Atlas Copco Launches New Retrofit Compressor Energy Recovery Solutions

For use across a broad spectrum of process industries, the new range of stand alone, plug and play energy recovery units, ER S -1,-2, and -3, can achieve between 72 to 94% of energy recovery in the form of hot outlet water, at temperatures of up to 90°C.

The recovery kits comprise a complete stainless steel oil/water heat exchanger designed for simplified installation, fast commissioning, reduced service downtime and increased safety and environmental conditions. All major mechanical parts of the units are pre-mounted within the canopy allowing easy access to the thermostatic valve housing and to the motor for service operations. The all-in-one-box configuration eliminates the possibility of incorrect connection of flexible hoses and parts and no structural beam adaptation of the compressor is necessary to accommodate water inlet and outlet connections.

Over 45% of all industry applications use hot water in their processes. Atlas Copco’s ER units enable pre-heated water to be used in these processes to reduce the use of traditional energy sources and, at the same time, to lower the amount of CO2 emissions. Running cost reductions can be achieved both in applications involving intermittent use, such as central heating, or in the continuous duty of providing process hot water.

With up to 94% of the electrical energy employed in compressed air production being converted into heat and subsequently lost through radiation, the introduction of these retrofit kits will enable operators to make substantial reductions in fuel consumption. At the same time, it is possible to achieve indirect process savings by reducing the maintenance costs of associated equipment and, in specific applications, overall process efficiency can be boosted by up to 20%.