Local electricity firm saves €9 000 annually after AIRScan leak report
A local company in the power sector reached out to Atlas Copco to explore the possibility of using a standby compressor to cover unexpected downtime.
The Challenge
The customer operates a compressor room with five units and experienced frequent compressed air losses. Above that, all five compressors had to run continuously to meet demand.
The Solution
The Atlas Copco team went on site and conducted an AIRScan audit.
A portable flow meter was installed to measure the air demand and flow rate of the application.
Pressure sensors were installed to measure pressure drops.
A leak detector was used to measure compressed air leaks in the installation.
All measurements were compiled into a detailed AIRScan Report, which included an action plan for improvement.
The report revealed numerous compressed air leaks within the dryer and distribution network, causing significant pressure drops. The issue increased the plant's compressed air demand. As a result, all five compressors had to operate simultaneously to meet demand.
Based on the findings, the importance of leak repair was highlighted. All leaks were identified and marked. The customer chose to repair the priority leaks in-house to optimize the system's pressure settings.
The Outcome
After repairing all priority leaks, the utilization rate of the five compressors decreased by more than 18%. Now, only four compressors have to operate instead of all five to meet the compressed air demand, with one unit available as a standby in case of unexpected downtime.
The energy consumption reduced with 825 kWh per day, equal to 301 000 kWh annually. The customer now saves INR 873 000 / EUR 9 000 annually. As a result, the payback period for the leak repair is less than 4 months. Above that, the customer achieves a CO2 reduction of 213 tons per year.
