production downtimes. Please also see the specialist report on this topic. With the intelligent chart recorder DS 500 CS Instruments offers a customized solution for the assessment and recording of all necessary parameters of a compressed air plant.

Compressed air leakages resp. compressed air losses

Step 3 for compressed air analysis: Transferring solutions

When you have recognized and analyzed the energy saving potential of the main line of the compressed air plant by means of chart recorders you can transfer the results of compressed air analysis to the whole piping system. This experience will help to save energy when planning and expanding the compressed air system. So it should be carefully analysed whether it could be economically advantageous to substitute too small dimensioned compressed air lines by a new piping system with larger inner diameters. Antiquated measurement technology (e. g. measuring orifices with differential pressure, Vortex and so on) which cause a restriction of the inner diameter of the compressed air pipes should be replaced by modern flow meters without any reduction of the pipe diameter.

Ball valves which do not correctly close should be exchanged. Couplings which do no loger close should also be replaced by new ones, these are only some examples. Make use of the knowledge from steps 1 to 3 and work out continuously and carefully further solution for your whole compressed air system. An optimized compressed air system saves money – an important point in case of increasing energy costs. The use of intelligent chart recorders like e. g. DS 500 will support you with regards to this task.

Transfer solutions

Step 4 for compressed air analysis: Monitoring of optimizations

Keep an eye on your compressed air system. After steps 1 to 3 of the compressed air analysis , the recording of compressed air consumption and energy costs, the localization of compressed air leaks and compressed air losses, the transfer of the solutions to the whole compressed air system, the compressed air analysis should be continued as a continuous task as the most important step 4. For this purpose a responsible person should be determined in each department who takes care of the topic energy saving in compressed air lines.

A unique compressed air analysis will not be sufficient in order to save energy. By means of intelligent chart recorders changes of the flow rates, leakages and compressed air losses can be recognized reliably.

CS Instruments will assist you in this case with customized solutions.

Monitoring of optimizations

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