美国能源部优化工厂合作伙伴认真对待压缩空气系统|压缩空气最佳实践

长期以来，优化和提高压缩空气系统的能源效率一直是制造业的一个重要优先事项 U.S. DOE’s Better Plants program. Since the program began offering In Plant trainings in 2011, 压缩空气培训是所有工业系统培训中要求频率最高的培训. In addition, 在该计划提供的能源寻宝培训期间，发现了许多压缩空气系统节能机会. 这些机会已被许多“更好的工厂”合作伙伴分享和实施，并成为许多实现2019年计划目标的关键因素. 

在过去的五年中，“更好的工厂”计划每年都为重大的节能项目和最佳实践提供奖励. Termed the “Better Project and Better Practice Awards,“这一倡议认可的合作伙伴实施的项目节省了大量的能源，以及实施最佳实践和管理改进，促进合作伙伴的能力，以实现其可持续发展的目标. 有重大节能项目的合作伙伴将获得“更好的项目”奖，表现出重要最佳实践的合作伙伴将获得“更好的实践”奖. 

In 2022, 四项与压缩空气系统优化有关的项目/实践应用比今年任何其他系统都多. The four partners are: Schneider Electric, Waupaca Foundry, RING Containers and Plastics Engineering Company (PLENCO).

Schneider Electric

In the case of Schneider Electric, 传统的检测压缩空气泄漏的方法不足以发现公司能源管理团队想要发现的所有泄漏. In addition, 一些内部利益相关者对泄漏是节省成本的重要来源持怀疑态度. The energy management team worked with a third party to evaluate advanced, 声学成像技术可以显示制造工厂内任何地方压缩空气泄漏的位置和程度.

The demonstration showed that it was very easy to locate leaks quickly and accurately, often in places that are hard to access. 能源管理团队随后采购了该设备，并培训了40多名员工如何使用它. In a few weeks, the company’s employees found more than 250 compressed air leaks across six plants, resulting in $60,000 in compressed air energy cost savings. Because the technology can measure losses in any environment that generates acoustic signals, the company plans to use the technology to locate leaks within other industrial gases, steam systems and even pump cavitation. 

 
Sample of Identified Compressed Air Leaks

Waupaca Foundry

Waupaca铸造厂实施了一个系统级项目，包括供应侧升级和需求减少，以改善他们的Waupaca, WI, plant’s compressed air performance. 促成该项目的一个重要因素是通过“更好的工厂”计划提供的压缩空气厂内培训，该计划为Waupaca提供了几个改进机会. Marco Gonzalez, Waupaca Foundry的企业能源经理表示:“能源是我们的第三大支出, with a direct impact on our environmental footprint and business bottom-line. 有机会参加美国能源部的工厂内培训，使我们能够为员工提供基础知识，以有效地监控和管理我们的能源消耗, as well as to identify opportunities for improvement in our daily operations. Training enhances our energy skills and raises awareness, promoting engagement and a new energy efficiency culture across the company."

Waupaca’s compressed air system project included the following measures by category:
1.    Compressed Air - Supply Side

• Replaced two legacy trim water-cooled compressors with one new VFD air-cooled unit. 
• Installed a Master Control System and pressure/flow controller . 
• Optimized the piping configuration in the compressor rooms. 
• Offset natural gas usage during the winter by recovering waste heat from the compressors.

2.    Compressed Air - Demand Side 

• Reduced overall plant pressure to the lowest level that ensured reliable production.
• Implemented end-usage reduction projects; e.g., leak repair. 
• Tuned up large end-users through demand-side management strategies. 

3.    Compressed Air - Best Practices 

• Improved the plant’s air-leak management program.

Waupaca Foundry Employee Finding Compressed Air Leaks.

The compressed air optimization project not only saved energy, but also improved system reliability to meet foundry operational needs. The total project costs amounted to $325,000. With combined reductions of approximately 1,100,000 kWh of electricity, 6,750 MMBTU of Natural 气体, and 13 million gallons of water the total cost savings were $185,000 per year, yielding a simple payback of only 1.24 years. This project was also eligible for energy rebates from the state energy efficiency program, which paid the equivalent of 28% of the project cost.

 
Plastics Engineering Company

塑料工程公司(PLENCO)是酚醛树脂和化合物的制造商，需要压缩空气进行多种工艺. 最大的最终用途是研磨和复合过程，两者都是由一个共同的头服务. The company found that this section of the plant had a serious leak load, and it dedicated one of the maintenance mechanics to fix compressed air leaks on that line. However, 工厂发现，几周后，该部分工厂停产时间的泄漏量仍然大于生产期间压缩空气负荷的一半. PLENCO的工程团队决定在非生产时间将压缩空气隔离到工厂的这一部分.

After installing an isolation valve on the header serving that part of the plant, the company found they were able to reduce compressed air losses by 62%. The company’s engineering team then decided to apply isolation valves to other areas. 这一决定进一步减少了压缩空气的需求，使公司能够证明更换旧设备是合理的, oversized air compressor with a new, smaller unit that can start and stop automatically as needed by system demand. 隔离阀减少了压缩空气的能耗，提高了系统的运行效率, which in turn, lowered both electrical demand and consumption.

基于隔离阀的实施，减少了来自较小空压机的消耗, total energy savings amounted to 406,000 kWh per year and annual compressed air energy cost savings of $35,000 per year and resulted in a simple payback of about 1.5 years.

A Compressed Air Isolation Valve.

 
RING Container Technology

RING Container Technology operates 17 plastic bottle/container plants in the U.S. 使用高密度聚乙烯(HDPE)或聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯(PET)塑料树脂生产各自的瓶子和容器. RING于2021年7月加入了美国能源部“更好的工厂”计划，承诺在10年内将能源强度提高20%.

该公司所有的工厂都使用压缩空气，压缩空气通常是工厂内最大的单一能源终端用途. As a result, 压缩空气节能措施通常在整个公司可复制，并提供显著的积极影响. 其中一个重点领域是压缩空气泄漏，因为它们是“最值得关注的低垂水果，而且它们总是不断出现，浪费能源”，Stephen Tankersley说, Project Manager at RING.

In RING’s case, the company leveraged several internal and outside resources, including an IAC assessment, to uncover more than 1,900 CFM worth of air leaks that were wasting approximately 1.5 Million kWh per year. 随后，该公司在全公司范围内实施了泄漏修复活动，节省了138美元的压缩空气能源成本,000 per year. In addition, RING建立了一个定期的泄漏检测/维修计划，包括一个大型的年度活动以及工厂员工每天的泄漏检查. One additional benefit, from the compressed air leak repairs, 工厂的工作人员是否更加了解压缩空气泄漏及其相关的损失, even the small ones. This has led to a more proactive culture of finding and fixing compressed air leaks.