I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about increasing efficiency with EXAIR Super Air Nozzles. In the application for that blog we used engineered nozzles to place open pipes, resulting in an efficiency increased of ~65%. This week’s installment of efficiency improvements boasts similar figures, but through the replacement of misused liquid nozzles rather than open pipe.
The image above shows a compressed air manifold with a number of nozzles. BUT, the nozzles in this manifold are not compressed air nozzles, nor do they have any engineering for the maximization of compressed air consumption. These are liquid nozzles, usually used for water rinsing.
In this application, the need was to blow off parts as they exit a shot blasting machine. When the parts exit the shot blasting process they are covered in a light dust and the dust needs to be blown away. So, the technicians on site constructed the manifold, finding the liquid nozzles on hand during the process. They installed these nozzles, ramped up the system pressure to maintain adequate blow off, and considered it finished.
And, it was. At least until one of our distributors was walking through the plant and noticed the setup. They asked about compressed air consumption and confirmed the flow rate of 550 m³/hr. (~324 SCFM) at 5 BARG (~73 PSIG).
The end user was happy with the performance, but mentioned difficulty keeping the system pressure maintained when these nozzles were turned on. So, our distributor helped them implement a solution of 1101SS Super Air Nozzles to replace these inappropriately installed liquid nozzles.
By implementing this solution, performance was maintained and system pressure was stabilized. The system stabilization was achieved through a 61% reduction in compressed air consumption, which lessened the load on the compressed air system and allowed all components to operate at constant pressure. Calculations for this solution are shown below.
Existing compressed air consumption: 550 m³/hr. (324 SCFM) @ 6 BARG (87 PSIG)
Compressed air consumption of (9) model 1101SS @ 5.5 BARG (80 PSIG): 214 m³/hr. (126 SCFM)
Total compressed air consumption of 1101SS Super Air Nozzles:
Air consumption of 1101SS nozzles compared to previous nozzles:
Engineered air nozzles saved this customer 61% of their compressed air, stabilized system pressure, improved performance of other devices tied to the compressed air system, and maintained the needed performance of the previous solution. If you have a similar application or would like to know more about engineered compressed air solutions, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.
Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE