By Ron Marshall
When the phone rang in the summer a few years ago, Ron knew the project would be unusual. A sawmill nearly 1,000 miles away needed a compressed air assessment, but an injured knee made flying impossible. Normally, a project like this would require airports, hotels, and days spent carrying instruments through the plant. This time, Ron would have to complete the audit without ever visiting the site.
Compressed air audits depend on accurate measurements, and losing data can ruin an entire project. But new, cell-connected monitoring technology offered a different solution. Working with a local compressed air service provider, Ron arranged for wireless cloud-connected loggers to be installed while he monitored everything remotely from his office.
The system under study looked simple: a single 250-hp lubricated screw compressor, a wet tank, and a heated blower-style desiccant dryer. Fortunately, the plant already had a thermal mass flow meter installed. The problem was that the meter sat across a busy roadway, making traditional wired monitoring difficult. The wireless system eliminated that issue completely.
Before the data even arrived, Ron noticed clues from smartphone photos sent by the plant. The compressor appeared to spend long periods running unloaded. Experienced auditors know unloaded compressors can waste huge amounts of electricity while producing very little useful air.
Once the live data began flowing, the real problems became obvious. The compressor continued operating until 2:00 a.m., even though production stopped at 3:30 p.m. It restarted again at 4:30 a.m., spending hours running inefficiently at very low demand. The system also showed excessive dryer operation, high pressure drop across filters, and evidence of fouled components restricting airflow.
Without leaving his office, Ron identified several major savings opportunities. He recommended replacing the single large compressor with two smaller units, including a variable speed drive compressor better suited for fluctuating demand. He also suggested lowering pressure, repairing leaks, improving ventilation, replacing fouled filters, and optimizing the dryer controls.
What impressed the customer most was not only the amount of wasted energy uncovered, but the fact the entire assessment had been completed remotely. No flights. No hotel stays. No lost travel days. And most importantly, lower fees.
For Ron, the project proved that connected monitoring systems are transforming compressed air auditing. Even from hundreds or thousands of miles away, auditors can now uncover inefficiencies quickly, provide immediate recommendations, and help customers save significant energy costs. And once again, the data confirmed a lesson Ron had learned years earlier: when you carefully measure a compressed air system, you nearly always find opportunities for improvement.
