Automation Parts

Energos Gasification For Energy-Recovery Plant Commissioning is underway at a second Energos gasification plant at Borregaard Industries, Sarpsborg, in Norway - the company's eighth energy-recovery facility (ERF) in Europe. The facility is owned by Hafslund Heat and Power AS, who appointed Energos to deliver the MandE package. The Energos process will recover in excess of 80 per cent of the energy contained in the non-recyclable waste. The plant will reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by an approximate total of 40,000 tonnes a year. A further six Energos plants - Newport, Irvine, Lincolnshire, Barry, Doncaster and Knowsley - have received UK planning permission and are targeted to open in 2013. In Europe, Energos is said to offer the only proven and commercially viable gasification technology capable of generating renewable energy from municipal waste and post-recycling residue. It offers a clean energy-recovery-from-waste solution that provides an alternative to mass-burn incineratio...

Ultrasonic Leak Detector Produces Energy Savings Logis Tech is offering its EP2400 ultrasonic leak/stethoscope detector - a hand-held, portable, highly sensitive device that is designed to produce energy savings and reduce plant-maintenance costs. The EP2400 ultrasonic detector is designed to produce savings in engineering plants by detecting leaks in compressed-air or gas systems and in airlines, vacuums, steam traps, tanks and window seals; by detecting mechanical malfunctions, such as worn bearings, gears and mechanical movable parts within casings; and by locating arcing and corona discharges in electrical systems.

Home-Appliance Buyers Prioritise Energy Efficiency Energy efficiency is the number-one attribute that consumers seek when purchasing new home appliances, according to a survey by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). While more than half of US homeowners (57 per cent) ranked energy efficiency as one of their top two considerations, safety was not at the top of the list. The majority of respondents admitted that they do not always look for a third-party safety certification, such as the UL Mark, on new appliances. Products that bear the UL Mark have been tested to UL's rigorous safety standards and are found to be free of foreseeable safety hazards. In the coming months, many consumers will consider purchasing new appliances thanks to the US government's USD300m (GBP183m) rebate programme, encouraging the purchase of energy-efficient appliances. The state-run programmes will offer cash rebates to consumers who buy new qualified home appliances. Homeowners and other consumers can...

Cooling System Could Save Energy Costs A cooling system launched by data centre design-and-build company TKR Data Centres, could save a UK-based enterprise around GBP370,000 a year in energy costs. The company commissioned TKR to design and construct a proof of concept for the cooling system, named Cryocentrix, within a test area of its data centre. The results were successful and the system is now being made available industry wide. 'Extensive testing and verification of performance took place over several months as adjustments and refinements were made to enhance the performance of the systems and controls,' said a spokesperson from TKR. 'A PUE of between 1.1 and 1.52 was achieved in a variety of conditions. 'If these methods were applied to the whole of the data centre, savings in the region of GBP370,000 per year in energy costs could be anticipated,' added the spokesperson. This level of efficiency is achieved by reducing the power consumed by all element...

Energair Cuts Compressed Air Energy Bill Gelpack Industrial has made an annual saving of more than 45 per cent on energy used to generate compressed air using a retro-fit variable speed drive package from Energair. A compressed air audit conducted at Gelpack Industrial revealed that 40.189 per cent of the input energy used to power the compressors was not productive, and that the system pressure was kept above what was required. This was due to the inefficient operation of two fixed-speed, 75kW, Worthington Rollair compressors, which were used on a rotating system to provide compressed air to the factory. The audit highlighted the potential savings that could be made by retro fitting a variable speed drive (VSD) package to reduce offload running and match air generation more closely to system demand. One area that can use a lot of non-productive energy is compressed air generation. Many companies are still unwittingly operating systems inefficiently through excessive compressors id...

ABB has launched the latest version of its six-step energy saving plan. It provides customers with information on the best ways to save money, by applying variable- speed drives and low-voltage motors to their fan and pump applications. The six-step energy saving plan is captured in a free 20-page guide, available to download. Using the guide, customers can assess up-to-date information on climate change and how it could affect their business. The guide also provides information on how to save money in setting up and running drive and motor applications, with tips on managing installations and when best to replace old technology with modern drives and motors. Schemes to help those willing to invest are also highlighted in the guide. The government's Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) scheme, and interest-free loans from the Carbon Trust help reduce the initial cost of implementing energy saving measures. ABB's six-step plan provides information on what they are, qualifyin...

Boge Screw Compressor Reduces Energy Costs RSL Steeper has reduced its compressed-air energy costs by 45 per cent through replacing an ageing compressor with a Boge S15 screw compressor at its manufacturing facility in Leeds. RSL Steeper is a supplier of prosthetic and orthotic patient care services in the UK. At its Leeds site, RSL manufactures a range of upper extremity prosthetic systems and components including cosmetic products, as well as mechanical and electric-powered systems from simple passive hands with silicone cosmetic gloves to multi-function Myo electric hands and powered elbows. Compressed air is used in the manufacturing process to power a number of air tools as well as a bio-reactor. The bio-reactor performs an important health and safety role in the production process. VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are generated in the manufacturing process from applications such as gluing. The bio-reactor purifies such air pollutants. The company has recently realised redu...

ABB Low Voltage has released a drive module with an in-built energy saving calculator, embedded Modbus and drive-to-drive link, a user interface with a series of assistant wizards and integrated safety functions. It also features modular hardware and software along with a removable memory unit, and uses the latest motor control platform, Direct Torque Control (DTC). Targeted specifically at OEMs, panel builders and system integrators, the ABB industrial drive modules are designed for industrial machinery and applications such as extruders, cranes, mixers, pumps and fans, in the power range 1.1kW to 400kW, with voltages from 380V to 480V. An on-board energy saving calculator indicates the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy saved in kW hours and money, as well as showing the duration curve showing the load profile of the drive. It also has an automatic energy optimiser that provides for optimum drive efficiency. The drive's internal fan features an automatic on/of...

Hager Energy Saving Stair Case Time Lag Switches Hager launch new range of staircase time lag switches that offers a simple and flexible energy saving solution. The switches are easy to fit or retrofit onto a DIN rail and can be used with any wall switches. The basic time lag switch allows the end user to switch on the lighting for an adjustable amount of time between 30 seconds and 10 minutes. After that time period the lights will switch off automatically. The device also has a manual override. A second switch has additional functionality. Like the basic version it will switch the lights off automatically after an adjustable time. It also has three other modes. A pre-warning mode provides a signal with the lights 'blinking' on and off before the end of the lighting period. The double delay mode allows the end user to press the switch for more than three seconds to provide a time delay of an hour. Finally there is a double delay and pre-warning mode, which can provide th...