Wasted energy in a compressed air installation is often the highest area where energy is lost in a factory or plant. Inefficiencies like this can result in unnecessary costs that, over time, can lead to a large total! This will raise your bills and make the total cost of ownership for your compressor much higher. Improving efficiency within your plant should always be a top priority, one such way to do this is to consider variable speed drive technology.
Variable speed (sometimes called variable frequency drive or regulated speed) is when a compressor automatically changes the input energy to ensure it is meeting the demand. An intelligent drive system is able to monitor the demand and alter the motor speed to match this. The drive can control the RPM of the unit by fluctuating the amount of power that is used to perfectly match the requirements. As only the amount of power required to produce the compressed air demand is used, no energy is wasted. This decreases power consumption and thus drastically increases savings!
In comparison, a fixed speed compressor will always produce a fixed amount of air per minute. This is extremely beneficial if the air that is produced is the exact amount required for your application. However, this is often not the case. As fixed speed units are always operating at full-throttle, this can result in a lot of wasted energy when the output is not required.
Another benefit is that variable speed drive machines do not need to unload, saving you time and money! Fixed speed technology must run unloaded as the stress of a start up can put pressure on the motor. This is another area where energy is lost as the machine is still running, using valuable resources, but not producing any compressed air. Variable speed compressors avoid this issue.
Overall, the benefits are huge! They include:
Speak to our professional engineers to find out if VSD technology could help improve the performance of your plant. Whilst fixed and variable speed compressors both have their advantages, sometimes the best solution is a combination of both! In a large plant, this can provide a more cost-effective solution and is a great option for many diverse industries.
Interested in optimising your factory performance? Contact our factory-trained technicals today for tailored advice and guidance. We can carry out air audits and site inspections to help determine the best solution for your exact application needs. Call us on 01842 754488 or fill out our contact form below to get in touch.