Energy costs account for approx. 30% of a production facility’s operating budget. That means nearly a third of all the money organizations invest into their plant, goes straight to the power bill. Power cost is a pivotal determinant of the overall cost to companies. 

Globally, business owners have embraced sustainable techniques to ensure   convenience, and efficiency in their facility, but is it possible to go too green? Absolutely. 

Considering the implications of global warming, ELGi introduced a Heat Recovery System, which enables the reuse of heat energy generated during the compression process for tasks like heating water. 

Refine Your Compressed Air System with ELGi’s Heat Recovery System 

ELGi’s Heat Recovery System can assist in using 78% of the waste heat generated by the compressor for other facility operations, such as heating water. As a result, there is no longer a need to purchase additional equipment to heat water, thus lowering CO2 emissions. The Heat Recovery System is an accessory which can be used with the ELGi EG Series rotary air compressor. Customers can easily plug the HRS into an air compressor to warm water and air for use in showers and boilers by using the heat produced by the air compressor.  

In a typical compression system, the theoretical recoverable heat is 96% of the overall electrical energy consumption. It consists of heat dissipated in the oil cooler (78%), the after cooler (13%) and the heat radiated from the drive motor (5%). The heat dissipated by the oil cooler can be used for heating water and the heat dissipated by the after cooler and drive motor can be used for supplemental space heating. The remaining 4% heat cannot be recovered, since 2% radiates through the canopy and the other 2% vents inside the canopy. 

Robust Operations Across Industries 

The Heat Recovery System finds its operation in industries like automotive, textiles, cement, paper & pulp, machine tool shops, steel making and the food processing industry where there is a need to heat / pre-heat water to a certain temperature ELGi’s HRS can significantly reduce energy costs by eliminating the use of special heating equipment or by offering the initial heat to start the heating process where higher temperatures are required. 

Elgi is a global air compressor manufacturer with an expansive line of innovative and technologically superior compressed air systems. ELGi has consistently ensured that its customers achieve their productivity goals while keeping the environmental impact low. Our product innovation for the Heat Recovery System is driven by the potential for savings and by examining the carbon footprint of an air compressor. ELGi firmly believes that sustainable technology is at the heart of positive environmental change.    

Explore our portfolio of sustainable & efficient solutions here: http://www.elgi.com 

This approach has primarily contributed to “what we are’’ and ‘’where we are’’ today. A broad spectrum of our customer’s manufacturing facilities has been evolving rapidly while adopting new technology that improves their existing processes. Today, we’re proud to see our high-value, customer-centric products in great demand in over 120 countries across the globe!

Innovation is a continuous journey – a race that has no finish line, and so is the case with our business aspirations. ELGi stands tall as one of the global leaders in the compressed air industry. Over the years, customer value and quality have been intrinsic to our DNA and we believe innovation will help us  in achieving our growth goals.   

With an in-depth understanding of the “know-how” and the “know-why” of compressors, it gives us the ability to build globally competitive products.

In the current dynamic technological arena, the speed and effectiveness of innovation are critical to be ahead in the game. A systematic and focussed approach will enhance the speed and effectiveness of innovation. Which brings us to the initiative –  State of The Future Art, where we aim to identify, develop, and nurture innovation systematically.

Celebrated every year on the 15^th of December, the ‘State of The Future Art’ themed Technology Day brings together young engineering minds from the ELGi Global Technology Center, the academia and industry experts, and provides a robust platform for them to ideate and showcase breakthrough technology through a series of presentations, product displays, knowledge sharing and interactive panel discussions. This year’s focus is on Energy Efficiency.

Our work extends to expanding the range and incorporating region-specific features to handle challenging environmental factors and associated needs. We believe this will attract many more global customers and enhance our strengths while we march towards our aspirations.

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One of our partners in the paper manufacturing industry was looking for ways to reduce their energy consumption. They identified that their air compressor was a major contributor to their energy bill.

SITE ANALYSIS:

They had many decade-old compressors placed in various locations of their plant. The older compressors consumed higher energy. The machines were also becoming difficult to maintain due to short consumable replacement cycles and an increase in maintenance costs. And any new compressor would have to be rugged in to run in harsh temperatures with minimal maintenance checks.

SOLUTION:

After a comprehensive study, we recommended that two of their existing 75kW machines be replaced with newer, larger 160kW compressors as a preliminary change to accommodate their budget and to increase efficiency.

RESULT:

It has been 1 month since we replaced the machines, and the paper manufacturer has recovered over 55% of their investment only through power. The newer compressors which offer more features also operate with less noise and are built to handle harsh temperatures and conditions of the site.

Every equipment in use needs an upgrade. Not only does an upgrade bring changes to the equipment in terms of performance but also features.

When it comes to the environment, both the consumer and the manufacturer understand the impact of a product on the environment. Hence, there is significant effort taken to reduce the environmental impact of products.

Over the past decade, a lot has changed in compressors. The air-ends which are the heart of the compressors have been improved to provide higher compressed air flow and consume lower power. The primary mover of the air-ends, the electric motor’s minimum efficiency has been incrementally upgraded as well. The unload power and power consumed by the cooling fan has also been reduced significantly by controlling the flow of oil into the air-ends and the cooler. The controllers have become smarter and can identify running patters. They can also control multiple other compressors as well.

After analysis, ELGi recommended replacing 2 machines with a larger one as a preliminary effort.

Two 75kW units were replaced with one 160kW improved state of the art oil lubricated screw compressor. Not only did it help increase the compressed air output but also helped save electricity. this effort helped reduce CO2 emission (in tonnes). The details of the savings are as below:

These contaminants can be categorized into:
1. Particles
2. Water (Liquid, vapor and aerosol)
3. Oil (Liquid, vapor and aerosol)
4. Microorganisms
5. Other gases

According to the International Standard, ISO 8573-1:2010, compressed air contaminants like particles, water and oil are segregated as per purity classes. In this standard, microorganisms and other gases are not included. As a result, the air purity is indicated as [P,W,O] and is ordered as per the amount of particles, water and oil.

That is because, most would have gone with the rule of thumb, the usual recommendation for a typical compressed air system. But the reality is that there is more to receiver tank sizing, customized to the application than just one size fits all

Imagine a water tank at an elevated height, supplying water to residences in an area. This is analogous to an air receiver supplying to various industrial demands. Let’s understand the need for an air receiver and its function in the compressed air system.

But what makes an automobile the thing of dreams?

High-quality equipment for a high-quality vehicle

Automobiles have been engineered into the modern-day way of life, which is what has driven many manufacturing feats and innovations and changed the face of the entire industry for the better. Manufacturers today can supply consumers with safer, more fuel-efficient and reliable vehicles owing to the improved manufacturing practices through the use of compressed air systems. 

ISO 9000’s definition of quality is the “degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirement”.

So, we must consider the customer, the attributes of the product and the degree to which the product or service meets the needs of all stakeholders. Based on these characteristics we can define the quality of a product as “good”, “average”, “excellent”.

Adherence to a recognized quality standard is essential for dealing with certain customers or complying with legislation. If you sell products in regulated markets, such as health care, food or electrical goods, you must be able to comply with the health and safety compliance standards designed to protect consumer’s interests.

In today’s business environment, organizations face multiple challenges ranging from a global economic slowdown, challenging and agile competition, and technology that’s moving at lightening pace. And one of the ways in which an organization can build a strong, sustainable competitive advantage for itself, is via implementing Total quality management (TQM) practices.