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The Low-Hanging Fruit in Pneumatic Systems
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 Posted Apr 28 2008
Filed under: Pneumatic Tech Article
The Low-Hanging Fruit in Pneumatic Systems
BY RANDY GREENWOOD
Compressed air has been used in industry and manufacturing processes for well over a hundred years. Virtually every plant has a compressor and uses compressed air in the manufacturing process. The supply of the raw material (the air in the atmosphere) is abundant, and compressed air is easily transported from the compressor to the point of use at the machine. It is easily understood by most people who use it and it is safe around most processes because air is generally considered to be benign in nature. It can be easily adjusted to vary the manufacturing process. So, it is easy to understand why its use in industrial manufacturing is so pervasive.
Unfortunately, it is one of the most neglected systems in any plant, and as a result can easily be the most costly energy transmission source. While many people understand how to make something work using compressed air, relatively few people have a good understanding of the problems inherent in the system, and even fewer have an understanding of what to do to improve the system. A COSTLY UTILITY
According to the Department of Energy studies, in an average manufacturing plant, only about 50% of the compressed air generated is actually consumed by normal production processes. As much as 25-30% is wasted in leaks, another 15-20% is consumed in nappropriate uses of compressed air, such as personnel cooling and handheld blowguns for cleaning and the remaining air goes to what is termed "artificial demand," caused by operating the system at excessively high pressure. For every dollar spent on electricity to generate compressed air, only about 12-17¢ is actually used productively. These figures only take into account direct energy costs, and do not reflect the cost of capital equipment investment and maintenance.
AN ANALYTICAL LOOK
People tend to look at air systems in relation to the direction the air flows, i.e., from the compressor out to the end use. From an analytical standpoint, however, it is important to understand that the Demand Side (where air is consumed) of the system determines what happens or needs to happen on the Supply Side (where air is generated). Let's take a look at some of the issues specific to the demand side of the air system.
Since demand determines what is required on the supply side of the system, it is imperative that one start with the end points of the system and work backward (counter to air flow) in analyzing where the air is being consumed. An obvious first step in improving air system efficiency and reducing energy demand is to stop the leaks in the system. In an average compressed air system, 20-30% of the air is lost to leaks. An aggressive leak identification and correction program needs to be an integral part of any compressed air energy management program. Unfortunately, many compressed air audit programs only take a cursory look beyond leaks, when looking for opportunities to reduce energy consumption in compressed air systems.
Second to leaks, the biggest potential improvement areas in the system are reducing or eliminating inappropriate uses of compressed air, and identifying and eliminating the artificial demand caused by operating the system at excessive pressure. Remember, every 2 psi change in operating pressure is equal to 1% of the input horsepower for the application. It is important to recognize what are appropriate uses of compressed air, and what are considered inappropriate uses of compressed air. THE FIVE "LOW-HANGING FRUIT OPPORTUNITIES" TO SAVE ENERGY
When looking for opportunities to reduce energy consumption or improve efficiencies in compressed air systems, an often-overlooked area is the opportunity that exists in reverse-engineering existing equipment. There are five "low hanging fruit opportunities" that most people fail to consider when looking at ways to reduce consumption and increase efficiency:
1. Proper sizing of supply lines and connections from the main header to the inlet of the equipment to minimize pressure drop. Best design practices reduce the number of angle fittings and connections, reducing leaks and minimizing pressure drop.
2. Proper sizing of point-of-use air treatment components, such as filters, regulators and lubricators at the machine inlet, also minimizing the pressure drop. Reducing the cost of ownership over the life of the equipment far outweighs the acquisition cost of properly sized equipment.
3. Proper use of reverse flow regulators and dual pressure circuits in automation applications using valves, cylinders and actuators can reduce air consumption while increasing efficiency. Most actuators such as cylinders perform work in one direction only, and the return stroke is merely repositioning for the next cycle. Performing work extending a cylinder or proper operation, and then retracting the cylinder at a reduced pressure can result in significant energy savings and reduced cost of operation.
4. Proper control and regulation of air consumption devices such as air knives, diaphragm pumps and compressed air venturi-type vacuum generators. When operated in an unregulated or uncontrolled manner, these devices can be significant consumers of high-pressure com¬pressed air. This is not only wasteful, but places unnecessary stress on the compressed air system. Simple sensing circuits that turn the air off when the machine is idle or parts are not present can represent significant savings opportunities.
5. Proper design and application of directional control valves, utilizing resilient seals (Wear Compensated Seal technology) on the spools and solenoid-controlled pilot-operated technology, instead of lapped-spool and sleeve design using direct-solenoid operators can reduce energy consumption and increase reliability. In a large manufacturing plant utilizing thousands of directional valves, the energy savings can be significant. Once demand side opportunities have been identified and acted upon, then you can take an analytical look at the supply side to optimize or maximize the potential savings opportunity.
Let's take a look at a specific example:
Consider the case of a machine with a 4 inch bore cylinder and a 6 inch stroke, with a 1" diameter rod, performing work as the rod extends. Initially, system operating pressure extends and retracts the cylinder at 100 psig. The cylinder cycles 10 times per minute, operating 6 days/week, 24 hours/day. The cost of electricity to generate compressed air is $0.07 per kWh (Kilowatt hour).
In case two, the first improvement we make will be to install a regulator in the inlet supply line and reduce the operating pressure to the application to 80 psig, both extend and retract. In case three, we install reverse flow regulators in the lines between the directional valve and the cylinder, and we reduce the retract pressure from 80 psig to 60 psig. In case four, we further reduce the retract pressure from 60 to 40 psig. In case five, using simple trial and error, we determine that the extend pressure can be reduced from 80 to 60 psig, and the retract pressure set at 40 psig. The resulting savings from case one to case five over a five-year operating period is an impressive $7,400.00! In addition to the significant energy savings, the total cost of ownership is further reduced because the system components last longer operating at a lower operating pressure. Additionally, any potential leaks will leak less at a lower pressure.
Conclusion
As energy costs continue to rise, the "low-hanging fruit opportunities" will become even more important as companies continue to look for ways to reduce energy costs and improve profitability. These opportunities represent the hidden part of the energy iceberg, but are easily captured and acted upon by companies who are committed and willing to change the way they look at their compressed air system. A commitment to an ongoing program of monitoring (auditing) and performing corrective action on identified opportunities will pay off in
reduced energy costs and lower total cost of ownership. And it doesn't hurt to take the message to your stakeholders and shareholders that you've become a "greener" company by taking advantage of these
"low-hanging fruit opportunities."
For more information, please contact Randy Greenwood, PASS-Parker Air Systems Solutions, tel: 720-530-4640,
email: randy.greenwood@parker.com
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