Training Course On Energy Efficiency
Training Course On Energy Efficiency
Training Course On Energy Efficiency
Syllabus
Energy Management & Audit: Definition, Energy audit- need, Types of energy audit,
Energy management (audit) approach-understanding energy costs, Bench marking, Energy
performance, Matching energy use to requirement, Maximizing system efficiencies,
Optimizing the input energy requirements, Fuel and energy substitution, Energy audit
instruments
"The strategy of adjusting and optimizing energy, using systems and procedures so as to
reduce energy requirements per unit of output while holding constant or reducing total
costs of producing the output from these systems"
The objective of Energy Management is to achieve and maintain optimum energy procurement
and utilisation, throughout the organization and:
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1. Energy Management and Audit
itoring and analysis of use of energy including submission of technical report containing
recommendations for improving energy efficiency with cost benefit analysis and an action plan to
reduce energy consumption".
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1. Energy Management and Audit
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1. Energy Management and Audit
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1. Energy Management and Audit
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1. Energy Management and Audit
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1. Energy Management and Audit
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1. Energy Management and Audit
Draw process flow diagram and list process steps; identify waste streams and obvious
energy wastage
An overview of unit operations, important process steps, areas of material and energy use and
sources of waste generation should be gathered and should be represented in a flowchart as
shown in the figure below. Existing drawings, records and shop floor walk through will help in
making this flow chart. Simultaneously the team should identify the various inputs & output
streams at each process step.
Figure 1.1
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1. Energy Management and Audit
The Economic viability often becomes the key parameter for the management acceptance. The
economic analysis can be conducted by using a variety of methods. Example: Pay back method,
Internal Rate of Return method, Net Present Value method etc. For low investment short dura-
tion measures, which have attractive economic viability, simplest of the methods, payback is
usually sufficient. A sample worksheet for assessing economic feasibility is provided below:
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1. Energy Management and Audit
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1. Energy Management and Audit
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1. Energy Management and Audit
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1. Energy Management and Audit
The following Worksheets (refer Table 1.2 & Table 1.3) can be used as guidance for energy
audit assessment and reporting.
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1. Energy Management and Audit
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1. Energy Management and Audit
Fuel Costs
A wide variety of fuels are available for
thermal energy supply. Few are listed
below:
• Fuel oil
• Low Sulphur Heavy Stock (LSHS)
• Light Diesel Oil (LDO)
• Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
• COAL
• LIGNITE
• WOOD ETC.
Power Costs
Electricity price in India not only varies from State to State, but also city to city and consumer to
consumer though it does the same work everywhere. Many factors are involved in deciding final
cost of purchased electricity such as:
• Maximum demand charges, kVA
(i.e. How fast the electricity is used? )
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1. Energy Management and Audit
TABLE 1.4
Unfortunately the different forms of energy are sold in different units e.g. kWh of electricity,
liters of fuel oil, tonne of coal. To allow comparison of energy quantities these must be
converted to a common unit of energy such as kWh, Giga joules, kCals etc.
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1. Energy Management and Audit
misleading. Few comparative factors, which need to be looked into while benchmarking exter-
nally are:
• Scale of operation
• Vintage of technology
• Raw material specifications and quality
• Product specifications and quality
Benchmarking energy performance permits
• Quantification of fixed and variable energy consumption trends vis-à-vis production
levels
• Comparison of the industry energy performance with respect to various production
levels (capacity utilization)
• Identification of best practices (based on the external benchmarking data)
• Scope and margin available for energy consumption and cost reduction
• Basis for monitoring and target setting exercises.
The benchmark parameters can be:
• Gross production related
e.g. kWh/MT clinker or cement produced (cement plant)
e.g. kWh/kg yarn produced (Textile unit)
e.g. kWh/MT, kCal/kg, paper produced (Paper plant)
e.g. kCal/kWh Power produced (Heat rate of a power plant)
e.g. Million kilocals/MT Urea or Ammonia (Fertilizer plant)
e.g. kWh/MT of liquid metal output (in a foundry)
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1. Energy Management and Audit
Production factor
Production factor is used to determine the energy that would have been required to produce this
year's production output if the plant had operated in the same way as it did in the reference year. It
is the ratio of production in the current year to that in the reference year.
Current year's production
Production factor =
Reference year's production
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1. Energy Management and Audit
is a measure of the plant's energy management progress. It is the reduction or increase in the
current year's energy use over the reference, and is calculated by subtracting the current year's
energy use from the reference years equivalent. The result is divided by the reference year
equivalent and multiplied by 100 to obtain a percentage.
The energy performance is the percentage of energy saved at the current rate of use compared
to the reference year rate of use. The greater the improvement, the higher the number will be.
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1. Energy Management and Audit
• Natural gas is increasingly the fuel of choice as fuel and feedstock in the fertilizer, petro
chemicals, power and sponge iron industries.
• Replacement of coal by coconut shells, rice husk etc.
• Replacement of LDO by LSHS
Few examples of energy substitution
Replacement of electric heaters by steam heaters
Replacement of steam based hotwater by solar systems
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1. Energy Management and Audit
Modified System
Type of fuel saving = Coconut chips fired Heater
GCV = 4200 kCal/kg
Average Thermal Efficiency = 72 %
Heat Duty = 15 lakh kCal / hour
Annual Operating Cost = 7200 x 700 Rs./hr = 50 lakh
Annual Savings = 130 - 50 = Rs.80 lakh .
Additional Auxiliary Power +
Manpower Cost = Rs. 10 lakh
Net Annual Saving = Rs. 70 lakh
Investment for New Coconut Fired heater = Rs. 35 lakh
Simple pay back period = 6 months
1.9 Energy Audit Instruments
The requirement for an energy audit such as identification and quantification of energy
necessitates measurements; these measurements require the use of instruments. These
instruments must be portable, durable, easy to operate and relatively inexpensive. The parameters
generally monitored during energy audit may include the following:
Basic Electrical Parameters in AC &DC systems - Voltage (V), Current (I), Power factor, Active
power (kW), apparent power (demand) (kVA), Reactive power (kVAr), Energy consumption
(kWh), Frequency (Hz), Harmonics, etc.
Parameters of importance other than electrical such as temperature & heat flow, radiation, air
and gas flow, liquid flow, revolutions per minute (RPM), air velocity, noise and vibration, dust
concentration, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), pH, moisture content, relative humidity, flue gas
analysis - CO2, O2, CO, SOx, NOx, combustion efficiency etc.
Key instruments for energy audit are listed below.
The operating instructions for all instruments must be understood and staff should familiarize
themselves with the instruments and their operation prior to actual audit use.
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1. Energy Management and Audit
Combustion analyzer:
This instrument has in-built chemical cells
which measure various gases such as O2, CO,
NOX and SOX.
Fyrite:
A hand bellow pump draws the flue gas
sample into the solution inside the fyrite. A
chemical reaction changes the liquid volume
revealing the amount of gas. A separate fyrite
can be used for O2 and CO2 measurement.
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1. Energy Management and Audit
Contact thermometer:
These are thermocouples which measures for
example flue gas, hot air, hot water tempera-
tures by insertion of probe into the stream.
Infrared Thermometer:
This is a non-contact type measurement
which when directed at a heat source directly
gives the temperature read out. This instru-
ment is useful for measuring hot spots in
furnaces, surface temperatures etc.
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1. Energy Management and Audit
Speed Measurements:
In any audit exercise speed measurements are
critical as thay may change with frequency,
belt slip and loading.
Tachometer Stroboscope
Leak Detectors:
Ultrasonic instruments are available which
can be used to detect leaks of compressed air
and other gases which are normally not pos-
sible to detect with human abilities.
Lux meters:
Illumination levels are measured with a lux
meter. It consists of a photo cell which sens-
es the light output, converts to electrical
impulses which are calibrated as lux.
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2. ELECTRIC MOTORS
Syllabus
Electric motors: Types, Losses in induction motors, Motor efficiency, Factors affecting
motor performance, Rewinding and motor replacement issues, Energy saving opportunities
with energy efficient motors.
2.1 Introduction
Motors convert electrical energy into mechanical energy by the interaction between the
magnetic fields set up in the stator and rotor windings. Industrial electric motors can be broadly
classified as induction motors, direct current motors or synchronous motors. All motor types have
the same four operating components: stator (stationary windings), rotor (rotating windings),
bearings, and frame (enclosure).
Direct-Current Motors
Direct-Current motors, as the name implies, use direct-unidirectional, current. Direct current
motors are used in special applications- where high torque starting or where smooth acceleration
over a broad speed range is required.
Synchronous Motors
AC power is fed to the stator of the synchronous motor. The rotor is fed by DC from a separate
source. The rotor magnetic field locks onto the stator rotating magnetic field and rotates at the same
speed. The speed of the rotor is a function of the supply frequency and the number of magnetic poles
in the stator. While induction motors rotate with a slip, i.e., rpm is less than the synchronous speed,
the synchronous motor rotate with no slip, i.e., the RPM is same as the synchronous speed governed
by supply frequency and number of poles. The slip energy is provided by the D.C. excitation power
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2. Electric Motors
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2. Electric Motors
motor temperature. Totally-enclosed, fan-cooled (TEFC) motors are more efficient than screen
protected, drip-proof (SPDP) motors. Also, as with most equipment, motor efficiency increases
with the rated capacity.
The efficiency of a motor is determined by intrinsic losses that can be reduced only by
changes in motor design. Intrinsic losses are of two types: fixed losses - independent of motor
load, and variable losses - dependent on load.
Fixed losses consist of magnetic core losses and friction and windage losses. Magnetic core
losses (sometimes called iron losses) consist of eddy current and hysteresis losses in the stator.
They vary with the core material and geometry and with input voltage.
Friction and windage losses are caused by friction in the bearings of the motor and
aerodynamic losses associated with the ventilation fan and other rotating parts.
Variable losses consist of resistance losses in the stator and in the rotor and miscellaneous
stray losses. Resistance to current flow in the stator and rotor result in heat generation that is
proportional to the resistance of the material and the square of the current (I 2R). Stray losses
arise from a variety of sources and are difficult to either measure directly or to calculate, but are
generally proportional to the square of the rotor current.
Part-load performance characteristics of a motor also depend on its design. Both η and PF fall
to very low levels at low loads. The Figures 2.1 shows the effect of load on power factor and
efficiency. It can be seen that power factor drops sharply at part loads. The Figure 2.2 shows the
effect of speed on power factor.
Figure 2.1 % Load vs. Power factor, Efficiency Figure 2.2 Speed vs. Power factor
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2. Electric Motors
W losses, test is repeated at variable voltages. It is useful to plot no-load input kW versus
Voltage; the intercept is Friction & Windage kW loss component.
F&W and core losses = No load power (watts) - (No load current)2 × Stator resistance
Stator and Rotor I2R Losses: The stator winding resistance is directly measured by a bridge
or volt amp method. The resistance must be corrected to the operating temperature. For mod-
ern motors, the operating temperature is likely to be in the range of 100°C to 120°C and nec-
essary correction should be made. Correction to 75°C may be inaccurate. The correction fac-
tor is given as follows :
R2 35 + t
=2 2 , where, t 1 = ambient temperature, °C & t 2 = operating temperature, °C.
R1 235 +t1
The rotor resistance can be determined from locked rotor test at reduced frequency, but rotor
2
I R losses are measured from measurement of rotor slip.
Rotor I2R losses = Slip × (Stator Input - Stator I2R Losses - Core Loss)
Accurate measurement of slip is possible by stroboscope or non-contact type tachometer.
Slip also must be corrected to operating temperature.
Stray Load Losses: These losses are difficult to measure with any accuracy. IEEE Standard
112 gives a complicated method, which is rarely used on shop floor. IS and IEC standards take a
fixed value as 0.5 % of input. The actual value of stray losses is likely to be more. IEEE -
112 specifies values from 0.9 % to 1.8 % (see Table 2.1.)
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2. Electric Motors
Motor Specifications
Rated power = 34 kW/45 HP
Voltage = 415 Volt
Current = 57 Amps
Speed = 1475 rpm
Insulation class = F
Frame = LD 200 L
Connection = Delta
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2. Electric Motors
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2. Electric Motors
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2. Electric Motors
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2. Electric Motors
efficient motors have lower operating temperatures and noise levels, greater ability to accelerate
higher-inertia loads, and are less affected by supply voltage fluctuations.
Measures adopted for energy efficiency address each loss specifically as under:
Core Losses
Core losses are those found in the stator-rotor magnetic steel and are due to hysterisis effect and
eddy current effect during 50 Hz magnetization of the core material. These losses are independent
of load and account for 20 - 25 % of the total losses.
The hysterisis losses which are a function of flux density, are be reduced by utilizing low-
loss grade of silicon steel laminations. The reduction of flux density is achieved by suitable
increase in the core length of stator and rotor. Eddy current losses are generated by circulating
current within the core steel laminations. These are reduced by using thinner laminations.
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2. Electric Motors
reduction in heat generated by stator and rotor losses permit the use of smaller fan. The windage
losses also reduce with the diameter of fan leading to reduction in windage losses.
Stray Load-Losses
These losses vary according to square of the load current and are caused by leakage flux
induced by load currents in the laminations and account for 4 to 5 % of total losses. These losses
are reduced by careful selection of slot numbers, tooth/slot geometry and air gap.
Energy efficient motors cover a wide range of ratings and the full load efficiencies are
higher by 3 to 7 %. The mounting dimensions are also maintained as per IS1231 to enable
easy replacement.
As a result of the modifications to improve performance, the costs of energy-efficient motors are
higher than those of standard motors. The higher cost will often be paid back rapidly in saved oper-
ating costs, particularly in new applications or end-of-life motor replacements. In cases where exist-
ing motors have not reached the end of their useful life, the economics will be less clearly positive.
Because the favourable economics of energy-efficient motors are based on savings in oper-
ating costs, there may be certain cases which are generally economically ill-suited to energy-
efficient motors. These include highly intermittent duty or special torque applications such as
hoists and cranes, traction drives, punch presses, machine tools, and centrifuges. In addition,
energy, efficient designs of multi-speed motors are generally not available. Furthermore, ener-
gy-efficient motors are not yet available for many special applications, e.g. for flame-proof
operation in oil-field or fire pumps or for very low speed applications (below 750 rpm). Also,
most energy-efficient motors produced today are designed only for continuous duty cycle oper-
ation.
Given the tendency of over sizing on the one hand and ground realities like ; voltage,
frequency variations, efficacy of rewinding in case of a burnout, on the other hand, benefits of
EEM's can be achieved only by careful selection, implementation, operation and maintenance
efforts of energy managers.
A summary of energy efficiency improvements in EEMs is given in the Table 2.2:
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2. Electric Motors
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TABLE 2.3 GENERAL EFFECTS OF VOLTAGE AND FREQUENCY VARIATION ON INDUCTION MOTOR CHARACTERISTICS
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2. Electric Motors
2. Electric Motors
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2. Electric Motors
For motors, which consistently operate at loads below 40 % of rated capacity, an inexpen-
sive and effective measure might be to operate in star mode. A change from the standard delta
operation to star operation involves re-configuring the wiring of the three phases of power input
at the terminal box.
Operating in the star mode leads to a voltage reduction by a factor of '√3'. Motor is electri-
cally downsized by star mode operation, but performance characteristics as a function of load
remain unchanged. Thus, full-load operation in star mode gives higher efficiency and power fac-
tor than partial load operation in the delta mode. However, motor operation in the star mode is
possible only for applications where the torque-to-speed requirement is lower at reduced load.
As speed of the motor reduces in star mode this option may be avoided in case the motor is
connected to a production facility whose output is related to the motor speed. For applications
with high initial torque and low running torque needs, Del-Star starters are also available in
market, which help in load following de-rating of electric motors after initial start-up.
Sizing to Variable Load
Industrial motors frequently operate under varying load conditions due to process requirements.
A common practice in cases where such variable-loads are found is to select a motor based on the
highest anticipated load. In many instances, an alternative approach is typically less costly, more
efficient, and provides equally satisfactory operation. With this approach, the optimum rating for
the motor is selected on the basis of the load duration curve for the particular application. Thus,
rather than selecting a motor of high rating that would operate at full capacity for only a short peri-
od, a motor would be selected with a rating slightly lower than the peak anticipated load and
would operate at overload for a short period of time. Since operating within the thermal capacity
of the motor insulation is of greatest concern in a motor operating at higher than its rated load, the
motor rating is selected as that which would result in the same temperature rise under continuous
full-load operation as the weighted average temperature rise over the actual operating cycle.
Under extreme load changes, e.g. frequent starts / stops, or high inertial loads, this method of cal-
culating the motor rating is unsuitable since it would underestimate the heating that would occur.
Where loads vary substantially with time, in addition to proper motor sizing, the control
strategy employed can have a significant impact on motor electricity use. Traditionally,
mechanical means (e.g. throttle valves in piping systems) have been used when lower output is
required. More efficient speed control mechanisms include multi-speed motors, eddy-current
couplings, fluid couplings, and solid-state electronic variable speed drives.
Power Factor Correction
As noted earlier, induction motors are characterized by power factors less than unity, leading to
lower overall efficiency (and higher overall operating cost) associated with a plant's electrical
system. Capacitors connected in parallel (shunted) with the motor are typically used to improve
the power factor. The impacts of PF correction include reduced kVA demand (and hence
reduced utility demand charges), reduced I2R losses in cables upstream of the capacitor (and
hence reduced energy charges), reduced voltage drop in the cables (leading to improved volt-
age regulation), and an increase in the overall efficiency of the plant electrical system.
It should be noted that PF capacitor improves power factor from the point of installation back
to the generating side. It means that, if a PF capacitor is installed at the starter terminals of the
motor, it won't improve the operating PF of the motor, but the PF from starter terminals to the
power generating side will improve, i.e., the benefits of PF would be only on upstream side.
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2. Electric Motors
The size of capacitor required for a particular motor depends upon the no-load reactive kVA
(kVAR) drawn by the motor, which can be determined only from no-load testing of the motor. In
general, the capacitor is then selected to not exceed 90 % of the no-load kVAR of the motor.
(Higher capacitors could result in over-voltages and motor burn-outs). Alternatively, typical
power factors of standard motors can provide the basis for conservative estimates of capacitor
ratings to use for different size motors. The capacitor rating for power connection by direct
connection to induction motors is shown in Table 2.5.
From the above table, it may be noted that required capacitive kVAr increases with decrease in
speed of the motor, as the magnetizing current requirement of a low speed motor is more in com-
parison to the high speed motor for the same HP of the motor. Since a reduction in line current, and
associated energy efficiency gains, are reflected backwards from the point of application of the
capacitor, the maximum improvement in overall system efficiency is achieved when the capacitor
is connected across the motor terminals, as compared to somewhere further upstream in the plant's
electrical system. However, economies of scale associated with the cost of capacitors and the labor
required to install them will place an economic limit on the lowest desirable capacitor size.
Maintenance
Inadequate maintenance of motors can significantly increase losses and lead to unreliable
operation. For example, improper lubrication can cause increased friction in both the motor and
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2. Electric Motors
associated drive transmission equipment. Resistance losses in the motor, which rise with tem-
perature, would increase. Providing adequate ventilation and keeping motor cooling ducts
clean can help dissipate heat to reduce excessive losses. The life of the insulation in the moto r
would also be longer : for every 10°C increase in motor operating temperature over the
recommended peak, the time before rewinding would be needed is estimated to be halved
A checklist of good maintenance practices to help insure proper motor operation would include:
• Inspecting motors regularly for wear in bearings and housings (to reduce frictional losses)
and for dirt/dust in motor ventilating ducts (to ensure proper heat dissipation).
• Checking load conditions to ensure that the motor is not over or under loaded. A change in
motor load from the last test indicates a change in the driven load, the cause of which should
be understood.
• Lubricating appropriately. Manufacturers generally give recommendations for how and when
to lubricate their motors. Inadequate lubrication can cause problems, as noted above. Over-
lubrication can also create problems, e.g. excess oil or grease from the motor bearings can enter
the motor and saturate the motor insulation, causing premature failure or creating a fire risk.
• Checking periodically for proper alignment of the motor and the driven equipment.
Improper alignment can cause shafts and bearings to wear quickly, resulting in damage to both
the motor and the driven equipment.
• Ensuring that supply wiring and terminal box are properly sized and installed. Inspect
regularly the connections at the motor and starter to be sure that they are clean and tight.
Age
Most motor cores in India are manufactured from silicon steel or de-carbonized cold-rolled steel,
the electrical properties of which do not change measurably with age. However, poor maintenance
(inadequate lubrication of bearings, insufficient cleaning of air cooling passages, etc.) can cause a
deterioration in motor efficiency over time. Ambient conditions can also have a detrimental effect
on motor performance. For example, excessively high temperatures, high dust loading, corrosive
atmosphere, and humidity can impair insulation properties; mechanical stresses due to load cycling
can lead to misalignment. However, with adequate care, motor performance can be maintained.
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2. Electric Motors
The impact of rewinding on motor efficiency and power factor can be easily assessed if the
no-load losses of a motor are known before and after rewinding. Maintaining documentation of
no-load losses and no-load speed from the time of purchase of each motor can facilitate
assessing this impact.
For example, comparison of no load current and stator resistance per phase of a rewound
motor with the original no-load current and stator resistance at the same voltage can be one of the
indicators to assess the efficacy of rewinding.
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2. Electric Motors
be wound with two separate windings, each giving 2 operating speeds, for a total of four speeds.
Multi-speed motors can be designed for applications involving constant torque, variable torque,
or for constant output power. Multi-speed motors are suitable for applications, which require lim-
ited speed control (two or four fixed speeds instead of continuously variable speed), in which
cases they tend to be very economical. They have lower efficiency than single-speed motors
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2. Electric Motors
i) Sampling Criteria
Towards the objective of selecting representative LT motor drives among the motor population,
for analysis, the criteria considered are:
- Utilization factor i.e., hours of operation with preference given to continuously operated
drive motors.
- Sample representative basis, where one drive motor analysis can be reasoned as representative
for the population. Ex : Cooling Tower Fans, Air Washer Units, etc.
- Conservation potential basis, where drive motors with inefficient capacity controls on the
machine side, fluctuating load drive systems, etc., are looked into.
ii) Measurements
Studies on selected LT motors involve measurement of electrical load parameters namely volts,
amperes, power factor, kW drawn.
Observations on machine side parameters such as speed, load, pressure, temperature, etc.,
(as relevant) are also taken. Availability of online instruments for routine measurements, avail-
ability of tail-end capacitors for PF correction, energy meters for monitoring is also looked into
for each case.
iii) Analysis
Analysis of observations on representative LT motors and connected drives is carried out
towards following outputs:
- Motor load on kW basis and estimated energy consumption.
- Scope for improving monitoring systems to enable sustenance of a regular in-house Energy
Audit function.
- Scope areas for energy conservation with related cost benefits and source information.
The observations are to indicate:
% loading on kW, % voltage unbalance if any, voltage, current, frequency, power factor,
machine side conditions like load / unload condition, pressure, flow, temperature, damper /
throttle operation, whether it is a rewound motor, idle operations, metering provisions, etc.
The findings / recommendations may include:
• Identified motors with less than 50 % loading, 50 - 75 % loading, 75 - 100 % loading, over 100
% loading.
• Identified motors with low voltage / power factor / voltage imbalance for needed improvement
measures.
• Identified motors with machine side losses / inefficiencies like idle operations, throttling /
damper operations for avenues like automatic controls / interlocks, variable speed drives,
etc.
Motor load survey is aimed not only as a measure to identify motor efficiency areas but
equally importantly, as a means to check combined efficiency of the motor, driven machine
and controller if any. The margins in motor efficiency may be less than 10 % of consumption
often, but the load survey would help to bring out savings in driven machines / systems, which
can give 30 - 40 % energy savings.
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3. COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEM
Syllabus
Compressed air system: Types of air compressors, Compressor efficiency, Efficient
compressor operation, Compressed air system components, Capacity assessment, Leakage
test, Factors affecting the performance and efficiency
3.1 Introduction
Air compressors account for significant amount of electricity used in Indian industries. Air
compressors are used in a variety of industries to supply process requirements, to operate
pneumatic tools and equipment, and to meet instrumentation needs. Only 10 - 30% of energy
reaches the point of end-use, and balance 70 - 90% of energy of the power of the prime mover
being converted to unusable heat energy and to a lesser extent lost in form of friction, misuse and
noise.
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3. Compressed Air System
The flow and pressure requirements of a given application determine the suitability of a
particulars type of compressor.
• Water or air-cooled.
• Single or multi stage
In the case of lubricated machines, oil has to be separated from the discharge air. Non-lubri-
cated compressors are especially useful for providing air for instrumentation and for processes
which require oil free discharge. However non-lubricated machines have higher specific power
consumption (kW/cfm) as compared to lubricated types.
Single cylinder machines are generally air-cooled, while multi-cylinder machines are
generally water cooled, although multi-stage air-cooled types are available for machines up to 100
kW. Water-cooled systems are more energy efficient than air-cooled systems.
Two stage machines are used for high pressures and are characterized by lower discharge temper-
ature (140 to 160°C) compared to single-stage machines (205 to 240°C). In some cases, multi-stage
machines may have a lower specific power consumption compared to single stage machines operating
over the same total pressure differential. Multi-stage machines generally have higher investment costs,
particularly for applications with high discharge pressure (above 7 bar) and low capacities (less than 25
cfm). Multi staging has other benefits, such as reduced pressure differential across cylinders, which
reduces the load and stress on compressor components such as valves and piston rings.
Rotary Compressors
Rotary compressors have rotors in place of pistons and give a continuous, pulsation free discharge air.
They are directly coupled to the prime mover and require lower starting torque as compared to
reciprocating machine. They operate at high speed and generally provide higher throughput than
reciprocating compressors. Also they require smaller foundations,
vibrate less, and have a lower number of parts - which means less
failure rate.
Among rotary compressor, the Roots blower (also
called as lobe compressor) and screw compressors are
among the most widely used. The roots blower is essen-
tially a low-pressure blower and is limited to a discharge
pressure of 1 bar in single-stage design and up to 2.2 bar
in two stage design.
The most common rotary air compressor is the single
stage helical or spiral lube oil flooded screw air compressor.
These compressors consist of two rotors, within a casing
where the rotors compress the air internally. There are no
valves. These units are basically oil cooled (with air cooled
or water cooled oil coolers) where the oil seals the internal clearances. Since the cooling takes
place right inside the compressor, the working parts never experience extreme operating tem-
peratures. The oil has to be separated from discharge air. Because of the simple design and few
wearing parts, rotary screw air compressors are easy to maintain, to operate and install.
The oil free rotary screw air compressor uses specially designed air ends to compress air without
oil in the compression chamber producing true oil free air. These compressors are available as air-
cooled or water cooled types and provide the same flexibility as oil flooded rotary compressors.
There is a wide range of availability in configuration and in pressure and capacity. Dry types
deliver oil-free air and are available in sizes up to 20,000 cfm and pressure upto 15 bar. Lubricated
types are available in sizes ranging from 100 to 1000 cfm, with discharge pressure up to 10 bar.
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3. Compressed Air System
Dynamic Compressors
Dynamic compressors are mainly centrifugal
compressors and operate on similar principles
to centrifugal pump. These compressors have
appreciably different characteristics as com-
pared to reciprocating machines. A small
change in compression ratio produces a
marked change in compressor output and
efficiency. Centrifugal machines are better
suited for applications requiring very high
capacities, typically above 12,000 cfm.
The centrifugal air compressor depends on
transfer of energy from a rotating impeller to
the air. The rotor accomplishes this by chang-
ing the momentum and pressure of the air. This Figure 3.5 Axial Compressor
momentum is converted to useful pressure by
slowing the air down in a stationary diffuser.
The centrifugal air compressor is an oil free compressor by design. The oil-lubricated running
gear is separated from the air by shaft seals and atmospheric vents. The centrifugal is a
continuous duty compressor, with few moving parts, and is particularly suited to high volume
applications, especially where oil free air is required.
A single-stage centrifugal machine can provide the same capacity as a multi-stage
reciprocating compressor. Machines with either axial or radial flow impellers are available.
Axial flow compressors are suitable for higher compression ratios and are generally more
efficient than radial compressors. Axial compressors typically are multi-stage machines, while
radial machines are usually single-stage designs.
The general selection criteria for compressor is given in the Table 3.1
From To From To
Roots blower compressor
single stage 100 30000 0.1 1
Reciprocating
- Single / Two stage 100 12000 0.8 12
– Multi stage 100 12000 12.0 700
Screw
- Single stage 100 2400 0.8 13
– Two stage 100 2200 0.8 24
Centrifugal 600 300000 0.1 450
47
3. Compressed Air System
( )
x 100
( )
Volumetric Efficiency
Compressor Displacement = Π x D2 x L x S x χ x n
4
D = Cylinder bore, metre
L = Cylinder stroke, metre
S = Compressor speed rpm
χ = 1 for single acting and
2 for double acting cylinders
n = No. of cylinders
For practical purposes, the most effective guide in comparing compressor efficiencies is the
specific power consumption ie kW/volume flow rate , for different compressors that would
provide identical duty.
48
3. Compressed Air System
49
3. Compressed Air System
Inlet Temperature (°C) Relative Air Delivery (%) Power Saved (%)
10.0 102.0 + 1.4
15.5 100.0 Nil
21.1 98.1 - 1.3
26.6 96.3 - 2.5
32.2 94.1 - 4.0
37.7 92.8 - 5.0
43.3 91.2 - 5.8
It is preferable to draw cool ambient air from outside, as the temperature of air inside the
compressor room will be a few degrees higher than the ambient temperature. While extending
air intake to the outside of building, care should be taken to minimize excess pressure drop in
the suction line, by selecting a bigger diameter duct with minimum number of bends.
50
3. Compressed Air System
The moisture-carrying capacity of air increases with a rise in temperature and decreases with
increase in pressure.
Elevation
The altitude of a place has a direct impact on the volumetric efficiency of the compressor. The
effect of altitude on volumetric efficiency is given in the Table 3.5.
It is evident that compressors located at higher altitudes consume more power to achieve a
particular delivery pressure than those at sea level, as the compression ratio is higher.
51
3. Compressed Air System
Use of treated water or purging a portion of cooling water (blow down) periodically can
maintain TDS levels within acceptable limits. It is better to maintain the water pH by addition of
chemicals, and avoid microbial growth by addition of fungicides and algaecides.
52
3. Compressed Air System
It can be seen from the Table 3.6 that an increase of 5.5°C in the inlet air temperature to
the second stage results in a 2 % increase in the specific energy consumption . Use of water at
lower temperature reduces specific power consumption. However, very low cooling water
temperature could result in condensation of moisture in the air, which if not removed would
lead to cylinder damage.
Similarly, inadequate cooling in after-coolers (due to fouling, scaling etc.), allow warm,
humid air into the receiver, which causes more condensation in air receivers and distribution
lines, which in consequence, leads to increased corrosion, pressure drops and leakages in piping
and end-use equipment. Periodic cleaning and ensuring adequate flow at proper temperature of
both inter coolers and after coolers are therefore necessary for sustaining desired performance.
Typical cooling water requirement is given in Table 3.7.
Pressure Settings
Compressor operates between pressure ranges called as loading (cut-in) and unloading (cut-out)
pressures. For example, a compressor operating between pressure setting of 6 - 7 kg/cm2
means that the compressor unloads at 7 kg/cm2 and loads at 6 kg/cm2. Loading and unloading is
done using a pressure switch.
For the same capacity, a compressor consumes more power at higher pressures. They should
not be operated above their optimum operating pressures as this not only wastes energy, but also
leads to excessive wear, leading to further energy wastage The volumetric efficiency of a
compressor is also less at higher delivery pressures.
53
3. Compressed Air System
54
3. Compressed Air System
EXAMPLE
Compressor modulation
Assessing compressed air system study for a plant section gave following results. Comment on
the results?
• Compressors on line A, B, C, D, E (all reciprocating type)
• Trial observation Summary
Compressor Measured Capacity 'On' Load 'Unload' kW Load Time Unload Time
Reference CMM (@ 7 kg/ cm2) kW Min. Min.
A 13.17 115.30 42.3 Full time* Nil
B 12.32 117.20 51.8 Full time* Nil
C 13.14 108.30 43.3 Full time* Nil
D 12.75 104.30 29.8 Full time* Nil
E 13.65 109.30 39.3 5.88 min. 39.12 min.
* Compressors running in load conditions and not getting unloaded during normal operations.
Comments:
• For a cycle time of 45 minutes (39.12 + 5.88)
i) Compressed air generated in m 3
= 45 (13.17) + 45 (12.32) + 45 (13.14) + 45 (12.75) + 5.88 (13.65) =
2392.36 m3
ii) Power consumption kWh
= 45/60 (115.3) + 45/60 (117.20) + 45 / 60 (108.3) + 45/60 (104.3) + 5.88/60 (109.30)
+ (39.12) / 60 ) 39.3
= 370.21 kWh / 45 Minutes
iii) Compressed air generation actual capacity on line in m 3
= 45 [ 13.17 + 12.32 + 13.14 + 12.75 + 13.65 ] = 2926.35 m 3
a) The consumption rate of the section connected
= 2392.36 / 45 = 53.16 m3/minute
b) Compressor air drawal as a % of capacity on line is
= [2392.36 / 2926.35 ] × 100 = 81.75 %
c) Specific power consumption = 370.21 / 2392.36 = 0.155 kW/m 3
d) Idle power consumption due to unload operation = 25.62 kWh in every 45 minutes
cycle i.e., 34.16 kWh every hour.
e) It would be favorable in short term and energy efficient to keep the compressor 'D' in
cycling mode on account of lower un-load losses and hence capacity. Speed of the
compressor can also be reduced by reducing motor pulley size.
f) A suitable smaller capacity compressor can be planned to replace the compressor with
highest unload losses.
g) An investigation is called for, as to why such a large variation of unload power drawn,
exists although all compressors have almost the same rated capacity.
55
3. Compressed Air System
Pipe Nominal Bore (mm) Pressure drop (bar) per Equivalent power losses
100 meters (kW)
40 1.80 9.5
50 0.65 3.4
65 0.22 1.2
80 0.04 0.2
100 0.02 0.1
56
3. Compressed Air System
Multi-step Control:
Large capacity reciprocating compressors are usually equipped with a multi-step control. In this
type of control, unloading is accomplished in a series of steps, (0%, 25 %, 50 %, 75 % & 100 %)
varying from full load down to no-load (see Table 3.12).
Throttling Control:
The capacity of centrifugal compressors can be controlled using variable inlet guide vanes.
However, another efficient way to match compressor output to meet varying load requirements is
by speed control (see Table 3.13).
57
3. Compressed Air System
TABLE 3.13 TYPICAL PART LOAD GAS COMPRESSION :POWER INPUT FOR
SPEED AND VANE CONTROL OF CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS
At low volumetric flow (below 40 %), vane control may result in lower power input com-
pared to speed control due to low efficiency of the speed control system. For loads more than
40 %, speed control is recommended.
It may be noted that in some areas use of electric tools are not permitted due to safety
constraints, especially places where inflammable vapours are present in the environment. It
should always be remembered that safety consideration always override energy conservation.
58
3. Compressed Air System
60
3. Compressed Air System
EXAMPLE
In the leakage test in a process industry, following results were observed
Compressor capacity (m3/minute) = 35
Cut in pressure, kg/cm2(g) = 6.8
2
Cut out pressure, kg/cm (g) = 7.5
Load kW drawn = 188 kW
Unload kW drawn = 54 kW
Average 'Load' time, T = 1.5 minutes
Average 'Unload' time, t = 10.5 minutes
Comment on leakage quantity and avoidable loss of power due to air leakages.
,q
4.375 m3/min
Leakage quantity
4.375 x 24 x 60 = 6300 m3/day
61
3. Compressed Air System
accumulate scale and other foreign matters, such as small pieces of gasket material, jointing
compounds etc. Burnt compressor oil may also be carried over in pipe work, and this, with other
contaminants, forms a gummy substance. To remove these, all of which are liable to have harm-
ful effects on pneumatic equipment, the air should be filtered as near as possible to the point of
use. Water and oil collected in the filter sump must be drained off; because if the level is
allowed to build up, it is forced through the filter element into the very system it is designed to
protect.
Regulators
In many instances, pneumatic operations are to be carried out at a lower pressure than that of
the main supply. For these applications, pressure regulators are required to reduce the pressure
to the required value and also to ensure that it remains reasonably constant at the usage point.
Lubricators
Where air is used to drive prime movers, cylinders and valves, they should be fitted with a
lubricator. Essentially, a lubricator is a reservoir of oil and has been designed so that when air is
flowing, a metered amount of oil is fed in mist form into the air stream. This oil is carried with the
motive air, to the point of use to lubricate all moving parts. All lubricators require a certain
minimum rate of airflow to induce oil into their stream. It is advisable to install filters, regulators
and lubricators as close as possible to the equipment being served.
Air Dryers
There are certain applications where air must be free from moisture and have a lower dew point.
Dew point is the temperature at which moisture condenses. This calls for more sophisticated
and expensive methods to lower the dew point of compressed air. Three common types of air
dryers used are heat-less (absorption), adsorption and refrigerated dryers. They produce dry air
with -10°C to -40°C dew point, depending on the type of dryers. Refer Table 3.17 for moisture
content in air and Table 3.18 for typical pressure dew point and power consumption data for
dryers.
62
3. Compressed Air System
Air Receivers
The air receiver dampens pulsations entering the discharge line from the compressor; serves as
a reservoir for sudden or unusually heavy demands in excess of compressor capacity; prevents
too frequent loading and unloading (short cycling) of the compressor; and separates moisture
and oil vapour, allowing the moisture carried over from the after coolers to precipitate.
The air receiver should be generously sized to give a large cooling surface and even out the
pulsation in delivered air pressure from reciprocating compressor. Simple formulae often quot -
ed for air receiver size is to take a value equal to one minute's continuous output of the com-
pressor. However, this should be considered indicative of the minimum size of receiver.
Another approximation can be to size the receiver volume to be 5% of the rated hourly free air
output. Providing an air receiver near the load end, where there is sudden high demand lasting for a
short period, would avoid the need to provide extra capacity.
Piping layout
Where possible the piping system should be arranged as a closed loop or "ring main" to allow
for more uniform air distribution to consumption points and to equalize pressure in the piping.
Separate services requiring heavy air consumption and at long distances from the compressor
unit should be supplied by separate main airlines. Pipes are to be installed parallel with the lines
of the building, with main and branch headers sloping down toward a dead end. Traps will be
installed in airlines at all low points and dead ends to remove condensed moisture. Automatic
moisture traps used for this purpose are effective only when the air has been cooled and the
63
3. Compressed Air System
moisture has precipitated. Branch headers from compressed air mains will be taken off at the top
to avoid picking up moisture.
Capacity Utilisation
In many installations, the use of air is intermittent. This means the compressor will be operated
on low load or no load condition, which increases the specific power consumption per unit of air
generated. Hence, for optimum energy consumption, a proper compressor capacity control
should be selected. The nature of the control device depends on the function to be regulated. One
of the objectives of a good compressed air management system would be to minimize unloading to
the least as unloading consumes up to 30% of full load power.
One way of doing this is to use a smaller compressor.
Decentralized compressors, as against centralized compressors often serve this purpose better
by having the option to switch off when air is not need in a particular section/equipment.
If a compressor is oversized and operates at unloading mode for long periods, an economi-cal
way will be to suitably change the pulley size of the motor or compressor and reduce the RPM
to de-rate the compressor to a lower capacity.
With decreasing cost of variable speed drives, it has become a viable option to maintain
constant pressure in the system and to avoid unloading operations by varying the speed of the
compressor. However, caution should be taken for operations at very low speeds, since it will
affect the lubricating system. This can be overcome by providing a separate lube oil system
independent of the compressor.
64
3. Compressed Air System
Where
P2 = Final pressure after filling (kg/cm2 a)
P1 = Initial pressure (kg/cm 2a) after bleeding
P0 = Atmospheric Pressure (kg/cm 2 a)
V = Storage volume in m3 which includes receiver,
after cooler, and delivery piping
T = Time take to build up pressure to P 2 in minutes
The above equation is relevant where the compressed air temperature is same as the ambient
air temperature, i.e., perfect isothermal compression. In case the actual compressed air temperature
at discharge, say t20C is higher than ambient air temperature say t10C (as is usual case), the FAD is
to be corrected by a factor (273 + t1) / (273 + t2).
EXAMPLE
An instrument air compressor capacity test gave the following results (assume the final
compressed air temperature is same as the ambient temperature) - Comment?
8.287
= 13.12 m3/minute
Capacity shortfall with respect to 14.75 m 3/minute rating is 1.63 m 3/minute i.e., 11.05%,
which indicates compressor performance needs to be investigated further.
65
3. Compressed Air System
• Clean air-inlet filters regularly. Compressor efficiency will be reduced by 2 percent for
every 250 mm WC pressure drop across the filter.
• Keep compressor valves in good condition by removing and inspecting once every six
months. Worn-out valves can reduce compressor efficiency by as much as 50 percent.
• Install manometers across the filter and monitor the pressure drop as a guide to replacement
of element.
• Minimize low-load compressor operation; if air demand is less than 50 percent of compres-
sor capacity, consider change over to a smaller compressor or reduce compressor speed
appropriately (by reducing motor pulley size) in case of belt driven compressors.
• Consider the use of regenerative air dryers, which uses the heat of compressed air to remove
moisture.
• Fouled inter-coolers reduce compressor efficiency and cause more water condensation in air
receivers and distribution lines resulting in increased corrosion. Periodic cleaning of
intercoolers must be ensured.
• Compressor free air delivery test (FAD) must be done periodically to check the present
operating capacity against its design capacity and corrective steps must be taken if required.
• If more than one compressor is feeding to a common header, compressors must be operated in
such a way that only one small compressor should handle the load variations whereas other
compressors will operate at full load.
• The possibility of heat recovery from hot compressed air to generate hot air or water for
process application must be economically analyzed in case of large compressors.
• Consideration should be given to two-stage or multistage compressor as it consumes less
power for the same air output than a single stage compressor.
• If pressure requirements for processes are widely different (e.g. 3 bar to 7 bar), it is
advisable to have two separate compressed air systems.
• Reduce compressor delivery pressure, wherever possible, to save energy.
• Provide extra air receivers at points of high cyclic-air demand which permits operation
without extra compressor capacity.
• Retrofit with variable speed drives in big compressors, say over 100 kW, to eliminate the
`unloaded' running condition altogether.
• Keep the minimum possible range between load and unload pressure settings.
• Automatic timer controlled drain traps wastes compressed air every time the valve opens.
So frequency of drainage should be optimized.
• Check air compressor logs regularly for abnormal readings, especially motor current cooling
water flow and temperature, inter-stage and discharge pressures and temperatures and
compressor load-cycle.
• Compressed air leakage of 40 - 50 percent is not uncommon. Carry out periodic leak tests
to estimate the quantity of leakage.
• Install equipment interlocked solenoid cut-off valves in the air system so that air supply to a
machine can be switched off when not in use.
• Present energy prices justify liberal designs of pipeline sizes to reduce pressure drops.
• Compressed air piping layout should be made preferably as a ring main to provide desired
pressures for all users.
• A smaller dedicated compressor can be installed at load point, located far off from the
central compressor house, instead of supplying air through lengthy pipelines.
66
3. Compressed Air System
• All pneumatic equipment should be properly lubricated, which will reduce friction, prevent
wear of seals and other rubber parts thus preventing energy wastage due to excessive air
consumption or leakage.
• Misuse of compressed air such as for body cleaning, agitation, general floor cleaning, and
other similar applications must be discouraged in order to save compressed air and energy.
• Pneumatic equipment should not be operated above the recommended operating pressure as
this not only wastes energy bus can also lead to excessive wear of equipment's components
which leads to further energy wastage.
• Pneumatic transport can be replaced by mechanical system as the former consumed about 8
times more energy. Highest possibility of energy savings is by reducing compressed air use.
• Pneumatic tools such as drill and grinders consume about 20 times more energy than mo tor
driven tools. Hence they have to be used efficiently. Wherever possible, they should be
replaced with electrically operated tools.
• Where possible welding is a good practice and should be preferred over threaded connec-
tions.
• On account of high pressure drop, ball or plug or gate valves are preferable over globe
valves in compressed air lines.
67
4. HVAC AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
Syllabus
HVAC and Refrigeration System: Vapor compression refrigeration cycle, Refrigerants,
Coefficient of performance, Capacity, Factors affecting Refrigeration and Air conditioning
system performance and savings opportunities.
Vapor absorption refrigeration system: Working principle, Types and comparison with
vapor compression system, Saving potential
4.1 Introduction
The Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration system transfers the
heat energy from or to the products, or building environment. Energy in form of electricity or
heat is used to power mechanical equipment designed to transfer heat from a colder, low -ener-
gy level to a warmer, high-energy level.
Refrigeration deals with the transfer of heat from a low temperature level at the heat
source to a high temperature level at the heat sink by using a low boiling refrigerant.
There are several heat transfer loops in refrigeration system as described below:
In the Figure 4.1, thermal energy moves from left to right as it is extracted from the space and
expelled into the outdoors through five loops of heat transfer:
- Indoor air loop. In the leftmost loop, indoor air is driven by the supply air fan through a cool-
ing coil, where it transfers its heat to chilled water. The cool air then cools the building space.
- Chilled water loop. Driven by the chilled water pump, water returns from the cooling coil
to the chiller’s evaporator to be re-cooled.
- Refrigerant loop. Using a phase-change refrigerant, the chiller’s compressor pumps heat
from the chilled water to the condenser water.
- Condenser water loop. Water absorbs heat from the chiller’s condenser, and the con-
denser water pump sends it to the cooling tower.
- Cooling tower loop. The cooling tower’s fan drives air across an open flow of the hot
condenser water, transferring the heat to the outdoors.
68
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
Air-Conditioning Systems
Depending on applications, there are several options / combinations, which are available for use as
given below:
Air Conditioning (for comfort / machine)
Split air conditioners
Fan coil units in a larger system
Air handling units in a larger system
Small capacity modular units of direct expansion type similar to domestic refrigerators,
small capacity refrigeration units.
Centralized chilled water plants with chilled water as a secondary coolant for temperature
range over 5°C typically. They can also be used for ice bank formation.
Brine plants, which use brines as lower temperature, secondary coolant, for typically sub
zero temperature applications, which come as modular unit capacities as well as large cen-
tralized plant capacities.
The plant capacities upto 50 TR are usually considered as small capacity, 50 - 250 TR as
medium capacity and over 250 TR as large capacity units.
A large industry may have a bank of such units, often with common chilled water pumps,
condenser water pumps, cooling towers, as an off site utility.
The same industry may also have two or three levels of refrigeration & air conditioning such as:
Comfort air conditioning (20° - 25° C)
Chilled water system (8° - 10° C)
Brine system (sub-zero applications)
Two principle types of refrigeration plants found in industrial use are: Vapour Compression
Refrigeration (VCR) and Vapour Absorption Refrigeration (VAR). VCR uses mechanical ener-
gy as the driving force for refrigeration, while VAR uses thermal energy as the driving force for
refrigeration.
69
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
2 - 3 The superheated vapour enters the compressor where its pressure is raised. There will
also be a big increase in temperature, because a proportion of the energy input into the
compression process is transferred to the refrigerant.
3 - 4 The high pressure superheated gas passes from the compressor into the condenser. The
initial part of the cooling process (3 - 3a) desuperheats the gas before it is then turned back into
liquid (3a - 3b). The cooling for this process is usually achieved by using air or water. A further
reduction in temperature happens in the pipe work and liquid receiver (3b - 4), so that the
refrigerant liquid is sub-cooled as it enters the expansion device.
4 - 1 The high-pressure sub-cooled liquid passes through the expansion device, which both
reduces its pressure and controls the flow into the evaporator.
It can be seen that the condenser has to be capable of rejecting the combined heat inputs of the
evaporator and the compressor; i.e. (1 - 2) + (2 - 3) has to be the same as (3 - 4). There is no heat
loss or gain through the expansion device.
70
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
are mandated to be phased out by 2005, and only the chlorine free (zero ozone depletion)
HFCs would be acceptable.
Until now, only one HFC based refrigerant, HFC 134a, has been developed. HCFCs are
comparatively simpler to produce and the three refrigerants 22, 123, and 124 have been
developed. The use of HFCs and HCFCs results in slightly lower efficiencies as compared to
CFCs, but this may change with increasing efforts being made to replace CFCs.
Absorption Refrigeration
The absorption chiller is a machine, which produces chilled water by using heat such as steam, hot
water, gas, oil etc. Chilled water is produced by the principle that liquid (refrigerant), which
evaporates at low temperature, absorbs heat from surrounding when it evaporates. Pure water is
used as refrigerant and lithium bromide solution is used as absorbent
Heat for the vapour absorption refrigeration system can be provided by waste heat extracted
from process, diesel generator sets etc. Absorption systems require electricity to run pumps only.
Depending on the temperature required and the power cost, it may even be economical to generate
heat / steam to operate the absorption system.
Description of the absorption refrigeration concept is given below:
71
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
A typical schematic of the absorption refrigeration system is given in the Figure 4.3.
Li-Br-water absorption refrigeration systems have a Coefficient of Performance (COP) in
the range of 0.65 - 0.70 and can provide chilled water at 6.7 °C with a cooling water
temperature of 30°C. Systems capable of providing chilled water at 3 °C are also available.
Ammonia based systems operate at above atmospheric pressures and are capable of low
temperature operation (below 0°C). Absorption machines of capacities in the range of 10 -1500
tons are available. Although the initial cost of absorption system is higher than compression
system, operational cost is much lower-if waste heat is used.
72
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
Evaporative Cooling
There are occasions where air conditioning, which stipulates control of humidity up to 50 % for
human comfort or for process, can be replaced by a much cheaper and less energy intensive
evaporative cooling.
The concept is very simple and is the same as that used in a cooling tower. Air is brought in
close contact with water to cool it to a temperature close to the wet bulb temperature. The cool
air can be used for comfort or process cooling. The disadvantage is that the air is rich in
moisture. Nevertheless, it is an extremely efficient means of cooling at very low cost. Large
commercial systems employ cellulose filled pads over which water is sprayed. The temperature
can be controlled by controlling the airflow and the water circulation rate. The possibility of
evaporative cooling is especially attractive for comfort cooling in dry regions. This principle is
practiced in textile industries for certain processes.
73
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
* At -10°C
** At Standard Atmospheric Pressure (101.325 kPa)
The choice of refrigerant and the required cooling temperature and load determine the choice of
compressor, as well as the design of the condenser, evaporator, and other auxiliaries.
Additional factors such as ease of maintenance, physical space requirements and availability of
utilities for auxiliaries (water, power, etc.) also influence component selection.
74
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
Centrifugal Compressors
Centrifugal compressors are the most efficient type (see
Figure 4.4) when they are operating near full load. Their
efficiency advantage is greatest in large sizes, and they
offer considerable economy of scale, so they dominate the
market for large chillers. They are able to use a wide range
of refrigerants efficiently, so they will probably continue to
be the dominant type in large sizes.
Centrifugal compressors have a single major moving
part - an impeller that compresses the refrigerant gas by Figure 4.4 Centrifugal Compressor
centrifugal force. The gas is given kinetic energy as it flows
through the impeller. This kinetic energy is not useful in itself, so it must be converted to pressure
energy. This is done by allowing the gas to slow down smoothly in a stationary diffuser
surrounding the impeller.
To minimize efficiency loss at reduced loads, centrifugal compressors typically throttle output
with inlet guide vanes located at the inlet to the impeller(s). This method is efficient down to
about 50% load, but the efficiency of this method decreases rapidly below 50% load.
Older centrifugal machines are not able to reduce load much below 50%. This is because of
“surge” in the impeller. As the flow through the impeller is choked off, the gas does not acquire
enough energy to overcome the discharge pressure. Flow drops abruptly at this point, and an
oscillation begins as the gas flutters back and forth in the impeller. Efficiency drops abruptly,
and the resulting vibration can damage the machine. Many older centrifugal machines deal with
low loads by creating a false load on the system, such as by using hot gas bypass. This wastes the
portion of the cooling output that is not required.
Another approach is to use variable-speed drives in combination with inlet guide vanes.
This may allow the compressor to throttle down to about 20% of full load, or less, without false
loading. Changing the impeller speed causes a departure from optimum performance, so effi-
ciency still declines badly at low loads. A compressor that uses a variable-speed drive reduces
its output in the range between full load and approximately half load by slowing the impeller
speed. At lower loads, the impeller cannot be slowed further, because the discharge pressure
would become too low to condense the refrigerant. Below the minimum load provided by the
variable-speed drive, inlet guide vanes are used to provide further capacity reduction.
Reciprocating Compressors
The maximum efficiency of reciprocating com-
pressors (see Figure 4.5) is lower than that of cen-
trifugal and screw compressors. Efficiency is
reduced by clearance volume (the compressed gas
volume that is left at the top of the piston stroke),
throttling losses at the intake and discharge
valves, abrupt changes in gas flow, and friction.
Lower efficiency also results from the smaller
sizes of reciprocating units, because motor losses
and friction account for a larger fraction of energy
input in smaller systems. Figure 4.5 Reciprocating Compressor
75
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
Reciprocating compressors suffer less efficiency loss at partial loads than other types, and they
may actually have a higher absolute efficiency at low loads than the other types. Smaller
reciprocating compressors control output by turning on and off. This eliminates all part-load losses,
except for a short period of inefficient operation when the machine starts.
Larger multi-cylinder reciprocating compressors commonly reduce output by disabling
(“unloading”) individual cylinders. When the load falls to the point that even one cylinder provides
too much capacity, the machine turns off. Several methods of cylinder unloading are used, and they
differ in efficiency. The most common is holding open the intake valves of the unloaded cylinders.
This eliminates most of the work of compression, but a small amount of power is still wasted in
pumping refrigerant gas to-and-fro through the unloaded cylinders. Another method is blocking gas
flow to the unloaded cylinders, which is called “suction cutoff.”
Variable-speed drives can be used with reciprocating compressors, eliminating the
complications of cylinder unloading. This method is gaining popularity with the drastic reduction in
costs of variable speed drives.
Screw Compressors
Screw compressors, sometimes called “helical rotary” compres-
sors, compress refrigerant by trapping it in the “threads” of a rotat-
ing screw-shaped rotor (see Figure 4.6). Screw compressors have
increasingly taken over from reciprocating compressors of medium
sizes and large sizes, and they have even entered the size domain of
Figure 4.6 Screw Compressor
centrifugal machines. Screw compressors are applicable to refrig-
erants that have higher condensing pressures, such as HCFC-22
and ammonia. They are especially compact. A variety of methods are used to control the output of
screw compressors. There are major efficiency differences among the different methods. The most
common is a slide valve that forms a portion of the housing that surrounds the screws.
Using a variable-speed drive is another method of capacity control. It is limited to oil-injected
compressors, because slowing the speed of a dry compressor would allow excessive internal leakage.
There are other methods of reducing capacity, such as suction throttling that are inherently less
efficient than the previous two.
Scroll Compressors
The scroll compressor is an old invention that has finally come
to the market. The gas is compressed between two scroll-shaped
vanes. One of the vanes is fixed, and the other moves within it.
The moving vane does not rotate, but its center revolves with
respect to the center of the fixed vane, as shown in Figure 4.7.
This motion squeezes the refrigerant gas along a spiral path,
from the outside of the vanes toward the center, where the dis-
charge port is located. The compressor has only two moving
parts, the moving vane and a shaft with an off-center crank to
drive the moving vane. Scroll compressors have only recently
become practical, because close machining tolerances are need-
ed to prevent leakage between the vanes, and between the vanes
and the casing. Figure 4.7 Scroll Compressor
The features of various refrigeration compressors and application criteria are given in the Table 4.3.
76
TABLE 4.3 COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF REFRIGERATION PLANTS
77
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
78
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
79
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
80
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
where the cooling effect is the difference in enthalpy across the evaporator and expressed as
kW. The effect of evaporating and condensing temperatures are given in the Figure 4.8 and
Figure 4.9 below:
In the field performance assessment, accurate instruments for inlet and outlet chilled water
temperature and condenser water temperature measurement are required, preferably with a least
count of 0.1°C. Flow measurements of chilled water can be made by an ultrasonic flow meter
directly or inferred from pump duty parameters. Adequacy check of chilled water is needed
often and most units are designed for a typical 0.68 m 3/hr per TR (3 gpm/TR) chilled water
flow. Condenser water flow measurement can also be made by a non-contact flow meter direct-
ly or inferred from pump duty parameters. Adequacy check of condenser water is also needed
often, and most units are designed for a typical 0.91 m 3/hr per TR (4 gpm / TR) condenser water
flow.
In case of air conditioning units, the airflow at the Fan Coil Units (FCU) or the Air Handling
Units (AHU) can be measured with an anemometer. Dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures are
81
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
measured at the inlet and outlet of AHU or the FCU and the refrigeration load in TR is assessed
as ;
Q × ρ × (hin - hout)
TR =
3024
82
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
Towards rationalizing the heat transfer areas, the heat transfer coefficient on refrigerant side can be
considered to range from 1400 - 2800 watts /m2K.
The refrigerant side heat transfer areas provided are of the order of 0.5 Sqm./TR and above in
evaporators.
Condensers in a refrigeration plant are critical equipment that influence the TR capacity
and power consumption demands. Given a refrigerant, the condensing temperature and cor-
responding condenser pressure, depend upon the heat transfer area provided, effectiveness
of heat exchange and the type of cooling chosen. A lower condensing temperature, pressure,
in best of combinations would mean that the compressor has to work between a lower pres -
sure differential as the discharge pressure is fixed by design and performance of the con-
denser. The choices of condensers in practice range from air cooled, air cooled with water
83
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
spray, and heat exchanger cooled. Generously sized shell and tube heat exchangers as
condensers, with good cooling tower operations help to operate with low discharge pressure
values and the TR capacity of the refrigeration plant also improves. With same refrigerant,
R22, a discharge pressure of 15 kg/cm2 with water cooled shell and tube condenser and 20
kg/cm2 with air cooled condenser indicate the kind of additional work of compression duty and
almost 30 % additional energy consumption required by the plant. One of the best option at
design stage would be to select generously sized (0.65 m 2/TR and above) shell and tube
condensers with water-cooling as against cheaper alternatives like air cooled con densers or
water spray atmospheric condenser units.
The effect of condenser temperature on refrigeration plant energy requirements is given in
Table 4.5.
84
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
* 15 ton reciprocating compressor based system. The power consumption is lower than that for
systems typically available in India. However, the percentage change in power consumption is
indicative of the effect of poor maintenance.
85
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
cooling needs. Matching refrigeration capacity to the load is a difficult exercise, requiring
knowledge of compressor performance, and variations in ambient conditions, and detailed
knowledge of the cooling load.
86
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
through chillers not in operation. Valves should also be provided on branch lines to isolate
sections where cooling is not required. This reduces pressure drops in the system and reduces
power consumption in the pumping system. Individual compressors should be loaded to their full
capacity before operating the second compressor. In some cases it is economical to provide a
separate smaller capacity chiller, which can be operated on an on-off control to meet peak
demands, with larger chillers meeting the base load.
Flow control is also commonly used to meet varying demands. In such cases the savings in
pumping at reduced flow should be weighed against the reduced heat transfer in coils due to
reduced velocity. In some cases, operation at normal flow rates, with subsequent longer periods of
no-load (or shut-off) operation of the compressor, may result in larger savings.
87
4. HVAC and Refrigeration System
a) Cold Insulation
Insulate all cold lines / vessels using economic insulation thickness to minimize heat gains; and
choose appropriate (correct) insulation.
b) Building Envelope
Optimise air conditioning volumes by measures such as use of false ceiling and segregation of
critical areas for air conditioning by air curtains.
i) Ensure regular maintenance of all A/C plant components as per manufacturer guide-
lines.
ii) Ensure adequate quantity of chilled water and cooling water flows, avoid bypass flows
by closing valves of idle equipment.
iii) Minimize part load operations by matching loads and plant capacity on line; adopt vari-
able speed drives for varying process load.
iv) Make efforts to continuously optimize condenser and evaporator parameters for mini-
mizing specific energy consumption and maximizing capacity.
v) Adopt VAR system where economics permit as a non-CFC solution.
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5. DG SET SYSTEM
Syllabus
Diesel Generating system: Factors affecting selection, Energy performance assessment of
diesel conservation avenues
5.1 Introduction
Diesel engine is the prime mover, which drives an alternator to produce electrical energy. In
the diesel engine, air is drawn into the cylinder and is compressed to a high ratio (14:1 to
25:1). During this compression, the air is heated to a temperature of 700-900°C. A metered
quantity of diesel fuel is then injected into the cylinder, which ignites spontaneously because
of the high temperature. Hence, the diesel engine is also known as compression ignition (CI)
engine.
DG set can be classified according to cycle type as: two stroke and four stroke. However, the
bulk of IC engines use the four stroke cycle. Let us look at the principle of operation of the
four-stroke diesel engine.
89
Since power is developed during only one stroke, the single cylinder four-stroke engine has
a low degree of uniformity. Smoother running is obtained with multi c ylinder engines because
the cranks are staggered in relation to one another on the crankshaft. There are many variations
of engine configuration, for example. 4 or 6 cylinder, in-line, horizontally opposed, vee or radi-
al configurations.
DG Set as a System
A diesel generating set should be considered as a system since its successful operation depends on
the well-matched performance of the components, namely:
a) The diesel engine and its accessories.
b) The AC Generator.
c) The control systems and switchgear.
d) The foundation and power house civil works.
e) The connected load with its own components like heating, motor drives, lighting etc.
It is necessary to select the components with highest efficiency and operate them at their
optimum efficiency levels to conserve energy in this system.
Selection Considerations
To make a decision on the type of engine, which is most suitable for a specific application,
several factors need to be considered. The two most important factors are: power and speed of
the engine.
The power requirement is determined by the maximum load. The engine power rating
should be 10 - 20 % more than the power demand by the end use. This prevents overload-
ing the machine by absorbing extra load during starting of motors or switching of some
types of lighting systems or when wear and tear on the equipment pushes up its power
consumption.
Speed is measured at the output shaft and given in revolutions per minute (RPM). An
engine will operate over a range of speeds, with diesel engines typically running at lower
90
speeds (1300 - 3000 RPM). There will be an optimum speed at which fuel efficiency will be
greatest. Engines should be run as closely as possible to their rated speed to avoid poor
efficiency and to prevent build up of engine deposits due to incomplete combustion - which will
lead to higher maintenance and running costs. To determine the speed requirement of an
engine, one has to again look at the requirement of the load.
For some applications, the speed of the engine is not critical, but for other applications
such as a generator, it is important to get a good speed match. If a good match can be
obtained, direct coupling of engine and generator is possible; if not, then some form of gear-
ing will be necessary - a gearbox or belt system, which will add to the cost and reduce the
efficiency.
There are various other factors that have to be considered, when choosing an engine for
a given application. These include the following: cooling system, abnormal environmental
conditions (dust, dirt, etc.), fuel quality, speed governing (fixed or variable speed), poor
maintenance, control system, starting equipment, drive type, ambient temperature, altitude,
humidity, etc.
Suppliers or manufacturers literature will specify the required information when purchasing
an engine. The efficiency of an engine depends on various factors, for example, load factor
(percentage of full load), engine size, and engine type.
A brief comparison of different types of captive power plants (combined gas turbine and
steam turbine, conventional steam plant and diesel engine power plant) is given in Table 9.1.
It can be seen from the Table that captive diesel plant wins over the other two in terms of
thermal efficiency, capital cost, space requirements, auxiliary power consumption, plant
load factor etc.
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TABLE 5.1 COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAPTIVE POWER PLANT
92
Example :
Connected Load = 650 kW
Diversity Factor = 0.54
(Demand / connected load)
Max. Demand = 650 x 0.54 = 350 kW
% Loading = 70
Set rating = 350/0.7 = 500 kW
At 0.8 PF, rating = 625 kVA
b) For an existing installation, record the current, voltage and power factors (kWh / kVAh)
reading at the main bus-bar of the system at every half-an-hour interval for a period of 2-3
days and during this period the factory should be having its normal operations. The
non-essential loads should be switched off to find the realistic current taken for running
essential equipment. This will give a fair idea about the current taken from which the
rating of the set can be calculated.
For existing installation:
kVA = √3 V I
kVA Rating = kVA / Load Factor
where Load factor = Average kVA / Maximum kVA
c) For a new installation, an approximate method of estimating the capacity of a DG set is
to add full load currents of all the proposed loads to be run in DG set. Then, applying a
diversity factor depending on the industry, process involved and guidelines obtained
from other similar units, correct capacity can be arrived at.
Keeping the above factors and available capacities of DG set in mind, the cost of economics
for both the engines should be worked out before arriving at a decision.
93
Capacity Combinations
From the point of view of space, operation, maintenance and initial capital investment,
it is certainly economical to go in for one large DG set than two or more DG sets in
parallel.
Two or more DG sets running in parallel can be a advantage as only the short-fall in
power-depending upon the extent of power cut prevailing - needs to filled up. Also, flexibility of
operation is increased since one DG set can be stopped, while the other DG set is generating at
least 50% of the power requirement. Another advantage is that one DG set can become 100%
standby during lean and low power-cut periods.
Safety Features
It is advisable to have short circuit, over load and earth fault protection on all the DG sets.
However, in case of smaller capacity DG sets, this may become uneconomical. Hence, it is
strongly recommended to install a circuit protection. Other safety equipment like high tem -
perature, low lube oil pressure cut-outs should be provided, so that in the event of any of
these abnormalities, the engine would stop and prevent damage. It is also essential to pro-
vide reverse power relay when DG sets are to run in parallel to avoid back feeding from one
alternator to another.
94
In general, the HP of the largest motor that can be started with direct on line starting is
about 50 % of the kVA rating of the generating set. On the other hand, the capacity of the
induction motor can be increased, if the type of starting is changed over to star delta or to
auto transformer starter, and with this starting the HP of the largest motor can be upto 75 % of
the kVA of Genset.
Neutral Earthing
The electricity rules clearly specify that two independent earths to the body and neutral
should be provided to give adequate protection to the equipment in case of an earth fault,
and also to drain away any leakage of potential from the equipment to the earth for safe
working.
95
TABLE 5.3 DERATING DUE TO AIR INTER COOLER
WATER INLET TEMPERATURE
Sequencing of Loads
The captive diesel generating set has certain limits in handling the transient loads. This
applies to both kW (as reflected on the engine) and kVA (as reflected on the generator). In this
context, the base load that exists before the application of transient load brings down the
transient load handling capability, and in case of A.C. generators, it increases the transient
voltage dip. Hence, great care is required in sequencing the load on D.G.set/s. It is advisable
to start the load with highest transient kVA first followed by other loads in the descending
order of the starting kVA. This will lead to optimum sizing and better utilisation of transient
load handling capacity of D.G.set.
Load Pattern
In many cases, the load will not be constant throughout the day. If there is substantial variation
in load, then consideration should be given for parallel operation of D.G.sets. In such a situa-
tion, additional D.G. set(s) are to be switched on when load increases. The typical case may be
96
an establishment demanding substantially different powers in first, second and third shifts. By
parallel operation, D.G. sets can be run at optimum operating points or near about, for optimum
fuel consumption and additionally, flexibility is built into the system. This scheme can be also be
applied where loads can be segregated as critical and non-critical loads to provide standby power
to critical load in the captive power system.
Load Characteristics
Some of the load characteristics influence efficient use of D.G.set. These characteristics are
entirely load dependent and cannot be controlled by the D.G.set. The extent of detrimental
influence of these characteristics can be reduced in several cases.
- Power Factor:
The load power factor is entirely dependent on the load. The A.C. generator is designed for the
power factor of 0.8 lag as specified by standards. Lower power factor demands higher
excitation currents and results in increased losses. Over sizing A.C. generators for operation at
lower power factors results in lower operating efficiency and higher costs. The economical
alternative is to provide power factor improvement capacitors.
- Unbalanced Load:
Unbalanced loads on A.C. generator leads to unbalanced set of voltages and additional heating
in A.C. generator. When other connected loads like motor loads are fed with unbalanced set of
voltages additional losses occur in the motors as well. Hence, the load on the A.C.
generators should be balanced as far as possible. Where single phase loads are predominant,
consideration should be given for procuring single phase A.C. generator.
- Transient Loading:
On many occasions to contain transient voltage dip arising due to transient load application,
a specially designed generator may have to be selected. Many times an unstandard
combination of engine and A.C. generator may have to be procured. Such a combination
ensures that the prime mover is not unnecessarily over sized which adds to capital cost and
running cost.
- Special Loads:
Special loads like rectifier / thyristor loads, welding loads, furnace loads need an applica-
tion check. The manufacturer of diesel engine and AC generator should be consulted for
proper recommendation so that desired utilisation of DG set is achieved without any prob -
lem. In certain cases of loads, which are sensitive to voltage, frequency regulation, voltage
wave form, consideration should be given to segregate the loads, and feed it by a dedicated
power supply which usually assumes the form of DG motor driven generator set. Such an
alternative ensures that special design of AC generator is restricted to that portion of the
load which requires high purity rather than increasing the price of the D.G.set by specially
designed AC generator for complete load.
Waste Heat Recovery in DG Sets
A typical energy balance in a DG set indicates following break-up:
97
Input : 100% Thermal Energy
Outputs : 35% Electrical Output
4% Alternator Losses
33% Stack Loss through Flue Gases
24% Coolant Losses
4% Radiation Losses
Among these, stack losses through flue gases or the exhaust flue gas losses on account of
existing flue gas temperature of 350°C to 550°C, constitute the major area of concern towards
operational economy. It would be realistic to assess the Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) potential in
relation to quantity, temperature margin, in kcals/Hour as:
Potential WHR = (kWh Output/Hour) x (8 kg Gases / kWh Output)
x 0.25 kcal/kg°C x (tg - 180°C)
Where, tg is the gas temperature after Turbocharger, (the criteria being that limiting exit gas
temperature cannot be less than 180°C, to avoid acid dew point corrosion), 0.25 being the specific
heat of flue gases and kWh output being the actual average unit generation from the set per hour.
For a 1100 KVA set, at 800 KW loading, and with 480°C exhaust gas temperature, the waste heat
potential works out to:
800 kWh x 8 kg gas generation / kWh output x 0.25 kCal/kg°C
x (480 - 180), i.e., 4,80,000 kCal/hr
While the above method yields only the potential for heat recovery, the actual realisable
potential depends upon various factors and if applied judiciously, a well configured waste heat
recovery system can tremendously boost the economics of captive DG power generation.
The factors affecting Waste Heat Recovery from flue Gases are:
a) DG Set loading, temperature of exhaust gases
b) Hours of operation and
c) Back pressure on the DG set
* Consistent DG set loading (to over 60% of rating) would ensure a reasonable exit flue
gas quantity and temperature. Fluctuations and gross under loading of DG set results in
erratic flue gas quantity and temperature profile at entry to heat recovery unit, thereby
leading to possible cold end corrosion and other problems.
TABLE 5.4 TYPICAL FLUE GAS TEMPERATURE AND FLOW PATTERN IN A 5-MW DG SET
AT VARIOUS LOADS
98
Number of hours of operation of the DG Set has an influence on the thermal perfor-
* mance of waste heat Recovery unit. With continuous DG Set operations, cost benefits are
favourable.
Back pressure in the gas path caused by additional pressure drop in waste heat recovery
* unit is another key factor. Generally, the maximum back pressure allowed is around
250-300 mmWC and the heat recovery unit should have a pressure drop lower than that.
Choice of convective waste heat recovery systems with adequate heat transfer area are
known to provide reliable service.
The configuration of heat recovery system and the choice of steam parameters can be
judiciously selected with reference to the specific industry (site) requirements. Much good work
has taken place in Indian Industry regarding waste heat recovery and one interesting
configuration, deployed is installation of waste heat boiler in flue gas path along with a vapour
absorption chiller, to produce 8°C chilled water working on steam from waste heat.
The favourable incentives offered by Government of India for energy efficient equipment
and technologies (100% depreciation at the end of first year), make the waste heat recovery
option. Payback period is only about 2 years
99
h) Comments on load distribution among various cylinders (based on exhaust tempera -
ture, the temperature to be ± 5% of mean and high/low values indicate disturbed
condition).
i) Comments on housekeeping issues like drip leakages, insulation, vibrations, etc. A
format as shown in the Table 5.5 is useful for monitoring the performance
100
5.5 Energy Saving Measures for DG Sets
a) Ensure steady load conditions on the DG set, and provide cold, dust free air at intake (use
of air washers for large sets, in case of dry, hot weather, can be considered).
b) Improve air filtration.
c) Ensure fuel oil storage, handling and preparation as per manufacturers' guidelines/oil com-
pany data.
d) Consider fuel oil additives in case they benefit fuel oil properties for DG set usage.
e) Calibrate fuel injection pumps frequently.
f) Ensure compliance with maintenance checklist.
g) Ensure steady load conditions, avoiding fluctuations, imbalance in phases, harmonic loads.
h) In case of a base load operation, consider waste heat recovery system adoption for steam
generation or refrigeration chiller unit incorporation. Even the Jacket Cooling Water is
amenable for heat recovery, vapour absorption system adoption.
i) In terms of fuel cost economy, consider partial use of biomass gas for generation. Ensure
tar removal from the gas for improving availability of the engine in the long run.
j) Consider parallel operation among the DG sets for improved loading and fuel economy
thereof.
k) Carryout regular field trials to monitor DG set performance, and maintenance planning as
per requirements.
101
6. PUMPS AND PUMPING SYSTEM
Syllabus
Pumps and Pumping System: Types, Performance evaluation, Efficient system
operation, Flow control strategies and energy conservation opportunities
Centrifugal Pumps
A centrifugal pump is of a very simple design. The two main parts of the pump are the impeller
and the diffuser. Impeller, which is the only moving part, is attached to a shaft and driven by a
motor. Impellers are generally made of bronze, polycarbonate, cast iron, stainless steel as well as
other materials. The diffuser (also called as volute)
houses the impeller and captures and directs the water off
the impeller.
Water enters the center (eye) of the impeller and exits
the impeller with the help of centrifugal force. As water
leaves the eye of the impeller a low-pressure area is cre-
ated, causing more water to flow into the eye.
Atmospheric pressure and centrifugal force cause this to
happen. Velocity is developed as the water flows through
the impeller spinning at high speed. The water velocity is
collected by the diffuser and converted to pressure by
specially designed passageways that direct the flow to
the discharge of the pump, or to the next impeller should
the pump have a multi-stage configuration.
The pressure (head) that a pump will develop is in Figure 6.1 Centrifugal pump
direct relationship to the impeller diameter, the number
of impellers, the size of impeller eye, and shaft speed. Capacity is determined by the exit width
of the impeller. The head and capacity are the main factors, which affect the horsepower size of
the motor to be used. The more the quantity of water to be pumped, the more energy is required.
102
A centrifugal pump is not positive acting; it will not pump the same volume always. The
greater the depth of the water, the lesser is the flow from the pump. Also, when it pumps against
increasing pressure, the less it will pump. For these reasons it is important to select a centrifugal
pump that is designed to do a particular job.
Since the pump is a dynamic device, it is convenient to consider the pressure in terms of
head i.e. meters of liquid column. The pump generates the same head of liquid whatever the
density of the liquid being pumped. The actual contours of the hydraulic passages of the
impeller and the casing are extremely important, in order to attain the highest efficiency possi -
ble. The standard convention for centrifugal pump is to draw the pump performance curves
showing Flow on the horizontal axis and Head generated on the vertical axis. Efficiency, Power
& NPSH Required (described later), are conventionally shown on the vertical axis, plotted
against Flow, as illustrated in Figure 6.2.
Given the significant amount of electricity attributed to pumping systems, even small
improvements in pumping efficiency could yield very significant savings of electricity. The
pump is among the most inefficient of the components that comprise a pumping system, including
the motor, transmission drive, piping and valves.
Hydraulic power, pump shaft power and electrical input power
Hydraulic power Ph = Q (m3/s) x Total head, hd - hs (m) x ρ (kg/m3) x g (m/s2) / 1000
Where hd - discharge head, hs - suction head, ρ - density of the fluid, g - acceleration due to gravity
Pump shaft power Ps = Hydraulic power, Ph / pump efficiency, ηPump
Electrical input power = Pump shaft power Ps
ηMotor
103
6.2 System Characteristics
In a pumping system, the objective, in most cases, is either to transfer a liquid from a source to a
required destination, e.g. filling a high level reservoir, or to circulate liquid around a system, e.g.
as a means of heat transfer in heat exchanger.
A pressure is needed to make the liquid flow at the required rate and this must overcome
head 'losses' in the system. Losses are of two types: static and friction head.
Static head is simply the difference in height of the supply and destination reservoirs, as in
Figure 6.3. In this illustration, flow velocity in the pipe is assumed to be very small. Another
example of a system with only static head is pumping into a pressurised vessel with short pipe
runs. Static head is independent of flow and graphically would be shown as in Figure 6.4.
Figure 6.3 Static Head Figure 6.4 Static Head vs. Flow
Friction head (sometimes called dynamic head loss) is the friction loss, on the liquid being
moved, in pipes, valves and equipment in the system. Friction tables are universally available for
various pipe fittings and valves. These tables show friction loss per 100 feet (or metres) of a spe-
cific pipe size at various flow rates. In case of fittings, friction is stated as an equivalent length
of pipe of the same size. The friction losses are proportional to the square of the flow rate. A
closed loop circulating system without a surface open to atmospheric pressure, would exhibit
only friction losses and would have a system friction head loss vs. flow curve as Figure 6.5.
104
Most systems have a combination of static and friction head and the system curves for two
cases are shown in Figures 6.6 and 6.7. The ratio of static to friction head over the operating range
influences the benefits achievable from variable speed drives which shall be discussed later.
Figure 6.6 System with High Static Head Figure 6.7 System with Low Static Head
Static head is a characteristic of the specific installation and reducing this head where this is
possible, generally helps both the cost of the installation and the cost of pumping the liquid.
Friction head losses must be minimised to reduce pumping cost, but after eliminating unnecessary
pipe fittings and length, further reduction in friction head will require larger diameter pipe, which
adds to installation cost.
6.3 Pump Curves
The performance of a pump can be expressed graphically as head against flow rate. The
centrifugal pump has a curve where the head falls gradually with increasing flow. This is called
the pump characteristic curve (Head - Flow curve) -see Figure 6.8.
105
Pump operating point
When a pump is installed in a system the effect can be illustrated graphically by superimposing
pump and system curves. The operating point will always be where the two curves intersect.
Figure 6.9.
If the actual system curve is different in reality to that calculated, the pump will operate at a
flow and head different to that expected.
For a centrifugal pump, an increasing system resistance will reduce the flow, eventually to
zero, but the maximum head is limited as shown. Even so, this condition is only acceptable for
a short period without causing problems. An error in the system curve calculation is also likely
to lead to a centrifugal pump selection, which is less than optimal for the actual system head loss-
es. Adding safety margins to the calculated system curve to ensure that a sufficiently large pump
is selected will generally result in installing an oversized pump, which will operate at an exces -
sive flow rate or in a throttled condition, which increases energy usage and reduces pump life.
106
The Figure 6.10 below shows a typical vendor-supplied head-flow curve for a centrifugal
pump. Pump head-flow curves are typically given for clear water. The choice of pump for a
given application depends largely on how the pump head-flow characteristics match the
requirement of the system downstream of the pump.
107
The Figure 6.11 shows the effect on system curve with throttling.
In the system under consideration, water has to be first lifted to a height - this represents the
static head.
Then, we make a system curve, considering the friction and pressure drops in the systemthis
is shown as the green curve.
Suppose, we have estimated our operating conditions as 500 m 3/hr flow and 50 m head, we
will chose a pump curve which intersects the system curve (Point A) at the pump's best
efficiency point (BEP).
But, in actual operation, we find that 300 m 3/hr is sufficient. The reduction in flow rate has
to be effected by a throttle valve. In other words, we are introducing an artificial resistance in
the system.
Due to this additional resistance, the frictional part of the system curve increases and thus
the new system curve will shift to the left -this is shown as the red curve.
So the pump has to overcome additional pressure in order to deliver the reduced flow. Now,
the new system curve will intersect the pump curve at point B. The revised parameters are 300
m3/hr at 70 m head. The red double arrow line shows the additional pressure drop due to
throttling.
You may note that the best efficiency point has shifted from 82% to 77% efficiency.
So what we want is to actually operate at point C which is 300 m 3/hr on the original system
curve. The head required at this point is only 42 meters.
What we now need is a new pump which will operate with its best efficiency point at C. But
there are other simpler options rather than replacing the pump. The speed of the pump can be
reduced or the existing impeller can be trimmed (or new lower size impeller). The blue pump
curve represents either of these options.
108
Energy loss in throttling
Consider a case (see Figure 6.12) where we need to pump 68 m 3/hr of water at 47 m head. The
pump characteristic curves (A…E) for a range of pumps are given in the Figure 5.12.
109
6.5 Efficient Pumping System Operation
To understand a pumping system, one must realize that all of its components are
interdependent. When examining or designing a pump system, the process demands must first
be established and most energy efficiency solution introduced. For example, does the flow rate
have to be regulated continuously or in steps? Can on-off batch pumping be used? What are the
flow rates needed and how are they distributed in time?
The first step to achieve energy efficiency in pumping system is to target the end-use. A
plant water balance would establish usage pattern and highlight areas where water consumption
can be reduced or optimized. Good water conservation measures, alone, may eliminate the need
for some pumps.
Once flow requirements are optimized, then the pumping system can be analysed for energy
conservation opportunities. Basically this means matching the pump to requirements by
adopting proper flow control strategies. Common symptoms that indicate opportunities for
energy efficiency in pumps are given in the Table 6.1.
110
Effect of speed variation
As stated above, a centrifugal pump is a dynamic device with the head generated from a rotating
impeller. There is therefore a relationship between impeller peripheral velocity and generated
head. Peripheral velocity is directly related to shaft rotational speed, for a fixed impeller
diameter and so varying the rotational speed has a direct effect on the performance of the pump. All
the parameters shown in fig 6.2 will change if the speed is varied and it is important to have an
appreciation of how these parameters vary in order to safely control a pump at different speeds.
The equations relating rotodynamic pump performance parameters of flow, head and power
absorbed, to speed are known as the Affinity Laws:
Where:
Q = Flow rate
H = Head
P = Power absorbed
N = Rotating speed
Efficiency is essentially independent of speed
Q1 / Q 2 = N1 / N2
Example: 100 / Q2 = 1750/3500
Q2 = 200 m3/hr
As can be seen from the above laws, doubling the speed of the centrifugal pump will
increase the power consumption by 8 times. Conversely a small reduction in speed will result in
drastic reduction in power consumption. This forms the basis for energy conservation in
centrifugal pumps with varying flow requirements. The implication of this can be better understood
as shown in an example of a centrifugal pump in Figure 6.13 below.
111
Figure 6.13 Example of Speed Variation Effecting Centrifugal Pump Performance
Points of equal efficiency on the curves for the 3 different speeds are joined to make the iso-
efficiency lines, showing that efficiency remains constant over small changes of speed provid -
ing the pump continues to operate at the same position related to its best efficiency point (BEP).
The affinity laws give a good approximation of how pump performance curves change with
speed but in order to obtain the actual performance of the pump in a system, the system curve also
has to be taken into account.
Efficiency varies when the diameter is changed within a particular casing. Note the difference
in iso-efficiency lines in Figure 6.14 compared with Figure 6.13. The relationships shown here
apply to the case for changing only the diameter of an impeller within a fixed casing geometry,
which is a common practice for making small permanent adjustments to the performance of a cen-
trifugal pump. Diameter changes are generally limited to reducing the diameter to about 75% of
the maximum, i.e. a head reduction to about 50%. Beyond this, efficiency and NPSH are badly
affected. However speed change can be used over a wider range without seriously reducing effi-
ciency. For example reducing the speed by 50% typically results in a reduction of efficiency by 1
or 2 percentage points. The reason for the small loss of efficiency with the lower speed is that
112
mechanical losses in seals and bearings, which generally represent <5% of total power, are
proportional to speed, rather than speed cubed. It should be noted that if the change in diameter is
more than about 5%, the accuracy of the squared and cubic relationships can fall off and for precise
calculations, the pump manufacturer's performance curves should be referred to.
The illustrated curves are typical of most centrifugal pump types. Certain high flow, low
head pumps have performance curve shapes somewhat different and have a reduced operating
region of flows. This requires additional care in matching the pump to the system, when changing
speed and diameter.
Pump suction performance (NPSH)
Liquid entering the impeller eye turns and is split into separate streams by the leading edges of the
impeller vanes, an action which locally drops the pressure below that in the inlet pipe to the pump.
If the incoming liquid is at a pressure with insufficient margin above its vapour pressure,
then vapour cavities or bubbles appear along the impeller vanes just behind the inlet edges. This
phenomenon is known as cavitation and has three undesirable effects:
1) The collapsing cavitation bubbles can erode the vane surface, especially when pumping
water-based liquids.
2) Noise and vibration are increased, with possible shortened seal and bearing life.
3) The cavity areas will initially partially choke the impeller passages and reduce the pump per-
formance. In extreme cases, total loss of pump developed head occurs.
The value, by which the pressure in the pump suction exceeds the liquid vapour pressure, is expressed
as a head of liquid and referred to as Net Positive Suction Head Available - (NPSHA). This is a charac-
teristic of the system design. The value of NPSH needed at the pump suction to prevent the pump from
cavitating is known as NPSH Required - (NPSHR). This is a characteristic of the pump design.
The three undesirable effects of cavitation described above begin at different values of
NPSHA and generally there will be cavitation erosion before there is a noticeable loss of pump
113
head. However for a consistent approach, manufacturers and industry standards, usually define the
onset of cavitation as the value of NPSHR when there is a head drop of 3% compared with the
head with cavitation free performance. At this point cavitation is present and prolonged
operation at this point will usually lead to damage. It is usual therefore to apply a margin
bywhich NPSHA should exceed NPSHR.
As would be expected, the NPSHR increases as the flow through the pump increases, see fig
6.2. In addition, as flow increases in the suction pipework, friction losses also increase, giving a
lower NPSHA at the pump suction, both of which give a greater chance that cavitation will occur.
NPSHR also varies approximately with the square of speed in the same way as pump head and
conversion of NPSHR from one speed to another can be made using the following equations.
Q∝N
NPSHR ∝ N2
It should be noted however that at very low speeds there is a minimum NPSHR plateau,
NPSHR does not tend to zero at zero speed It is therefore essential to carefully consider NPSH in
variable speed pumping.
6.6 Flow Control Strategies
Pump control by varying speed
To understand how speed variation changes the duty point, the pump and system curves are
over-laid. Two systems are considered, one with only friction loss and another where static head
is high in relation to friction head. It will be seen that the benefits are different. In Figure 6.15,
Figure 6.15 Example of the Effect of Pump Speed Change in a System With Only Friction Loss
114
reducing speed in the friction loss system moves the intersection point on the system curve
along a line of constant efficiency. The operating point of the pump, relative to its best effi-
ciency point, remains constant and the pump continues to operate in its ideal region. The affin -
ity laws are obeyed which means that there is a substantial reduction in power absorbed accom-
panying the reduction in flow and head, making variable speed the ideal control method for sys-
tems with friction loss.
In a system where static head is high, as illustrated in Figure 6.16, the operating point for
the pump moves relative to the lines of constant pump efficiency when the speed is changed.
The reduction in flow is no longer proportional to speed. A small turn down in speed could give
a big reduction in flow rate and pump efficiency, which could result in the pump operating in a
region where it could be damaged if it ran for an extended period of time even at the lower
speed. At the lowest speed illustrated, (1184 rpm), the pump does not generate sufficient head
to pump any liquid into the system, i.e. pump efficiency and flow rate are zero and with energy
still being input to the liquid, the pump becomes a water heater and damaging temperatures can
quickly be reached.
Figure 6.16 Example for the Effect of Pump Speed Change with a System with High Static Head.
The drop in pump efficiency during speed reduction in a system with static head, reduces
the economic benefits of variable speed control. There may still be overall benefits but eco-
nomics should be examined on a case-by-case basis. Usually it is advantageous to select the
pump such that the system curve intersects the full speed pump curve to the right of best effi-
ciency, in order that the efficiency will first increase as the speed is reduced and then decrease.
This can extend the useful range of variable speed operation in a system with static head. The
pump manufacturer should be consulted on the safe operating range of the pump.
115
It is relevant to note that flow control by speed regulation is always more efficient than by
control valve. In addition to energy savings there could be other benefits of lower speed. The
hydraulic forces on the impeller, created by the pressure profile inside the pump casing, reduce
approximately with the square of speed. These forces are carried by the pump bearings and so
reducing speed increases bearing life. It can be shown that for a centrifugal pump, bearing life
is inversely proportional to the 7 th power of speed. In addition, vibration and noise are reduced
and seal life is increased providing the duty point remains within the allowable operating range.
The corollary to this is that small increases in the speed of a pump significantly increase
power absorbed, shaft stress and bearing loads. It should be remembered that the pump and
motor must be sized for the maximum speed at which the pump set will operate. At higher speed
the noise and vibration from both pump and motor will increase, although for small increases the
change will be small. If the liquid contains abrasive particles, increasing speed will give a
corresponding increase in surface wear in the pump and pipework.
The effect on the mechanical seal of the change in seal chamber pressure, should be
reviewed with the pump or seal manufacturer, if the speed increase is large. Conventional
mechanical seals operate satisfactorily at very low speeds and generally there is no requirement
for a minimum speed to be specified, however due to their method of operation, gas seals
require a minimum peripheral speed of 5 m/s.
The system curve is usually not affected by the number of pumps that are running. For a
system with a combination of static and friction head loss, it can be seen, in Figure 6.18, that
116
the operating point of the pumps on their performance curves moves to a higher head and hence
lower flow rate per pump, as more pumps are started. It is also apparent that the flow rate with two
pumps running is not double that of a single pump. If the system head were only static, then flow
rate would be proportional to the number of pumps operating.
It is possible to run pumps of different sizes in parallel provided their closed valve heads are
similar. By arranging different combinations of pumps running together, a larger number of
different flow rates can be provided into the system.
Care must be taken when running pumps in parallel to ensure that the operating point of the
pump is controlled within the region deemed as acceptable by the manufacturer. It can be seen
from Figure 6.18 that if 1 or 2 pumps were stopped then the remaining pump(s) would operate
well out along the curve where NPSH is higher and vibration level increased, giving an
increased risk of operating problems.
Figure 6.18 Typical Head-Flow Curves for Pumps in Parallel, With System Curve Illustrated.
Stop/start control
In this control method, the flow is controlled by switching pumps on or off. It is necessary to
have a storage capacity in the system e.g. a wet well, an elevated tank or an accumulator type
pressure vessel. The storage can provide a steady flow to the system with an intermittent oper -
ating pump. When the pump runs, it does so at the chosen (presumably optimum) duty point and
when it is off, there is no energy consumption. If intermittent flow, stop/start operation and the
storage facility are acceptable, this is an effective approach to minimise energy consumption.
The stop/start operation causes additional loads on the power transmission components and
increased heating in the motor. The frequency of the stop/start cycle should be within the motor
design criteria and checked with the pump manufacturer.
It may also be used to benefit from "off peak" energy tariffs by arranging the run times during
the low tariff periods.
To minimise energy consumption with stop start control it is better to pump at as low flow
rate as the process permits. This minimises friction losses in the pipe and an appropriately small
pump can be installed. For example, pumping at half the flow rate for twice as long can reduce
energy consumption to a quarter.
117
Flow control valve
With this control method, the pump runs continuously and a valve in the pump discharge line is
opened or closed to adjust the flow to the required value.
Figure 6.19 Control of Pump Flow by Changing System Resistance Using a Valve.
To understand how the flow rate is controlled, see Figure 6.19. With the valve fully open, the
pump operates at "Flow 1". When the valve is partially closed it introduces an additional
friction loss in the system, which is proportional to flow squared. The new system curve cuts the
pump curve at "Flow 2", which is the new operating point. The head difference between the two
curves is the pressure drop across the valve.
It is usual practice with valve control to have the valve 10% shut even at maximum flow.
Energy is therefore wasted overcoming the resistance through the valve at all flow conditions.
There is some reduction in pump power absorbed at the lower flow rate (see Figure 6.19), but
the flow multiplied by the head drop across the valve, is wasted energy. It should also be noted
that, while the pump will accommodate changes in its operating point as far as it is able within
its performance range, it can be forced to operate high on the curve, where its efficiency is low,
and its reliability is affected.
Maintenance cost of control valves can be high, particularly on corrosive and solids-con-
taining liquids. Therefore, the lifetime cost could be unnecessarily high.
By-pass control
With this control approach, the pump runs continuously at the maximum process demand duty,
with a permanent by-pass line attached to the outlet. When a lower flow is required the surplus
liquid is bypassed and returned to the supply source.
An alternative configuration may have a tank supplying a varying process demand, which
is kept full by a fixed duty pump running at the peak flow rate. Most of the time the tank over-
118
flows and recycles back to the pump suction. This is even less energy efficient than a control
valve because there is no reduction in power consumption with reduced process demand.
The small by-pass line sometimes installed to prevent a pump running at zero flow is not a
means of flow control, but required for the safe operation of the pump.
xed Flow reduction
Impeller trimming
Impeller trimming refers to the process
of machining the diameter of an
impeller to reduce the energy added to
the system fluid.
Impeller trimming offers a useful
correction to pumps that, through over-
ly conservative design practices or
changes in system loads are oversized
for their application.
Trimming an impeller provides a
level of correction below buying a
smaller impeller from the pump manu-
facturer. But in many cases, the next
smaller size impeller is too small for the
pump load. Also, smaller impellers may Figure 6.20 Before Impeller trimming
not be available for the pump size in
question and impeller trimming is the
only practical alternative short of
replacing the entire pump/motor assem-
bly. (see Figures 6.20 & 6.21 for before
and after impeller trimming).
Impeller trimming reduces tip
speed, which in turn directly lowers the
amount of energy imparted to the sys-
tem fluid and lowers both the flow and
pressure generated by the pump.
The Affinity Laws, which describe
centrifugal pump performance, provide
a theoretical relationship between
impeller size and pump output (assum- Figure 6.21 After Impeller Trimming
ing constant pump speed):
Where:
Q = flow
H = head
BHP = brake horsepower of the pump motor
Subscript 1 = original pump,
Subscript 2 = pump after impeller trimming D
= Diameter
119
Trimming an impeller changes its operating efficiency, and the non-linearities of the
Affinity Laws with respect to impeller machining complicate the prediction of pump perfor-
mance. Consequently, impeller diameters are rarely reduced below 70 percent of their original
size.
120
sents a large portion of the total head, caution should be used in deciding whether to use VFDs.
Operators should review the performance of VFDs in similar applications and consult VFD
manufacturers to avoid the damage that can result when a pump operates too slowly against
high static head.
For many systems, VFDs offer a means to improve pump operating efficiency despite
changes in operating conditions. The effect of slowing pump speed on pump operation is
illustrated by the three curves in Figure 5.22. When a VFD slows a pump, its head/flow and brake
horsepower (BHP) curves drop down and to the left and its efficiency curve shifts to the left.
This efficiency response provides an essential cost advantage; by keeping the operating
efficiency as high as possible across variations in the system's flow demand, the energy and
maintenance costs of the pump can be significantly reduced.
VFDs may offer operating cost reductions by allowing higher pump operating efficiency, but
the principal savings derive from the reduction in frictional or bypass flow losses. Using a system
perspective to identify areas in which fluid energy is dissipated in non-useful work often reveals
opportunities for operating cost reductions.
For example, in many systems, increasing flow through bypass lines does not noticeably
impact the backpressure on a pump. Consequently, in these applications pump efficiency does
not necessarily decline during periods of low flow demand. By analyzing the entire system,
however, the energy lost in pushing fluid through bypass lines and across throttle valves can be
identified.
Another system benefit of VFDs is a soft start capability. During startup, most motors
experience in-rush currents that are 5 - 6 times higher than normal operating currents. This high
current fades when the motor spins up to normal speed. VFDs allow the motor to be started with a
lower startup current (usually only about 1.5 times the normal operating current). This reduces
wear on the motor and its controller.
122
7. LIGHTING SYSTEM
Syllabus
Lighting System: Light source, Choice of lighting, Luminance requirements, and Energy
conservation avenues
7.1 Introduction
Lighting is an essential service in all the industries. The power consumption by the industrial
lighting varies between 2 to 10% of the total power depending on the type of industry.
Innovation and continuous improvement in the field of lighting, has given rise to tremendous
energy saving opportunities in this area.
Lighting is an area, which provides a major scope to achieve energy efficiency at the design
stage, by incorporation of modern energy efficient lamps, luminaires and gears, apart from good
operational practices.
• Incandescent lamps:
Incandescent lamps produce light by means of a filament heated to incandescence by
the flow of electric current through it. The principal parts of an incandescent lamp, also
known as GLS (General Lighting Service) lamp include the filament, the bulb, the fill gas
and the cap.
• Reflector lamps:
Reflector lamps are basically incandescent, provided with a high quality internal mirror, which
follows exactly the parabolic shape of the lamp. The reflector is resistant to corrosion, thus
making the lamp maintenance free and output efficient.
123
7. Lighting System
Luminaire
Luminaire is a device that distributes, filters or transforms the light emitted from one or
more lamps. The luminaire includes, all the parts necessary for fixing and protecting the
lamps, except the lamps themselves. In some cases, luminaires also include the necessary
circuit auxiliaries, together with the means for connecting them to the electric supply. The
basic physical principles used in optical luminaire are reflection, absorption, transmission
and refraction.
Control Gear
The gears used in the lighting equipment are as follows:
• Ballast:
A current limiting device, to counter negative resistance characteristics of any discharge lamps. In
case of fluorescent lamps, it aids the initial voltage build-up, required for starting.
• Ignitors:
These are used for starting high intensity Metal Halide and Sodium vapour lamps.
Illuminance
This is the quotient of the illuminous flux incident on an element of the surface at a point of
surface containing the point, by the area of that element.
The lighting level produced by a lighting installation is usually qualified by the
illuminance produced on a specified plane. In most cases, this plane is the major plane
of the tasks in the interior and is commonly called the working plane. The illuminance
provided by an installation affects both the performance of the tasks and the appearance of
the space.
Lux (lx)
This is the illuminance produced by a luminous flux of one lumen, uniformly distributed over a
surface area of one square metre. One lux is equal to one lumen per square meter.
124
7. Lighting System
125
7. Lighting System
The higher value (H) of the range should be used at exceptional cases where low
reflectances or contrasts are present in the task, errors are costly to rectify, visual work is critical,
accuracy or higher productivity is of great importance and the visual capacity of the worker makes
it necessary.
Similarly, lower value (L) of the range may be used when reflectances or contrasts are
unusually high, speed & accuracy is not important and the task is executed only occasionally.
Recommended Illumination
The following Table gives the recommended illuminance range for different tasks and activities for
chemical sector. The values are related to the visual requirements of the task, to user's
satisfaction, to practical experience and to the need for cost effective use of energy.(Source IS
3646 (Part I) : 1992).
For recommended illumination in other sectors, reader may refer Illuminating Engineers
Society Recommendations Handbook/
Chemicals
Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical works
Exterior walkways, platforms, stairs and ladders 30-50-100
Exterior pump and valve areas 50-100-150
Pump and compressor houses 100-150-200
Process plant with remote control 30-50-100
Process plant requiring occasional manual intervention 50-100-150
Permanently occupied work stations in process plant 150-200-300
Control rooms for process plant 200-300-500
Pharmaceuticals Manufacturer and Fine chemicals
manufacturer
Pharmaceutical manufacturer
Grinding, granulating, mixing, drying, tableting, s 300-500-750
terilising, washing, preparation of solutions, filling,
capping, wrapping, hardening
Fine chemical manufacturers
Exterior walkways, platforms, stairs and ladders 30-50-100
Process plant 50-100-150
Fine chemical finishing 300-500-750
Inspection 300-500-750
Soap manufacture
General area 200-300-500
Automatic processes 100-200-300
Control panels 200-300-500
Machines 200-300-500
126
7. Lighting System
Paint works
General 200-300-500
Automatic processes 150-200-300
Control panels 200-300-500
Special batch mixing 500-750-1000
Colour matching 750-100-1500
7.5 Methodology of Lighting System Energy Efficiency Study
A step-by-step approach for assessing energy efficiency of lighting system is given below:
Step-1: Inventorise the Lighting System elements, & transformers in the facility as per
following typical format (Table - 7.2 and 7.3).
In case of distribution boards (instead of transformers) being available, fuse ratings may be
inventorised along the above pattern in place of transformer kVA.
Step-2: With the aid of a lux meter, measure and document the lux levels at various plant
locations at working level, as daytime lux and night time lux values alongside the number of
lamps "ON" during measurement.
Step-3: With the aid of portable load analyzer, measure and document the voltage, current,
power factor and power consumption at various input points, namely the distribution boards or the
lighting voltage transformers at the same as that of the lighting level audit.
Step-4: Compare the measured lux values with standard values as reference and identify
locations as under lit and over lit areas.
Step-5: Collect and Analyse the failure rates of lamps, ballasts and the actual life expectancy
levels from the past data.
Step-6: Based on careful assessment and evaluation, bring out improvement options, which
could include :
i) Maximise sunlight use through use of transparent roof sheets, north light roof, etc.
ii) Examine scope for replacements of lamps by more energy efficient lamps, with due
consideration to luminiare, color rendering index, lux level as well as expected life
comparison.
iii) Replace conventional magnetic ballasts by more energy efficient ballasts, with due
consideration to life and power factor apart from watt loss.
iv) Select interior colours for light reflection.
v) Modify layout for optimum lighting.
vi) Providing individual / group controls for lighting for energy efficiency such as:
a. On / off type voltage regulation type (for illuminance control)
b. Group control switches / units
c. Occupancy sensors
d. Photocell controls
e. Timer operated controls
f. Pager operated controls
g. Computerized lighting control programs
vii) Install input voltage regulators / controllers for energy efficiency as well as longer life
expectancy for lamps where higher voltages, fluctuations are expected.
viii) Replace energy efficient displays like LED's in place of lamp type displays in control
panels / instrumentation areas, etc.
7.6 Case Examples
Energy Efficient Replacement Options
The lamp efficacy is the ratio of light output in lumens to power input to lamps in watts.
Over the years development in lamp technology has led to improvements in efficacy
of lamps. However, the low efficacy lamps, such as incandescent bulbs, still constitute
a major share of the lighting load. High efficacy gas discharge lamps suitable for differ-
ent types of applications offer appreciable scope for energy conservation. Typical energy
efficient replacement options, along with the per cent energy saving, are given in Table-
7.4.
128
7. Lighting System
129
7. Lighting System
lamps. CFL's are highly suitable for places such as Living rooms, Hotel lounges, Bars,
Restaurants, Pathways, Building entrances, Corridors, etc.
130
7. Lighting System
System layout and fixing of the luminaires play a major role in achieving energy efficiency.
This also varies from application to application. Hence, fixing the luminaires at optimum height
and usage of mirror optic luminaries leads to energy efficiency.
Light Control
The simplest and the most widely used form of controlling a lighting installation is "On -Off"
switch. The initial investment for this set up is extremely low, but the resulting operational costs
may be high. This does not provide the flexibility to control the lighting, where it is not
required.
Hence, a flexible lighting system has to be provided, which will offer switch-off or reduc-
tion in lighting level, when not needed. The following light control systems can be adopted at
design stage:
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7. Lighting System
132
8. ENERGY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
OF COMPRESSORS
8.1 Introduction
The compressed air system is not only an energy intensive utility but also one of the least energy
efficient. Over a period of time, both performance of compressors and compressed air system
reduces drastically. The causes are many such as poor maintenance, wear and tear etc. All these
lead to additional compressors installations leading to more inefficiencies. A periodic performance
assessment is essential to minimize the cost of compressed air.
133
8. Energy Performance Assessment of Compressors
ratio of upstream pressure (receiver) to the downstream pressure (atmospheric) i.e. Mach number
equals one.
When the pressure in the receiver is kept constant for a reasonable intervals of time, the
airflow output of the compressor is equal to that of the nozzle and can be calculated from the
known characteristic of the nozzle.
8.4.2 Arrangement of test equipment
The arrangement of test equipment and measuring device shall confirm to Figure 8.1.
• Thermometers or Thermocouple
• Pressure gauges or Manometers
• Differential pressure gauges or Manometers
• Standard Nozzle
134
8. Energy Performance Assessment of Compressors
• Psychrometer
• Tachometer/stroboscope
• Electrical demand analyser
135
8. Energy Performance Assessment of Compressors
Compressor Displacement = π
x D2 x L x S x χ x n
4
D = Cylinder bore, metre
L = Cylinder stroke, metre
S = Compressor speed rpm
χ = 1 for single acting and
2 for double acting cylinders
n = No. of cylinders
8.6 Example
136
8. Energy Performance Assessment of Compressors
In the above example the measured flow is 1407.6 m 3/hr and actual power consumption is
100 kW.
137
8. Energy Performance Assessment of Compressors
Another way of determining the Free Air Delivery of the compressor is by Pump Up
Method - also known as receiver filling method. Although this is less accurate, this can be
adopted where the elaborate nozzle method is difficult to be deployed.
• Isolate the compressor along with its individual receiver being taken for test from main
compressed air system by tightly closing the isolation valve or blanking it, thus closing
the receiver outlet.
• Open water drain valve and drain out water fully and empty the receiver and the pipeline.
Make sure that water trap line is tightly closed once again to start the test.
• Start the compressor and activate the stopwatch.
• Note the time taken to attain the normal operational pressure P 2 (in the receiver) from ini-
tial pressure P1.
• Calculate the capacity as per the formulae given below:
Where
P2 = Final pressure after filling (kg/cm 2 a)
P1 = Initial pressure (kg/cm 2a) after bleeding
P0 = Atmospheric Pressure (kg/cm 2 a)
V = Storage volume in m 3 which includes receiver,
after cooler, and delivery piping
T = Time take to build up pressure to P2 in minutes
The above equation is relevant where the compressed air temperature is same as the ambient
air temperature, i.e., perfect isothermal compression. In case the actual compressed air temperature
at discharge, say t2°C is higher than ambient air temperature say t1°C (as is usual case), the FAD is
to be corrected by a factor (273 + t1) / (273 + t2).
EXAMPLE
An instrument air compressor capacity test gave the following results (assume the final
compressed air temperature is same as the ambient temperature) - Comment?
138
8. Energy Performance Assessment of Compressors
Capacity shortfall with respect to 14.75 m3/minute rating is 1.577 m3/minute i.e.,
10.69 %, which indicates compressor performance needs to be investigated further.
139
9. ENERGY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
OF HVAC SYSTEMS
9.1 Introduction
Air conditioning and refrigeration consume significant amount of energy in buildings and in
process industries. The energy consumed in air conditioning and refrigeration systems is sensi -
tive to load changes, seasonal variations, operation and maintenance, ambient conditions etc.
Hence the performance evaluation will have to take into account to the extent possible all these
factors.
Net Refrigerating Capacity. A quantity defined as the mass flow rate of the evaporator water
multiplied by the difference in enthalpy of water entering and leaving the cooler, expressed in
kCal/h, tons of Refrigeration.
kW/ton rating: Commonly referred to as efficiency, but actually power input to compressor
motor divided by tons of cooling produced, or kilowatts per ton (kW/ton). Lower kW/ton indicates
higher efficiency.
Coefficient of Performance (COP): Chiller efficiency measured in Btu output (cooling) divided
by Btu input (electric power).
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER): Performance of smaller chillers and rooftop units is
frequently measured in EER rather than kW/ton. EER is calculated by dividing a chiller's cooling
capacity (in Btu/h) by its power input (in watts) at full-load conditions. The higher the EER, the
more efficient the unit.
140
9. Energy Performance Assessment of HVAC Systems
9.5 Procedure
9.5.1 To determine the net refrigeration capacity
The test shall include a measurement of the net heat removed from the water as it passes
through the evaporator by determination of the following:
a. Water flow rate
b. Temperature difference between entering and leaving water
The heat removed from the chilled water is equal to the product of the chilled water flow
rate, the water temperature difference, and the specific heat of the water is defined as
follows
The net refrigeration capacity in tons shall be obtained by the following equation:
The accurate temperature measurement is very vital in refrigeration and air conditioning and
least count should be at least one decimal.
141
9. Energy Performance Assessment of HVAC Systems
Use this data to calculate other energy efficiency parameters with the following
relations
142
9. Energy Performance Assessment of HVAC Systems
Heat load can also be calculated theoretically by estimating the various heat loads, both sen-
sible and latent, in the air-conditioned room (refer standard air conditioning handbooks). The
difference between these two indicates the losses by way of leakages, unwanted loads, heat
ingress etc.
Evaporator
a. Temperature of water entering evaporator
b. Temperature of water leaving evaporator
c. Chilled water flow rates
d. Evaporator water pressure drop (inlet to outlet)
Compressor
e. Power input to compressor electrical power, kW
9.7 Example
In a brewery chilling system, ethylene glycol is used a secondary refrigerant. The designed
capacity is 40 TR. A test was conducted to find out the operating capacity and energy
performance ratios. The flow was measured by switching off the secondary pump and measuring
the tank level difference in hot well.
Measurements data:
143
9. Energy Performance Assessment of HVAC Systems
144
9. Energy Performance Assessment of HVAC Systems
145
10. ENERGY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF LIGHTING
SYSTEMS
10.1 Introduction
Lighting is provided in industries, commercial buildings, indoor and outdoor for
providing comfortable working environment. The primary objective is to provide the
required lighting effect for the lowest installed load i.e highest lighting at lowest power
consumption.
146
tal working plane with general lighting of an interior. Unit: watts per square metre per 100 lux
(W/m²/100 lux)
100
Installed power density (W/m²/100 lux) = —————————————-
Installed load efficacy (lux/W/m²)
Installed Load Efficacy Ratio (ILER)
= Actual Lux/W/m² Target W/m²/100lux
——————— or ————————
Target Lux/W/m² Actual W/m²/100lux
Average maintained illuminance is the average of lux levels measured at various points in a
defined area.
Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a measure of the effect of light on the perceived color of objects.
To determine the CRI of a lamp, the color appearances of a set of standard color chips are measured
with special equipment under a reference light source with the same correlated color temperature as
the lamp being evaluated. If the lamp renders the color of the chips identical to the reference light
source, its CRI is 100. If the color rendering differs from the reference light source, the CRI is less
than 100. A low CRI indicates that some colors may appear unnatural when illuminated by the lamp.
10.4 Preparation (before Measurements)
Before starting the measurements, the following care should be taken:
• All lamps should be operating and no luminaires should be dirty or stained.
• There should be no significant obstructions to the flow of light throughout the interior,
especially at the measuring points.
• Accuracies of readings should be ensured by
- Using accurate illuminance meters for measurements
- Sufficient number and arrangement of measurement points within the interior
- Proper positioning of illuminance meter
- Ensuring that no obstructions /reflections from surfaces affect measurement.
• Other precautions
- If the illuminance meter is relatively old and has not been checked recently, it
should be compared with one that has been checked over a range of illuminances,
e.g. 100 to 600 lux, to establish if a correction factor should be applied.
- that the number and arrangement of measurement points are sufficient and
suitable to obtain a reasonably accurate assessment of the average illuminance
throughout an interior. The procedure recommended in the CIBSE Code for
such site measurements is as follows:
The interior is divided into a number of equal areas, which should be as square as possible. The
illuminance at the centre of each area is measured and the mean value calculated. This gives an
estimate of the average illuminance on the horizontal working plane.
147
10.5 Procedure for Assessment of Lighting Systems
10.5.1 To Determine the Minimum Number and Positions of Measurement Points
To obtain an approximately "square array", i.e. the spacing between the points on
each axis to be approximately the same, it may be necessary to increase the number of
points.
Length = 9m, Width = 5m, Height of luminaires above working plane (Hm) = 2m
Calculate RI = 9 x 5 = 1.607
2(9 + 5)
148
Therefore in this example the spacing between points along rows along the length of the
interior = 9 ÷ 6 = 1.5m and the distance of the 'end' points from the wall = 1.5 ÷ 2 = 0.75m.
Similarly the distance between points across the width of the interior = 5 ÷ 3 = 1.67m with
half this value, 0.83m, between the 'end' points and the walls.
If the grid of the measurement points coincides with that of the lighting fittings, large errors
are possible and the number of measurement points should be increased to avoid such an
occurrence.
10.5.2 Calculation of the Installed Load Efficacy and Installed Load Efficacy Ratio of a
General Lighting Installation in an Interior
STEP 6 Divide 5 by 4 to calculate lux per watt per square Metre Lux/W/m² = ---------------
STEP 7 Obtain target Lux/W/m² lux for type of the type of
interior/application and RI (2): Target Lux/W/m² =
149
TABLE 10.2 Target lux/W/m² (W/m²/100lux) values for
maintained illuminance on horizontal
plane for all room indices and applica-
tions:
The principal difference between the targets for Commercial and Industrial Ra: 40-85
(Cols.2 & 3) of Table 10.2 is the provision for a slightly lower maintenance factor for the latter.
The targets for very clean industrial applications, with Ra: of 40 -85, are as column 2.
ILER Assessment
0.75 or over Satisfactory to Good
0.51 - 0.74 Review suggested
0.5 or less Urgent action required
ILER Ratios of 0.75 or more may be considered to be satisfactory. Existing installations with
ratios of 0.51 - 0.74 certainly merit investigation to see if improvements are possible. Of course
there can be good reasons for a low ratio, such as having to use lower efficacy lamps or less
efficient luminaires in order to achieve the required lighting result -but it is essential to check
whether there is a scope for a more efficient alternative. Existing installations with an ILER of
0.5 or less certainly justify close inspection to identify options for converting the installation to
use more efficient lighting equipment.
150
Having derived the ILER for an existing lighting installation, then the difference between the
actual ILER and the best possible (1.0) can be used to estimate the energy wastage. For a given
installation:
Annual energy wastage (in kWh)
= (1.0 - ILER) x Total load (kW) x annual operating hours (h)
This process of comparing the installed load efficacy (ILE) with the target value for the
Room Index and type of application can also be used to assess the efficiency of designs for new
or replacement general lighting installations. If, when doing so, the calculated ILE (lux/W/m²)
is less than the target value then it is advisable to ascertain the reasons. It may be that the
requirements dictate a type of luminaire that is not as efficient as the best, or the surface
reflectances are less than the normal maxima, or the environment is dirty, etc., Whatever the
reasons, they should be checked to see if a more efficient solution is possible.
10.6 Example of ILER Calculation (for the room as mentioned in
paragraph 10.5.1)
Referring to table 3, ILER of 0.7 means that there is scope for review of the lighting system.
Annual energy wastage = (1 - ILER) x watts x no. of operating hours
= (1 - 0.7) x 990 x 8 hrs/day x 300 days
= 712 kWh/annum
• Look for natural lighting opportunities through windows and other openings
• In the case of industrial lighting, explore the scope for introducing translucent sheets
• Assess scope for more energy efficient lamps and luminaries
• Assess the scope for rearrangement of lighting fixtures
151
10.8 Other Useful Information
10.8.1 IES - Recommendations
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) has published illuminance recommendations for
various activities. These tables cover both generic tasks (reading, writing etc), and 100's of
very specific tasks and activities (such as drafting, parking, milking cows, blowing glass and
baking bread).
All tasks fall into 1 of 9 illuminance categories, covering from 20 to 20,000 lux, (2 to 2000
foot candles). The categories are known as A - I, and each provide a range of 3 iluminance values
(low, mid and high). See Table 10.4.
TABLE 10.4 IES ILLUMINANCE CATEGORIES AND VALUES - FOR GENERIC INDOOR
ACTIVITIES
152
Step 2: More detailed task descriptions are given in the recommended illuminance level tables in
the IES Handbook. (For an intensive lighting survey) Under the task category "Libraries,"
subheading "Card files," the illuminance category is E.
Step 3: From the IES Illuminance Category and Ranges table, find category E and choose 500-750-
1000 lux for the range of illuminance recommended. The first column in the table is illuminance
values in units of lux, the metric version of footcandle. Notice that categories A through C are for
general illumination throughout the area, but D through I are for illuminance on the task. Categories G
through I would require a combination of general lighting and task lighting.
Step 4: Use the weighting factors to decide which of the values in the illuminance range to use.
Since libraries are public facilities, there may be many individuals over 55 years of age so select
the category 'Over 55' for a weighting factor of +1.
Next, decide whether the demand for speed and accuracy is not important, important or crit-
ical. Filing of cards correctly is not a critical activity, so the weighting factor of zero (0) is
selected. An example of critical might be drafting work. The task background reflectance for
black type on a white page is 85%. So choose "greater than 70 percent" for a weighting factor
of -1. The total weighting factor is 0. So use the middle recommended illuminance, or 750 lux.
For more detailed information on this the IES handbook may be referred.
153
Super 20000
HPSV 600 --- --- --- --- --- ---
Super
HPMV 80 3400 43 9 4000 - 0.6 - 0.69 8
5000
HPMV 125 6300 50 12 4000 - 0.6 - 0.69 10
5000
HPMV 250 13000 52 16 4000 - 0.6 - 0.69 18
5000
HPMV 400 22000 55 25 4000 - 0.6 - 0.69 18
5000
Metal 70 4200 84 26 10000 0.9 - 0.93 ---
Halide
Metal 150 10500 70 20 10000 0.9 - 0.93 ---
Halide
Metal 250 19000 76 25 10000 0.9 - 0.93 ---
Halide
Metal 400 31000 76 60 10000 0.9 - 0.93 ---
Halide
Metal 1000 80000 80 65 10000 0.9 - 0.93 ---
Halide
FTL 40 2400 60 15 4400 0.8 - 0.89 3.2 - 3.8
FTL 36 3250 90 5 14000 0.8 - 0.89 3.2 - 3.8
Super
154
11. ENERGY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
OF WATER PUMPS
11.1 Introduction
Pumping is the process of addition of kinetic and potential energy to a liquid for the
purpose of moving it from one point to another. This energy will cause the liquid to do work
such as flow through a pipe or rise to a higher level. A centrifugal pump transforms mechan-
ical energy from a rotating impeller into a kinetic and potential energy required by the
system.
The most critical aspect of energy efficiency in a pumping system is matching of pumps to
loads. Hence even if an efficient pump is selected, but if it is a mismatch to the system then the
pump will operate at very poor efficiencies. In addition efficiency drop can also be expected
over time due to deposits in the impellers. Performance assessment of pumps would reveal the
existing operating efficiencies in order to take corrective action.
Pump Capacity, Q = Volume of liquid delivered by pump per unit time,m 3/hr or m3/sec
Q is proportional to N, where N- rotational speed of the pump
The pump head represents the net work done on unit weights of a liquid in passing from inlet
of the pump to the discharge of the pump.
There are three heads in common use in pumps namely
(i) Static head
(ii) Velocity head
(iii) Friction head.
The frictional head in a system of pipes, valves and fittings varies as a function (roughly as the
square) of the capacity flow through the system.
System resistance: The sum of frictional head in resistance & total static head.
155
11. Energy Performance Assessment of Water Pumps
Pump Efficiency: Fluid power and useful work done by the pump divided by the power input in
the pump shaft.
qcw = q1 x C1/C2
156
11. Energy Performance Assessment of Water Pumps
157
11. Energy Performance Assessment of Water Pumps
ηPump = Ph
Ps
Measured Data
Pump efficiency
158
11. Energy Performance Assessment of Water Pumps
curve changes from normal / design. The example following from the earlier example outlines
the method of constructing a system curve.
Example:
Location of equipments
The Refrigeration plant is located at +0.00 level and the Process plant condensers are located at
+15 M level. One cooler having a design pressure drop of 1.9 kg/cm 2 is located at the 0.00 level
(ground level). Other relevant data can be inferred from the earlier section.
It can be noted that at full load the condenser and cooler circuits offer the maximum
resistance to flow.
159
11. Energy Performance Assessment of Water Pumps
Choose the condenser loop as it offers maximum resistance and is also having a static head
component
Static head: 15 M
Step 4 - Plot the system resistance against flow in the pump efficiency curves provided by the
vendor and compare actual operating duty point and see whether it operates at maximum
efficiency. In the example provided it is found that the pump system efficiency is lower by 4
% due to change in operating conditions.
160
12. PERFORMING FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
12.1 Introduction
When planning an energy efficiency or energy management project, the costs involved
should always be considered. Therefore, as with any other type of investment, energy man-
agement proposals should show the likely return on any capital that is invested. Consider the
case of an energy auditor who advises the senior management of an organisation that capi-
tal should be invested in new boiler plant. Inevitably, the management of the organisation
would ask:
• How much will the proposal cost?
• How much money will be saved by the proposal?
These are, of course, not unreasonable questions, since within any organisation there are
many worthy causes, each of which requires funding and it is the job of senior management to
invest in capital where it is going to obtain the greatest return. In order to make a decision about
any course of action, management needs to be able to appraise all the costs involved in a
project and determine the potential returns.
This however, is not quite as simple as it might first appear. The capital value of plant
or equipment usually decreases with time and it often requires more maintenance as it gets
older. If money is borrowed from a bank to finance a project, then interest will have to be
paid on the loan. Inflation too will influence the value of any future energy savings that
might be achieved. It is therefore important that the cost appraisal process allows for all
these factors, with the aim of determining which investments should be undertaken, and of
optimising the benefits achieved. To this end a number of accounting and financial appraisal
techniques have been developed which help energy managers and auditors make correct and
objective decisions.
The financial issues associated with capital investment in energy saving projects are investigated
in this chapter. In particular, the discounted cash flow techniques of net present value and
internal rate of return are discussed in detail.
12.2 Fixed and Variable Costs
When appraising the potential costs involved in a project it is important to understand the
difference between fixed and variable costs. Variable costs are those which vary directly with the
output of a particular plant or production process, such as fuel costs. Fixed costs are those costs,
which are not dependent on plant or process output, such as site-rent and insurance. The total
cost of any project is therefore the sum of the fixed and variable costs. Example 1 illustrates
how both fixed and variable costs combine to make the total operating cost.
Example 1
The capital cost of the DG set is Rs.9,00,000, the annual output is 219 MWh, and the
maintenance cost is Rs.30,000 per annum. The cost of producing each unit of electricity is
3.50 Rs./kWh. The total cost of a diesel generator operating over a 5-year period, taking into
consideration both fixed and variable cost is:
161
12. Performing Financial Analysis
From Example 1, it can be seen that the fixed costs represent 21.5% of the total cost. In fact, the
annual electricity output of 219 MWh assumes that the plant is operating with an average
output of 50 kW. If this output were increased to an average of 70 kW, then the fuel cost would
become Rs. 53,65,500, with the result that the fixed costs would drop to 16.37% of the total.
Thus the average unit cost of production decreases as output increases.
The concept of fixed and variable costs can be used to determine the break-even point
for a proposed project. The break-even point can be determined by using the following
equation.
Example 2
If the electricity bought from a utility company costs an average of Rs.4.5/kWh, the break-
even point for the generator described in Example 1, when the average output is 50 kW is
given by:
4.5 x 50 x n = (9,00,000 + 150000) + (3.5 x 50 x n)
n = 21000 hours
If the average output is 70 kW, the break-even point is given by:
4.5 x 70 x n = (9,00,000 + 150000) + (3.50 x 70 x n)
n= 15000 hours
Thus, increasing the average output of the generator significantly reduces the break-even
time for the project. This is because the capital investment (i.e. the generator) is being better
utilised.
162
12. Performing Financial Analysis
(i) Simple interest: If simple interest is applied, then charges are calculated as a fixed
percentage of the capital that is borrowed. A fixed interest percentage is applied to each year
of the loan and repayments are calculated using the equation.
(ii) Compound interest: Compound interest is usually calculated annually (although this is not
necessarily the case). The interest charged is calculated as a percentage of the outstanding loan
at the end of each time period. It is termed 'compound' because the outstanding loan is the sum
of the unpaid capital and the interest charges up to that point. The value of the total repayment
can be calculated using the equation.
Example 3
A company borrows Rs.3,00,00,00 to finance a new boiler installation. If the interest rate is
10% per annum and the repayment period is 5 years, let us calculate the value of the total
repayment and the monthly repayment value, assuming (i) simple interest and (ii) compound
interest.
163
12. Performing Financial Analysis
Alternatively, the following equation can be used to determine the compound interest repayment
value.
It can be seen that by using compound interest, the lender recoups an additional Rs.33,1530. It is
not surprisingly lenders usually charge compound interest on loans.
The annual net cost saving (AS) is the least savings achieved after all the operational costs have
been met. Simple payback period is illustrated in Example 4.
164
12. Performing Financial Analysis
Example 4
A new small cogeneration plant installation is expected to reduce a company's annual energy
bill by Rs.4,86,000. If the capital cost of the new boiler installation is Rs.22,20,000 and the
annual maintenance and operating costs are Rs. 42,000, the expected payback period for the
project can be worked out as.
Solution
• The payback method does not consider savings that are accrued after the payback period
has finished.
• The payback method does not consider the fact that money, which is invested, should
accrue interest as time passes. In simple terms there is a 'time value' component to cash
flows. Thus Rs.1000 today is more valuable than Rs.1000 in 10 years' time.
In order to overcome these weaknesses a number of discounted cash flow techniques have been
developed, which are based on the fact that money invested in a bank will accrue annual
interest. The two most commonly used techniques are the 'net present value' and the 'internal
rate of return' methods.
The value of the investment would grow as compound interest is added, until after n years the
value of the sum would be:
165
12. Performing Financial Analysis
Example :
The future value of the investment made at present, after 5 years will be:
The present value of an amount of money at any specified time in the future can be determined
by the following equation.
The net present value method calculates the present value of all the yearly cash flows (i.e.
capital costs and net savings) incurred or accrued throughout the life of a project, and summates
them. Costs are represented as a negative value and savings as a positive value. The sum of all
the present values is known as the net present value (NPV). The higher the net present value,
the more attractive the proposed project.
The present value of a future cash flow can be determined using the equation above.
However, it is common practice to use a discount factor (DF) when calculating present value.
The discount factor is based on an assumed discount rate (i.e. interest rate) and can be
determined by using equation.
DF = (1 + IR/100)-n
The product of a particular cash flow and the discount factor is the present value.
PV = S x DF
The values of various discount factors computed for a range of discount rates (i.e. interest rates)
are shown in Table 12.1. The Example 5 illustrates the process involved in a net present value
analysis.
166
12. Performing Financial Analysis
Example 5
Using the net present value analysis technique, let us evaluate the financial merits of the proposed
projects shown in the Table below. Assume an annual discount rate of 8% for each project.
Project - 1 Project - 2
Capital cost (Rs.) 30 000.00 30 000.00
Year Net annual saving (Rs.) Net annual saving (Rs.)
1 +6 000.00 +6 600.00
2 +6 000.00 +6 600.00
3 +6 000.00 +6 300.00
167
12. Performing Financial Analysis
4 +6 000.00 +6 300.00
5 +6 000.00 +6 000.00
6 +6 000.00 +6 000.00
7 +6 000.00 +5 700.00
8 +6 000.00 +5 700.00
9 +6 000.00 +5 400.00
10 +6 000.00 +5 400.00
Total net saving at +60 000.00 + 60 000.00
end of year 10
Solution
The annual cash flows should be multiplied by the annual discount factors for a rate of 8% to
determine the annual present values, as shown in the Table below:
It can be seen that over a 10 year life-span the net present value for Project 1 is
Rs.10,254.00, while for Project 2 it is Rs.10,867.80. Therefore Project 2 is the preferential
proposal.
168
12. Performing Financial Analysis
The whole credibility of the net present value method depends on a realistic prediction of
future interest rates, which can often be unpredictable. It is prudent therefore to set the discount
rate slightly above the interest rate at which the capital for the project is borrowed. This will
ensure that the overall analysis is slightly pessimistic, thus acting against the inherent uncertain
ties in predicting future savings.
Example 6
A proposed project requires an initial capital investment of Rs.20 000. The cash flows generated
by the project are shown in the table below:
Given the above cash flow data, let us find out the internal rate of return for the project.
169
12. Performing Financial Analysis
Solution
It can clearly be seen that the discount rate which results in the net present value being zero lies
somewhere between 12% and 16%.
For12% discount rate, NPV is positive; for 16% discount rate, NPV is negative. Thus
for some discount rate between 12 and 16 percent, present value benefits are equated to
present value costs. To find the value exactly, one can interpolate between the two rates
as follows:
459.5
Internal rate of return = 0.12 + (0.16 - 0.12) x x 100
(459.5 - (-1508.5))
459.5
Internal rate of return = 0.12 + (0.16 - 0.12) x x 100 = 12.93%
(459.5 + 1508.5)
Thus the internal rate of return for the project is 12.93 %. At first sight both the net present
value and internal rate of return methods look very similar, and in some respects are. Yet there
is an important difference between the two. The net present value method is essentially a com-
parison tool, which enables a number of projects to be compared, while the internal rate of
return method is designed to assess whether or not a single project will achieve a target rate of
return.
Profitability index
Another technique, which can be used to evaluate the financial viability of projects, is the
profitability index. The profitability index can be defined as:
170
12. Performing Financial Analysis
Example 7
Determine the profitability index for the projects outlined in Example 5
10254
For Project 1: Profitability index = = 0.342
30,000
10867
For Project 2: Profitability index = = 0.362
30,000
• The capital value of plant and equipment generally depreciates over time
• General inflation reduces the value of savings as time progresses. For example, Rs.1000
saved in 1 year's time will be worth more than Rs.1000 saved in 10 years time.
The capital depreciation of an item of equipment can be considered in terms of its salvage value
at the end of the analysis period. The Example 8 illustrates the point.
Example 8
It is proposed to install a heat recovery equipment in a factory. The capital cost of installing the
equipment is Rs.20,000 and after 5 years its salvage value is Rs.1500. If the savings accrued by
the heat recovery device are as shown below, we have to find out the net present value after
5 years. Discount rate is assumed to be 8%.
Data
Year 1 2 3 4 5
7000 6000 6000 5000 5000
171
12. Performing Financial Analysis
Solution
It is evident that over a 5-year life span the net present value of the project is Rs.4489.50. Had
the salvage value of the equipment not been considered, the net present value of the project
would have been only Rs.3468.00.
Real value
Inflation can be defined as the rate of increase in the average price of goods and services. In
some countries, inflation is expressed in terms of the retail price index (RPI), which is
determined centrally and reflects average inflation over a range of commodities. Because of
inflation, the real value of cash flow decreases with time. The real value of sum of money
(S) realised in n years time can be determined using the equation.
RV = S x (1 + R/100)-n
Where RV is the real value of S realized in n years time. S is the value of cash flow in n years
time and R is the inflation rate (%).
As with the discount factor it is common practice to use an inflation factor when assessing
the impact of inflation on a project. The inflation factor can be determined using the equation.
IF = (1 + R/100) -n
The product of a particular cash flow and inflation factor is the real value of the cash flow.
RV = S x IF
Example 9
Recalculate the net present value of the energy recovery scheme in Example 8, assuming the
discount rate remains at 8% and that the rate of inflation is 5%.
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12. Performing Financial Analysis
Solution
Because of inflation; Real interest rate = Discount rate - Rate of inflation
Therefore Real interest rate = 8 - 5 = 3%
NPV = +4397.88
The Example 9 shows that when inflation is assumed to be 5%, the net present value of the project
reduces from Rs.4489.50 to Rs.4397.88. This is to be expected, because general inflation will
always erode the value of future 'profits' accrued by a project.
173