Energy Savings Program Case Study

Intro to CTRL Systems

CTRL Systems, Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of ultrasound detection systems for maintenance. Manufacturers face many challenges, such as extending the life an improving the performance of equipment. It is sometimes necessary to do these things with limited resources – less personnel, less time, and more demands.

A good predictive maintenance, energy savings, and quality control program can prevent unexpected failures, downtime, and waste. CTRL’s ultrasonic technology provides an efficient and cost-effective method for monitoring critical equipment and leak detection. Frequent inspection, documentation, and trending are crucial for an effective program.

Project Overview:

CTRL was contracted by an organization for the CTRL ESP at three of its manufacturing facilities near Baltimore Maryland. The facilities ranged in size from 110,000 ft2 to 600,000 ft2. The facilities operate on a three shift work schedule. The production rate is less on third shift and weekends.

• Facility A: 125 hp compressor and 75 hp compressor. Both compressors supplied air for production usage. The 75 hp compressor was 50 years old, but the 125 was just 2 years old.
• Facility B: Two 125 hp compressors and 100 hp compressor. The three compressors supplied air for production usage. At times all three compressors were in operation due to demand.
• Facility C: Two 350 hp vfd compressors and two 300 hp compressors. The 300 hp compressors were used as backup for the newer 350 hp compressors.

Our energy savings program was implemented in four stages including:

• Monitoring Power Consumption – each compressor was monitored 24/7 by CTRL’s WattsCTRL Power Monitoring. Data was collected for each phase and delivered wirelessly to the maintenance manager’s desktop and/or cloud for real-time and historical review of performance. Further, CTRL also measures the pressure and humidity in each plant.
• Leak Detection and Repair – CTRL’s UL101 Ultrasound Detector was used to locate leaks in the plant during normal production hours. The leaks were identified, tagged, and logged for repairs with notations to severity of the leaks. The leaks were then repaired. The repairs were confirmed by using the UL101 Ultrasound Detector. Any additional leaks were also noted and repaired during this process.
• Monitoring Power Consumption – the data is continuously captured by WattsCTRL. Once the repairs were completed, the same time period was identified for comparison to baseline readings.
• Set Thresholds – once the reduction in electrical usage was achieved, thresholds were set in WattsCTRL to indicate when usage climbs back up. Leaks will return. When the threshold for electrical usage is exceeded, WattsCTRL will notify the appropriate parties. The UL101 Ultrasound Detector will be used to find the new leaks and confirm repairs. This will assure sustained savings.

Results at Facility A: 43% energy savings (1.1 million kWh annually) | 2 month ROI

The two compressors were being strained to their limits due to demand. The average kilowatt usage per day at this facility was 7,500 kWh. A total of 81 leaks were found and repaired. Further, the 75 hp compressor was replaced by a 132 kW variable frequency drive compressor. Due to decreased demand, it was found the 125 hp compressor was no longer needed and has been shut off completely. The current usage is now 4,300 kWh per day.

Results at Facility B Facility B: 38% energy savings (555,000 kWh annually) | 6 month ROI

The three compressors were producing more than 600 cfm. The average kilowatt usage was 4,000 kWh per day. A total of 89 leaks were found and repaired. Further, the compressors are now being turned off during the weekends when there is no production. The third compressor is no longer being used, even as a backup. The current demand is now 400 cfm. The current usage during production is now 2,500 kWh per day.

Results at Facility C: 26% energy savings (1.4 million kWh annually) | 4 month ROI

The average kilowatt usage was 15,000 kWh per day. A total of 277 leaks were found and repaired. The current usage is now 11,000 kWh per day. The facility is considering taking the fourth compressor off-line. The data collected by WattsCTRL will be used to help them determine if this modification is an appropriate step.

On-Going Modifications:

Leak detection will no longer be periodic or preventive. Rather, it is performed only when the conditions change.

Any additional modifications to the compressed air system will be considered including decreasing set-point pressure, automated controls, sequencing, and more. Any modifications will be monitored for improvement in the same way as the leak detection/repair process.

Once the modifications are completed, the threshold will be set for WattsCTRL. If the usage rises above the set thresholds, an email notification will be sent to all concerned parties. The UL101 Ultrasound Detector will be used to locate the new leaks. Repairs will be completed and the UL101 will be used to confirm repairs. WattsCTRL is in place to confirm results and notify of any changes. In this manner, the estimated savings will be sustained for each facility.