Developing a method to calculate leaks in a compressed air line using time series pressure measurements

Abstract

Compressed air is a powerful source of stored energy and is use in a variety of applications varying from painting to pressing in industrial manufacturing. One of the common problems in this system is air leakage. Air leaks forming within the compressed air piping network, act as continuous consumers and reduce the pressure within the pipes. Therefore, the air compressors will have to work harder to compensate for the losses in the pressure and preventing inefficiently of pneumatic devices. This will all cumulatively impact the manufacturer considerably when it comes to energy consumption and profits. There are multiple methods of air leak detection and accounting. The methods are usually conducted in non-production hours, the time that main air consumption within the piping is air leaks. In this paper, a model that includes both the production and non-production hours when accounting for the leaks is presented. It is observed that there is 50.33% increase in the energy losses, and 82.90% increase in the demand losses that are estimated when the effects of the air leaks are observed continuously and in real time. A real time monitoring system can provide an in-depth understanding of the compressed air system and its efficiency. The main goal of this paper is to find a nonintrusive way to calculate the amount of air as well as energy lost due to these leaks using time series pressure measurements.