Industrial Utility Efficiency

Leaks

Beyond Leaks—Factory Continues Reducing Compressed Air Demand

By Don Van Ormer, Senior Auditor, APenergy

A significant manufacturing operation, in the U.S. Midwest, had successfully deployed a compressed air leak management program. This on-going leak management program, along with tuning the air compressor control system, had delivered energy savings and a more reliable compressed air system.

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Four Compressed Air Demand Reduction Projects

By Don Van Ormer, Senior Auditor, APenergy

A large food manufacturing operation in the U.S. Midwest spends $529,000 annually on energy to operate the compressed air system.  The plant currently has two supply-side systems that operate and feed two different distribution networks at two different pressures. One compressed air system is at 115 psig (medium pressure system) and the low-pressure system is at 30 psig. The compressed air equipment for both systems is located in four areas throughout the facility.  
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Improve Process Efficiency and Reduce Energy Use with Compressed Air Monitoring

By Hendrik Priemer, Product Manager IIoT Applications, Machine Automation, Emerson 

Without compressed air monitoring, up to 30% of the compressed air generated goes to waste. This waste occurs for several reasons, including leaks caused by failures at joints and tubes, exposure to vibration and normal component wear, and the suboptimization of machines and devices. Continuous monitoring capabilities allow operators to detect leaks and other anomalies in their early stages. By addressing pneumatic issues before they can grow, companies can reduce compressed air use by 20% to 30%.  
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Best Practices for Acoustic Inspections in the Pulp and Paper Industry

By Rob Milner, FLIR, a Teledyne Company

Detecting Compressed Air Leaks Can Lead to Reduced Energy Waste, Boosted Productivity, and Improved Profits for Paper Mills Many manufacturing industries including food and beverage, chemical, mining and pulp and paper are heavily reliant on the use of compressed air within their production processes. Paper mills are major industrial facilities that rely on compressed air throughout the entire process as it is used to separate and clean the raw pulp fiber, operate pneumatic tools, and even control valves.
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DENSO Compressed Air Leak Detection Program Drives CO2 Reduction Results

By Mike Grennier, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

Given that compressed air leak management programs are meant to save energy, reduce CO2 emissions, and generate ROI, DENSO’s Maryville, Tennessee, manufacturing facility can definitively say it has scored a trifecta when it comes to results – and reaped benefits beyond hard numbers alone.
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The Myth of Leak Repairs

By Tyler Costa, ALD Compressed Air Energy Solutions

When fundamentals like leak detection are neglected, best practices begin to slip. Inefficiency does not happen instantaneously, but slowly becomes the new norm as leaks or open blows are overlooked. Maintaining peak compressed air system efficiency is essential to streamlined operations. Better yet: it doesn’t need to be complicated. A clear, concise, and actionable plan will prevent negligence and keep your operation up-to-date on energy efficiency and cost savings.
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Compressed Air Audit Details Two Energy Saving Projects for Maintenance Teams

By Don Van Ormer, Senior Auditor, APenergy

In this article, we will provide detail on the characteristics of the baseline system and then share the energy-saving work identified in two projects. These two projects represent work which can be performed by the maintenance teams in every plant. These are also project opportunities we find in almost every plant we visit. The two projects are to (1) repair/replace condensate drains wasting compressed air and (2) to perform a compressed air leak survey.
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Air Compressor Control Lessons Learned at Metal Products Company

By Ron Marshall, Marshall Compressed Air Consulting

Their system was designed and built to achieve premium performance, yet in a recent compressed air assessment the numbers showed their system had surprisingly poor performance, and worse, their staff was unaware of the problems. This article discusses some of the challenges faced and some future solutions that could get their system back to higher performance levels.
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DOE Better Plants Partners Get Serious About Compressed Air Systems

By Robert Lung, BGS, with contributions from: Ed Willhite, Schneider Electric; Stephen Tankersley, Ring Containers; Marco Gonzalez, Waupaca Foundry; and Darwin Jaeger, Plastics Engineering Company.

Compressed air is used in all the company’s plants and is often the single largest energy end use within them. As a result, compressed air energy-saving measures are often replicable across the company and offer significant positive impacts. One area of focus is with compressed air leaks since they are “the best low hanging fruit to focus on and they always keep popping up and waste energy”.
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Whiskey Distillery Compressed Air Study Saves Energy

By Ron Marshall, Marshall Compressed Air Consulting

A premium whiskey distillery was seeking to renew their compressed air system and meet their corporate mandate in making their production facility more efficient. The first step on the road to improvement was having their compressed air system assessed. This article discusses some of the findings of the system study, which saved significant energy, improved system reliability, and captured a significant utility incentive to help with the study costs and the cost of a new compressor.
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A High-Tech Way to Extend Your Reach to Leaks

By Ron Marshall, Marshall Compressed Air Consulting

One of the best ways to reduce compressed air costs is to look for ways to reduce leakage flow, an unnecessary load that is a constant demand on the compressed air system. This flow is never-ending and occurs during production periods, and during quiet times at night or on weekends. Reducing the flow in a well-controlled compressed air system will result in the reduction of compressor energy consumption, usually by about \$1,750 per every 10 cfm, and often reduces pressure loss, allowing your machines to run better. This article discusses some recent experiences in using an acoustical imaging leak detector.
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