Why recover heat? 

All the electrical power used during the compression process is converted to heat. This heat, if not recovered, causes a waste of energy- which contributes to global warming. When heat is recovered, the cost of power is reduced, which, in turn, reduces the overall cost to companies. When heat is not recovered, it is released into the atmosphere, thus causing wastage. 

When the heat recovery system is plugged into an air compressor, the energy recovered can be used to heat water for use in showers and boilers.  

How is the heat generated in the compressor system used? 

In an average compressor, 96 per cent of the heat can be theoretically recovered – this includes heat from the oil cooler, the after cooler, and the drive Motor. The heat released by the oil cooler can be used for the purpose of heating water. On the other hand, the heat generated by the aftercooler and the drive motor are used for supplemental space heating.  

Why choose ELGi’s heat recovery system? 

ELGi’s heat recovery system recovers upto 78 per cent of the heat generated. This eliminates the need for additional equipment that would lead to more energy consumption and CO2 emissions. With ELGi you are also assured of a greater return on investment.  

ELGi’s Heat Recovery System is an accessory that can be plugged into the EG series rotary compressor – owing to its fully enclosed design. This system is crucial to the functioning of various industries- automotive, cement, textiles, and steel making, to name a few.  

In line with ELGi’s efforts towards sustainability, the Heat Recovery System leads to extra savings and reduced carbon emissions 

The HRS from ELGi saves 69% of the fuel and provides faster ROI* 

 A thorough understanding of how your compressed air system works helps in improving its performance. To know more about  the energy management solution or the heat recovery system, please contact our sales team. 

*this may vary as per site conditions and end-use. 

Executive summary  

Rapid urbanisation has resulted in increased demand for energy-efficient residential and commercial air conditioners across India.  One of the leading manufacturers in India, meets this demand by deploying high-quality ELGi Sauer air compressors across its production and testing facilities.  

Industry Overview  

In the 21st century, people live, work, and play in highly customised interior spaces. Unique in design and application, they reflect the new-age consumer and their evolved needs. The most important parameters are the interior temperature and advanced HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioner) systems that provide comfort and reprieve from increasing heat and external weather conditions. 

In India, where the average summer temperature ranges between 32-40° Celsius, air conditioners are fast becoming a vital commodity for homes, offices, and industrial units. This is especially true in urban regions in the northern part of the country, where the HVAC industry share is the highest.[1] 

Additionally, the emergence of inverter technology in appliances and IoT-enabled temperature control systems is predicted to strengthen the demand for air conditioners even further. 

Furthermore, while residential air conditioners in the country are available in the window and split formats,  light air conditioners, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems, and chillers are the most common product types in the commercial segment. However, there is demand for air conditioners in segments that utilise inverter technology resulting in reduced energy consumption, operating costs, and carbon impact. Besides, increased awareness and growing environmental concerns are changing the HVAC industry. In addition, energy regulations and policies that promote energy efficiency are also evolving.  

About the company 

 One of the most popular and energy-efficient air conditioner brands in India, the company understands the importance of individualised space and comfort in the 21st century, and its HVAC products reflect this philosophy.  Having its manufacturing facility in Kadi, Gujarat, the company manufactures a wide range of products, including but not limited to the following: 

• Residential air conditioners – New technological breakthroughs enable the manufacturers to provide energy-efficient and reliable window and split air conditioners

• Commercial air conditioners – A wide range of large-scale HVAC systems for industrial and residential project needs, including chillers, cassette air conditioners, ductable air conditioners, telecom air conditioners, and VRF systems

The customer challenges 

The manufacturer aims to deliver high-quality, efficient air conditioners, that are reliable and environment friendly. Innovative engineering and manufacturing support the company’s vision of safety, comfort, and sustainability. 

One critical utility that the company relies on for manufacturing and testing is the uninterrupted supply of high-pressure compressed air, which is necessary for testing the condenser coils of air conditioners.   

The solution 

To meet its demand for high-pressure, high-flow, and high-quality compressed air, the company installed ELGi Sauer air compressors at its manufacturing facility. It installed the Passat Series 3-stage air-cooled direct-driven compressors that demonstrate exceptional endurance, even under the most stringent operating conditions of up to 55°C ambient temperature. The ELGi Sauer air compressor models provide an even distribution of pressure ratio per cylinder, resulting in lower cylinder compression temperatures. This increases the life of internal components, providing a long-lasting and high-quality supply of compressed air. 

Business Benefits 

Since the manufacturing company installed ELGi Sauer air compressors, there has been an increase in energy efficiency and production output. With ELGi’s direct-drive technology, reduced power consumption per cubic metre has led to a 40% reduction in energy consumption, boosting the factory’s profitability. The machines are practically maintenance-free. ELGi Sauer also provides standard maintenance routines at regular intervals to ensure efficiency, despite high uptimes during peak seasons.            

“ELGi Sauer’s air compressors have boosted the firms air conditioner testing capacity. With the delivery of high-pressure compressed air coupled with high energy efficiency and zero breakdowns, ELGi Sauer compressors power Hitachi’s production plans consistently.” – Mitesh Trivedi, Assistant Manager, Plant Engineering.  

Speaking about successful installations of high pressure compressors across the nation, Satish Kini, CEO, Elgi Sauer Compressors Limited said, “Over the past decade, ELGi Sauer has significantly expanded its business portfolio in the industry and offshore markets, continuing its strong foothold in the defense business. ELGi Sauer has become the most preferred choice across major industry segments in India, such as steel, auto, power, general industry, and oil & gas.” 

“Looking ahead at the growing business prospects in the key focus markets, ELGi Sauer has started to build a greenfield manufacturing facility expected to be operational by the end of 2022. The new plant would support the organic growth and cater to the engineering and product testing requirements of its joint venture partner Sauer, Germany, and its subsidiaries. This expansion will contribute significantly to double the business turnover in the next five years to over INR 800 million. Today, ELGi Sauer covers most of the SAARC countries and explores more business prospects in upcoming years.”  

[1]https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/india-air-conditioners-market/3319.html#:~:text=India%20air%20conditioners%20market%20stood,for%20residential%20and%20commercial%20spaces.  

Paul Edward Theroux, the famous American novelist, and traveller, once said: “The railway possessed India and made her hugeness graspable.” The Indian Railways is the world’s largest passenger carrier and the fourth-largest freight carrier (1). It is the fourth-largest railway network globally-only behind the US, Russia, and China. (2) Its immensity can be gauged from the fact that the 95,981-kilometre route length of the Indian Railways carried 8.4 billion passengers and $1.2 billion worth of freight during 2018-2019. More than 12,000 passenger trains run across the country daily and cumulatively cover a distance more than four times the earth and the moon. (3)

The Indian Railways began its journey in 1832 and has grown to become the giant it is today. As one of the primary drivers of India’s economic growth, the Indian Railways has achieved this by being financially viable, technologically brilliant, and environment friendly.

The Indian Railways has also defied the trend that many big companies face.. On the contrary,  they have cruised along and undertaken numerous initiatives to upgrade their infrastructure and quality of service.. 

These efforts have resulted in the Indian Railways achieving double-digit growth in freight traffic and doubling its freight speed on the back of massive infrastructural upgrades. Besides, new initiatives are always at play, from train control, signalling, and electrification to expansion through modern locomotives and EMUs, to name a few. 

More importantly, the Indian Railways has its goals set with social and financial objectives in mind-from efficient energy use to the new decarbonisation paradigm and aiming to become a net-zero carbon-emitter by 2030. (7)

While all this is no mean feat as the world continues to struggle with partial lockdowns, there is a lot more to come, with India projected to account for 40% of the global share of rail activity by 2050. (4) The target is achievable since the government plans to invest ₹50000 billion in railway infrastructure by 2030. (5) It has also identified many new high-speed rail corridors besides planning INR 3 trillion worth of metro rail projects across various cities over the next five years. (6)

Addressing Challenges

For the Indian Railways, maintaining the highest standards of compressed air holds critical importance. Without it, machines unexpectedly break down, demand expensive repairs, or cause uncomfortable turbulence. For rolling stock of all capacities-from locomotives to good wagons to passenger coaches, whether powered by electricity or diesel – the railways need high-quality compressed air for smooth and safe operations. Moreover, various train components, whether the braking system, doors, pantograph devices, or air suspension, rely on high-quality compressed air solutions for safety and overall reliability. The Indian Railways is also subject to a variety of constantly changing compliances and regulations.

In the 1960s, the Indian Railways took many progressive steps towards modernization and adopted 25kv AC traction for electrification. (8) While the Indian Railways urgently required compressors to modernize the braking system, it could not directly import foreign solutions because the country was hit by twin mass famines (9), and liquidity was in short supply. Besides, though the second five-year plan (1956-61) initiated industrial import policies, there was not much clarity around it. (10) However, the government was proactively piloting several initiatives to trigger domestic economic growth. It encouraged the Indian Railways to initiate production work for electric locomotives at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works and flagged off the first 1500V DC electric locomotive from Bombay in 1961. (11)

By the early 1960s, ELGi began assembling and manufacturing small compressors under the brand name ELGi Uraca. It imported only major components and either manufactured the rest in-house or procured them locally. With urgent requirements arising from the Indian Railways, and a mandate to keep costs low, ELGi opened an indigenous compressor manufacturing unit in the heart of Coimbatore. The first product supplied to the Indian Railways was a 1000 litres per minute capacity compressor driven by a battery-operated direct current (DC) motor. 

Since then, ELGi has consistently delivered a wide range of sustainable and efficient compressed air solutions to the Indian Railways. Today, 90% of Indian Railway’s electric locomotives, 65% diesel locomotives, and 60% electric multiple units (EMUs) use ELGi air compressors for braking applications and auxiliary systems. 

“The Indian Railways has been ELGi’s important customer for over five decades. Increasing urbanization and rising incomes have contributed to significant growth in the passenger segment, while freight traffic also saw a marked increase due to dedicated freight corridor investments. Our oil-free air compressors, renowned for reliability, performance, and energy efficiency, will revolutionize the way compressed air is used in the railway industry” said Dr. Jairam Varadaraj, Managing Director, ELGi Equipments.

Picture credit – https://www.toprankers.com/exams/railway-development-in-india-1854-to-now/

One of Egypt’s leading emulsion polymers’ producers was seeking a robust and reliable air compressing solution for constant air supply with variable pressure compression. That’s when they adopted ELGi’s eco-friendly, energy-efficient EG Series Screw air compressors to increase reliability and ease of use at its manufacturing operations. 

According to reports, the polymer emulsion’s market size is expected to rise from USD 25.2 bn in 2020 to USD 38.1 bn by 2025.1 Despite the shock from COVID-19, considered unparalleled since the great depression and the IMF warning of an uneven slump ahead, the growth prediction of 8.6% CAGR is heartening for all stakeholders. 

The prediction is based on solid fundamentals and is not just a result of biased speculation. Market growth is driven by regulatory mandates, emerging energy disruptions, shifting consumer dynamics, and growing end-user industries, principally from emerging countries. 

Strict regulations are fuelling product demand. Stringent pro-environment guidelines around toxic chemical emissions and directives regarding the usage of water-based emulsion polymers over synthetic products. Various end-user industries like paper, textile, and consumer durables are adopting polymer emulsion to control noxious emissions. Additionally, the auto industry, coupled with the construction industry, is driving the global polymer emulsion market. Owing to a growing demand for green buildings, the global construction market is poised to grow by 85% to $15.5 trillion worldwide by 2030.² 

The Polymerisation Process 

Often called ‘products by process,’ emulsion polymers signify that the composition of the bulk polymer is as important as the process of making it.  

Alcohol is an emulsifying and dispersing agent for paper coating, board coating, water-soluble film, textile sizing agent, paper and wood adhesive, release liners and carpet coating among others.     

The emulsion polymer manufacturing process is very complicated. 

With traditional energy-guzzling installations, mounting pressure loss increased startling load, and rigidity in temperature compromising air quality, the need was for advanced air compressors with high-end design and advanced features. The company was seeking a partner to help deploy compressed air systems that can withstand the harshest of environmental conditions while saving energy, costs, and reducing Co2 emissions. 

From 2018, the company started leveraging ELGi’s total compressed air solutions to achieve best-in-class energy efficiency.  

ELGi’s eco-friendly, energy-efficient EG Series Screw Compressors delivered constant air supply with variable pressure compression. Through its in-house, proprietary η-V profile rotors designed to run at optimum speeds, it reduced pressure losses and increased efficiency. ELGi’s 1000 litre high-pressure air receiver, designed to ASME standards and built-in ELGi’s dedicated facility, acted as an enabler between the compressor and the variable pressure caused by demand waves helping reduce the loading and unloading cycle pressure on the compressor. 

Airtime refrigeration, air dryers, and filters prevented real-life problems like unwanted abrasive sludge, corrosion of piping, and erosion of pneumatic tools.  

ELGi’s Airtime refrigerated air dryer has ensured longer life of compressed air system through the efficient removal of the condensate and contaminants. As per international protocol, ELGi uses ozone-friendly R 134A gas as the refrigerant which has zero ozone-depletion potential. 

The organisation specifically selected the ELGi EG Series compressor on account of its following features and benefits: 

• Reduced startling load: The new generation intake valve system is designed for low losses. 
• Moisture-free air: The EG Series air compressor, with its custom-designed centrifugal type moisture separator and automatic drain, removed over 99% of bulk water from the compressed air. 
• Cool air: Efficient air cooling from an integrated fan-motor maintains a low temperature, resulting in the increased lifespan of the motor.  
• Robustness and reliability: Designed to perform in extreme temperatures, the compressors have performed well in cold, hot, and humid, as well as arid conditions.     

CONCLUSION 

The partnership with ELGi has enabled the organisation to address various operational requirements, including the need for clean, moisture-free, oil-less (1ppm) air that is free of other contaminants as well. The emulsion polymer maker has also been able to reduce the life cycle costs for its air compressors, besides realising significant energy savings and uptime warranty. 

To know more about our offerings in the manufacturing sector, do reach out to us at communications@elgi.com or call us 1800-203-3544 (Toll-free, India). 

1. Polymer Emulsion Market worth $38.1 billion by 2025 – Exclusive Report byMarketsandMarkets™

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/polymer-emulsion-market-worth-38-1-billion-by-2025–exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-301124978.html 

2. Global Construction Market to Grow $8 Trillion by 2030: Driven by China,USand India 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-construction-market-to-grow-8-trillion-by-2030-driven-by-china-us-and-india-544142522.html 

Take a look at the key points to focus on a compressor’s installation. 

The current pandemic situation has reiterated the significance of cost. Decisions regarding capital expenditure are being critically reviewed, as every organization is looking at ways for better cash management. In such scenarios, where expenditure is essential, there, every penny saved is equal to cash earned.

Hence, one of the first measures you can take to reduce compressed air energy costs is to measure and monitor your energy consumption regularly to optimize usage.