ATLAS Copco has launched its ZR series of water-cooled oil-free air compressors with built-in recovery systems, said to be certified for ‘net zero energy consumption’.
According to Atlas Copco, 100% of the electrical power input could be recovered in the form of hot water, allowing energy use cuts for industries which use a great deal of hot water and steam.
Atlas Copco says energy savings in compressed air systems are very important as energy consumption typically represents over 80% of a compressor’s lifecycle cost. Compressed air systems on average account for about 10% of industrial electricity consumption, but can account for as much as 40% of a plant’s electricity bill.
Atlas Copco claims the Carbon Zero ZR series compressors allow clients to get compressed air virtually for free.
The independent Technische Überwachungs-Verein (German Technical Monitoring Association) supervised the type-testing of Atlas Copco’s ZR 55-750 water-cooled oil-free screw compressors, equipped with built-in energy recovery systems.
The testing process involved real-time measurement of the electrical power input and the output power as hot water.It was proven that under the specific design conditions of 40°C and 70% relative humidity, 100% of the input electrical power could be recovered.
While the Carbon Zero compressor compresses air, all the input electrical energy is converted into heat at the compression elements, the oil cooler, intercooler and aftercooler. The built-in energy recovery system circulates cooling water through all these components and yields hot water at up to 90°C.
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