Their distinct features can be understood in terms of:

“If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride – and never quit, you’ll be a winner.”

As of 2019, only 10-15% of the start-ups worldwide were founded by women.

In spite of the steady strides made, female entrepreneurs continue to face challenges to set up their own enterprise. Whether it be the lack of financial aid, unfair discrimination, or the struggle to balance the business and family, they are forced to deal with significantly greater issues than their male counterparts.

However, with indomitable grit and a strong penchant for learning, female business owners can overcome these challenges and emerge victorious.

Let us take a look at the story of one of ELGi’s partners, Sandra Felip Riba, and how she successfully battled the stereotypes she faced, while being at the helm of Grup Air Sa.

With piston compressors, there are two alternatives – belt drive and direct drive. To make the right choice for your compressed air needs, it is important to understand the difference between the two.

Understanding the requirement

The requirement for any given application will play a big role while deciding on the type of the piston compressor – belt drive or direct drive.

The factors to be considered are as follows:

•  Pressure and Flow
• Duty Cycle and duration of use
•  Environment
• Maintenance
• Energy efficiency

The Technology

Belt driven reciprocating compressors are conventional machines, proven for their durability in intermittent usage patterns over the years. On the other hand, direct drive machines are quieter, compact and suit a higher duty cycle with proven reliability when compared to a belt drive.

Please do note that both differ in terms of the “use case” they fit into.

Belt Drive Reciprocating Air Compressor

A belt drive reciprocating air compressor has a belt that connects the motor and the pump. When the motor runs, the belt transfers the power through pulleys to run the pump.

The energy and maintenance costs of these machines are comparatively higher, owing to the transmission system and higher number of touchpoints.

This is why, a periodic check of the pulley’s alignment and the belt tension is required. Improper alignment will impact the motor’s load pattern, thereby increasing the energy cost. This can also result in belt failure due to excessive tension.

Typically, energy costs contribute to more than 75% of the total life cycle costs of a compressor. Appropriate selection of compressors will result in optimal energy utilization, thereby reducing energy costs significantly for the user.

While businesses focus on optimising production and reducing unnecessary costs, air compressor breakdown due to incorrect start-stop might lead to huge operational losses. Here is the need to work on a business continuity plan capable of handling the fast-moving variables of an outbreak like COVID-19.

As some countries across the world are going into lockdown while others are resuming business activities, it is important to follow few steps to ensure proper shut down and start-up of your air compressor and related accessories.

Re-evaluate your energy cost during operation and invest in energy saving products like ELGi Heat Recovery System.Know More

While the battle between contact lenses v/s glasses continues to pique interest and gain a following on either side, simply put, some people prefer glasses and don’t see the benefits in contacts. While others discover great convenience from contact lenses and like to believe that they make them look more attractive!

How about we demystify this for you? (Pun intended)

This same principle is being used in industrial applications to create a raw material calledsponge iron or DirectReduced Iron (DRI). It is elementary for the generation of steel or iron-based items. Sponge iron is produced from the direct reduction of iron ore to iron by a reducing gas or elemental carbon produced from natural gas or coal. When the iron ore is reduced, oxygen content in the ore is eliminated. This leaves void spaces in the ore that give it a porous or spongy look. Hence the sobriquet ‘sponge iron’.

Air is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, less than 1% argon and contains gases like carbon dioxide, helium and neon. Each element supports numerous processes ranging from industrial to healthcare. To obtain these gases however, air needs to be separated into its primary components through a process called air separation.

Air can be separated through three processes:

1. Air Adsorption
2. Polymer Membrane
3. Cryogenic Distillation

Adsorption is a process in which atoms or molecules of gases or liquids adhere to the surface of another substance. The molecules accumulate creating a film on the surface of the solid absorbent, without entering its surface. It works like a drinking water filter where water is the adsorbate and the carbon cartridges that adsorb contaminants is the adsorbent.

This phenomenon is found in many natural physical, biological, and chemical systems and is widely used in industrial applications. In air separation, activated charcoal is coal heated to nearly 4000 C to release unwanted by-products, then ‘activated’ by exposing it to an oxidizing agent, usually steam or carbon dioxide at high temperatures that creates the essential micro porosity.