German brewery toasts reduced energy costs
January 1st 2011 Established by the Benedictine
monks of Weihenstephan Abbey in
1040, the Weihenstephan brewery in
Freising near Munich produces a
wide range of premium quality
wheat beers. Installation of a variable
speed, oil-free compressor from
CompAir has helped to achieve a
30% reduction in its compressed air
energy costs.
The brewery's compressed air
system contained two CompAir oilfree
piston compressors that supply
7.8 and 10m3 of compressed air per
minute respectively. One of the
compressors operated at full load
and the other at half load, providing
an economical solution when the
brewery operates at full capacity, but
not when production is reduced on
night shifts and weekends.
In May 2010, the brewery opted
for an oil-free, variable speed D22H
RS compressor from CompAir.
Featuring PureAir technology, the
compressor generates oil-free
compressed air, making it suitable
for the brewery's stringent hygiene
requirements.
Water is used to lubricate, seal and
cool the compression process,
providing compression temperatures
of just 60°C – contributing to low
power consumption. Variable-speed
drive technology matches
compressor flow to demand. This
means the unit produces the correct
volume of air required by the
application at all times.
Taking over the base load on
Friday afternoon, the D22H RS
ensures a constant pressure level at
lower speeds during the weekend
until the brew house returns to full
operation on Sunday evening. This
allows the brewery to cover all load
situations while avoiding unnecessary
idling costs when the demand for
compressed air is low.
The new set-up has improved
production reliability; if one of the
two larger compressors fails, there is
still enough compressed air to meet
all requirements. CompAir is
responsible for the continuous
availability of the compressors. The
simple construction of the DH unit,
using fewer wear-prone parts, has
resulted in lower maintenance time
and associated costs for the brewery.
The D22H RS was integrated into
the brewery's compressor control
system, allowing operators to monitor
the current demand for compressed
air and review recent consumption
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