Recover Compressor Heat, Save Energy

The following is an excerpt from the article, Energy recovery offers ways to reduce compressor heat, published in the April issue of Plant Engineering magazine. The article is by Atlas Copco's Brian Blum, CTS Optimization Marketing, Department of Energy - Airmaster+.

Air compressors are a critical component in a wide variety of manufacturing and processing applications across all industries. While continuous advancement in design and packaging have helped substantially increase energy efficiency in today’s air compressors compared to previous generations, the fact remains that only a small fraction of electrical energy input, around 10% to 15%, is actually delivered as compressed air energy. Remember that the cost of electricity to power air compressors can be as high as 40% of a plant’s electricity bill; finding new ways to increase energy efficiency has never seemed more imperative.

Consider the following scenarios and determine if each statement applies to your compressed air system:

• The system receives regular and ongoing maintenance from professional service engineers.
• The system was recently upgraded to include the latest compressor technology.
• The system recovers 50% to 94% of electrical input energy in the form of hot air or water.

If you answered no to one or more questions, there may be energy efficiency opportunities to be found within your compressed air system. It seems like every day a new product or technology promises to be faster, better, and more efficient than ever. If the goal is to make your compressed air system more energy efficient by reducing the amount of energy required to produce the end product, then it might be time to take the next step from energy efficiency to energy recovery.

You can read the full article by visiting the Plant Engineering website: Energy recovery offers ways to reduce compressor heat. If you would like to learn more about energy recovery, contact us or leave a comment below.