Pressure control band and potential savings

Have you designed an almost perfect multi-compressor system and wonder whether further savings are possible? One option is to refine the pressure control band.

When several compressors are installed in different rooms, delayed responses to system changes can cause them to work against each other.

This significantly increases energy consumption due to frequent unloaded running, when a compressor produces no compressed air but still consumes around 20–30% of its loaded power.

One solution is to widen each compressor’s pressure range, effectively widening the control band of the whole cascade. However, this increases the average pressure and therefore energy consumption.

A more sophisticated solution is master control that evaluates pressure sensor readings and selects the most suitable compressors for current demand. Better-balanced cycling can extend compressor life, while reduced unloaded running and a narrower control band save significant costs. Reducing average pressure by 1 bar saves 7% of the energy costs of compressed air production.