Approach for Achieving Transparency in the Use of Compressed Air in Manufacturing as a Basis for Systematic Energy Saving

Abstract

The increase in energy efficiency in manufacturing and in particular in the area of compressed air is becoming a top issue in the context of factory planning and operation. Facing this development, the European Commission entrusted the Seventh Framework Program, Horizon 2020, to strengthen the research efforts to hit the proclaimed environmental, energetic and economic objectives of the European Union. In this paper, the authors present selected results on how to re-engineer brownfield factories to become clean and competitive factories of the future. Furthermore, the focus is put on energy-efficient generation, preparation, distribution and utilization of compressed air. It provides a systematic and practical approach to re-engineer existing compressed air systems to become eco-efficient. In European industries, around 10% of the final energy utilized is converted into compressed air as a factory internal energy source and hence plays a vital role for various applications such as handling and assembly of parts. When generating compressed air, it is important to use efficient compressor stations with optimized compressed air preparation and appropriately designed compressed air systems for distributing and utilizing the compressed air. However, due to a lack of transparency and knowledge in terms of actual demands and technical dependencies, compressed air systems are often operated inefficiently. The holistic approach described in this article suggests specific improvement strategies and innovative technology solutions based on profound evaluations in industrial cases.