Air Audit Problems

Compressed Air Systems

Just about every industrial plant has problems with its compressed air system. Imbalanced supply and demand sides resulting in excessive power consumption, escalating leak loads, ramped inappropriate uses for compressed air and improperly treated air quality issues.

At Atlas we've found that most plants are either unaware of the prevalence of these problems, or they respond in one way, through more money at it. However when it comes to compressed air systems more is not always better, and these can oftentimes be very expensive alternatives.

Some common rules regarding compressed air system behavior are outlined as follows:

• Compressors are reactive machines and are therefore typically oversized
• Compressors become less efficient at part loads
• Compressed air pressure cost 1% of the on line horsepower for every 2 psig the system pressure is elevated
• It cost more to operate a compressor in the first year than it did to initially purchase it.
• At best, it takes 10 times more pneumatic energy than electric energy to deliver the same amount of mechanical work.

The simple fact is that of the more than 130 plants we've surveyed, most have adequate horsepower and equipment online, and many have excess. Usually the system configuration and operating strategy are at the root of the problem.