Variable speed drive air compressors: an analytic approach to energy saving evaluation

This paper describes a field tested technique to assess energy savings via an analytic approach, bringing to the front the case of the use of variable speed drives for air compressors, compared to fixed speed motors with load-unload control. A simplified, guided procedure for evaluating and monitoring the effects of such technological replacement is reported; potentials and drawbacks of the simplified assessment procedure are analyzed and a case study illustrated to support its cogency.