Energy costs cut

With rapid growth creating significant new demands for compressed air across the company’s operations, the customer realised it was time to reassess the design and operation of its compressed air supply. It asked Airflow to audit energy use at its production site, to see if there were opportunities to reduce energy costs alongside the required capacity increase.

The company’s existing compressed air infrastructure, which had grown incrementally over time, consisted of three separate systems using 12 compressors with a total capacity of 975HP (727kW). To understand air demand and energy use across the site, Airflow’s engineers installed data logging equipment on each of the compressors to monitor air use and energy consumption over a week of 24/7 operation.

The data revealed a significant opportunity to save energy by replacing the three existing systems with a single, integrated network using the latest control technology. The new system recommended by Airflow uses a BOGE S125 fixed speed compressor to deliver the customer’s base-load air requirements, together with an SLF125 variable speed drive compressor providing additional capacity to match air output precisely with demand.

The latest generation of the well proven S series of high capacity compressors has been designed for maximum efficiency, high reliability and exceptionally quiet operation. Innovative, energy saving features of the range include high efficiency motors, variable speed cooling fans and the BOGE effilence air end, the most efficient design the company has ever developed. The Focus 2.0 control system integrated into the units also makes them particular easy to use, monitor and maintain.

In the new installation the two units are controlled by the BOGE airtelligence 2.0 Provis master compressor control, which uses intelligent algorithms to sense demand patterns and deliver the required air using the most efficient combination of compressors. System performance can be monitored and controlled remotely via a web-based interface, or using the controller’s integrated colour touch screen display.

The savings offered by the new configuration come from a number of sources, including the better management of overall system pressure, the elimination of unloaded running and a reduction in purged air. Combined with the higher overall efficiency of the new BOGE S range compressors, Airflow calculated that the company’s energy costs could be reduced by more than £74,000 a year, while also increasing air capacity by 35 per cent to accommodate future growth. Furthermore, reducing the number of compressors at the facility from 12 to two resulted in a £7,000 reduction in annual maintenance costs.

The total cost of the new system, including compressors, controls and the pipework modifications required to link the customer’s three systems was less than one year’s estimated combined energy and maintenance cost savings, providing payback in less than 12 months.