Achieving sustainable energy savings by fixing air compressor leaks

Leaks in air compressors often tend to get ignored, but they can be a considerable source of energy wastage in an industrial compressed air system. The method of leak quantification can help in formulating a strategy to take a sustainable action on the compressed air leaks. How should you prioritise fixing quantified leaks and why is air audit expertise necessary in doing so? Conrad Latham, compressor technique expert at Atlas Copco, the Swedish manufacturer of compressors, industrial equipment and tools, explains in this guest article.

A typical manufacturing facility or a plant, not properly serviced on time, will likely have a leak rate close to 20% of total compressed air production capacity. As per our energy managers, a 1 mm hole can lead to leakage of 3 cfm, which may cost you approximately Rs 22,000 in a year. Leaks can also lead to various other operating losses as they cause a drop in the overall system pressure, which can make air tools function less efficiently, adversely affecting production.

If the quantified air leaks are between 5% and 10%, then it is advisable to perform a leak detection test with an air audit expert. If the quantified leaks are more than 10%, then it should be fixed on high priority as they are draining the resources. Here, the recommendation is to take the help of air audit experts who will audit your compressed air system and provide you the right solution to the issues.