Time for a health check?
November 1st 2008 Is your compressed air system fit for purpose or fit
to drop? Here Kevin Prince, Managing Director of
Atlas Copco Compressors offers advice about the
elements of a compressed air system to examine in
order to ascertain its level of fitness
Although industry at large is highly
dependent upon the reliable supply
of compressed air as a vital element
within most manufacturing processes, it is
surprising just how often the condition and
efficiency of this essential utility is taken for
granted. With the bare minimum of regular
maintenance or a fit-and-forget approach
such a straight forward element as
compressed air could actually be
responsible for generating substantial
energy losses and have a marked effect on
a company's bottom line. So, while it is
obvious that a compressed air system
operating at peak efficiency will save money,
it is a fact that not every operator is aware of
just how fit their installation potentially could
be – and with today's spiralling energy costs
there has never been a better time to find
out just how healthy it is.
How healthy is your
compressed air system?
A programme to check the fitness level of
your compressed air system should include,
monitoring and inspecting the running of the
compressors as well as the capacity and
fitness of the dryers and all the ancillary
equipment such as receivers, filters, drains
and oil/water separators. Your
programme should also examine the
state of the controls and monitoring
system together with that of the
pipework and general
system.
To begin with you
should conduct a
detailed examination
that starts with an
assessment of the
size and capacity of
the compressor installation and its running
profile relative to the compressed air
application. That means noting the hours it
is loaded/unloaded or the operating hours
that are actually timed during the
examination. Running pressure should
also be checked to ensure that it is at a
level appropriate to the demands of
downstream processes, as excessive
downturn of the delivered air pressure can
waste energy. Any other relevant
observations on standards of performance
can be made at this stage.
Equally vital to the efficient running of a
compressor system is the accuracy and
efficiency of the control and monitoring
systems that are in place, so they also
merit a significant degree of the examining
engineer's attention.
The next subjects on the inspection
programme are the dryers, whether they
are integral to the compressors or comprise
downstream standalone units sited before
the point of use. Your inspection
programme should note the size and type
dryer, the accuracy of the dewpoint
indicator and the functionality of the waste
water drain. Then, starting with air receivers,
the inventory of ancillary equipment should
then be scrutinised. That means
determining the operating pressures of
filters and the condition of filter elements, as
well as that of condensate drains and
oil/water separators.
Pressure drops
But, without doubt, one of the largest energyloss
culprits that you should focus upon has
to be the condition and configuration of the
airnet pipework where even the smallest
leaks can create significant pressure drops.
For instance, a 3mm diameter hole
anywhere within a distribution
network, caused by corrosion, can
mean a compressor using an
additional 4kW of power to
maintain system pressure.
The effect of pressure drops
can represent more than
75% of the running costs
during the working life of a
compressed air installation. So,
apart from detecting
corrosion-generated leaks and
loose pipework joints and
fittings, it is equally important to
ensure that pipework runs are installed at
the minimum distance between
compressed air source and the point of use
if optimum system air pressure is to be
maintained.
Reporting stage
After the examination process is
completed, you should ensure that you
document everything you have found as,
(adhering to the old truism that 'if you
don't begin to measure it, you won't begin
to manage it') once analysed this
information will show exactly where fitness
levels can be improved and savings made.
Free health check
Atlas Copco is offering industry a free Compressed Air System Health Check to be
carried out by an expert. It is a non-intrusive procedure that won't interfere with
production processes and is designed to examine the entire air supply system
highlighting every energy-consuming feature.
Experience shows that the highest levels of compressed air system efficiency are
invariably obtained through a combination of factors, so once a Health Check has been
carried out on a system, the plant operator will be in a position to make an immediate
assessment of the remedial priorities required to meet desirable levels of energy and
cost efficiency
Once the engineer's report has been submitted there is no obligation for the
compressor operator to adopt any of the report's recommendations, but Atlas Copco
specialists will be on call if required to assist with the implementation of any necessary
improvements highlighted by the examination and deemed to be of benefit to economic
plant operation.
A free Compressed Air System Health Check can be booked by calling Atlas Copco
on 0800 181 085 or by email to gba.info@uk.atlascopco.com More articles from Atlas Copco Ltd: | 
