|Engineer End Uses for Maximum Efficiency|
|Written by USDOE Office of Industrial Technologies|
|Wednesday, 09 June 2010 13:03|
Engineer End Uses for Maximum Efficiency
Compressed air is one of the most important utility requirements of many industrial manufacturing plants because it directly serves processes and applications such as pneumatic tools, pneumatic controls, compressed air operated cylinders for machine actuation, product cleansing and blow-off applications. Ensuring an appropriate, stable pressure level at the end-use applications is critical to the performance of any industrial compressed air system. End uses that are engineered for maximum efficiency can help provide the consistent supply of compressed air that ensures reliable production.
To ensure the efficiency of compressed air end-use applications, a number of steps should be taken:
Case Study: A New Compressed Air Application is Configured for Maximum Efficiency
A large, custom printing company installed a more technologically-advanced printing machine that could increase the output of its existing units. However, the initial configuration of the new printing machine more than doubled the compressed air demand of the entire site. After a thorough review, the plant personnel realized that it would be more cost-effective for the new machines to be redesigned to consume less air at lower pressures than to increase compressor capacity at all of the company’s printing plants. Once the printing machines were reconfigured, the total air demand per printing machine was reduced from 27 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) to 4.5 scfm and the need for 100 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) compressed air was eliminated, resulting in substantial avoided costs in energy and capital expenditures.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
EERE Information Center 1-877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463) www.eere.energy.gov
Industrial Technologies Program Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S. Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585-0121 www.eere.energy.gov/industry