Improving the Energy Efficiency of Air Compressor Rooms: A Methodological Tool for the Topology Optimization of Air Compressor Rooms

Optimal techniques are actually unused during the design phase of a compressor room. In this article, a novel application of the mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) technique is proposed as a tool for sizing and choosing the best configuration of an air compressor room, aiming at improving its energy efficiency. Two optimization problems are presented to cover different case studies. These formulations provide the optimal size, type, and number of compressors along with a room controller. The presented formulations are tested using both the simulated and real case studies. As a result of such a new approach, interesting energy savings are obtained when compared to the way the choices are usually performed. Very often, heuristic methodologies drive the design and the management of such facilities.