How compressed air & gas measuring sensors help

Energy accounts for as much as 75% of the lifetime cost of a compressed air system. That means even small efficiency improvements can have a big financial (and environmental) impact. Monitoring basic performance parameters can be the first step in achieving these big savings. This is where compressed air and gas measuring sensors come in.

The cost of leaks

Small things can add up over time. This is especially true for leaks in compressed air systems. Leakages are often considered the biggest waste of energy in compressed air installations. Up to 30% of the cost of compressed air can be saved by eliminating leaks.

Compressed air is quite expensive!
Example
Medium-sized production plant
Company size	200 employees
Typical compressor capacity	16m3/min = 960m3/h (565 cfm)
Efficiency factor	80% including night-idling
Electrical power input	100kW
Daily operation time	2 shift operation / 16 h
Annual operation time	276 days = 4416h
Energy costs	4416 h x 80 kW x 0.11 €
	➟ 38,000€

Leakages	Approximately 20% to 30% of the total consumption, this is typical for old plants
	➟ approx. 10,000 €

What is energy monitoring?

Maximizing compressed air system efficiency doesn’t stop with plugging leaks. Many other parameters play a key role. These include flow, pressure dew point, pressure, temperature, power consumption and air quality:

Increasing the operating pressure by just 1 bar boosts energy costs by 6%-10%. Keeping the operating pressure as low as possible is key.
An analysis of load/unload performance shows that there is 30% input even when supply is at 0%. This illustrates the importance of having as few unload hours as possible.
Measure the flow when production is halted. You might find there is still a flow of 100 cubic meters per hour flow. This is caused by leakages.

Pneumatech’s easy-to-install compressed air and gas measuring sensors help you monitor these parameters and implement the necessary interventions.

Compressed air and gas measuring sensors

Pneumatech offers a complete range of compressed air and gas measuring sensors. These include:

Flow sensors: Usable for different gases – compressed air, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Dew point sensors: These sensors are long-term and stable with quick adaption time and large measuring range. Our dew point sensors can be used with all types of dryers: desiccant dryers, membrane dryers, and refrigeration dryers.
Pressure sensors: We offer a large selection of pressure sensors with different ranges for each measuring purpose.
Temperature sensors: You can choose from our large selection of temperature sensors for the measurement of ambient air or gas temperature.
Compressed air quality measurement: This monitors compressed air for the presence of residual oil and particles according to ISO 8573.
Current/effective power meters: The PMH PM 5110 measures voltage and current and calculates the active power [kW], the apparent power [kVA], the reactive power [kVar], and the active energy.

All readings at a glance

Once all your sensors are set up, you don’t have to monitor their findings individually. All our sensors, as well as any third-party sensors and meters, can be connected to our Chart Recorders. These offer the convenience of viewing all the readings in one glance and of storing the data.

Intuitive software that brings it all together

The PMH Basic Data software makes all this data available in graphic and table form. Its intuitive operation allows for all important product functions to be retrieved via the dashboard. Users can view the minimum or maximum measured values, the time and the length of occurrence in one overview. The software issues a consumption report for all connected sensors at daily, weekly or monthly intervals.

To know more about how you can make your compressor more cost-efficient and optimized for your application, explore our proven measurement products.

Oil Aerosol Detectors Leak Detectors Educational Flow Sensors Product Chart Recorders Oil Vapor Detectors Dew Point Sensors

Measurement Equipment

Compressed air and the industrial gases you produce from this air are valuable products. Efficiency especially is a determining factor, as energy accounts for up to 80% of the total cost of a compressed air system. With Pneumatech’s proven, innovative measurement technologies, critical data points in an air and/or gas system can be recorded and analyzed so you can optimize its performance.

Chart Recorders

If you want to know what’s going on in your compressed air system at any time, then you should invest in a chart recorder. It shows the measurement data of the various sensors on a screen and lets you monitor all parameters at a glance. In addition, you have the option of analyzing the information to help you find the most energy efficient solution for your application.

Dew Point Sensors

Knowing the dew point of their compressed air allows users to dry it more efficiently while ensuring that it does not contain too much moisture. Dew sensors play an important role in this regard. They allow compressed air users to always keep an eye on the air’s dew point and to take the necessary steps to control it – all while only drying it as much as needed. And that can save a lot of energy.

Leak Detectors

Leaks in compressed air systems may be tiny, but they can have huge effect on a compressor’s energy consumption. In fact, by eliminating leaks, energy costs can be reduced by up to 30%. To make sure that no air and energy is wasted, a leak detector helps find and eliminate these leaks.

Flow Sensors

To ensure that a compressed air system functions optimally, the proper amount of air needs to reach every part of it. However, to preserve energy, you also don’t want to supply more air than is needed. That’s where a flow sensor is highly useful. It not only makes sure that enough air gets to where it has to go but also that you are not wasting energy.

See all Measurement Equipment

How compressed air & gas measuring sensors help

The cost of leaks

What is energy monitoring?

Compressed air and gas measuring sensors

All readings at a glance