Energy Efficiency and Maintenance Strategies for Screw Air Compressors

Air compressors (referred to as “air compressors” hereafter) are widely used in industrial production processes, serving as critical equipment and facilities. However, during their application, air compressors face issues such as excessive energy consumption, severe noise pollution, and non-compliance with energy-saving and environmental protection requirements. Therefore, it is necessary to implement energy-saving control measures during the operation of air compressors. Additionally, to enhance the stability and reliability of air compressor operations and extend the lifespan of the equipment, relevant departments should develop comprehensive maintenance plans and systems. Effective maintenance measures can improve the application level of air compressors.

To effectively address the issue of energy waste in enterprise air compressors, a comprehensive energy-saving control plan and strategy should be established. Variable-frequency (VFD) control technology offers significant energy-saving benefits compared to traditional fixed-frequency control methods. Therefore, enterprises can adopt VFD control technology based on the demand of various gas-consuming equipment to control the output of air compressors, thereby achieving energy savings. During the implementation of VFD control for air compressors, precise pressure control of the equipment is essential. VFD control systems can accurately adjust the output gas volume according to the gas demand of the equipment and system, and also adjust the speed of the main electric motor to maintain a stable pressure state, avoiding adverse effects on the safe and reliable operation of the equipment due to excessive pressure fluctuations. If the exhaust volume of the air compressor decreases, the speed of the electric motor slows down, and the probability of noise issues occurring can be significantly reduced. Therefore, VFD control technology can be used to reduce the exhaust volume of the air compressor and decrease the speed of the electric motor to prevent noise pollution.

By adopting VFD control technology, air compressors can save a significant amount of electricity annually and reduce electricity costs. Therefore, the research in this study adopting VFD technology for energy-saving control is feasible. After several months of implementing the equipment upgrade plan and multiple parameter adjustments, the final control effect was good. Continuous statistics of the power consumption data of the air compressor over 180 days showed that the energy savings rate could reach over 30%, and the annual electricity savings could reach over CN¥180,000 (≈US$25,000).