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Best Practice Guide |
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Food and Beverage Growers and Processors |
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Compressed AirWaste Heat RecoveryWaste Heat Recovery and Heat Exchangers It is easiest to adapt packaged, rotary screw compressors since a heat exchanger is not needed. Add ducting and a fan that prevents backpressure on the compressor cooling fan. Warm air can then be vented to desired areas. The closer the compressor is to the area of use, the more efficient this system will be. Water can be heated by adding a heat exchanger to either a rotary screw or a reciprocating compressor. The heat exchanger collects thermal energy from the lubricant coolers, using this to heat the water. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that air compressor heat recovery can reduce a facility's total energy use by about two percent with an average simple payback of 10 months. Resources Improving Compressed Air System Performance: A Sourcebook for Industry. Compressed Air Challenge and U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The Compressed Air Challenge(CAC) is a voluntary coalition of industry, manufacturers, state research and development agencies, energy efficiency organizations, contractors, and utilities. CAC provides a number of resources online, including best practices, tips, and case studies, as well as live trainings held throughout the country. The mission of CAC is to develop and provide resources that educate industry on the opportunities to increase net profits through compressed air system optimization. Efficiency Improvements in Industrial Compressed Air Systems. Pacific Gas & Electric Company, April 25, 1997. Air Compressor Energy-Saving Tips. Minnesota Technical Assistance Program, University of Minnesota, 2003. U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Industrial Technologies Program, Compressed Air Best Practices. Wise Rules for Industrial Energy Efficiency: A Toolkit for Estimating Energy Savings and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ENERGY STAR, September 2003. The Compressor Guy website, archived files on Profit and Productivity Thieves and Unregulated Use. |