Estimating Potential Energy Savings in Compressed Air Systems

Abstract

Compressed air is typically one of the most expensive utilities in an industrial facility. While designing energy saving compressed air systems various methods are applied to reduce energy losses and minimize energy consumption. The compressed air systems require the complex approach towards rational energy consumption by effective production, distribution and application equipment of the compressed air. As a first step towards identifying applicable energy savings an inventory of compressed air system and major system operating parameters should be established. On the basis of the data collected, the basic indicators of compressed air system performance can be calculated or estimated: specific power, annual energy cost, cost of compressed air, compressed air leaks, pressure drop in a system.