AIR COMPRESSOR CONSUMPTION
Like all electro-mechanical equipment, industrial compressed air systems require periodic maintenance to operate at peak efficiency and minimize unscheduled downtime. Inadequate maintenance can increase energy consumption via lower compression efficiency, air leakage, or pressure variability. It also can lead to high operating temperatures, poor moisture control, excessive contamination, and unsafe working environments. Most issues are minor and can be corrected with simple adjustments, cleaning, part replacement, or elimination of adverse conditions.
This tool calculates the energy savings associated with making minor changes to your air compressor system. Each section calculates the energy savings associated with one of the following changes:
![]() |
Reduce compressor air pressure |
![]() |
Repair compressed air leaks |
Enter the data specific to your compressor in the required sections, with each section having some additional inputs specific to the changes listed above.The cumulative savings for implementing all the changes is calculated at the bottom of the tool.
Acknowledgement | |
This tool was adapted from a savings calculator created by the West Virginia University Industrial Assessment Center.
|
Number Of Compressors |
Utilization Factor
The maximum demand of a system divided by its rated capacity.
|
||
Horse Power | hp |
N Value
Compression factor based on type of compressor and polytropic efficiency. Use the
following list to determine the N-value for your system.
· N = 1.25 for screw compressors with polytropic efficiency of 80% · N = 1 for reciprocating compressor with single stage · N = 2 for reciprocating compressor with double stage. |
|
Efficiency
Enter the efficiency for your system as value between 0 and 100.
|
% |
Current Operating Pressure
The maximum pressure that the manufacturer states that it is safe to operate the
compressor.
|
kPa |
Load Factor
The average power divided by the peak power over a period of time.
|
Maximum Rated Pressure
The maximum pressure at which the manufacturer determines it is safe to operate
the compressor.
|
kPa | |
Operating Hours | hrs |
Atmosphere Pressure
If unknown, please use default value of 101.325kPa.
|
kPa |
Cost Of Electricity
If unknown, use a default value of 0.08.
|
RM /kWh | Demand Cost | RM/kW |