Study of the electricity consumption reduction of a compressed air system: the case of a steelmaking company

Abstract

This work aims to reduce the energy consumption and thus increase the availability of blast furnace compressors of a steelmaking company, located in Alto Paraopeba region in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, through the elimination of waste points in the compressed air distribution. In order to develop this work, an ultrasound test in the compressed air line was performed to identify and quantify leaks in the flow. Once the leaks were identified, they were eliminated through corrective maintenance and improvements, and then the energy consumption scenarios before and after the improvements were compared. As a result, the average monthly electricity consumption in the reporting period decreased by 57.2%. In addition, one compressor was set aside in stand-by condition, as in the original plant. Thus, one can prove the efficiency in eliminating of waste points in compressed air distribution, since the reduction of energy consumption is important for the company to remain competitive, as the cost of electric energy affects the final price of the final products.

A Literature Review of the Positive Displacement Compressor: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities

“…In recent market research, the global compressor market was reported at USD 39.9 billion in 2019, and it is expected to reach USD 48.5 billion by 2030, with the majority of the market share contributed by positive displacement compressors [9]. It is worth mentioning that compressed gas is regarded as one of the most expensive energy forms [10]. It was reported that nearly 20% of energy consumption in industries is attributed to producing compressed gas [11], whereas less than 30% of the compressed gas can be efficiently used [12].…”