Compressors and Compressed Air Systems

In Compressors and Compressed Air Systems, you'll learn ...

• Various types of compressors; their applications, advantages and limitations
• Various types of system controls - their pros and con
• How control systems are matched to the needs of the users
• The key components of compressed air systems and learn how each component functions

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 6 PDH

Length: 112 pages

Compressed air has many applications in industry. Delivering compressed air to a manufacturing facility is an expensive operation and it requires costly equipment that consumes significant amounts of electricity and needs frequent maintenance. Roughly 80 to 90 percent of the electricity used to operate compressed air systems is converted to low-temperature waste heat. This lost energy can quickly add up, each year costing individual facilities as much as double the purchase and installation cost (first-cost) of the entire system. The ideal time to think about your compressed air system is before it is installed.

Air Compressors deserve independent treatment due to many reasons. There is a wide choice of different types of compressor designs, each operating at different efficiencies and suitable for specific applications. The type of compressor decided upon has direct implications on the lifetime energy costs. Also the decision as to a single compressor of large capacity versus multi-compressor installation where each compressor has a smaller capacity than the demand influences the possible energy savings considerably.

This six-hour course provides comprehensive information on compressed air systems. This course is relevant to anyone needing to know more about compressed air production and use, relevant health and safety issues, legislation and energy efficiency. Previous knowledge of the subject is not required.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Compare common compressor types, including their applications, advantages, and limitations.
• Describe common compressed-air system controls and their advantages and disadvantages.
• Explain how control systems are matched to user demand.
• Identify the key components of compressed-air systems and explain how each component functions.
• Describe air storage, air drying, piping, filtration, and air-cleaning methods.
• Explain the limits of dew-point suppression in refrigerant and desiccant dryers.
• Compare filter types and explain how coalescing filters remove lubricant and moisture.
• Distinguish among SCFM, ICFM, and ACFM.
• Compare the advantages and disadvantages of single-loop and ring-main systems.
• Determine the appropriate compressor capacity for base and trim demand.
• Identify the features to specify and the information to obtain when preparing a compressed-air proposal.
• Explain the compressed-air system assessment procedure and energy-audit methodology.
• Identify common losses in compressed-air systems and describe methods for conserving energy.
• Outline a routine maintenance schedule for air compressors.
• Apply a generic checklist for compressed-air system energy efficiency.
• Explain the engineering formulas and technical relationships between compressor motor power draw and process variables.
• Evaluate compressed-air costs using the example method presented in the course.

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 30 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.