Industrial Utility Efficiency

Instrumentation

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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Cell-Connected Compressed Air Monitoring Systems Save Time and Money

By Ron Marshall, Marshall Compressed Air Consulting

Like any system, to properly manage compressed air equipment some measurements have to be taken. Typically, some sort of data logging equipment is installed to measure various pressures, amps or power, flow, and sometimes temperatures and dewpoints. Placing this equipment on a system is like putting an electrocardiograph machine on a human heart, the heartbeat of the compressed air system in a plant can be analyzed to determine if everything is normal or if there is a problem, all without interrupting the system. 
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Modbus Transducers: Delivering Thorough and Accurate Compressed Air Audits

By David Parks, Logic Beach Incorporated

High accuracy of multiple measured parameters is critical for the development of a trusted compressed air system baseline audit. The same is true for follow-on performance validation after system improvements have been implemented. The use of data acquisition systems using Modbus-interfaced transducers can aid auditors in achieving a thorough and highly accurate system performance assessment.
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SHOW REPORT: The 2019 Best Practices EXPO & Conference – Another Success!

By Mike Grennier, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

The event brought together technology experts, systems assessment professionals, and manufacturing leaders – all of whom shared best practices and ideas manufacturing plants can use to save energy, improve sustainability initiatives and increase the overall reliability and quality of on-site utilities.
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Start with Monitoring to Achieve Compressed Air System Efficiencies

By Parker Hannifin

Compressed air represents one of the largest opportunities for immediate energy savings, which accounts for an average of 15% of an industrial facility’s electrical consumption. In fact, over a 10-year period, electricity can make up 76% of the total compressed air system costs. Monitoring compressed air usage, identifying compressed air waste and inefficiencies, and making investments in new compressed air equipment – including piping – are tangible ways businesses can cut their operating costs by lowering their electricity bill.
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Automaker Saves $600,000 Yearly In Energy Costs & Improves Compressed Air System Reliability

By Pascal van Putten, VPInstruments, and Tyler Costa, ALD, Inc.

The project, which also involved the addition of a booster air compressor and receiver tank – along with the installation of an important pressure control valve – gives the automaker the ability to run fewer centrifugal air compressors during peak production. In so doing, the plant saves nearly 6.1 million kWh and more than \$600,000 per year in energy costs. The project also qualified for a \$369,374 rebate from the local utility, resulting in a six-month project payback – all while improving system reliability.
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Keeping Compressed Air Leaks to a Minimum at Petrochemical Plants

Compressed Air Best Practices® interviewed James Nipper, Vice President of Petro Chemical Energy, Inc.

By Mike Grennier, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

In terms of compressed air systems, it’s not unusual to see a plant with 10 to 15 air compressors, each of which is rated to provide 3,000 to 4,000 scfm of air. The air is used for everything from moving product, to powering pneumatic tools, pumps, and fans, to cleaning. There are easily 1,500 pneumatic control valves at a single plant.
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Leveraging Data Acquisition to Drive Actionable Intelligence

By Mac Mottley, Sparks Dynamics

In most industrial plants, data is everywhere. It resides in flow through pipes, pressure in tanks, vibration on rotating equipment, temperatures in heat exchangers, and electrical energy power consumption in motors. If we can acquire this data and make sense out of the patterns we can take actions to make our plants more efficient and reliable.
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Measuring Performance of Installed Air Compressors

By Thomas Fischer, SUTO iTEC

Measuring the Free Air Delivery (FAD) of an air compressor can be challenging. With a proper flow meter and some mathematics this task is manageable. This article sheds some light on how to select the flow meter and summarizes parameters to be considered in the FAD measurement task.
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NMR Spectroscopy Lab Requires a -112°F Dew Point and Pure Nitrogen

By Rod Smith, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

 

Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine interviewed Mr. Warwick Rampley, the National Sales Manager for Sydney (Australia) based, Basil V.R. Greatrex Pty Ltd. It’s not every day one is asked to deliver a system able to provide both a reliable compressed air dew point of -80°C (-112°F) and high purity nitrogen.  We work with some excellent technology suppliers and have engineered a rather interesting system.  Although our firm was founded in 1919, this application is one of the most demanding we’ve encountered. Basil V.R. Greatrex is a unique company as we focus only on compressed air measurement, compressed air quality and compressed air efficiency.
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Managing Pressure Regulator Artificial Demand, Part 2

By Murray Nottle, Working Air System Engineer, The Carnot Group

This article defines different aspects of regulator design and how they affect air wasted by droop. Some ways to reduce droop have be shown and some special case situations discussed. By taking care with regulator selection and installation, regulators can save large amounts of air instead of wasting it.  
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