Industrial Utility Efficiency

Technology

In late October 2023, professionals from around the world gathered at the Best Practices 2023 EXPO & Conference at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois to source and learn about Sustainable, Safe and Reliable On-Site Utilities Powering Automation including compressed air, blowers, vacuum, pneumatics, motors and cooling water systems. 

Preparing Reciprocating Air Compressors for Winter

Freezing temperatures can have negative effects on your reciprocating air compressor, dryer, and many accessories. One of the best practices to adopt is keeping a detailed maintenance log. At the end of each season, take note of the condition your equipment is in, and address it promptly using the manufacturer’s instructions to keep it operating smoothly and efficiently.

Promote Sustainability with an Optimal Air Compressor Lubricant

When facilities look to improving sustainability, they tend to focus first on traditional energy utilities – natural gas, heating oil, electricity and water. As facilities achieve greater sustainability through efficiencies that reduce utility energy waste and minimize the plant’s carbon footprint, they begin to focus on other energy sources, including compressed air, to enhance sustainability efforts.

The Gentex Journey to Reliable Energy Conservation - 3 Levels of Compressed Air Systems

The information contained in this article, will help the operator to assess his/her systems, and identify where these systems fall within a three-level category. There are many ways, and opportunities to make a compressed air system produce reliable and good quality air. The three levels discussed here could also be characterized as a “continuous improvement plan” which can be achieved over the course of time, and with the occasional investment of money.

HAUG Oxygen Compressors for Efficient Gold Extraction

Logistics and supply problems are widespread on the African continent. Lack of infrastructure as well as capacity and efficiency deficiencies can affect supply chains and make them more expensive. Gold mines, which are often located in secluded areas, therefore seek to provide their entire infrastructure themselves. Even the oxygen required for efficient gold extraction by cyanide leaching is therefore not delivered but generated on site.

Compressed Air Dryer Key Performance Indicators

The purpose of this article is to point out the key performance indicators (KPI’s) that can assist in maintaining the performance and troubleshooting of compressed air dryers. The most important KPI to monitor is the pressure dew point (PDP) of the compressed air exiting the dryer(s). The PDP of the compressed air should be monitored at the discharge of each dryer and downstream of where the compressed air from multiple dryers converges. 

Sullivan-Palatek’s Passion Drives Continued Success

Sullivan-Palatek’s products include electric air compressors from a five horsepower (hp) unit that delivers 22 scfm at 125 psi up to a 450-hp machine rated to provide 1,770 scfm at 125 psi. It also manufactures Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) air compressors from 15 to 450 hp, which can deliver anywhere from 43 to 1,910 scfm at pressures ranging from 100 and 125 psi.

Milk Plant Deploys the Second Stage of Energy Savings

Yearly energy reduction quotas drive utilities, plant, and energy managers to continue to reduce energy consumption in all areas. A frequent question asked is, “Where can we find more energy savings once we have a VFD compressor and we have fixed all our leaks?”

Sterile Compressed Air Filters Remove Bacteria

When compressed air comes into direct contact with a product, many applications believe their “standard” particulate and coalescing oil-removing filters, installed either side of a compressed air dryer, are sufficient to protect the downstream processes. Strangely enough, the removal of bacteria is often overlooked, despite this level of filtration being readily available, easy to procure, install and maintain.

Nitrogen Characteristics and Benefits of On-Site Generation

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) accounts for a significant amount of nitrogen usage in the food and beverage industry. MAP involves injecting nitrogen into beverage or food packaging to purge and displace any oxygen-containing air with nitrogen. Oxidation of lipids in food products causes rancidity. Since oxygen is replaced with dry, inert nitrogen in MAP packaging, no product oxidation will occur. The result is maximized product shelf life. 

Measurement Principles for Compressed Air System KPIs

In this article we clarify how the main KPIs can be monitored, and we will have a closer look at a few key KPIs: efficiency, pressure loss and leakage.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are variables or measures by which the performance of organizations, machines and/or processes can be measured and analysed in a targeted manner. For example, a KPI can be a certain production number per time unit, but also the amount of profit a company makes on a specific product.

Air Compressors

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Air Treatment/N2

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Blowers

The plant upgrades, in combination with a progressive management strategy, allows the plant to

Compressor Controls

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Instrumentation

Pneumatics

Vacuum

Industrial ceramics have been produced in Hermsdorf, near Jena, since 1890. In the past, high-

Cooling Systems

The AIM (American Innovation and Manufacturing) Act was finalized by the US government at the end