Product category:
Energy management; Boiler plant
News Release from: SKF UK | Subject: Compressor savings
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 26 February 2007
Large energy savings in industrial
compressors
Gas or air compressors present a significant area for cost savings in many industrial applications: three different technical solutions from SKF are quoted as examples of the possible results
SKF technology has delivered large energy savings in industrial compressor installations using three different technical solutions * Savings of 700,000 kWh per year were made when SKF magnetic bearings replaced hydrodynamic bearings in a 12 MW natural gas pipeline compressor
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 1 Aug 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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That is the equivalent of the total energy consumption of 900 homes for one month.
In addition there are cost and environmental benefits gained by eliminated oil related systems; pumps, coolers, filters and the need to dispose of used oil.
Magnetic bearings deliver torque by a shaft suspended in a magnetic field that can be controlled to vary the speed of rotation.
The shaft has no contact with any other machine parts making the system almost friction-free.
* More than 1 million kWh were saved over a four year period in field trials on three air conditioning compressors fitted with SKF hybrid bearings.
That is the equivalent of the total energy consumption of 1,200 homes for one month.
Hybrid bearings can be lubricated by the refrigerant in the compressor, making the application oil-free.
Traditional systems use an oil/refrigerant mix to lubricate the bearings.
Additional cost and environment benefits are made due to eliminating oil related systems.
Hybrid bearings have silicon nitride rolling elements in place of traditional steel rolling elements.
* Energy consumption reductions averaging 5% per machine were made by optimising the use of screw compressors for commercial air conditioning systems, using SKF rotor positioning technology.
With an estimated base of 1 million systems and 100,000 added every year the potential savings are 2,500 million kWh, based on an average consumption of 200,000 kWh per year.
That is the equivalent of the total energy consumption of 3 million homes for one month.
Rotor positioning minimises internal clearances in screw compressors thereby reducing leakage and improving overall efficiency.
SKF energy efficiency solutions lower total operational costs in many applications by reducing friction, reducing power consumption, and applying new technology, some of which can also eliminate costly ancillary equipment in pneumatic, hydraulic and oil related systems. Request a free brochure from SKF UK ...
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