Compressed Air Journal
Compressed Air Journal
Compressed Air Journal
Abstract. Compressors and compressed air systems was one of the most important utilities in
industries or factories. Approximately 10% of the cost of electricity in the industry was used to
produce compressed air. Therefore the potential for energy savings in the compressors and
compressed air systems had a big challenge. This field was conducted especially in Indonesia
food industry or factory. Compressed air system optimization was a technique approach to
determine the optimal conditions for the operation of compressors and compressed air systems
that included evaluation of the energy needs, supply adjustment, eliminating or reconfiguring
the use and operation of inefficient, changing and complementing some equipment and
improving operating efficiencies. This technique gave the significant impact for energy saving
and costs. The potential savings based on this study through measurement and optimization
e.g. system that lowers the pressure of 7.5 barg to 6.8 barg would reduce energy consumption
and running costs approximately 4.2 %, switch off the compressor GA110 and GA75 was
obtained annual savings of USD 52,947 ≈ 455 714 kWh, running GA75 light load or unloaded
then obtained annual savings of USD 31,841≈ 270,685 kWh, install new compressor 2x132
kW and 1x 132 kW VSD obtained annual savings of USD 108,325≈ 928,500 kWh.
Furthermore it was needed to conduct study of technical aspect of energy saving potential
(Investment Grade Audit) and performed Cost Benefit Analysis. This study was one of best
practice solutions how to save energy and improve energy performance in compressors and
compressed air system.
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Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd 1
ICET4SD IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 105 (2016) 012018 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/105/1/012018
1. Introduction
1.1. Background
Energy has a very important role and becomes a basic necessity in sustainable national economic
development. Energy demand grew at an average of 7% per year (DESDM, 2009). On the supply side,
the growth rate of energy supply could not keep up the pace of growth in energy demand. This
condition was increasingly gap between demand and supply. Therefore, energy conservation was an
importance throughout the world, including Indonesia. There were strong indications that the use of
energy in all sectors which includes households, industry, buildings (public and private) and
trasportation was inefficient (Warent, Ernest et.al, 2010).
Almost all industries use compressed air system/compressed air (Thumman & Younger, 2007).
Compressed air systems were often as significant energy users in industry/ factory. Industrial/plant
used compressed air for process or production. Generally the compressed air generated by the
compressed air unit with ranged from 5 to 50,000 Hp (Harding & Moore, 2012). Approximately 70-
90% of compressed air was lost in the form of heat that could not be used, friction, misuse and noise.
This was why efforts to increase the energy efficiency of the compressors and compressed air systems
become an important target area in industry/plant (Warent, Ernest et.al, 2010). Based on these facts it
was necessary to investigate the energy efficiency improvement in compressors and compressed air
system through this study.
The results of this study were expected to be used as reference/ benchmark for industry/factory to
increase the efficiency of the compressors and compressed air systems and also provided reference
support for industrial energy audit training in our training center.
2. Literature Review
2.1. Compressor
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ICET4SD IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 105 (2016) 012018 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/105/1/012018
Compressor was a utility to increase the air pressure by compressing the gas or air. Compressor
worked by sucking in atmospheric air (Abels & Kisscook, 2011). If the compressor worked at a higher
pressure than the atmospheric pressure then called a booster compressor (booster), and if the
compressor was working under atmospheric pressure, it is called a vacuum compressor (Abels &
Kisscook, 2011). Low-powered compressor used single phase electric motor or gasoline engine while
large power compressors required 3 phase electric motors, diesel engines or gas turbines.
W ....................................................................................(1
..........................................(2)
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ICET4SD IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 105 (2016) 012018 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/105/1/012018
Compressed air system optimization is an engineering approach to determine the potential for energy
savings in the compressed air system which included evaluation of energy needs in industrial
plant/factory, adjustment of the supply, eliminating or reconfiguring the use and operation of
inefficient, converting and equipping equipment to fit the needs and improve the efficiency of
operations. In this case, boundary need to be set in advance as an initial step in the study of air
compressed system optimization (Harding & Moore, 2012).
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ICET4SD IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 105 (2016) 012018 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/105/1/012018
3. Research Methodology
3.1. Methodology
The methodology used in this study was a qualitative and quantitative methods with steps as follows:
- Preparation,
- Collecting secondary data,
- Field observation and measurement,
- Data verification and
- Data analysis
4. Result of Study
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ICET4SD IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 105 (2016) 012018 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/105/1/012018
The compressor was one of the most important utilities and compressed air (CA) was needed in the
production process as well as operations in this study. CA system used to meet the demand site
consists of 8 (eight) compressors with 1 (one) main system and local instrument air system.
The performance in the figure 4. based on specific energy consumption (kwh/cfm). It was necessary
able to compare the performance of each compressor, as shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Compressor Performance and Specifc Energy Consumption
Compressor Bauer 1 Bauer2 Bauer3 M45 GA75 M160 M110 GA110
Rated (scfm) 671 671 671 261 449 869 665 637
Actual (scfm) 670.6 167.5 437.2 235.1 408.1 772.1 699.7 626.3
% Rated 100 25 65 90 91 89 105 98
SEC 0.3 4.0 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.3
(kWh/100 cfm)
Based on the figure 4 and table 1 as well as visual observation in the field, it could be compared
compressor performance for each compressor was as follows:
- Bauer 1, very good (efficient): 0.3 kWh/100 cfm
- Bauer 2, very bad (very energy wasteful): 4.0 kWh/100 cfm
- Bauer 3, bad (energy wasteful): 0.6 kWh/100 cfm
- M45, good (efficient): 0.4 kWh/100 cfm
- GA75, good (efficient): 0.4 kWh/100 cfm
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ICET4SD IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 105 (2016) 012018 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/105/1/012018
To obtain the compressed air demand profile was conducted by measuring the flow rate
(flowmetering) in-GA75 Line 1, Line 2 and Line1-Main. Measurement results could be seen in the
graph Figure 5.
From the figure 5, it was obtained the average demand in 2100 scfm.
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ICET4SD IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 105 (2016) 012018 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/105/1/012018
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ICET4SD IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 105 (2016) 012018 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/105/1/012018
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ICET4SD IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 105 (2016) 012018 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/105/1/012018
5.1. Conclusion
The study of compressed air air system optimization was a step in the effort to save energy and cost
savings on utility compressor and compressed air system. Compressed air system optimization
approach included adjustment supply, removing or reconfiguring the use and operation of inefficient,
transform and equip equipment that fit the needs and improve the efficiency of utility operations more
effective because of this method that could be seen as asystem included; energy, cost and safety
factors.
Based on the locus of study there were 3 (three) potential opportunities e.g. optimization of system
pressure, reconfiguring equipment operation and adjustment of supply to demand. Estimation of cost
and energy saving basd on the study was 52,947 around 455,714 kWh or USD 31,841 around
270,685 kWh or USD 108,325 around 928,500 kWh.
5.2. Recommendation
Some recommendations that could be delivered from the results of this study which aims to save
energy or reduce the consumption of energy were:
a. Lowering system pressure of 7.5 barg to 6.8 barg will reduce energy consumption and
running costs approximately 4.2%;
b. GA110 and GA75 off, the obtained energy and cost savings of electricity that was USD
$ 52,947; 455 714 kWh;
c. GA75 running light load or unloaded then obtained electrical energy and cost savings
was USD 31,841; 270,685 kWh;
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ICET4SD IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 105 (2016) 012018 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/105/1/012018
d. Install new compressor 2x132 kW and 1x132 kW VSD acquired electrical energy and
cost savings was USD 108,325; 928,500 kWh;
e. The results of this study needed further research such as carried out detailed audits and
perform Cost Benefit Analysis or Investment Grade Audit (IGA).
6. Reference
[1] Abels and Kisscock (2011). Optimizing compressed Air Storage for Energy Efficiency: SAE
International
[2] Arikunto, Suharsimi (2002). Prosedur Penelitian Suatu Pendekatan Praktis. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.
[3] Beals C. E, (2009). Storage Volume for Air Compressor: Knowing Why, Where and How Much
Hels to Minimize Operating Costs: Vectern Plan Services
[4] DESDM (2009). Hasil Studi Konservasi Energi di Indonesia: Jakarta DESDM-JICA.
[5] Harding, Paul and Moore, Ian (2012). Compressed Air System: UNIDO.
[6] Kane and Medaris (2003). Compressor and Compressed Air System: Fairmont Press, USA.
[7] Kazuhide Konitoku (2014). Energy Saving \in Food Industry: Best Practice: ECCJ, Japan.
[8] Thumman and Younger (2007). Handbook of Energy Audit: Fairmont Press, USA.
[9] Warent, Ernest; Galistky, Cristina; et.al (2010). Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving
Opportunities: BNL, USA.
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