Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from December, 2016

A VSD Compressor Doesn’t Save You Money

VSD (Variable Speed / Frequency Drive) Compressors The energy savings were huge… of course. The pay-back time would be a few months, or days, or less.. for sure! Stop here! Yes, a VSD compressor can save huge amounts of energy (and thus money), but only if a propoer homework is one, make some calculations and use your common sense. [For those in the dark: a VSD or variable-speed compressor uses a frequency drive to match the compressor speed (and thus capacity) to the amount of compressed air needed. This as opposed to 'load-unload' machines that runs at a fixed speed but 'loads' and 'unloads' between a minimum and maximum pressure). And IF a VSD compressor is a good idea in your situation, buy the right size of VSD compressor. Here's when a VSD compressor will save you money: when it runs at less than 80% speed for most of the time and when it runs continuously (daily). In these cases, the cost-savings can be huge. Tens of thousands of dollars per year

3 Ways to Save Money On Compressed Air

3 Ways to Save Money On Compressed Air What if you knew that your compressed air system was completely optimized… running happily day after day. No more waste of money and electricity… Because let's face it: wasting thousands of dollars per year on electricity, without you knowing it, sucks. Want to optimize your compressed air system? It's impossible to share the complete step-by-step system in an email, but I can get you started on the right path. Compressed air optimization #1: Air leaks As discusses in our previous blog: fix those leaks! Compressed air leaks are the number one energy wasters! The biggest, most rewarding, leaks will be easy to find. For the smaller leaks, you might have to do some extra work, but it will pay off! But more importantly, once you fixed most of the leaks, put a system in place to continually check for and repair new compressed air leaks. You can also use some stealth tactics like dividing your compressed air network in zones and shutti

Rules of Thumb

Power and installation: For every horsepower, a compressor delivers 4-5 cfm (m3/hr), at 100 psi (7 bar) pressure . A 50 HP air compressor can produce up to 12 gallons / 45 liters of water per day (with only 8 running hours daily). Air receivers should be sized about 4 gallon capacity for each CFM of compressor capacity. That's 9 liters per m3/h in metric units. For example, a small 20 cfm compressor needs an 80 gallon air receiver. Costs and energy savings: On average, compressed air costs about 30 cents per 1000 cfm (1700 m3/hr). This depends on the size of the compressor and includes electricity, purchase price of compressor and maintenance costs. A 50 HP air compressor will cost you about 25.000 dollars in electricity cost per year (at 6.000 running hours per year). Every 2 psi (0.15 bar) of pressure drop in your system will cost you 1% extra in energy cost (this adds up quickly!!!) Pressure - Rule of Thumb Lowering Compressor Inlet Air Temp

Multi Compressors Controller - SmartAir Master Compressed air management system

SmartAir Master Compressed air  management system Superior control solution with great energy saving potential Compressed air systems typically comprise of multiple compressors delivering air to a common distribution system. The combined capacity of those machines is generally greater than the maximum site demand. With CompAir's advanced demand responsive sequencer SmartAir Master, the efficiency of compressor stations with up to twelve compressors including downstream equipment can be maximised. Apart from the energy savings, the compressed air management system also contributes to decreased downtime, optimum performance, service and monitoring and ultimately leads to increased plant productivity. A profitable investment Up to 35% energy savings can be achieved by implementing a central SmartAir Master multi-compressor controller. Harmonises the workload of up to 12 fixed or regulated speed compressors Eliminates energy waste by tightening the network pressure

4 Air Compressor Mistakes

4 Air Compressor Mistakes Do you make any of these mistakes below here when it comes to air compressors? They're common. we've seen every one of these mistakes in my years in the air compressor business. Luckily, Rastgar can prevent you from making these mistakes. 1.  Ignoring daily and weekly maintenance We know you don't actually WANT to have a compressor… but you need the compressed air! Air compressors are often forgotten about until a problem appears. Many problems with air compressors gradually built up, they don't always just pop up out of nothing! Of course, if you never visit your compressor to do some basic checks, you would only find out when it's too late! Visit your compressor daily (or at least 2 times a week) and check all basic maintenance points. 2.  Not keeping records A history of your compressor is very useful when troubleshooting problems. It's a good idea to note down the most important things every week for example. And, keep record

Dust, the Compressor Killer : Overheating of Air Compressors.

Dust, the Compressor Killer : O verheating of Air Compressors . Rastgar first advice is always to check the oil cooler and clean it. Because 9 out of 10 times, it's our good old friend DUST that is responsible for the overheating. You see, air compressors are like gigantic vacuum cleaners. They need massive amounts of air for cooling. And all the dust in that air will get stuck in the oil cooler and after cooler. You wouldn't believe the dusty, dirty, rotting air compressors we have seen during our services to compressor installations What do you think a compressor looks like at a saw-mil... there's probably a whole tree in that compressor! Or at a bakery?  we could have feed our family for a year with all the flour we found in that air compressor! But by far the worst compressor we have seen was at a potato chips factory (of a very well-known brand!). It was completely covered in potato 'dust' and smelled really, really bad, like rotting potatoes

Why Nitrogen Is Better than Argon for Wine Production

A question often asked in the wine and grape industry is: which is better for wine production, nitrogen or argon? Both are inert gases at room temperature, and both are used for blanketing wine and flushing or purging tanks. There are also some key differences: Argon is about four times more expensive than nitrogen because there is less of it in the air (79 percent of air is nitrogen, compared to 0.9 percent for argon). Argon is about 1.4 times denser than nitrogen. Argon can only be provided in tanks, whereas nitrogen can be supplied through in-house gas generation. Heavier isn’t always better Argon’s density can be misleading. Because it is heavier than air, many winemakers assume that it will stratify when added to the headspace of a tank and remain there, intact and unchanging. This, however, isn’t true. Argon, being an ideal gas, will readily mix with air through a process called molecular diffusion, which breaks down this stratifying effect. Imagine someone o