Recovery of energy
How many times customers, and ourselves, we propose why use compressed as energy air?. Obviously the answer is that their multiple benefits, all of them widely known it that its main disadvantage (highly costly to produce energy) weighs less when taking decisions.
An analysis of this point, does this mean that as users must assume that these systems are energy a 'disaster'?. Obviously as global specialists in the sector and as a company fully committed to sustainability the answer is no.
Atlas Copco has been throughout its history by developing teams ever more efficient, as well as options that allow to decrease energy expenditure associated with the production of compressed air, so what more can we do to help our customers to make a 'cost-effective' energy of compressed air?
If we look at the different variables that influence the costs of operation of compressor, cost of the life cycle, we will see clearly that the power consumption represents as term average, 70% of the cost of total operation in 5 years of use.
Taking a step forward, can we reduce the power consumption? The answer is Yes, primarily through investment in new technologies. Once reduced consumption, under the premise of ' energy nor destroyed, only turns ', the next question would be what happens with the energy that is still used in the process?
As a mean value, 10% of the energy consumed is transformed into heat which remains in the compressed air. The rest gives rise to the heat radiated into the engine, heat absorbed by the cooling liquid and heat radiated in refrigerators. Therefore, approximately 90% of the energy is able to be recovered and reused for other purposes e.g. through heat exchanger to heat water. If we are able to find the appropriate application in the installation, we can generate significant energy savings to our customers.
What can we do with the captured heat? Our new kits of energy recovery services allow us to capture this heat to use it in other applications for example to:
- main or auxiliary heating
- Heating of industrial processes and drying processes
- Heating of water for laundry, industrial cleaning and sanitary facilities
- Large kitchens and dining rooms
- Industry food, chemistry and pharmaceutical
- Pre-heating of water for other processes