Compressed Air

System
2022
Atlas Copco Korea
 CONTENTS
1. Compressed Air System Basic
1) Configuration
2) Feature
3) Compression principle and type

2. Air Compressor Control

1) Basic
2) Load / Unload
3) VSD (Variable Speed Drive)
4) Blow-off valve (Centrifugal
compressor)
5) Tips

3. Compressed Air Quality

4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
5. References

2
1. Compressed Air System Basic
1. Compressed Air System Basic
1) Configuration

N
6 Item Duty
3 o
Produce compressed
1 Air compressor
1 air
1
1
4 2 Cooler Cool down
4
Air receiver
3 Buffer storage
4 tank
5 5 4 Air filter Remove contaminants
2 5 Air dryer Remove water vapor

6 Piping Distribution

4
1. Compressed Air System Basic

5
1. Compressed Air System Basic
2) Feature

• For a typical industrial facility, approximately 10% of electricity consumed is for generating compressed
air
• Energy consumption represents approximately 70% of the total life cycle cost for compressed air.
• Air is free but compressed air is NOT.

Investment
70%
에너지
Maintenance
70 %
Energy

6
1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type
Atmospheric

Electrical Heat
energy energy

Compressed air
7
1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type

8
1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type

Injected material Element Type Motor speed Pressure

• Oil Injected (=Oil • Piston • FSD • Fan

lubricated) • Lobe ( Fixed Speed Drive)
• Tooth • Blower
• Screw
• Centrifugal • Compressor
• Oil free • VSD
( Variable Speed • Booster
Drive)

9
1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type

Oil Injected (급유식) Oil Free

Oil (무급유식)
Free

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1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type

• Oil Injected: During compression process, oil is injected in the element

AIR

OIL

11
1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type

• Oil free

12
1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type - piston

13
1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type - Scroll

14
1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type - Tooth

15
1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type - Screw

16
1. Compressed Air System Basic
3) Compression principle and type - Centrifugal

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2. Air Compressor Control
2. Air Compressor Control
1) Basic
Motor speed – Variable Speed
Inlet Valve – Load / Unload Blow off valve
Drive

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2. Air Compressor Control
2) Load/unload

LOAD UNLOAD STOP

• The most common regulation principles for displacement compressors are

“produce air”/”don’t produce air” (unload)
20
• The compressor ‘s inlet valve is either fully opened (loaded) or fully closed
(unloaded)
2. Air Compressor Control
2) Load/Unload

• LOAD (Inlet valve is opened) ▪ UNLOAD (Inlet valve is closed)

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2. Air Compressor Control
2) Load/Unload

3 Valve close 2 Discharge pressure

(Unloading)

Motor On 1 4 Motor Off

1 Valve Open
(loading)

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2. Air Compressor Control
3) VSD (Variable Speed Drive)

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2. Air Compressor Control
3) VSD (Variable Speed Drive)

4 Valve close 2 Discharge pressure

(Unloading)

Power On 1 5 Power Off

1 Valve Open
(loading)
3 Motor Speed
Control

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2. Air Compressor Control
4) Blow-off valve (Centrifugal compressor)

25
2. Air Compressor Control
4) Blow-off valve (Centrifugal compressor)

4 토출압력

1 Oil Temperature

2 AOP On 6 BOV Control

3 Motor Start

Inlet Valve
5
regulation

26
2. Air Compressor Control
5) Tips
Power absorbed based on control Type

100

% of Power Consumed 80

60

40

20

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

% of Full Load Capacity

Load / Unload Variable Speed Drive Centrifugal
27
2. Air Compressor Control
5) Tips

• Unloading power is 25~35% of full loading’s

• Wider speed control range of VSD-equipped compressor

• When sizing a centrifugal compressor, we aim for a

maximum turndown of at least 20%, to avoid blow-off and Pressure Margin
guarantee an optimal energy efficient operation. SURGE AREA
Capacity

Turndown ratio
(IGV Control)

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3. Compressed Air Quality
3. Compressed Air Quality
Why is air treatment required?

• Rapid and destructive pipe corrosion, which causes:

– Increasing pressure drops
– Increasing running costs through air leakage
– Increasing piping repair bill

• Water and corrosion entering expensive equipment, leading to:

– Reduced tool and machine reliability
– Reduced tool and machine lifetime
– Reduced tool and machine performance

• Dirt and contaminants mixing with the product to cause:

– Increased scrap rate
– Contaminated raw materials
– Variable product quality

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3. Compressed Air Quality
ISO 8573-1 : Compressed Air Contaminants and purity classes

Solid Particle Water Oil

Liquid
Aerosol
0.5 ~ 1 ㎛
PDP
-20°C
0.1 ~ 0.5 ㎛
Vapour

1~5㎛

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3. Compressed Air Quality
ISO 8573-1 : Compressed Air Contaminants and purity classes

Number of Solid Particle PDP Oil contents

Class 0.1 ~ 0.5 ㎛ 0.5 ~ 1.0 ㎛ 1~5㎛ [℃] [℉] [mg/m3]
0 Better than Class 1
1 ≤ 20,000 Under 400 ≤ 10 ≤ -70 ≤ -94 ≤ 0.01
2 ≤ 400,000 ≤ 6,000 ≤ 100 ≤ -40 ≤ -40 ≤ 0.1
3 - ≤ 90,000 ≤ 1,000 ≤ -20 ≤ -4 ≤1
4 - - ≤ 10,000 ≤3 ≤ 37.4 ≤5
5 - - ≤ 100,000 ≤7 ≤ 44.6 -
6 ≤ 5 mg/m3 ≤ 10 ≤ 50 -

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3. Compressed Air Quality

Particular Coalescing Adsorption Refrigeration Adsorption Dryin

Water separator
filtration filtration filtration Drying g

1 Atmospheric Dirt & Solid particles

2 Rust & Pipe scale

3 Water Liquid

4 Water Aerosols

5 Water Vapor

6 Oil Liquid & Aerosols

7 Oil Vapor

8 Micro-organisms

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4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy 1.
Application
10-step guide to a greener and more efficient production &
Installation
10. System 2. Storage &
• This 10-step guide allows Monitoring Distribution

companies to reduce their energy

requirements and their carbon
footprint while also saving money
9. System
3. Air
and the environment. Maintenanc
e
Quality
Maintain and Maximizing
measure application
• This guide should not be seen as a efficiency efficiency
one-off exercise, but rather as a
continuous process to maintain Select the
Analyze
peak production efficiency. most efficient
current usage
technology 4. Air
8. Energy
Volume &
Recovery
Flow Pattern

7. System 5. Core
Control Technology

6.
Equipment
Control
35
 Maintain and Maximizing
measure application
efficiency efficiency

Select the most

Analyze current
efficient
usage
technology
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
1) Application & Installation
• Understanding your application
– Before expanding, replacing or
improving an existing compressed
air system, you should first look to
eliminate waste in the current system.

% OF AIR VOLUME USED

Leaks
25% Tips
Production
50% 1. Minimize your pressure
Artificial Air Demand
15%
2. Reduce network air leakage

Inappropriate
3. Isolate equipment when not in use
Use
10% 4. Have the correct air quality
5. Keep your compressors cool
37
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
1) Application & Installation
• Watch your pressure
– More pressure means more energy $300,000
consumption
$250,000

– And, unlike the initial investment you

make in your equipment, these costs $200,000
will keeps adding up.
$150,000

– The better you monitor your pressure,

the more quickly you will be able to $100,000 6bar (87psi)
investigate expensive increases and
7bar (100psi)
take the necessary steps to reverse $50,000
them.
$-
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9year 10

38
 7bar (100psi)
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
1) Application & Installation
• Keep your working pressure as low
as possible
– The working pressure of your system
directly affects the power required to
supply the compressed air.

– On average, you need 6% more

power for every 1bar of higher
pressure.

• Tip: Before you increase your
working pressure to compensate for
a pressure drop, first find out what
caused the drop and eliminate the
source of the problem if possible.
5bar (70psi)
Consider separate compressed air systems if the majority of
the production requires a lower pressure than the highest-
pressure requirement.

39
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
1) Application & Installation
• Compressor room
– Keep cool: The location of your
compressors impacts their efficiency.
Because the air density is lower in
hot temperatures, it takes more
power to compress air in those
environments.

– Keep clean: A lot of dust in the air

will result in blocked filters. A dirty
compressor room can quickly add to
your electric bill.

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4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
2) Storage & distribution
• The importance of air storage
– The size of the air receiver and
pipework can directly impact energy
consumption.

– A larger air receiver can reduce the Average Power vs. Capacity for Rotary Screw Compressor
operating pressure differential of with Load/Unload Control and Variation to Receiver Capacity.
your compressors and therefore 120

Percent kW Input Power

your power consumption. 100
80
• Tip: Lowering your pressure 60
differential by 0.5 bar could reduce 40
the energy consumption of your 20
compressor by up to 3%. 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Percent Capacity
Load/Unload (10 - gal/cfm) Load/Unload (1 - gal/cfm)

41
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy Dead End Distribution System

2) Storage & distribution

• Review the design of compressed air
pipework
– Increase the size of the main distribution
pipework diameter. This will increase the
stored volume and also reduce air velocity
to reduce pressure drop.

Ring Main Distribution System

– Convert a dead-end pipework system into a

ring main pipework system. It allows the air
to flow from multiple directions, which
lowers the internal velocity and therefore
also the pressure drop.

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4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
2) Storage & distribution
• Plug your leaks
– It is estimated that the average production
facility loses up to 20% of the compressed
air it generates to leaks

– Set a reasonable target for cost-effective

leak reduction – 5~10% of total system flow
is typical for industrial facilities

– You may be able to find big leaks by simply

walking through your facility and listen for
By lowering your system pressure by just 0.3 bar, you can
hissing sounds. For others, carry out a leak
detection survey on your pipework reduce your pipework leakage by 4%
distribution system to eliminate leakage in
pipe joints.

43
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
3) Air Quality
• Know your air purity requirement

– If you clean up the air too much, you will

waste energy,
Dus Oil Water
t
– If you clean it up too little, you can
jeopardize your production quality and
reliability.

44
 Maintain and Maximizing
measure application
efficiency efficiency

Select the most

Analyze current
efficient
usage
technology
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
4) Air Volume & Flow Pattern
• Understanding air demand – the key to save energy
– By better understanding your air demand, you may be able to save a substantial amount of money the next time you
make an investment in a compressor.
– Factors for consideration: Air volume, compressed air demand pattern, stored system volume, required pressure

Air Volume
1000
Variable Flow Steady Flow Variable flow based on shift
900
Patterns
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0

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 1 2
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
4) Air Volume & Flow Pattern

• Changing compressed air volume

requirement can have a drastic impact on
compressed air installation efficiency.

• Tip: Get an air audit to understand flow

patterns and potential savings

47 Wasting Energy Energy Efficient

Green investments save energy and money

Maintain and Maximizing

measure application
efficiency efficiency

Select the most

Analyze current
efficient
usage
technology
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
5) Core Technology
• Different compressor types and their benefits

• Piston compressors: Highly efficient on load and off load but requires extensive maintenance. It is the most efficient
technology on the day you purchase it but will gradually become less efficient every day after that due to sliding contact
creating wear.

• Scroll compressors: Mainly used in applications requiring small and clean oil free airflows. Best used in intermittent air
demand applications. They are simple and easy to maintain.

• Tooth compressors: Oil-free rotary tooth compressors are used for small to medium-sized applications and usually only
come in the range from 15 to 55 kW. Good for both intermittent and continuous duty applications.

• Screw compressors: These compressors are the most popular type of compressor for the Industry but are used in
many different applications from small workshop applications with intermittent demand to large industrial
applications with continuous 24 hours per day demands. Screw compressors are available in oil-lubricated and oil-free
technologies. They both can maintain efficiency for a wide range of flows.
• Centrifugal compressors: This is the most efficient technology for large volumes of compressed air. But
It’s only efficient if it is running continuously, therefore only suitable for applications with stable air
49 demands.
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
5) Core Technology
SPECIFIC ENERGY J/l

Tooth Screw/Piston
Centrifugal

FLOW l/s

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4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
5) Core Technology
• Hybrid Solutions

1000 Air Volume

800

600

400

200

VSD VSD

VSD

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4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
6) Equipment Control
• Power is nothing without control Power absorbed based on control Type
– Ideally, an operation would use a
combination of compressors, for 100

% of Power Consumed
example fixed-speed models that meet
the base load and VSD-equipped 80
compressors that efficiently deal with
fluctuations in air demand. 60

40

20

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
% of Full Load Capacity
Load / Unload Variable Speed Drive Inlet Guide Vane

52
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
7) System Control
Pressur
• Optimize compressed air system e

– In a compressed air system with multiple compressors and dryers, even the most efficient machines cannot
reach their full potential without a central controller.
– A cascade control requires a large pressure differential to operate multiple compressors which of course leads
to a large waste of energy.
Master Control

압력

Local Control

53
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
7) System Control
Volume
• Optimize compressed air system

Air Volume

Time

Centrifugal Rotary Screw

Cascade Control

Smart Control

54
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
8) Energy Recovery
• Compressing air generates a lot of heat

Showers
Boiler Feed Water

Radiators

55
 Maintain and Maximizing
measure application
efficiency efficiency

Select the most

Analyze current
efficient
usage
technology
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
9) System Maintenance
• The role of system
maintenance is a more efficient
production

– A well-maintained compressed
air system will more than pay
for the maintenance costs
through energy savings.

– Maintenance is even more

crucial for compressors
because they run all the time.

57
4. 10 Steps to Save Energy
10) System Monitoring
• Remote monitoring is a useful tool that
helps you to always keep an eye on your
compressor.
• Knowing the status of your compressed air
equipment at all times and being able to
react on it, is the surest way to achieve
optimal efficiency and maximum availability

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5. References
5. Reference
1) aaa mining
• Industry: Mining
• Products: Quick lime, Hydrated Lime, Dolomite
Lime from limestone and other substances.
• Compressed air system
– Total 5 load/unload screw compressors in 4
compressor rooms
– Heatless type dryer (purge ratio 15~20%)

60
5. Reference
1) aaa mining
• Measuring flow pattern for one week.
• Flow range: 300~450 l/s (250 l/s on Sunday)

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5. Reference
1) aaa mining
• Solutions;
– One VSD screw compressor (500 l/s) instead of existing 5 compressors
– One centralized compressor room instead of 4 rooms
– Bigger piping to reduce pressure drop
– High efficiency desiccant dryer (Purge lose 4%) instead of heatless type desiccant dryer (Purge lose 15~20%)

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5. Reference
1) aaa mining
• Conclusion

Compressor
Production Pressure at Electricity per 1 ton Saving
Equipments discharge
for 2 months using point production ratio
pressure
Screw FSD 75 kW x 2,
Before Screw FSD 37 kW x 3, 21,973 ton 9.5 barg 6.5 barg 17.924 (kW/ton)

+Screw VSD 160 kW x

Proposal 21,973 ton 7.5 barg 6.5 barg 10.217 (kW/ton) 43%
1
+Screw VSD 160 kW x
After 25,397 ton 7.5 barg 6.5 barg 7.2113 (kW/ton) 60%
1

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5. Reference
2) bbb Aluminium
• Products: Aluminium foil, CAN bottle, PET bottle
and other products
• Compressed air system
– Total 7 load/unload screw compressors

• Customer wants to replace #7 compressor by new

one.

64
5. Reference
2) bbb Aluminium
• Measuring flow pattern for 4 days.
• Compressor room temperature is 15 °C higher than
outdoor’s.
• Master control is required to reduce unload and to
improve energy efficiency.

65
5. Reference
2) bbb Aluminium
• Solutions;
– One 160 kW VSD screw compressor instead of existing 200 kW load/unload compressor
– Master controller to control 7 compressors
– Air intake duct for each compressor

66
5. Reference
2) bbb Aluminium
• Conclusion

Accumulated air
Equipments Electrical energy Electricity per 1 m3 Saving ratio
consumption
Screw FSD x 6,
Before 398,538 m3 58,262 kWh 0.1462 kWh/m3
Screw FSD 200 kW x 1,
Screw FSD x 6,
After Screw FSD 200 kW x 1, 650,340 m3 84,694 kWh 0.1302 kWh/m3 10.9%
Screw VSD 160kW x 1

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 감사합니다.
Cảm ơn bạn

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