Description
This is the Reducing Compressed Air Energy With Heat Recovery online learning course by the British Compressed Air Society.
Typically, only 10% of the electrical energy input to an air compressor is converted into compressed air energy. The remaining 90% is normally generated as heat and is generally lost to the atmosphere through heat dissipated by the motor and cooling system, with the
majority lost via the system’s oil cooler. However, there is a real opportunity for operators to recycle this excess heat and use it to a site’s advantage. Compressors fitted with a heat recovery unit enable the system to ‘recapture’ energy lost during the compression process and put it to other useful purposes. For instance, it can supplement the electricity, gas or oil needed to generate hot water for washrooms or process water, or it can be transferred as direct warm air into a workspace or facility.
