Product category:
Industrial Drives/Controls
News Release from: Control Techniques | Subject: Control Techniques/Hyder energy saving package
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 05 July 2000
Big savings on fan running costs with
zero outlay!
Owens Corning is achieving annual energy savings of over £150,000 on the operation of three large fans, with zero capital outlay, thanks to Control Techniques and Hyder Energy Services
Owens Corning is achieving annual energy savings of over £150,000 on the operation of three large fans, with zero capital outlay The reason is an innovative energy saving package from Control Techniques and Hyder Energy Services
Under the terms of this package the cost of the Control Techniques drives, motors and installation is financed by Hyder Energy Services and paid back by Owens Corning out of the energy savings made.
The Owens Corning plant is based in Cwmbran South Wales.
It is one of the largest manufacturers of glass wool material for use in insulating both domestic and commercial properties.
The three large fans are an integral part of the manufacturing operation at the plant.
They are used in the process which converts the glass wool into the "candy floss" like material with which we are all familiar.
The fans create large amounts of suction which, after the glass has been treated with a binding agent, draws it down onto slatted conveyors.
Originally the fans were driven by three 3.3kV 525kW motors each fed by an 11/3.3kV transformer.
The motors ran continuously, with the air flow rate being governed by mechanical inlet guide vanes on each fan.
With this system the total electrical power consumption averaged over 8760hrs (one year) was running at 7,066,826 kWh.
At a cost of 4p/kWh this equated to £282,673 per annum.
Robin Davies, the Engineer in charge of the plant was aware that by using AC inverter drives on the fan motors more energy efficient operation could be achieved than with mechanical guide vanes.
However, the cost of this undertaking was high and there was no provision for such a project in the capital expenditure budget at that time.
This situation changed following a visit from the local Control Techniques sales engineer.
He provided details of a unique energy saving package which Control Techniques had instigated in partnership with Hyder Energy Services.
Under the terms of the partnership Control Techniques surveys an installation, acts as project manager and supplies the drives and other associated equipment.
Hyder funds the total initial project cost, recovers the funding in stages over the pay back period, and takes a share of the energy savings.
The Control Techniques/Hyder easy payment package spreads the cost, eliminating the capital commitment, and links the cost more closely to the revenue savings.
Owens Corning signed up to the package and the existing motors and transformers were replaced by three 415V, 355kW Leroy Somer motors, each fed by an 11kV/415V 450kVA transformer, and three new variable frequency inverters manufactured by Control Techniques.
Control Techniques also provided a turnkey service for installing and commissioning this equipment and for the task of removing the mechanical inlet vanes.
The total installed cost of the three new motors, inverters and transformers was less than £300,000.
Following the installation the total power consumption averaged over 8760hrs (one year) was measured as 3,264,031kWh., a saving of 3,802,795kWh.
This equates to a reduction in power consumption of 53.8%, a saving of £152,112 per annum and a payback period of under 2 years.
A further benefit was that the system power factor was improved to a figure of 0.99.
"It was a job worth doing." Commented a happy Robin Davies." We have wanted to do something about the energy consumption of these fans for some time but there have always been more pressing claims on our capital expenditure budget. Request a free brochure from Control Techniques ...
However, with the Control Techniques/Hyder system the problem of obtaining capital ceased to be a constraining factor.".
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