Kaeser 4.0 technology for compressed air control

Michele Brusori - Kaeser Compressori

The latest systems designed by Kaeser Compressori in accordance with Industry 4.0 principles deliver energy savings of more than 20% and the ability to constantly monitor compressed air production and consumption. Coupled with the high energy efficiency of its compressors and dryers, Kaeser’s systems now offer all the advantages of digitalisation: real-time flow and analysis of all process data; remote diagnostics and customised preventive maintenance; and a plant and compressed air supply management which is perfectly calibrated to real needs and is associated with very low energy costs.

• ASD-HSD direct transmission screw conveyors (from 18.5 kW to 515 kW)

The ASD-HSD series direct transmission screw compressors adapt perfectly to all industrial compressed air plants designed for maximum energy efficiency. This is a result of their unique construction solutions such as the Sigma profile of the screw rotors, the radial fan and the innovative ETM electronic thermal management system.

The IE4 (Super-Premium-Efficiency) motors are applied across the entire range starting from the BSD series (30 kW), but they will soon also be adopted on the ASD (18.5-30 kW) range.

Further savings derive from the low service and delivery temperatures, as well as the option of recovering 96% of the thermal energy generated. All the fixed or variable temperature compressors are equipped with the Sigma Control 2 integrated control system which constantly monitors operation. Its functions include control of the suction and compressor temperatures to avoid buildup of condensation even in the presence of high levels of humidity.

• Energy-saving refrigeration cycle dryers

The new Secotec series TE and TF refrigeration cycle dryers, available in 7 models, consume less than 97 W per m³/min. of compressed air. The control system adapts the electrical power precisely to each individual load phase. With an average usage rate of 40%, these machines can save approximately 60% of the cost of electricity compared to refrigeration cycle dryers with hot air bypass. For example the model TF 340 normally allows for savings of 20,000 kWh/year over 6,000 hours of duty. Thanks to the energy-saving control system, the excess heat capacity can be stored in the thermal mass and reused for the drying process.The dryers have very low life cycle costs (as much as 50% lower than other machines on the market) thanks to their low maintenance requirements, energy efficient components and above all energy-saving control tailored to needs.

• Sigma Air Manager 4.0 (SAM 4.0)

The Kaeser compressed air plants are managed by the Sigma Air Manager 4.0, the heart of the Sigma Network designed by Kaeser on an Ethernet platform to integrate all plant components. This intelligent management system guarantees control functions and a continuous data flow between the compressed air station and the centralised Kaeser Sigma Smart Air system.

The process data of the compressed air station are transmitted in real time and analysed continuously with the aid of special algorithms that take account of the factory’s historic consumption levels and project the behaviour of the system into the immediate future according to the stored data. For example this allows predictive maintenance work to be performed via the Kaeser Data Center, which is not just a monitoring centre for the compressed air station but also a permanent energy management system that ensures the efficiency of the station over its entire life cycle. By avoiding unplanned stops and adapting the station to the user’s needs, predictive maintenance increases supply security and reduces service costs by up to 30%.

SAM 4.0 operation is based on 3-D^advanced adaptive control which calculates a variety of options in advance and selects the most efficiency compressor configuration according to air consumption. It considers not just starts and stops but also losses associated with no-load operation and those of the inverter, as well as pressure flexibility. It also optimises the pressure profile of the compressed air system and reduces average pressure.

Communication between the SAM 4.0 and the compressors occurs via the integrated Sigma Control 2 system equipped with numerous direct-interconnection interfaces (e.g. Ethernet). Connection with the dryers is guaranteed by the optional Modbus TCP communication module.