ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS
OPTIMISING PERFORMANCE
GARDNER DENVER
ENSURING AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT COMPRESSOR
It takes a considerable amount of energy,
generally in the form of electricity, to produce
the clean, dry, pressurised air that is needed
for so many processes and applications. With
this in mind, Andrew Power, Country Manager
at Gardner Denver, outlines steps owners and
operators can take to ensure their compressor
is as efficient as possible, so it can meet this
need.
The nation’s industry uses over 20TWh of
electricity to compress air – the equivalent to
the output of four power stations. Generating
this huge quantity of compressed air accounts
for 10 per cent of the industrial sector’s total
energy costs.
These figures show that identifying
inefficiencies and optimising performance
should be a key consideration for businesses,
regardless of size. Indeed, the consequences
of not dealing with these issues can be
dramatic.
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PECM Issue 35
TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP
A key driver when improving compressor
efficiency is total cost of ownership, and this
is informed by many factors. For example,
industry averages suggest energy costs
account for over 80 per cent of a compressor’s
total cost of ownership. Consequently, it is
important to ensure any unit is correctly sized,
specified and suited to the demands placed
on it.
Over-specifying can lead to higher initial
outlays and expensive on-going maintenance,
but can be avoided by installing a data-
logging device to monitor performance. This
will audit and save relevant metrics, including
the system’s compressed air flow demand,
and the maximum and minimum air pressures
required. As a result, owners and operators
can select a correctly-sized compressor that
will expend an appropriate amount of energy,
resulting in greater efficiency.
Another way of reducing a compressor’s
total cost of ownership is to view its initial
purchase price as part of its whole life costs.
Though purchasing a compressor with a lower
up-front cost may seem shrewd, a cheaper,
less proven unit may suffer from maintenance
issues in the future.
Often, these issues lead to increased service
costs, meaning any original savings may be
lost later on, as the total cost of ownership
rises. Yet by considering purchase price
alongside long-term costs like servicing and
maintenance, more informed decisions can be
made when specifying a compressor.
ENERGY AUDITS
With energy costs greatly impacting a
compressor’s total cost of ownership, it is also
clear that undertaking an energy audit could
improve efficiency levels.