Energy efficiency in industrial applications is of utmost importance. It doesn’t just save your operational costs affecting services, products and your overall business, but also improves your competitiveness and productivity.
VSD air compressors are ideal solutions to help industries achieve the desired energy efficiency. It automatically adjusts the operating speed of a compressor to align it with the compressed air production demand.
The VSD compressors are used for applications where there’s demand for compressed air fluctuations. VSD variants offer a plethora of benefits that you shall know later in this article.
In this article, you will get a detailed insight into the operations of VSD compressors and their ability to lower energy consumption.
A] Understanding VSD Air Compressors
VSD compressors work at a regulated speed with the use of an intelligent drive system. The purpose of it is to continually alter the motor speed to match the exact demand of air. The variable speed drive concept will control the RPM of a specific unit with respect to the demand. Thus, it will result in fluctuating the power required to match it with the required output.
As the demand slows down, the compressor VSD mechanism will reduce the motor speed accordingly. Following that, the power consumption will also drop gradually to minimise energy consumption. The VSD compressors are very different from that of the traditional air compressors.
Traditional compressor systems prefer running at a constant or consistent speed. It generates a fixed level of compressed air every minute. If your industrial application demands a constant flow of compressed air, traditional compressors can be an ideal pick.
Considering the applications, almost all industries are looking for an ideal air compressor supplier Some of them include automotive, amusement parks, healthcare, agriculture, food and beverage and chemicals, iron & steel, glass, and others
B] Energy Consumption in Traditional Fixed-Speed Compressors
Let’s try to understand the amount of energy that traditional fixed-speed air compressors consume:
The traditional air compressors work at a fixed speed, and they run at a constant or consistent speed. It means that the compressor will be running at a uniform speed, producing a specified amount of compressed air every minute.
In technical terms of how fixed-speed air compressors operate, they will be sending a constant supply of voltage to the motor, which will then be driving integrated rotary screws at a stable speed. This will pull in the air and pressurise it. Therefore the energy consumption is higher than that of a VSD Compressor.
So, if you are using fixed-speed compressors, it becomes highly crucial for you to rely on some impactful energy-saving tips to reduce your overhead costs.
C] How Do VSD Air Compressors Achieve Energy Efficiency?
Here are some ways in which the VSD air compressors would help you achieve energy efficiency:
1. Variable Speed Operation
A VSD screw compressors has the capability of adjusting the motor speed as per the demand of compressed air by the end applications. As less air is needed for an application, the consumption of electricity required to obtain a specific RPM will also be less. Thus, a significant amount of energy savings will be attained! The amount you save upon replacing your fixed-speed compressor with VSD will help you recover enough money to cover this investment.
2. Load Matching
VSD air compressors support load matching by sensing the changes in the rate of demand by the system. Based on that, the compressor will slow down the speed of the motor, which will reduce the production of compressed air. With this, you can expect to get no inefficient running or start/stop cycles, helping you with remarkable energy savings.
3. Soft Start
The VSD air compressors come with a soft start/stop mechanism, which helps the system control both acceleration as well as deceleration. It ensures that the amperage peaks are reduced immensely. In this way, the air compressors with VSD technology offer you constant pressure for your industrial operations. For you to better understand this, soft start is an electronic control mechanism that slowly ramps up the power for motor operations to minimise the sudden spikes in energy consumption.
4. No-Load Operation
The VSD air compressors have the flexibility of starting or stopping under maximum system pressure without the need for unloading. Thus, it saves both time and energy without affecting the rate of production. There will be no blow-off loss during usual operations or energy loss due to idling. The VSD compressors cannot just operate at low speeds but will also stop automatically when the air demand is very low. Thus, it saves even more energy!
5. Efficiency at Partial Loads
VSD Air Compressors work well with partial load by adjusting the speed and output with the use of a flow or pressure controller. It offers better stability and more energy-saving opportunities. There are many advancements done to the VSD compressors, which don’t just save energy but also improve the overall performance of the system.
6. Pressure Band Control
Pressure band is defined as the difference between cut-in and cut-out pressure that the compressor operates in. VSD compressors tend to operate with a tighter pressure band control. It helps your system to operate at immensely lowered delivery pressures. But at the same time, the system will still be maintaining the necessary working pressure to keep the air system running. VSD comes with a pressure-flow control mechanism, which helps the compressors to function with a wide pressure band. It will mitigate the short cycling issues and will enable the unloaded air compressors to shut down or time out.
7. Energy Recovery
Energy recovery in the VSD air compressors is helpful in reducing the overall energy expenses and adverse environmental impacts. This is the approach where the wasted heat or kinetic energy, which is generated during the compression process, will be captured and used again. While the VSD compressors work at full pace, they will be generating a certain amount of heat as a byproduct of the process and the VSD compressor would capture the same instead of dissipating it. The system would transfer the excessive heat to air or water systems for pre-heating of fluids, space heating or heating domestic water.
8. Reduced Mechanical Damage, Increase service life
VSD Compressors reduce the frequent loading and unloading of the solenoid valve, increase its service life and avoid the damage due to long-term high speed running. Furthermore, when the solenoid valve starts for the first time, then it has no more action, which not only extends the service life but also extends its maintenance period to save operating expenses.
9. Adaptation to System Changes
VSD air compressors, when connected to a facility, can easily sense the changes in terms of air demand for the respective applications. Based on that, the compressor will adjust the motor speed to align with the demand patterns. Thus, less energy will be consumed in order to keep the air compressor running constantly in an industrial setup.
10. Longer Lifespan
VSD air compressors, when maintained efficiently, can last for a long time. If you rely upon a reputed manufacturer to obtain your air compressor, then you can expect it to last up to 20 years. The VSD motors are meant to optimise the speeds and manage the overall compressor performance. Thus, it will reduce the overall stress on the electrical or mechanical components. As a result, the life of the VSD air compressor system will be prolonged, and the chances of downtime will also be reduced.
Conclusion
The capabilities of a VSD air compressor are to be able to adjust the power required with respect to the real-time demand of the applications. It is an important innovation for companies that have varying needs for compressed air, depending on different applications. It is because VSD compressors can help you save a lot of money on energy consumption and will also contribute towards keeping the environment safe.
So, irrespective of the industry you are in, it is important you should count on getting the right technology to save on funds and scale on operations. VSD air compressor is one such tool that will help you with diverse applications. If you are looking for a reliable air compressor manufacturer, then get in touch with us today!