Plant & Works Engineering November 2022

Focus on: Compressed Air Process, Controls & Plant November 2022 ww w.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Eng ineering | 21 for example, to make start-up and shutdown management of processes and machines more efficient, improve compressor control, and manage peak loads. By tracking consumption over time, Pratt explains that losses are easier to spot and correct. For example, he highlights that energy waste is clear if the compressed air usage graph does not baseline close to zero at weekends. Is there a surge in power usage on a Monday morning when machines are turned on? Then, perhaps, a more efficient power-up sequence could be adopted to prevent overloading the compressor. The system makes it possible to monitor energy usage close to the machine cells where the compressed air is being used. Armed with additional information, production teams can pose specific questions: How much air is cell number 1 using, compared to cell number 2? If cell no 3 uses a lot more compressed air energy, then keep it offline as long as possible. How much compressed air energy is needed to produce one type of component compared to another? As well as enabling resources to be used more sustainably, the data insights support better operational efficiency and help achieve reduced carbon targets. The information can contribute towards ISO50001 Energy Management certification, or compliance with the UK Government’s Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS). The SICK FTMg, which stands for Flow Thermal Meter for inert gases, uses the dynamic calorimetric principle for precision measurement, enabling it to detect even the smallest changes reliably. Up to eight FTMG flow meters can be configured via each SICK Smart Services Gateway, which collects data, aggregates and encrypts it before sending it securely via the customer’s own IT infrastructure through a firewall to the SICK cloud. Alternatively, it is possible to by-pass the IT infrastructure by using mobile communications over 3G or 4G. Individuals then have access through a personal SICK ID from any device with a web browser. Pratt adds that SICK also offers alternatives for customers who do not require the FTMg Monitoring App. For customers wishing to integrate SICK FTMg flow meters into their own IT systems, one or more devices can be used with an IIoT gateway, such as the TDC-E from SICK, for data pre-processing and integration into customer-specific MES, cloud or energy management systems. Measurable payback Wasted compressed air adds up to a huge energy costs and carbon emissions that are easily fixed. According to the Carbon Trust, UK industry uses over 10TWh of electricity a year to compress air 2 equivalent to almost 1.5 power stations. It’s not just the wasted energy, the usage equates to 5 million tonnes of CO 2 emitted into the atmosphere. Understanding the importance of compressed air energy efficiency as part of total cost of ownership demonstrates the benefits of investment in efficient in-line, real time instrumentation – especially when combined with the data transparency that is unlocked by new digital services. The payback could be instantly measurable. 1. British Compressed Air Society Reducing Energy Consumption from Compressed Air Usage 2. Carbon Trust, Compressed air, Opportunities for Business (2012) Get the free App Make life easier t: +44 (0)1543 379212 e: sales@sepura-technologies.com SEPURA ™ is part of the Bowman Group www.sepura-technologies.com We have developed a mobile App that will make it easy to identify the right SEPURA™ product to fit your current oil/water filtration system. Not only that, we have also built in a calculator so you will know straight away which product from our comprehensive range is the correct one for you. Our unique SILEXA™ filtration media is made from recycled materials and is more effective than any other filtration media currently available. Many users are now switching to our products over their existing OEM suppliers to meet their environmental commitments. scan the code to go to the download page