Air compressors contribute to climate improvement, too, as they can support companies in reducing climate-changing emissions.
Thanks to an analysis carried out by the air-treatment compressors division of the Swedish multinational, Atlas Copco, it emerged that oil-free compressors featuring the VSD+ variable speed drive technology reduce CO2 emissions by 11% throughout their life cycle. In other words, if this technology was applied worldwide in the sectors that use compressors that eliminate oil contamination, we would have, considering the life cycle of these machines, a reduction of 9.2 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, an amount that is equivalent to the emissions of two million cars produced in the same period. These figures are the result of a comparison between the ZR VSD+ oil-free compressor and the best Atlas Copco machine of the previous generation.
This aspect is above all relevant for companies operating in the packaging sector, which are currently struggling under the new regulations and restrictions related to the ecological transition. Compressed air is in fact used in 90% of industrial lines for the production plastic packaging destined for food or drugs. In these cases, moreover, oil-free compressors guarantee the absence of mineral oil contamination, with the result of not altering the properties and purity of the product during the packaging stage and / or when it comes in contact with the packaging.
Atlas Copco has been investing for years in engineering solutions ensuring high performance and low energy consumption. In the field of energy efficiency, a key factor is the VSD (Variable Speed Driver) technology which makes it possible to adapt the air flow rate according to the actual needs, reducing energy costs and the impact on the environment.
In 1994, Atlas Copco was the first company to integrate this technology into air compressors and after about twenty years - thanks also to the introduction of the VSD+ technology – it set a new industry standard by cutting energy consumption and CO2 emissions of user companies down to levels never reached before.
Today, the systems featuring this technology available on the market include the oil-free screw compressors series ZT (air-cooled) and ZR (water-cooled) VSD+, which avoid oil contamination in the production cycle and guarantee a reduction in energy consumption of up to 35% (compared to fixed-speed systems), thus ensuring a rapid return on the investment. In addition, these compressors are equipped with the innovative Neos variable speed drives, developed in-house, in combination with permanent magnet motors. The dual-motor configuration with intelligent control algorithm optimizes efficiency, as it allows both stages to operate at different speeds. The permanent magnet motors are water or oil cooled, have IP66 protection rating and are designed for IE5 class efficiency – the leader in its category according to the IEC / EN 60034-30-1 standard – as well as maximum reliability.
Additional elements that contribute to energy saving are the Elektronikon Mk5 Touch control system, which manages the entire compressor, and Smartlink, the standard integrated remote supervision system which makes it possible to analyze the energy consumption of the plant anywhere and at any time, in order to reduce costs and plan preventive maintenance operations.
Emiliano Farnesi, Atlas Copco's oil-free compressor product manager: "The ZR VSD+ compressors have enabled a quantum leap in quality, ensuring customers up to 10% higher savings than the compressors of the previous generation. This means savings of almost 10,000 euros per year for the 160 kW model. Since their launch, more than 500 ZR compressors have been installed worldwide, each of which saves 40 to 60 tons of CO2 per year, depending on the air demand profile."
