|
Drive saves £2,500 a year
|
February 2008
|
| |
Northern Foods is saving nearly £2,500 annually on its compressed air system since installing an ABB variable speed drive at its Riverside Bakery in Nottingham.
The 45kW drive was supplied by Inverter Drives Systems (IDS), an ABB Drives Alliance member.
James Whieldon, maintenance analyst for Northern Foods, says: “Our monitoring and targeting software gives us profiles of the compressors and indicated that there were definite opportunities to improve the amount of energy they were using. We had used Inverter Drive Systems before and know them well so we were happy to use them again.”
IDS confirmed the energy use figures recorded by Northern Foods and recommended the use of a 45 kW ABB standard drive.
There are three compressors in total, two 30kW fixed-speed assist compressors and a 45 kW duty compressor. The drive was fitted on this compressor, which is in operation all the time. One of the fixed speed 30kW compressors is used to top up the pressure when demand increases, while the other is on standby in case one of the others goes down.
Whieldon says: “The drive is now operational and we calculate the actual payback time of the project is 1.5 years, achieving an annual saving of £2,450. But with energy prices rising, the monetary savings will increase.”
|
| |
Author
Chris Rowlands
|
| |
| Email this article |
|
|