Tag: plant engineering

Compressed Air Is Powering the Energy Transition — Not Just Manufacturing

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

A major breakthrough just hit the industry: researchers unveiled the world’s most powerful single-unit compressed air energy storage (CAES) compressor, rated at 101 MW.

  • Achieves ~88% efficiency at max discharge pressure
  • More than doubles the power of prior single-unit CAES compressors
  • Designed to store energy by compressing air for later electricity generation

This positions compressed air not just as a plant utility—but as a grid-scale energy storage solution.

From Shop Air to Grid Power

For decades, compressed air has been known as the “fourth utility” of manufacturing—powering tools, automation, conveying systems, and production lines across nearly every industrial sector.

But today, compressed air is stepping into a much larger role.

Recent breakthroughs in compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology are transforming compressed air from a plant-floor necessity into a grid-scale energy solution. Massive new compressor systems are now capable of storing surplus renewable energy and releasing it back into the electrical grid when demand spikes.

In other words, compressed air isn’t just powering production anymore—it’s helping power the future of energy.

What Is Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES)?

Compressed Air Energy Storage is a method of storing energy for later use—similar in purpose to batteries, but very different in scale and operation.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Energy Capture
    Excess electricity—often from renewable sources like wind or solar—is used to power large compressors.
  2. Air Compression & Storage
    The compressed air is stored in underground caverns, tanks, or geological formations.
  3. Energy Release
    When electricity demand rises, the stored air is released, heated, and expanded through turbines to generate power.

Why CAES Matters

Renewable energy plays a critical role in the global shift toward sustainability, but it comes with a fundamental challenge: intermittency. Solar power only generates electricity during daylight hours, wind output fluctuates based on weather conditions, and grid demand changes constantly throughout the day. This mismatch between energy production and consumption creates reliability challenges for utilities. Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) helps solve this issue by capturing excess energy when supply is high and releasing it when demand spikes. The technology provides long-duration energy storage, supports grid stabilization, helps meet peak demand, and reduces reliance on fossil fuel peaker plants. While lithium-ion batteries currently dominate short-term storage solutions, compressed air stands out for its ability to store massive volumes of energy over longer periods—making it especially well suited for utility-scale applications.

A Breakthrough Moment for Compressed Air

Recent advancements in high-capacity compressors designed specifically for energy storage are pushing the boundaries of what compressed air technology can achieve. These next-generation systems deliver unprecedented compression power, achieve significantly higher efficiency levels, and are engineered to support renewable energy integration at grid scale. By reducing energy loss during compression and discharge cycles, they make large-scale air storage more practical and economically viable than ever before. This innovation marks a turning point for the industry: compressed air is no longer confined to manufacturing facilities—it is now being positioned as a core component of national energy infrastructure planning and the broader transition to renewable power.

Jordan Shouse, CCASS

Application Engineer / Sales Operations Engineer

Send me an email
Find us on the Web 

Schematic of the compressed air energy storage method courtesy of (Image: https://voltatechnique.com/technology/) Creative Commons License

Big Nozzle, Big Award…Again!

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

The year was 2016, and it was quite a time for sports fans:

  • Team USA dominated at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Swimmer Michael Phelps won five Gold Medals, and gymnast Simone Biles won a Gold Medal on her own, and another for the team event, contributing to the 46 total Gold Medals won by United States Olympians.
  • The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians took the World Series to all seven games…and extra innings in Game Seven. That makes it hard to disparage either team, but the Cubs prevailed, winning the Fall Classic for the first time in 108 years.
  • World Series heartbreak notwithstanding, Cleveland sports fans were pretty happy a few months earlier when the Cavaliers cinched the NBA Championship in seven games, defeating the heavily favored Golden State Warriors…who beat the Cavs in both of their regular season games that year.

Another big winner (non-sports) that year was EXAIR Corporation’s Model EF5010SS External Mix Narrow Angle Flat Fan Pattern 1/2 NPT Atomizing Spray Nozzle…it won Plant Engineering’s Product of the Year Bronze Medal Award in the Fluid Handling category. Yes, there’s a Compressed Air category, and our products have won a TON of those too…as well as some other categories:

  • Material Handling (Line Vacs)
  • Maintenance Products (Super Air Nozzles)
  • Environmental Health (High Lift Reversible Drum Vac)
  • Automation & Controls (EFC Electronic Flow Control)
Just a few of our past Product of the Year award winners in categories other than “Compressed Air”.

Anyway, now it’s 2021, and the No-Drip version of that Atomizing Spray Nozzle – Model EF6010SS – has won Plant Engineering’s GOLD Medal Award in the Fluid Handling category. Model EF6010SS offers the same performance as the EF5010SS:

  • Liquid flow rates from 141 to 303 gallons per hour (tested with water)
  • Flat fan spray dimensions from 15″ wide (6″ from target) to 25″ wide (15″ from target)
  • Atomized spray at a distance of up to 35 feet away

And, of course, the No-Drip feature means you can instantly stop liquid flow by shutting off the compressed air supply, up to 180 cycles a minute, if needed. This is a great feature to have to cut down on the cost – and the MESS – associated with overspraying.

Our comprehensive line of Atomizing Spray Nozzles has options for most any liquid that can be sprayed, with a wide range of flow rates and pattern size/shapes. The 1/2 NPT External Mix Narrow Angle Flat Fan model is ideally suited for liquids with higher viscosities where a higher flow rate/thicker coating is needed, as opposed to a humidification or misting application, where a smaller Atomizing Spray Nozzle might be specified. Some current, successfully reported, applications include:

  • Snack food provider – applying flavoring to bulk snack materials.
  • Commercial bakery – spraying cooking oil onto pans used in a conveyor oven.
  • Sporting goods manufacturer – applying adhesive to the tops of skateboard decks to glue the grip tape on.

If you’d like to discuss a particular liquid spraying application, I’d love to help…give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
Visit us on the Web
Follow me on Twitter
Like us on Facebook

EXAIR’s 2-1/2″ 303SS Threaded Line Vac Brings Home the Gold: 2020 Plant Engineering Product of the Year

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

While Team USA is out in Tokyo winning some gold medals, EXAIR is taking a similar approach. Winner of Plant Engineering’s Product of the Year Award in the Material Handling Systems Category, EXAIR’s 2-1/2″ NPT 303 SS Threaded Line Vac is a simple pneumatic conveyor for transferring of bulk materials in your processes.

Available with NPT threaded connections, EXAIR’s Threaded Line Vac air operated conveyor allow you to convert ordinary pipe into a powerful conveying system for parts, scrap, trim, and other bulk materials. With performance identical to that of the Standard Line Vac, the Threaded Line Vac is available in sizes ranging from as small as 3/8 NPT and up to 3” NPT. There’s a suitable Line Vac for most standard sized NPT pipe common an any industrial facility.

The Threaded Line Vac is available in a range of different materials: Aluminum, Type 303 Stainless Steel, Type 316 Stainless Steel, and as a Heavy Duty conveyor constructed of a proprietary hardened alloy steel for use in abrasive applications. Where most materials would wear out over time, the Heavy Duty Line Vac is the ideal solution for heavy and abrasive materials. In addition to being abrasive resistant, it’s also more powerful and suitable for longer vertical and horizontal transfer distances.

Each style of Threaded Line Vac is also available as a High Temperature option. By replacing the traditional o-rings with graphite seals, we’re able to provide a solution capable of withstanding temperatures up to 900°F!!!

The conveyance rate through the Line Vac is infinitely adjustable by regulating the air pressure supplied to it. At lower pressures, the conveyance rate (and air consumption) will decrease. At higher pressures, the conveyance rate will increase. If you have a Threaded Line Vac with the standard performance but need just a little bit more, the option also exists for a High Power unit that would match the performance of the similarly sized Heavy Duty. This can be ordered from the factory with an “HP” prefix, or modified yourself. Check out our video to see just how simple it is to get more out of your Threaded Line Vac.

With all sizes and materials on the shelf and in stock, we’re able to get a solution out to you quickly. We’ll ship out the very same day for stock orders received by 2:00 ET. Backed by our Unconditional 30 Day Guarantee, you’re able to make sure it is the right solution for you before committing to keep it. If you have an application that could be better served with an in-line pneumatic conveyor, give us a call. We’ll be happy to help you determine the most suitable size for the application.

Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

Cabinet Cooler Systems – Around The Clock (And Calendar) Heat Protection

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

So it was 19°F (-7°C) when I walked outside this morning. The layer of ice on my windshield was thin, but particularly stubborn, and I muttered under my breath. I have no business complaining about the cold…see, I moved to Ohio (on purpose) from Florida, in 1991. In November, to be exact. I still remember where I surrendered my “complain-about-the-cold” card:

If you’re headed north on I95, the next sign you’ll see is in Georgia. And if you’re not careful, you can end up “Up North.”

Why am I writing a blog about solutions to heat problems when, even though I do have a really nice pair of gloves, my fingers still aren’t even really thawed from ice removal duty this morning? Well, I’ve got three reasons:

1. Outside temperature doesn’t necessarily have any bearing at all on the temperature inside. Sure; there’s a reason we call July and August “Cabinet Cooler Season” – summer heat will do a number on sensitive electronic & control panels in spaces with no climate controls, but the problem goes away as winter approaches. In fact, there’s even such as thing as a cabinet HEATER, if the equipment in question is exposed to the elements.   Sometimes, though, heat is an issue year ’round…think blast furnaces, boiler rooms, foundries, chemical plants.  If your process generates heat, it’ll affect a control panel in the dead of winter just the same as on the dog days of summer.  We can quickly and easily specify the right Cabinet Cooler System for you with just a few key pieces of data…here’s a link to our Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide if you want to find out.

2. It’s not winter all over the world.  Here in the Midwest United States, I full well realize we’re just gearing up for windshield scraping, snow shoveling, slipping-on-the-ice (some people call it skating and do it intentionally) season.  But right now, our friends in the Southern Hemisphere are getting ready for heat waves, sunscreen, and (hopefully) air conditioning.  So, in essence, they’re moving towards what we call “Cabinet Cooler Season.”

3. Our Cabinet Cooler Systems are so great, the 316SS Cabinet Cooler Systems with Electronic Temperature Control are actually up for Plant Engineering’s Product of the Year Award.  Because of their 316SS construction, they’re optimally suited for installation in harsh or demanding locations.  The Electronic Temperature Control offers continuous indication of internal temperature, and the ability to change the thermostat setpoint with the push of a button.  If you’re a current user, and you agree that they’re great, we’d appreciate your vote.  If not, I’m reluctant to encourage you to vote for it, but I suppose I can’t stop you from taking my word for it…

EXAIR NEMA 4X 316SS Cabinet Cooler System with Electronic Temperature Control installed on control panel in a pharmaceutical plant.

If you’d like to talk about protecting sensitive electronics from the heat, or from the environment, or both, I’d love to hear from you…give me a call.