Air Compressor Downloadable

General Inputs

Number of Compressors Utilization Factor

Horse Power N Value

Efficiency 91.5 % Current Operating Pressure

Load Factor 0.84 Maximum Rated Pressure

Operating Hours hrs Atmosphere Pressure

Cost of Electricity $/kWh Demand Cost

Current Energy Consumption - kWh

Air Compressor Optimization

Additional Resources

• The US DOE Energy Management Portal: https://save-energy-now.org

• The US DOE Compressed Air site: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/compressed_air.html

• The US DOE Compressed Air Tip Sheets:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/tip_sheets_compressed_air.html

• The Compressed Air Challenge: http://www.compressedairchallenge.org/

Acknowledgement

This tool was created by the West Virginia University Industrial Assessment Center. For more information about the WVU

Industrial Assessment Center, visit their website www2.cemr.wvu.edu/~wwwiac/.

Like all electro-mechanical equipment, industrial compressed air systems require periodic maintenance to operate at peak efficiency and

minimize unscheduled downtime. Inadequate maintenance can increase energy consumption via lower compression efficiency, air

leakage, or pressure variability. It also can lead to high operating temperatures, poor moisture control, excessive contamination, and

unsafe working environments. Most issues are minor and can be corrected with simple adjustments, cleaning, part replacement, or

elimination of adverse conditions.

This tool calculates the energy savings associated with making minor changes to your air compressor system. Each tab calculates the

energy savings associated with one of the following changes:

Air Compressor Optimization Calculator

• Use outside air for air compressor intake

• Reduce compressor air pressure

• Repair compressed air leaks

• Use synthetic lubricant in compressors

• Recover waste heat from air compressor and use it to heat the plant in the winter

• Use vortex nozzle for cleaning

Enter the data specific to your compressor in the section labeled Compressor Data. These inputs are shared by the six tabs below this

section. Each tab requires additional inputs specific to the changes listed above. The cumulative savings for implementing all the changes

is calculated at the bottom of the tool.

1.25

psig

psig

14.7 psig

$/kWh-mo

Air Compressor Optimization

• The US DOE Energy Management Portal: https://save-energy-now.org

• The US DOE Compressed Air site: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/compressed_air.html

• The US DOE Compressed Air Tip Sheets:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/tip_sheets_compressed_air.html

• The Compressed Air Challenge: http://www.compressedairchallenge.org/

This tool was created by the West Virginia University Industrial Assessment Center. For more information about the WVU

Industrial Assessment Center, visit their website www2.cemr.wvu.edu/~wwwiac/.

Like all electro-mechanical equipment, industrial compressed air systems require periodic maintenance to operate at peak efficiency and

minimize unscheduled downtime. Inadequate maintenance can increase energy consumption via lower compression efficiency, air

leakage, or pressure variability. It also can lead to high operating temperatures, poor moisture control, excessive contamination, and

unsafe working environments. Most issues are minor and can be corrected with simple adjustments, cleaning, part replacement, or

elimination of adverse conditions.

This tool calculates the energy savings associated with making minor changes to your air compressor system. Each tab calculates the

energy savings associated with one of the following changes:

Air Compressor Optimization Calculator

• Use outside air for air compressor intake

• Reduce compressor air pressure

• Repair compressed air leaks

• Use synthetic lubricant in compressors

• Recover waste heat from air compressor and use it to heat the plant in the winter

• Use vortex nozzle for cleaning

Enter the data specific to your compressor in the section labeled Compressor Data. These inputs are shared by the six tabs below this

section. Each tab requires additional inputs specific to the changes listed above. The cumulative savings for implementing all the changes

is calculated at the bottom of the tool.

Air Temperatures

Current Discharge Pressure psig

Proposed Discharge Pressure psig

Implementation Details

Labor Hours for Pressure Adjustment

Labor Rate $/hr

Savings

Annual Energy Savings - kWh

Demand Savings - kW

Annual Energy Cost Savings $ -

Annual Demand Cost Savings $ -

Total Annual Cost Savings $ -

CO2 Savings - Lbs

Implementation Cost

Total Cost of Implementation $ -


Reduce Air Pressure

Air Temperatures

Current Average Intake Temperature ⁰F

Average Outdoor Temperature 51 ⁰F


Total Feet of Duct ft

Number of Elbows

Cost of Duct $/ft

Cost of 1 Elbow $

Labor Hours hrs

Labor Rate $/hr

Savings


Demand Savings - kW




CO2 Savings - Lbs

Implementation Cost



Outside Air


Cost Difference per Gallon $

Gallons Required gallons

Savings


Demand Savings - kW




CO2 Savings - Lbs

Implementation Cost



Synthetic Lubricants

Waste Heat

Cost of Fuel $/MMBtu

Number of Months Plant Required Space Heating

Savings


Annual Energy Savings - MMBtu


CO2 Savings - Lbs


Waste Heat

Vortex Nozzle

Number of Vortex Nozzles

Compressed Air Usage Factor

SCFM from Nozzle

Operating Period of Nozzle min/day

Usage Factor of Nozzle


Cost per Nozzle $

Labor Time per Nozzle hrs

Labor Rate $/hr

Savings


Demand Savings - kW




CO2 Savings - Lbs

Implementation Cost



Vortex Nozzle

Air Temperatures

Line Pressure at the Leak psig

Average Line Temperature ⁰F

Current Average Intake Temperature ⁰F

Number of Air Leaks

Average Size (Diameter) in


Total Feet of Duct ft

Number of Leaks per year

Cost to Fix a Leak $

Labor Hours to Fix a Leak hrs

Labor Rate $/hr

Savings


Demand Savings - kW




CO2 Savings - Lbs

Implementation Cost


Current Energy Consumption 0 kWh

Air Leaks

1 Enter the general inputs on the first tab. All fields must be filled in.

2

3 Results will appear in the grey section of each tab.

KeyUtilization Factors

Load Factors

Efficiency

Maximum Rated Pressure

Current Operating Pressure

Atmospheric Pressure

Enter input values into the 6 tabs (Outside Air, Reduce Air Pressure, Synthetic Lubricants, Waste

Heat, Vortex Nozzles, and Air Leaks). All of the tabs do not need to be filled in.

Instructions for using the Air Compressor Tool

N Value

Enter the general inputs on the first tab. All fields must be filled in.

Results will appear in the grey section of each tab.

KeyThe maximum demand of a system divided by its rated capacity.

The average power divided by the peak power over a period of time.

Enter the efficiency of your system as a decimal value between 0 and

1.

The maximum pressure at which the manufacturer determines it is

safe to operate the nozzle.

The pressure the compressed air system is currently operating at.

If unknown, use the default value of 14.7 psig.

Enter input values into the 6 tabs (Outside Air, Reduce Air Pressure, Synthetic Lubricants, Waste

Heat, Vortex Nozzles, and Air Leaks). All of the tabs do not need to be filled in.

Instructions for using the Air Compressor Tool

Compression factor based on type of compressor and polytropic

efficiency. Use the following list to determine the N-value for your

system.

· N = 1.25 for screw compressors with polytropic efficiency of 80%

· N = 1 for reciprocating compressor with single stage

· N = 2 for reciprocating compressor with double stage

Documents

Air Compressor Downloadable