ASME EA-4–201 0

REAFFIRMED 201 5
FOR CURRENT COMMITTEE PERSONN EL
PLEASE E-MAIL [email protected]

Energy
Assessment
for Compressed
Air Systems

A N A M E R I C A N N A T I O N A L S TA N D A R D
I N TE N TI O N ALLY LE FT B LAN K
 ASME EA-4–2010

Energy
Assessment
for Compressed
Air Systems

AN AMERI CAN N ATI ON AL STAN DARD

 Date of Issuance: April 23, 2010

This Standard will be revised when the Society approves the issuance of a new edition. There will be no addenda is-
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 CONTENTS

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Committee Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Correspondence With the EA Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
1 Scope and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 Defi nitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4 Organizing the Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5 Conducting the Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
6 Analysis of Data From the Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7 Reporting and Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Figures
1 Compressed Air System Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 Industrial Facility – Producer and Consumer of Compressed Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3 Systems Engineering Process Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mandatory Appendices
I Preliminary Data Collection Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
II Plan of Action Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Nonmandatory Appendices
A Units of Measure for Compressed Air System Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
B Key References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

iii
 FOREWORD

This document provides a standardized framework for conducting an energy assessment for compressed air sys-
tems, hereafter referenced as an “assessment.” A compressed air system is de fned as a group of subsystems comprised
of integrated sets of components used to deliver compressed air energy to manufacturing equipment and processes.
Assessments involve collecting and analyzing system design, operation, energy use, and performance data and iden-
tifying energy performance improvement opportunities for system optimization. An assessment may also include ad-
ditional information, such as recommendations for improving resource utilization, reducing per unit production cost,
reducing lifecycle costs, and improving environmental performance related to the assessed system(s).
This Standard provides a common de fnition for what constitutes an assessment for both users and providers of
assessment services. The objective is to provide clarity for these types of services that have been variously described
as energy assessments, energy audits, energy surveys, and energy studies. In all cases, systems (energy-using logical
groups of industrial equipment organized to perform a specifc function) are analyzed through various techniques,
such as measurement, resulting in the identifcation, documentation, and prioritization of energy performance im-
provement opportunities.
This Standard sets the requirements for conducting and reporting the results of an assessment that considers the
entire system, from energy inputs to the work performed as the result of these inputs. An assessment complying with
this Standard does not need to address each individual system component or subsystem within an industrial facility
with equal weight; however, it must be suffciently comprehensive to identify the major energy effciency opportuni-
ties for improving the overall energy performance of the system. This Standard is designed to be applied primarily
at industrial facilities, but many of the concepts can be used in other facilities, such as those in the institutional and
commercial sectors.
This Standard is part of a portfolio of documents and other efforts designed to improve the energy effciency of
industrial facilities. Initially, assessment standards are being developed for compressed air, process heating, pumping,
and steam systems. Other related existing and planned efforts to improve the effciency of industrial facilities include
(a) ASME guidance documents for the assessment standards, which provide technical background and applica-
tion details to support the understanding of the assessment standard. The guidance documents provide rationale for
the technical requirements of the assessment standard and give technical guidance, application notes, alternative ap-
proaches, tips, techniques, and rules-of-thumb.
(b) A certi fcation program for each ASME assessment standard that recognizes certifed practitioners as individu-
als who have demonstrated, via a professional qualifying exam, that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to
properly apply the assessment standard.
(c) An energy management standard, “A Management System for Energy, ANSI/MSE 2000:2008,” which is a stan-
dardized approach to manage energy supply, demand, reliability, purchase, storage, use, and disposal and is used to
control and reduce an organization’s energy costs and energy-related environmental impact. NOTE: This ANSI stan-
dard will eventually be superseded by ISO 50001, now under development.
(d) An ANSI-accredited measurement and verifcation protocol that includes methodologies for verifying the results
of energy effciency projects.
(e) A program, Superior Energy Performance, that will offer ANSI-accredited certi fcation for energy eff ciency
through application of ANSI/MSE 2000:2008 and documentation of a specifed improvement in energy performance
using the ANSI measurement and verifcation protocol.
The complementary documents described above, when used together, will assist organizations seeking to establish
and implement company- or site-wide energy plans.
ASME EA-4–2010 was approved by the EA Industrial System Energy Assessment Standards Committee on January 7,
2010 and approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) on March 3, 2010.

iv
 EA INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM ENERGY
ASSESSMENT STANDARDS COMMITTEE
(Th e followi n g is th e roster of th e Com m i ttee at th e ti m e of approval of th is Stan d ard . )

STANDARDS COMMITTEE OFFICERS

F. P. Fendt, Chair
P. E. Sheaffer, Vice Chair
R. L. Crane, Secretary

STANDARDS COMMITTEE PERSONNEL

J. A. Almaguer, The Dow Chemical Co. A. T. McKane, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
R. D. Bessette, Council of Industrial Boiler Owners W. A. Meffert, Georgia Institute of Technology
R. L. Crane, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers J. L. Nicol, Science Applications International Corp.
G. T. Cunningham, Tennessee Tech University J. D. Rees, North Carolina State University
T. J. Dunn, Weyerhaeuser Co. P. E. Sheaffer, Resource Dynamics Corp.
F. P. Fendt, The Dow Chemical Co. P. E. Scheihing, U.S. Department of Energy
A. R. Ganji, San Francisco State University V. C. Tutterow, Project Performance Corp.
J. C. Ghislain, Ford Motor Co. L. Whitehead, Tennessee Valley Authority
T. A. Gunderzik, XCEL Energy A. L. Wright, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
S. J. Korellis, Contributing Member, Electric Power Research Institute R. G. Wroblewski, Productive Energy Solutions, LLC

PROJECT TEAM EA- 4 — ENERGY ASSESSMENT FOR COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEMS

A. T. McKane, Chair, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory W. Perry, Kaeser Compressors, Inc.
T. Taranto, Vice Chair, Data Power Services, LLC W. Scales, Scales Industrial Technologies, Inc.
F. Moskowitz, Vice Chair, Draw Professional Services G. H. Shafer, Shafer Consulting Services, Inc.
P. E. Sheaffer, Secretary, Resource Dynamics Corp. M. D. Smith, Pneu-Logic Corp.
D. Booth, Sullair Corp. M. R. Soderlund, Georgia Institute of Technology
M. Chang, Custom Building Products T. Walker, Baxter Healthcare
T. D. Hyde, Alcoa, Inc. D. R. Woodward, Weyerhaeuser Co.
K. J. Keena, National Grid J. Yarnall, Rogers Machinery Co.
D. E. Peace, Shaw Industries Group, Inc.

v
 CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE EA COMMITTEE

General. ASME Standards are developed and maintained with the intent to represent the consensus of concerned
interests. As such, users of this Standard may interact with the Committee by requesting interpretations, proposing
revisions, and attending Committee meetings. Correspondence should be addressed to:

Secretary, EA Committee
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Three Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016-5990
http://go.asme.org/Inquiry

Proposing Revisions. Revisions are made periodically to the Standard to incorporate changes that appear necessary
or desirable, as demonstrated by the experience gained from the application of the Standard. Approved revisions will
be published periodically.
The Committee welcomes proposals for revisions to this Standard. Such proposals should be as specifc as possible,
citing the paragraph number(s), the proposed wording, and a detailed description of the reasons for the proposal,
including any pertinent documentation.
Proposing a Case. Cases may be issued for the purpose of providing alternative rules when justifed, to permit early
implementation of an approved revision when the need is urgent, or to provide rules not covered by existing provi-
sions. Cases are effective immediately upon ASME approval and shall be posted on the ASME Committee Web page.
Requests for Cases shall provide a Statement of Need and Background Information. The request should identify
the Standard, the paragraph, fgure or table number(s), and be written as a Question and Reply in the same format as
existing Cases. Requests for Cases should also indicate the applicable edition(s) of the Standard to which the proposed
Case applies.
Interpretations. Upon request, the EA Committee will render an interpretation of any requirement of the Standard.
Interpretations can only be rendered in response to a written request sent to the Secretary of the EA Committee.
The request for interpretation should be clear and unambiguous. It is further recommended that the inquirer submit
his request in the following format:

Subject: Cite the applicable paragraph number(s) and a concise description.

Edition: Cite the applicable edition of the Standard for which the interpretation is being requested.
Question: Phrase the question as a request for an interpretation of a specifc requirement suitable for general
understanding and use, not as a request for an approval of a proprietary design or situation. The in-
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should not contain proprietary names or information.
Requests that are not in this format will be rewritten in this format by the Committee prior to being answered, which
may inadvertently change the intent of the original request.
ASME procedures provide for reconsideration of any interpretation when or if additional information that might
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activity.
Attending Committee Meetings. The EA Committee holds meetings or telephone conferences, which are open to the
public. Persons wishing to attend any meeting or telephone conference should contact the Secretary of the EA Stand-
ards Committee.

vi
 ASME EA-4–201 0

ENERGY ASSESSMENT FOR COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEMS

1 SCOPE AND INTRODUCTION transmission subsystem includes distribution piping

mainline and branch headers, piping drops, secondary
1 .1 Scope storage, treatment, transmission controls, performance
This Standard covers compressed air systems, which are measurement equipment, and reporting systems.
defned as a group of subsystems comprised of integrated demand: the total of all compressed air consumers, includ-
sets of components, including air compressors, treatment ing productive end use applications and various forms of
equipment, controls, piping, pneumatic tools, pneumati- compressed air waste. The demand subsystem includes
cally powered machinery, and process applications utiliz- all end uses, point-of-use piping, secondary storage, treat-
ing compressed air. The objective is consistent, reliable, ment, point-of-use controls, performance measurement
and effcient delivery of energy to manufacturing equip- equipment, and reporting systems.
ment and processes.
The compressed air system can be considered as three This Standard sets requirements for conducting and
functional subsystems. reporting the results of a compressed air system energy
assessment (hereafter referenced as an “assessment”)
supply: conversion of primary energy resource to com-
that considers the entire system, from energy inputs to
pressed air energy. The supply subsystem includes gen- the work performed as the result of these inputs. An as-
eration, treatment, primary storage, piping, controls, sessment complying with this Standard does not need
performance measurement equipment, and reporting to address each individual system component or sub-
systems. system within an industrial facility with equal weight;
transmission: movement of compressed air energy however, it must be suffciently comprehensive to
from where it is generated to where it is used. The identify the major energy effciency opportunities for

Fig. 1 Compressed Air System Hierarchy

Company :
Facility :
Compressed Air System :
Supply : Transmission: Demand:
Compressor Room 1 Sector 1 Sector 1
Compressor 1 Main Header 1 Machine / Process 1
Compressor 2 Branch Header 1 Machine / Process 2
. Branch Header 2 Secondary Receiver 2
Air Dryer 1 . .
Air Receiver 1 Pressure/Flow Control 1 Machine / Process 3

Compressor Room 2 Sector 2 Sector 2

Compressor 3 Main Header 2
Compressor 4 Machine / Process 4
Air Dryer 3 Air Dryer 4
. Filters 3 & 4
Air Dryer 2 .
. .
Filters 1 & 2 Secondary Receiver 1 Pneumatic Servo Control

Compressor Room N Sector N Sector N

Compressor N Main Header N
Compressor N Branch Header N Machine / Process X
. . Machine / Process Y
Receiver N . .
Air Dryer N Secondary Receiver N .
Machine / Process Z

1
 ASME EA-4–201 0

improving the overall energy performance of the sys- (f) This Standard does not specify how to estimate the
tem. This Standard is designed to be applied primarily implementation cost or conduct fnancial analysis for
at industrial facilities, but many of the concepts can be recommendations developed during the assessment.
used in other facilities, such as those in the institutional (g) This Standard does not specify speci fc steps re-
and commercial sectors. quired for safe operation of equipment during the assess-
Assessments involve collecting and analyzing system ment. The plant personnel in charge of normal operation
design, operation, energy use, and performance data of the equipment are responsible for ensuring that it is
and identifying energy performance improvement op- operated safely during the data collection phase of the
portunities for system optimization. An assessment may assessment.
also include additional information, such as recommen- (h) For outside individuals working in a private or
dations for improving resource utilization, reducing per publicly owned company facility, issues of intellectual
unit production cost, reducing lifecycle costs, and im- property, confdentiality, and safety shall be addressed
proving environmental performance related to the as- before beginning an assessment. While the importance
sessed system(s). Assessment activities include, but are of satisfying these requirements and related issues is ac-
not limited to, engaging facility personnel and provid- knowledged, they are not addressed in this Standard
ing information about the assessment process; collecting
and analyzing data on system design, operation, energy 1 .3 Introduction — Using the System Assessment
use, and performance; identifying energy performance Standard
improvement opportunities; and making recommenda-
tions for system improvement and implementation in Industrial facilities use compressed air as an essential
a written report. This report should document system energy source to power tools or machines and for pro-
design; quantify energy operation and performance cess applications. Characteristics of compressed air, such
data; document the assessment process; show results, as responsiveness and safety, make it an effective and de-
recommendations, and energy savings projections; and sirable means of delivering energy to production.
improve facility personnel’s understanding of system There are many end uses of compressed air energy
energy use and operation. applied to all types of different industries. No two com-
This Standard sets requirements for pressed air systems or compressed air system assess-
(a) organizing and conducting a compressed air sys- ments are identical. Therefore, this Standard is provided
tem assessment as a fexible framework that, when applied to the wide
(b) analyzing the data from the assessment variety of industrial compressed air systems, can accom-
(c) reporting and documentation of assessment fndings plish an effective energy and performance assessment.
When contracting for assessment services, plant per- The system assessment framework is presented as a ma-
sonnel may use the Standard to defne and communicate trix of assessment objectives, action items, and methodolo-
their desired scope of assessment activity to third party gies. The matrix approach is intended to facilitate selection
contractors or consultants of activities to be performed in the assessment. Two matri-
ces, “Preliminary Data Collection” and “Plan of Action,”
1 .2 Limitations are presented in Mandatory Appendices I and II. Each
matrix includes required elements and supplemental ele-
This Standard does not provide guidance on how to ments of assessment activity. Required elements primarily
perform an assessment for compressed air systems but focus on energy reduction benefts and apply to virtually
sets the requirements that need to be met during the as- all compressed air systems. Supplemental elements de-
sessment. For additional assistance, see the companion scribed in each matrix do not apply to every system or
ASME Guidance for ASME EA-4 Energy Assessment for have primarily nonenergy related performance benefts.
Compressed Air Systems on how to apply this Standard. Ultimately, use of this Standard is at the discretion of
(a) This Standard does not specify how to design a those participating in the assessment. The assessment
compressed air system. team (see para. 4.1), working with production process in-
(b) This Standard does not specify the qualif cations formation and compressed air system knowledge, shall
and expertise required of the person using the Standard. establish the plan of action and statement of work (SOW)
(c) This Standard does not specify how to implement for the assessment.
the recommendations developed during the assessment Plants that desire full conformance with this Standard
but does include recommendations for implementation shall complete all required elements of activity. Required
activities. elements, assessment objective, action item, and method-
(d) This Standard does not specify how to measure ology are shown in Mandatory Appendices I and II using
and validate the energy savings that result from imple- black text with white background. Each required ele-
menting assessment recommendations. ment, assessment objective, and action item shall be in-
(e) This Standard does not specify how to calibrate test vestigated using one or more methodologies also shown
equipment used during the assessment. in black and white text.

2
 ASME EA-4–201 0

Users who desire full conformance with this Standard demand. These generalizations should be used to guide
may decide that in addition to required elements, their selection of objectives and action items for preliminary
technical and business objectives will bene ft by includ- data collection (para. 4.6).
ing some supplemental assessment activities. Based on
the assessment team’s expertise and judgment, supple- 1 . 3 . 2 System Energy Effi ciency. Most industrial fa-
mental assessment activities may be included in the as- cilities are both producers and consumers of compressed
sessment plan of action and SOW. Once a supplemental air, as shown in Fig. 2. An industrial plant’s effcient use
element is included in the assessment SOW, it is a re- of compressed air energy is based on the total energy
quired element, and the applicable requirements of the input to the compressed air system and the production
Standard shall apply. In Mandatory Appendices I and II output of the manufacturing process. There are two basic
and in para. 4.7, these supplemental elements are pre- ways to reduce the energy consumption of a compressed
sented with a shaded background as shown below. air system: produce compressed air more effciently; and
NOTE: Shaded items are supplemental elements for an assessment. consume less compressed air.
For a given level of production output, the com-
Users who do not desire full conformance with this pressed air system assessment requires two important
Standard may view all elements of assessment activity measures
equally without regard to required elements. The assess- (a) the total amount of primary energy resource used to
ment framework is provided to give the user maximum generate the total amount of compressed air consumed
fexibility to manage the assessment process as it best sup- (b) the total amount of compressed air consumed for a
ports their individual technical and business objectives. given level of production output
When contracting for assessment services, plant per- Paragraph 1.3.2.2(a) is a measurement of supply, and
sonnel may use the Standard to de fne and communicate para. 1.3.2.2(b) is a measurement of demand. If supply
their desired scope of assessment activity to third party is considered without demand or demand is considered
contractors or consultants. without supply, the analysis is incomplete. Application
Energy conservation incentive programs may use the of this Standard shall apply the systems approach (para.
assessment framework to communicate with applicants 1.3.3) considering both supply and demand and the rela-
the scope of assessment activity required to participate tion each have to the other.
in a program.
1 . 3 . 2 . 1 Compressed Air Energy Conversion. Com-
1 . 3 . 1 The System Assessment Process. The assess- pressed air is an ineffcient means of energy transmis-
ment should document issues and concerns about pres- sion. Beginning with 15% conversion effciency and
ent compressed air use, critical production functions, considering other ineff ciencies, such as frictional resis-
and poor performance. The assessment should identify tance in transmission, waste, and misuse, 10% or less of
and quantify energy waste, compressed air supply and the primary energy resource is applied to productive
demand balance, energy use, and total compressed air work.

Fig. 2 Industrial Facility — Producer and Consumer of Compressed Air

Energy Compressed Product

Electricity Power House / Air

Manufacturing Plant
Compressor Station

Producers of Compressed Air Consumers of Compressed Air

Produce Air More Efficiently Use Less Compressed Air

Total Energy Savings

3
 ASME EA-4–201 0

1 . 3 . 2 . 2 Energy Reduction Opportunities. A mea- 1 . 3 . 3 Systems Approach. The basis of this Standard
surement of compressed air supply effciency is the re- uses systems engineering methods applied to a com-
lationship between the total net amount of compressed pressed air system assessment. Systems engineering
air delivered and the total amount of primary energy focuses on defning stakeholders’ needs and required
consumed. system functionality early in the development cycle,
(a) Compressed air supply effciency energy reduction documenting system requirements, and then proceed-
opportunities include ing with system design while considering the entire
(1 ) improve compressor effciency, thermody- system.
namic, volumetric, or mechanical Application of a systems approach to a compressed
(2) reduce compressor discharge pressure air system assessment directs the focus toward total sys-
(3) improve control strategy, for both individual tem performance rather than individual component ef-
and multiple compressor control fciency. It is necessary to
(4) reduce parasitic losses, friction loss in piping (a) understand compressed air point of use as it sup-
and fltration, air loss to leakage, energy input to ports critical plant production functions
air dryers, and purge air loss for some types of air (b) correct existing poor performing applications and
dryers those that upset system operation
(b) For a typical production day, total air demand is (c) eliminate wasteful practices, leaks, arti fcial de-
a measurement of the total amount of compressed air mand, and inappropriate use
consumed. Compressed air demand energy reduction (d) create and maintain an energy balance between
opportunities include supply and demand
(1 ) reduce compressed air leakage (e) optimize compressed air energy storage and air
(2) reduce system operating pressure to eliminate compressor control
artifcial demand
(3) eliminate compressed air use and replace with
a more effcient energy resource 1 . 3 . 4 Systems Engineering Process. Compressed
The compressed air system’s greatest energy reduction air systems engineering is an iterative process includ-
opportunity is associated with the amount of avoided ing the requirements defnition, the assessment process,
energy input to the system that results from reducing and evaluation of outcomes and results. It is a fuid
compressed air demand. process whereby outcomes and results may achieve de-
fned goals or may result in a new or revised require-
1 . 3 . 2 . 3 Sustainable Energy Savings. Given that ments defnition.
many stakeholders’ highest priority is a reliable com- For this Standard, the systems engineering process is
pressed air system that supports manufacturing equip- described in ten steps.
ment and processes, energy savings that represent risk (a) Identify what you want to accomplish.
to the production process are not sustainable. Simply (b) Identify what you need to evaluate.
put, if the system experiences an event that causes a (c) Get organized, identify the assessment team, and
production curtailment or outage, the energy effcient get plant background information.
operating scenario will be quickly abandoned in favor (d) De fne the present system.
of the (former) less effcient but more reliable operating (e) State s ite-speci fc system assessment goals.
methodology. (f) Design the system assessment (what, how, when).
Energy savings opportunities should be combined (g) Test the assessment’s design for relevance, com-
with a comprehensive group of remedial measures to pleteness, and cost effectiveness.
create a robust and reliable compressed air system. (h) Do the assessment, and gather facts and data.
For example, reducing system operating pressure is (i) Analyze the facts and data to develop solutions
an effective energy savings opportunity. However, if it and estimate cost and savings.
is implemented without remedial measures to reduce (j) Report and document recommendations and
irrecoverable pressure loss, provide necessary com- fndings.
pressed air storage, and appropriate automation of air There are many compressed air system integration fac-
compressors to reliably support end-use applications tors where decisions related to one component or subsys-
at the lower operating pressure, system pressure will tem impact other components or subsystems. Concept
ultimately be returned to the higher operating pres- alternatives should be proposed and analyzed before
sure. fnal conclusions are reached.
Addressing only the energy component and the way in The chart shown in Fig. 3 illustrates the systems en-
which it is measured, analyzed, reported, implemented, gineering process as applied to an assessment. It is de-
and verifed without assessing what is needed to ensure rived from the systems engineering process overview
reliability is a classic scenario for failure in achieving sus- chart presented in ANSI/GEIA Standard ANSI/EIA-632,
tainable energy savings. “Process for Engineering a System.”
4
 ASME EA-4–201 0

Fig. 3 Systems Engineering Process Overview

Systems Engineering Process Applied to Compressed Air Systems

(ANSI /EIA-632)
Requirements Definition Assessment Process Outcomes and Results
Identify Issues / Concerns Objectives Document and Quantify
Planning Process Action Items Opportunities
System Assessment Goals Methodology Remedial Measures

Energy Assessment Goals

Document Present System Identify Opportunities
Quantify Energy Operation Develop Remedial Measures
Document Performance Quantify Projected Savings

Requirements Definition
Identify Issues / Concerns
Understand Air Use Eliminate Waste
Critical Functions Supply / Demand Balance
Poor Performance Energy and Air Demand

Requirements Definition
Organize the Assessment
Team Roles / Responsibility Manufacturing Process Issues
Facility / Site / Communication Interview Stakeholders
Preliminary Data Collection Present Energy Information
Requirements Definition
Air System Definition – Present Method
Configuration System Performance Upsets
Control Wasteful Practice
High Energy Use Equipment Poor Performance
Requirements Definition
State System Assessment Goals – Site Specific
Energy Goals Specific Parameters to Measure
Stakeholder Goals What Must Be Investigated
Organizational Goals Measure Direct / Indirect
Design the Assessment
Plan of Action
Establish Profiles Quantify Waste
Investigate Performance Define Control Consequences
Root Cause Analysis Maintenance Opportunities
Test the Assessment Design
Goal Check
Relevance – Why? Simplicity – Cost Effective?
Completeness – Cover Bases? Repeatability – Precision?
Timeliness – Meet Schedule? Accuracy – Reliable Data?
Implement the Assessment
Conducting the Assessment
Detailed Measurement Plan Validate Data / Prelim. Analysis
Team Kickoff Meeting Functional Investigation / Baseline
Deploy Data Collection Results / Wrap-Up Meeting
Produce Assessment Output
Analysis of Data
Baseline Quantity Energy Optimize Control
Pressure Profile / Optimization Mitigate Performance Issues
Supply / Demand Balance Maintenance Recommendations
Results of Analysis

Reporting and Documentation

Executive Summary System Issues Calculations / Methods
Statement of Work Measurements Implementation Plan
Block Diagram Data Analysis Implementation Estimates
Assessment Definition Opportunities Raw Data / References

2 DEFINITIONS be addressed with equal weight, but system assessments

shall be suffciently comprehensive to identify the major
action item: a tactic used to acquire system knowledge energy effciency opportunities for improving overall sys-
consistent with assessment objectives. tem energy performance. System impact versus individ-
assessment: activities undertaken to identify energy per- ual component characteristics should be discussed.
formance improvement opportunities in a compressed air assessment goal: investigation of system operation
system that consider all components and functions, from and identifcation of energy effciency opportunities for
energy inputs to the work performed as the result of these system optimization.
inputs. Individual components or subsystems may not

5
 ASME EA-4–201 0

assessment objective: collection of tactical activities (ac- NOTE: Drawdown rate is nonlinear; pressure decays
tion items) undertaken to attain the assessment goal. more rapidly at higher system pressure. In most cases,
capacitance: in compressed air systems, capability of a
the nonlinearity of drawdown rate is ignored.
storage volume, primary receiver, dedicated use point re- dynamics: the study of the effect of time variant param-
ceiver, or other device for storing compressed air energy. eters on system performance.
Capacitance is expressed as the ratio of stored air volume end-to-end ( measurement end-to-end) : in measurement,
(scf) to the storage pressure differential (psi). includes the entire measurement system from the trans-
characteristic signature: dynamic pro fle of airfow rate ducer for the parameter to be measured to the record of
and pressure changes with time that occurs during par- the resultant value.
ticular production operations and compressed air de- equipment connection point: in compressed air piping,
mand events. is at the inlet of the frst control component associated
compressed air system: a functional group of subsystems with the point of use. That component may be a shut-off
comprised of integrated sets of components, including service or lock-out valve, a flter/ regulator /lubricator
air compressors, treatment equipment, controls, piping, combination, a solenoid control valve, or other control
pneumatic tools, pneumatically powered machinery, and component.
process applications utilizing compressed air. feasibility estimate ( screening estimate) : a statement of im-
control signal pressure: air pressure that is applied to the plementation cost that considers very little work has been
pressure switch, transducer, pilot valve, or other control done to defne the project’s scope. Defned as an ASTM
device that creates an input signal to a compressor capac- Class 5 estimate, which considers <2% completion of the
ity control system. project defnition; by ASTM International E 2516-06, 2006
coverage interval: the interval (plus/minus percentage or
“Standard Classifcation for Cost Estimate Classifcation
minimum to maximum value) that, based on the infor- System.”
mation available, contains the true value of a parameter. fow dynamic: situational operation of compressed air de-
The expression of coverage interval is associated with a mands wherein the peak airfow rate and minimum pres-
specifed confdence level. sure must occur simultaneously.
data logging: measurement of physical parameters while fow static: situational operation of compressed air de-
tabulating a periodic log (record) of their numerical mands characterized when peak airfow rate and mini-
value using time-aligned data frames for the plurality of mum pressure required do not occur simultaneously.
recorded parameters. indirect measurement: a method to determine the value of
dynamics: data logging while creating a suff ciently a measured parameter that is done through the measure-
high frequency periodic log (record) so as to investi- ment of a suffciently comprehensive group of related
gate the time-based variation of measured physical parameters so as to quantify the desired parameter.
parameters. NOTES:
trending: data logging during an extended duration
of time for the purpose of investigating commonality in (1) Methods may include stipulated values and assump-
the measured physical parameters throughout time. tions that allow the desired parameter to be deter-
mined from indirect measurements.
direct measurement: a method to determine the value of (2) Statement of the inferred value should include a de-
a measured parameter that is done with an instrument scription of the means used to arrive at assumptions
designed for such a task. and stipulated values, along with the process used for
in-situ validation of assumptions and stipulated values.
drawdown: the circumstance observed in a compressed
air system that is characterized by continual pressure inferred value: the result obtained by making an indirect
decay arising from a compressed air system event measurement.
whereby air demand exceeds the total generation capac- irrecoverable pressure loss: a reduction in compressed
ity of supply. air pressure resulting from the interaction of airfow
drawdown pressure: the total amount of pressure decay in through the fxed resistance associated with a com-
compressed air system pressure (psi) that occurs during ponent of the air system (see also recoverable pressure
a particular drawdown event. differential ).

drawdown rate: the rate of pressure decay per unit of time minimum system pressure: the lowest possible air pressure
(e.g., psi/min) that occurs during drawdown of a com- a system can reach before adversely affecting the manu-
pressed air system. facturing process.
6
 ASME EA-4–201 0

observe: a careful, methodical, deliberate act of an ob- to the product or process to resolve the fault (Source:
server to examine a subject using cognitive analysis, em- INCOSE Systems Engineering Measurement Primer).
pirical factual knowledge, and sensory processes.
sample rate (scan rate): indicates how fast a digital data
operating period: a group of typical time periods that has acquisition system is making measurements of each
similar compressed air energy and compressed air de- individual input channel. Sample rate is expressed in
mand profles (see also typical operating period). terms of number of samples/unit of time (e.g., 10 sam-
point of use: in a compressed air system, where com-
ples/min or 1 sample every 6 sec; higher speed sample
pressed air energy is converted to mechanical work or rates may be expressed in Hz or kHz, e.g., 10-Hz sample
accomplishes a production-related task. rate).
sector: a sector is a functional portion of a compressed
precision ( measurement precision ) : closeness of agreement air system that is a subset of the total system. Sectors
between indications or measured quantity values obtained may be segregated from the total system for purposes
by replicate measurements on the same or similar objects. of delivered air quality, target pressure, priority, or other
pressure gradient: the rate of pressure change with respect
unique functional requirements.
to distance in the direction of maximum change. In fuid spot check measurement: measurement of physical param-
mechanics, the change in pressure P, along the length and eters creating a log (record) of their numerical value that
distance X of a fuid conduit. It is represented by dP/ dX. is carried out at random time intervals or limited to a few
instances.
NOTES: stipulated value: the value of a parameter based on as-
(1) The air velocity in a pipeline depends on the magni- sumption, reference to literature, calculation, etc.
tude of the gradient and resistance of the pipeline.
(2) Without gradient, there is no airfow. In a compressed NOTE: A process for in-situ validation should confrm
air system, air moves from high-pressure toward that the stipulated value fairly represents the probable
low-pressure areas. true value of the parameter.
primary storage: compressed air storage system that is lo- the difference between pres-
storage pressure differential:
cated on the generation side (supply) of a compressed air sure in a storage volume and the desired target pressure
system. Primary storage maintains and controls a stored of the connected system or sector.
potential of useable compressed air energy on the gener- storage volume: the volume contained within a storage
ation side (supply) of a compressed air system. Primary vessel (an air receiver tank) usually expressed in cubic
storage is necessarily comprised of a storage volume feet or gallons (volume).
(air receiver) and storage pressure differential (storage
pressure – target system pressure), with appropriate con- target pressure: compressed air pressure that is desired to
trol considerations (pressure/ fow control). be consistently supplied to a compressed air system or
recoverable pressure differential: compressed air pressure
sector of a compressed air system. It should be selected
difference between the inlet and outlet of a control valve, as the lowest possible pressure that allows for reliable
which represents a variable resistance to airfow. The avail- operation of manufacturing processes. Typically target
able compressed air energy represented by the upstream pressure is slightly greater than minimum system pres-
volume and greater pressure is recoverable to the system sure (see also minimum system pressure).
by opening the valve (see also irrecoverable pressure loss). transmission system: begins at the system supply point(s)
with distribution piping, ending at piping drops to
repeatable ( measurement repeatability) : closeness of agree- point-of-use connections. The transmission system may
ment in measured values using the same measurement include demand side treatment equipment, secondary
procedure, operators, measuring system, operating con- storage, pressure/ fow controllers, and other measure-
ditions, and location, measuring the same parameters ment or control components.
over a short period of time.
Type B: estimate of uncertainty (see uncertainty, Type B ).
reproducible (measurement reproducibility): closeness of agree-
ment in measured values using different measurement a
typical oper ting period: a time period that represents a
procedures, operators, measurement systems, and loca- period of typical plant operation, such as a peak-season
tions, measuring the same parameters at a different time. weekday or an off-season weekend day. Depending on
root cause analysis: the process by which a single event that
production activity, the plant may have several different
represents a fault in work products and processes is ana- typical periods of operation (see also operating period).
lyzed to determine the fundamental cause for the fault. uncertainty (quantif cation of uncertainty): the quantifca-
Based on this understanding, a correction can be made tion of doubt about the result of measurement.
7
 ASME EA-4–201 0

Type A: uncertainty estimate is the result of rigorous 4 . 1 . 1 . 3 Compressed Air Systems Knowledge
statistical evaluation of repeated results of the same mea- (a) Have background, experience, and recognized
surement. abilities to perform the assessment activities, data analy-
sis, and report preparation.
Type B: uncertainty estimate is the result of informed
(b) Be familiar with operating and maintenance prac-
judgment, experience, knowledge of the measurement
tices for compressed air systems.
instrument, and measurement process, along with refer-
(c) Have experience applying the systems approach in
ence data taken from handbooks or other authoritative
assessments.
sources.
Information on other assessment team members is iden-
the volume of compressed air (normally
usable air storage: tifed in para. 4.8.1.
expressed in standard cubic feet, scf) that can be deliv-
ered from an air storage system without dropping below 4. 2 Facility Management Support
a specifed minimum system pressure.
Facility management support is essential for the success-
ful outcome of the assessment. Facility management shall
3 REFERENCES understand and support the purpose of the assessment.
They shall allow assessment team members from the plant
3.1 Reference Standards to participate in the assessment to the extent necessary. The
There are no reference standards in this Standard. assessment team shall gain written support of plant man-
agement prior to conducting the assessment, as follows:
(a) Commit the necessary funding, personnel, and re-
3.2 Informative References
sources to support the assessment.
This Standard can be incorporated into an energy man- (b) Communicate to facility personnel the assessment’s
agement plan developed using ANSI/MSE 2000:2008, importance to the organization.
A Management System for Energy, Georgia Institute of
Technology, 2008. Nonmandatory Appendix B lists key 4. 3 Communications
references with additional information on compressed
air systems, measurement, and systems engineering. Lines of communication required for the assessment
shall be established. The assessment team shall provide
clear guidance to facilitate communications among mem-
4 ORGANIZING THE ASSESSMENT bers of the assessment team so all necessary information
4. 1 Identifi cation of Assessment Team Members and data can be communicated in a timely manner. This
includes administrative data, and logistics information,
A comprehensive and complete assessment can be
as well as operational and maintenance data.
achieved only when a set of knowledgeable person-
nel participates in the assessment process. Functions
4. 4 Access to Equipment, Resources, and Information
required to accomplish an assessment are listed in
para. 4.1.1. The assessment team shall have members that For the performance of a complete and comprehensive
are assigned responsibility and authority to carry out assessment of a facility’s compressed air system, it is nec-
these functions. essary to physically inspect and make selected measure-
ments on the system components. The assessment team
4 . 1 . 1 Required Functions and Personnel shall have access to
(a) plant areas and compressed air system components
4 . 1 . 1 . 1 Resource Allocation
(a) Allocate funding and resources necessary to plan
required to conduct the assessment
(b) plant personnel (engineering, operations, mainte-
and execute the assessment.
(b) Exercise fnal decision making authority on re-
nance, etc.), their equipment vendors, contractors, and
sources. others to collect information pertinent and useful to the
(c) Oversee the participation of outside personnel, in-
assessment activities and analysis of data used for prepa-
cluding contracts, scheduling, confdentiality agreements, ration of the report
(c) other information sources such as drawings, man-
and SOW.
uals, test reports, historical utility bill information, com-
puter monitoring and control data, electrical equipment
4 . 1 . 1 . 2 Coordination, Logistics, and Communications
panels, and calibration records necessary to conduct the
Obtain necessary support from plant personnel and
(a)
assessment
other individuals and organizations during the assessment.
(b) Participate in organizing the assessment team, and
4. 5 Assessment Goals and Scope
coordinate access to relevant personnel, systems, and
equipment. The overall goals and scope of the assessment shall
(c) Organize and schedule assessment activities. be discussed and agreed upon at an early stage by the

8
 ASME EA-4–201 0

assessment team. The overall goal of the assessment shall other similar terms, considering all charges such as pur-
include identifcation of performance improvement op- chased cost, demand charges, peak rates, time-of-the-day
portunities in the compressed air system being assessed rate, and any other costs up to the point of use. Where
using a systems approach. The scope of the assessment necessary, appropriate costs should be assigned to on-
shall defne the portion(s) of the facility that are to be as- site generated electricity. These costs should be used in
sessed. subsequent analyses. The assessment team shall agree on
the period during which the costs would be considered
.
4 6 Initial Data Collection and Evaluation valid. Although average values are appropriate in most
The assessment team shall use Mandatory Appendix cases, the assessment team should also consider issues
I, Preliminary Data Collection Matrix, for elements of such as demand charges and trends to identify situations
assessment activity required to evaluate stakeholders’ not made obvious by the use of averages.
needs and system assessment requirements. The assess- From this information, an average annual energy cost/
ment team should defne assessment requirements using kWh (electric) over the previous 12 mo shall be deter-
objectives and action items including, but not limited to, mined. A facility may have already established a mar-
initial data collection; measurement of key system oper- ginal cost for energy that can be used.
ating variables; facility specialist interviews; review of See Mandatory Appendix I, I-2, d.2 and d.4, energy in-
previous assessments, audits, baselines, or benchmark- formation.
ing; identifcation of already-approved/initiated system . Site-Specifi c Assessment Goals
projects; review of utility bills and energy costs; and pre- 4 7

liminary data evaluation. Compressed air systems, the industries they serve, and
The preliminary data collection elements are described end-use applications are very diverse. As a result, the goals
in Mandatory Appendix I. The matrix presents assess- of a compressed air system assessment vary from system
ment objectives, action items, and methodologies. Some to system. The assessment team shall determine assess-
are required elements of an assessment that is fully ment goals and develop the SOW for the assessment.
compliant with this Standard. Supplemental objectives, The assessment team shall develop the assessment
action items, and methodologies can be included at the goals as they apply to the plant site. These goals should
discretion of the assessment team. be consistent with the organizational goals identifed in
Required elements, assessment objective, action item, para. 4.5, together with information about the present
and methodology are shown in Mandatory Appendix compressed air system and stakeholder needs (para. 4.6
I using black text with white background. Each required and Mandatory Appendix I).
element, assessment objective, and action item shall In the assessment plan of action, described in para. 4.8,
be investigated using one or more methodologies also the assessment team shall identify assessment objectives
shown in black and white text. Supplemental elements and action items that will contribute to achieving the as-
of the assessment are written in black text with shaded sessment goals.
background as shown here.
4 .8 Assessment Plan of Action
. . Initial Facility Specialist Interviews. The as-
4 6 1 Using the plan of action matrix presented in Manda-
sessment team shall contact personnel and specialists tory Appendix II, Plan of Action Matrix, the assessment
within the plant to collect information on operating prac- team shall select assessment objectives, action items, and
tices and any specifc operating considerations that affect methodologies to develop a plan of action for the assess-
energy use for the equipment. This information shall be ment.
used to help develop the site-specifc goals and assess- This Standard specifes the requirements that shall be
ment plan of action (paras. 4.7 and 4.8). undertaken to conduct an assessment. These require-
See Mandatory Appendix I, I-2, c.1 through c.5, facility ments are presented with black text on white background
specialist interviews. as shown in the following paragraph.
. . Energy Project History. The assessment team
4 6 2 Required elements, assessment objective, action item, and
shall collect and review information on energy saving methodology are shown in Mandatory Appendix II using
projects, assessments, audits, baselines, or benchmarking black text on a white background as shown here. Each
already conducted for the compressed air systems. required element, assessment objective, and action
See Mandatory Appendix I, I-2, e.2 and e.4 through item shall be investigated using one or more method-
e.6, energy awareness and organizational energy man- ology also shown as black text on white background.
agement objectives.
Supplemental elements of assessment are shown as il-
. . Primary Energy Cost.
4 6 3 The cost data shall in- lustrated here in black text with shaded background.
clude values in terms of units such as cost per kWh, or Supplemental elements are provided to give the user a
9
 ASME EA-4–201 0

complete fexible framework for compressed air system result of those inputs. As a result of facility specialists in-
assessment. terviews, certain manufacturing equipment or processes
This Standard is structured to allow maximum fexibil- that use compressed air may be identifed for detailed
ity in creating the assessment’s plan of action meeting study requiring the participation of individuals with spe-
the needs of individual plant sites. The plan of action ma- cialized knowledge related to these applications.
trix shall be used as a framework to develop an effective
assessment plan appropriate to a plant’s unique com- 4 .8. 2 Assessment Scheduling. It is essential to
pressed air system and site-specifc assessment goals. schedule the dates reserved for the assessment and to
It is unlikely that any system assessment would in- organize a set of scheduled events. For this reason, the
clude all of the supplemental (shaded) elements listed dates of the assessment, and dates and times of key meet-
in Mandatory Appendices I and II. However, meeting ings, shall be designated in advance of beginning the
the plant site goals and information needs may include assessment.
other objectives and action items that are not listed here. A meeting shall occur just prior to the commence-
Where the Standard is silent or inconsistent for any spe- ment of the assessment. The purpose of this meeting
cifc application, the assessment team shall adhere to the is to review information collected in the preliminary
principles of systems engineering, apply the systems ap- data collection and evaluation and establish the work
proach, and be suffciently comprehensive to meet the schedule. At this meeting, the assessment team should
intent of the Standard. discuss the tools, methods, measurement, metering,
When developing the plan of action, consider that a and diagnostic equipment required. The assessment
required goal is to quantify the system’s baseline energy team should also establish the daily schedule(s) for the
use and compressed air demand. Baseline data will estab- on-site assessment.
lish base-year energy data (Mandatory Appendix II, II-1, Periodic reporting to facility managers in the form
a.2). In addition to base-year energy data, documenta- of debriefngs should occur as agreed upon by the as-
tion of base-year plant function and production process sessment team. Also, irregularities may occur during an
information (Mandatory Appendix I, I-2, b.1 through 4) assessment (e.g., the failure of a computerized records
is necessary. The baseline established by the system as- system). If and when such events occur, the assessment
sessment will be used now and again in the future. team shall determine a corrective course of action.
Preparation and documentation of the plan of action The on-site assessment activities shall conclude with a
are central to the assessment. In addition to its immedi- wrap-up meeting designed to outline the assessment in-
ate use, the plan of action forms a basis for future system vestigations and initial recommendations. This meeting
performance evaluation. Consider that with implemen- is discussed in para. 5.9.
tation of system improvements, several years may pass
before the original assessment plan of action is again re- 4 .8. 3 Key Personnel Interviews. Subject to modifca-
viewed. Therefore, the assessment team shall tion during the course of the assessment, the dates and
(a) Describe the assessment plan of action in a man-
ner that can be accurately interpreted by persons not in- times for the assessment team to meet with key plant or
volved in its development. facility managers and process operators shall be speci-
(b) Describe which aspects of system performance will
fed and agreed upon by all individuals who will be par-
receive detailed investigation, along with the nature of ticipating in each meeting event. It shall be recognized
that investigation. that all data initially identifed as essential to the assess-
(c) Fully and clearly identify objectives, action items,
ment shall be obtained in discussions with knowledge-
and methodology planned for the system assessment. able facility staff.
(d) Clearly de fne measurements that will be made
and their duration. 4 .9 Goal Check
The assessment team using information and knowl- Prior to conducting the assessment, the assessment
edge gained with respect to organizational, energy, and team shall ensure that the plan of action meets the stated
system performance goals, together with system require- assessment goals. The assessment plan of action shall be
ments and stakeholders’ needs, shall incorporate the reviewed for relevance, cost effectiveness, and capacity
plan of action into a SOW for the assessment. to produce the desired results.
Once the assessment team designates supplemental
element(s) of assessment in the site-specifc SOW, the
conditions of the designated supplemental element(s) 5 CONDUCTING THE ASSESSMENT
shall become a requirement of the assessment.
Conducting the assessment is the implementation phase
4 .8. 1
Identifi cation of Other Assessment Team of the plan of action in accordance with the assessment
Members Required. The assessment considers the entire SOW and shall include the creation of fnal detailed plans
system from energy inputs to the work performed as a for investigation and measurement of system performance
10
 ASME EA-4–201 0

and fnalize necessary logistics. Assessment team mem- form calibration, the cost should be considered to ensure
bers should be allowed authority and responsibility to that the assessment remains cost effective (see para. 4.9).
plan, schedule, and implement specifc assessment objec-
tives and action items. 5 . 1 . 2 Measurement Techniques. Measurement tech-
The assessment shall conclude with a wrap-up meet- niques will vary with individual assessment objectives
ing allowing assessment team members to communicate and methodology that is required. Measurement tech-
fndings and share information and data collected. The niques affect the end-to-end accuracy of the measure-
wrap-up meeting can also defne requirements for ad- ment system and resultant uncertainty of the measured
ditional assessment activity, summarize areas of greatest values. The measurement plan should consider cost, the
opportunity, and identify priorities for analysis of data. time available to gather the necessary data, and factors
that affect end-to-end accuracy. A partial list of factors to
.
51 Measurement Plan consider is shown below.
(a) selection of the baseline period and duration of
The assessment team shall establish a detailed plan to baseline measurement
schedule and implement the necessary measurements in (b) direct versus indirect measurement
accordance with site-specifc assessment goals, the as- (c) transducer installation
sessment action items, and SOW. For each action item, (d) electrical signal integrity
plan measurements as defned in the plan of action ac- (e) sample rate and data interval
cording to the specifed methodology (spot check, data
logging, trending, and dynamics) shall be developed. . . Baseline Period and Duration of Data Logging.
The assessment team is responsible for maintaining 51 3
The baseline period should include “typical operation”
quality assurance in the design and execution of the mea- of plant functions. Typical periods are representative of
surement plan as a consistent, repeatable, and reproduc- the plant’s planned or unplanned changes in production.
ible process. The assessment team shall provide a Type B Changes may be seasonal, based on the day of the week,
estimate of quantifcation uncertainty in terms of cover- market conditions, availability of raw materials, or other
age interval and confdence. The target should be ±10% factors. Compressed air system energy profles exhibit
coverage interval with 90% confdence. Type B1 estimates both time- and production-dependent variation. De-
quantify uncertainty using informed judgment, experi- pending on a particular period’s production operation, the
ence, and general knowledge of the measurement system production-dependent portion of the plant’s compressed
and instruments used, along with reference data taken air energy baseline will exhibit different characteristics.
from handbooks. Time periods with similar compressed air energy profles
Best practice associated with measurement techniques, (“typical periods”) are grouped together as different “op-
instruments, and digital data acquisition equipment is erating periods.”
continually evolving. The measurement plan should re- When considering the duration of baseline measure-
fect the present state-of-the-art within the constraint of
providing cost-effective measurement (see para. 4.9). ment, the assessment team shall measure all typical peri-
The measurement plan shall adhere to principles of ac- ods of operation. Some typical periods, such as holidays,
curacy, transparency, and reliability. may represent a small fraction of the plant’s compressed
air energy base-year operation. Baseline performance for
a typical period may be stipulated based on historical
5 . 1 . 1 Measurement Instruments. Measurement in- operating information. Stipulated baseline performance
struments and transducers shall be applied to directly should not exceed 10% of the plant’s base-year energy
measure parameters at conditions within the manu- use.
facturer’s specifed operating limits of the instrument.
Instrument data sheets that describe the transducers- 5 . 1 . 4 Direct Versus Indirect Measurement. Direct
sensing element, relevant operating characteristics, and measurement of a parameter is accomplished with an in-
operating environment design limits should be available. strument designed for such a task.
The instrument manufacturer’s accuracy or precision Indirect measurement of a parameter is inferred
statements should be in accordance with the relevant in- through the measurement of a suffciently comprehensive
dustry standard for their product. group of associated parameters so as to quantify the de-
The most recent calibration information for instru- sired parameter. The assessment shall specify the methods
ments used should be reported. including stipulated values and assumptions that allow
The assessment team shall determine appropriate re- the desired parameter to be determined from the inferred
quirements for instruments used. If it is elected to per- measurements. The assessment shall state the means used
to arrive at assumptions and stipulated values. The as-
1 For additional information, see Nonmandatory Appendix B, sessment shall state the process used for in-situ validation
Key References, Nos. 3, 6, and 12. of assumptions and stipulated values. In keeping with

11
 ASME EA-4–201 0

transparency and full disclosure, all instances of reference measured parameters, including a unique identifcation
to indirectly measured parameters shall be clearly identi- of each test point. The assessment team shall document
fed as inferred values. each parameter with a unique identifcation tag, the pa-
For both direct and indirect measurements, the assess- rameter measured, and a description of the physical loca-
ment shall document all relevant application data from tion.
the manufacturer’s instrument specifcation, e.g., calibra- (a) direct measures: the assessment team shall identify
tion information, accuracy, precision, installation, and each test point with an identifcation tag and parameter
application considerations. The assessment shall identify to be quantifed, along with information about the in-
and document any in-situ installation factors that devi- strument to be used.
ate from the manufacturer’s recommendations. The as- (b) indirect measures: the assessment team shall iden-
sessment shall estimate accuracy and confdence of the tify indirectly measured parameters and the associated
in-situ, end-to-end feld measurement. directly measured parameters with an identifcation tag
For each instrument used, the assessment shall docu- and information about each instrument to be used.
ment the relevant data from the manufacturer’s instrument When preparing transducers for installation, the physi-
specifcation, e.g., calibration information, accuracy, preci- cal location should be clearly identifed on block diagrams
sion performance, etc. and/or drawings and/or documented using digital pho-
tos. Replication of measurements for future comparisons
. . Transducer Installation. The assessment shall of performance data is best accomplished if parameters
5 1 5

account for and document the effect of transducer instal- are measured in identical locations. When preparing the
lation factors on the accuracy and confdence of the in- required access connections for measurement test points,
situ, end-to-end feld measurement. the assessment team should recommend that piping con-
nections, electrical connections, and connection points be
installed and tagged with the measurement test point’s
. . Electrical Signal Integrity. The assessment team
5 1 6 identifcation.
shall exercise caution when installing measurement sys-
tems in classifed hazardous areas. The assessment team . Site Access Procedures
shall ensure that all components of the measurement
5 2

system transducers, cables, power supplies, batteries, The assessment team should fnalize logistics and
and data loggers are safety rated to the hazard classifca- plant site procedures for site access. Details necessary for
tion of the area. site access, such as nondisclosure agreements, confden-
The expert shall ensure that electrical signal integrity tiality, and security requirements, should already be in
is protected. If the in-situ environment prevents signal place.
error from being completely eliminated, the effect on The assessment team should fnalize logistics of re-
measurement accuracy and confdence should be stated. quired access to all areas of the plant site at the time(s) of
day necessary for assessment activities, including review
of routine sign-in, sign-out, badge, ID, escort, etc. The as-
. . Planning Measurement Techniques
5 1 7
sessment team shall comply with the requirements for
5 . 1 . 7 . 1 Sample Rate and Data Interval. Sample access to the plant site, including special procedures for
rate and data interval used by the digital data acquisition off-shift and/or after-hours site access if required. The
system will signifcantly affect the accuracy of measured assessment team shall coordinate access to any areas
data. Consideration shall be given to the assessment ob- with special hazards that, for example, can only be ac-
jective, action item, and methodology assigned to each cessed at limited times or require confned space entry
measurement. The assessment team shall be responsible precautions, etc.
for evaluating each measurement to determine the ap- The assessment team should determine logistics and
propriate measurement technique related to sample rate plant site procedures to allow digital photos and/or
and data interval. video to be taken and comply with plant site-specifc
To evaluate dynamic performance, a measurement safety training and requirements.
technique shall use a data interval at least one order of
magnitude greater than the time base of the event being . Assessment Kick- Off Meeting
measured. 5 3

The assessment kick-off meeting shall familiarize par-

. . . Signal Noise. When required, measure-
ticipants with the site-specifc assessment plan of action
5 1 7 2

ment technique shall use existing best practices to mini- and application of the systems approach. Assessment
mize the impact of signal noise. team members should be given authority and respon-
sibility to plan, schedule, and investigate specifc objec-
tives and action items.
. .8 Identify Test Points and Parameters. Measured
5 1 The assessment team should discuss logistics and
parameters shall be defned as directly or indirectly scheduling of various elements of the plan of action. The

12
 ASME EA-4–201 0

assessment team shall schedule times for investigation and The assessment team shall verify that the SCADA is
measurement of plant areas and equipment that may have reading the transducer at the sample rate and data inter-
limited availability during which measurement equip- val as required by the measurement plan and convert the
ment can be installed or removed. The assessment team values to correct engineering units. If data are erroneous,
shall also consider production areas and equipment that the assessment team shall troubleshoot and correct equip-
may have limited runtime, during which observations ment and/or instrument installation issues such that re-
and measurements can be made. corded data are appropriate. If unresolved measurement
installation issues increase uncertainty with respect to
5.4 Deploy Data Collection Equipment the recorded data, the assessment shall document issues
The assessment team shall install portable instruments and the impact on measurement confdence level.
for short-term measurement activities as required by the
measurement plan. The assessment team shall record 5 .6 Validate Data
short-term data with a portable digital data acquisition As data are collected and before post-processing anal-
system (data logger). Multiple data loggers indepen- ysis begins, the assessment team members collecting the
dently assign time and date values to logged data. The data shall validate that data are reasonable and correct.
assessment team shall align the time and date values of Collecting large amounts of data may lead to some
each separate data logger as closely as possible and docu- erroneous or missing data. The assessment team shall
ment the expected time variation that will occur between document any data loss that occurs. They shall estab-
data systems. lish reasonable methods such as interpolation or other
The assessment team shall verify that the digital sys- post-processing of recorded data to apply necessary
tem is reading all transducers at the sample rate and data corrections. The assessment team shall document post-
interval as required by the measurement plan. The assess- processing correction methods and determine the impact
ment team shall also verify that data values are correctly on accuracy and confdence level of the affected param-
converted to engineering units. This should be accom- eters. If data loss exceeds a limit agreed to by assessment
plished with a short test run of data and a comparison team members, they shall establish a supplemental mea-
with independent instrumentation where available or a surement plan to acquire the necessary data.
comparison with a group of associated stipulated values
and/or indirect measurements. 5 .7 Plant Functional Baseline
If data are erroneous, the assessment team shall at-
tempt to troubleshoot and correct equipment and/or in- The assessment team shall record data associated
strument installation issues, such that recorded data is with plant function and production process informa-
appropriate. If erroneous data cannot be corrected, the tion. Base-year energy use shall be measured according
malfunctioning devices and affected data shall be noted. to Mandatory Appendix II, II-1, a., Present Energy Use. To
If unresolved measurement installation issues increase completely defne base-year conditions, it is necessary to
uncertainty with respect to the recorded data, the assess- document the plant’s functional baseline through gath-
ment shall document issues and the impact on measure- ering relevant production operating data. These data are
ment confdence level. the basis of future system performance comparison. The
assessment should record plant-operating conditions in
5.5 Coordinate Data From Permanently Installed a way that can be accessed in the future. Comparisons of
Data Systems future performance will require adjustments for chang-
ing plant function, including factors such as production
If measurement data from permanently installed in- shifts per day and amount and type of products being
strumentation are included in the measurement plan, the produced.
assessment team shall gather assessment data available
from permanently installed systems, e.g., supervisory
control and data acquisition system (SCADA). 2 If data 5 .8 Functional Investigation
from short-term measurement activity (logged data) will 5 .8. 1 Supply. The assessment team shall establish
be used together with SCADA data, the assessment team a detailed plan to schedule and perform the necessary
shall align the time and date values of each separate sys- observation and measurement of plant operations and
tem as closely as possible. The assessment shall docu- compressed supply side performance.
ment the expected time variation that will occur between The assessment team shall assess the following:
data systems. (a) present energy use, air compressor(s); Mandatory
Appendix II, II-1, a.1
(1 ) present energy use, air dryer(s); Mandatory
2 Permanently installed data systems have various disigtnations,
such as Distributed Control System (DCS) Building Management Appendix II, II-1, a.2
System (BMS), etc. For reference, such systems will be referred to (b) present compressed air f ow pro fle; Mandatory
us SCADA. Appendix II, II-2
13
 ASME EA-4–201 0

(c) supply effciency; Mandatory Appendix II, II-3 a wrap-up meeting shall be conducted. The meeting
(d) system volume; Mandatory Appendix II, II-4, a.1 agenda should address the following two goals:
or a.2 (a) Communicate fndings among team members shar-
(e) pressure pro fle, supply; Mandatory Appendix II, ing information and data collected. Evaluate fndings to
II-5, a.1. summarize areas of greatest opportunity, and identify
priorities for analysis of data.
5 .8. 2 Transmission. The assessment team shall es- (b) Evaluate knowledge gained during the system as-

tablish a detailed plan to schedule and perform the nec- sessment and identify any informational gaps that give
essary observation and measurement of plant operations rise to questions that require additional investigation.
and the transmission of compressed air from supply to Organize additional assessment activities as warranted.
demand. As directed by plant management or at the discretion
The assessment team shall assess pressure pro fle of an assigned assessment team member, the assessment
(Mandatory Appendix II, II-5, a.2). team shall convene progress meetings to address the two
goals listed above. Progress meetings are particularly use-
ful if, while conducting the assessment, it is determined
5 .8. 3 Demand. The assessment team shall establish
that there should be discussions related to a change in
a detailed plan to schedule and perform the necessary
the assessment plan of action or SOW.
observation and measurement of plant operations and
compressed air end-use applications. The assessment
team shall perform site-wide investigation of all assess-
6 ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM THE ASSESSMENT
ment action items associated with site-specifc assess- Using data collected during the assessment, the assess-
ment goals and the SOW. ment team shall establish baseline pro fles and annualize
The assessment team shall assess the following: projections of base-year performance. The assessment
(a) pressure pro fle, point of use; Mandatory Appen- shall analyze compressed air supply and demand bal-
dix II, II-5, a.3 ance to identify opportunities for improved performance
(b) perceived high-pressure demands; Mandatory Ap- and increased energy effciency.
pendix II, II-6, a., b., and c. The assessment shall evaluate the system pressure
(1 ) perceived high-pressure demands; Mandatory profle and identify opportunities to eliminate irrecover-
Appendix II, II-6, d. and e. able pressure loss.
(c) demand pro fle; Mandatory Appendix II, II-7, a.1 The assessment shall analyze dynamic airfow changes
(1 ) demand pro fle; Mandatory Appendix II, II-7, and resultant transient pressure pro fle response to as-
a.2 and a.3 sess the performance impact and possible upset of end-
(2) demand pro fle; Mandatory Appendix II, II-7, use applications.
b. and d. The assessment shall include an analysis of end-use
(3 ) demand pro fle; Mandatory Appendix II, II-7, applications and specifc energy performance opportu-
c. and e. nities as a result of potential system pressure reduction,
(d) critical air demands; Mandatory Appendix II, II-8 elimination of compressed air waste, and improved per-
(e) compressed air waste; Mandatory Appendix II, II-9 formance of critical end-use applications.
(f) optimize air treatment; Mandatory Appendix II, II- The assessment shall perform root cause analysis for
10, a.1, d.1, and g.1 current method operations to identify energy effcient
(1 ) optimize air treatment; Mandatory Appendix remedial measures, identify specifc energy performance
II, II-10, a.2, a.3, b., c., e., and f. improvement opportunities, and quantify projected en-
(g) improve compressor control; Mandatory Appen- ergy savings.
dix II, II-11
(h) reduce operating pressure; Mandatory Appendix 6 1 . Baseline Profi les
II, II-12
The assessment shall determine baseline performance
(i) balance supply and demand; Mandatory Appendix
for the system power pro fle and the associated airfow
II, II-13
rate of demand. The assessment shall determine baseline
(j) maintenance opportunities; Mandatory Appendix
performance through analysis of energy use and total air
II, II-14, a.1, a.3, and b.
demand. The assessment shall baseline the system’s com-
(1 ) maintenance opportunities; Mandatory Ap-
pressed air supply effciency, analyze baseline perfor-
pendix II, II-14, a.2, a.4, and c. through g.
mance trends, and identify the pro fle for typical periods
(k) heat recovery; Mandatory Appendix II, II-15
of operation. The assessment shall include annualized
data for the expected number of operating periods for
5 .9 Progress and Wrap - Up Meetings each typical period pro fle that has been identifed (see
As a fnal step in conducting the assessment, all avail- para. 6.1.5). The assessment shall include a projection of
able assessment team members shall be assembled, and base-year energy and air demand totals.

14
 ASME EA-4–201 0

6 . 1 . 1 Power and Energy Profi les. The assessment To calculate base-year performance, the assessment
team shall evaluate the power response of air compres- shall defne the following:
sors to dynamic changes in system performance. The data NOTE: For illustration purposes, the time interval used for typical
interval used should be at least one order of magnitude operating periods is 1 day, a 24-hr period. Any appropriate time
greater than the time base of the control response being period may be used so long as the sum of all time periods fairly
analyzed. The assessment shall identify ineffcient con- represents the total for annual operation.
trol response through analysis of individual compressor
performance and also the combined response of multiple (a) individual day types (Dt1, Dt2… DtN)
compressors. (b) measured energy use (kWh1, kWh2… kWhN) for
The assessment shall develop hourly energy and air each day type
demand totals to establish operating profles. The assess- (c) total air demand (MMscf1, MMscf2… MMscfN) for
ment shall identify days of operation that have similar each day type
energy profles and correlate with plant functional infor- (d) number of operating days per year (DPYr1, DPYr2…
mation. DPYrN) for each day type
(e) annual energy use base-year performance

6 . 1 . 2 Demand Profi le. The assessment shall analyze (DPYr1 ? kWh1) ? (DPYr2 × kWh2) ? … ? (DPYrN ?
dynamic air demand to identify system performance kWhN)
requirements and the resultant air compressor power (f) annual total air demand base-year performance

response. The assessment shall identify periods of inef- (DPYr1 × MMscf1) ? (DPYr2 × MMscf2) ? … ?
fcient operation that warrant more detailed analysis of (DPYrN ? ? MMscfN)
the dynamic demand profle.
The assessment shall integrate airfow rate measures 6. 2 System Volume
over time to represent demand trends and establish op- The assessment team shall calculate the effective vol-
erating profles. The assessment shall identify periods of ume of the compressed air system. The effective vol-
operation that have similar air demand profles and cor- ume of a compressed air system can be determined
relate with plant functional information. through empirical testing. During a period of constant
air demand, the assessment team shall load and unload a
6 . 1 . 3 Supply Effi ciency. The assessment shall relate compressor of known airfow delivery (or measure the
measured power and energy data to measured airfow airfow change with load/unload cycles), and the assess-
rate and total air demand to establish baseline com- ment team shall also measure the load/unload pressure,
pressed air supply effciency. The assessment shall in- along with load and unload time duration. If testing to
clude an evaluation of the relationship of air demand determine effective volume cannot be accomplished,
trends to supply effciency and identify periods of re- then the assessment team shall estimate the system’s me-
duced supply effciency that warrant more detailed in- chanical volume.
vestigation. The assessment team shall analyze system
operation to evaluate the supply and demand dynamic 6. 3 Pressure Profi le
balance and compressor control response. The assessment shall identify energy and performance
improvement opportunities that result from elimination of
6 . 1 . 4 Identify Operating Period Types. The assess- irrecoverable pressure loss. An analysis shall be included to
ment shall correlate total energy and total air demand determine the impact of airfow variations and interaction
profles to plant functional information and establish with the fow resistance of system components and piping
typical operating periods. The assessment shall create and the resultant dynamic pressure profle response. The
groupings of similar typical operating periods. pressure profle performance as it affects compressor con-
trol response, airfow supply and demand balance, and
6 . 1 . 5 Annualize Energy Use and Air Demand. The performance of end-use demands shall be assessed.
assessment shall include annual plant profles to estab- Using the cumulative result of all remedial measures
lish base-year performance, total energy use, and total related to the system pressure profle, including mitigat-
air demand. For each operating period identifed, the ing the effect of pressure variations, drawdown events,
assessment shall estimate on an annual basis the num- dynamic pressure instability, irrecoverable pressure
ber of such periods for which the plant uses that profle. loss, and excessive end-use dynamic pressure loss; the
The assessment shall include a calculation of base-year assessment shall establish specifc recommendations for
totals using each typical operating period profle and an appropriate system pressure profle.
number of times the plant is operating at each typical The recommended pressure profle should account
period. Plant energy costs shall be applied to determine for all pressure requirements from supply to the end-use
annual compressed air energy cost and cost per unit of device. The assessment shall specify each element of the
compressed air. pressure profle.
15
 ASME EA-4–201 0

(a) Compressor control pressure range, including ac- performance impact and quantify the energy beneft
commodation for multiple compressor control strategy. resulting from pressure profle improvement.
(b) Treatment equipment pressure drop considering
peak airfow rate and the greatest pressure drop through 6 . 3 . 3 Excessive Irrecoverable Pressure Loss. The as-
flters when element change is recommended. sessment shall determine pressure drop associated with
(c) Primary storage pressure differential given the various system components and correlate data from dy-
recommended storage volume and the necessary usable namic pressure and demand profles. The assessment of
mass fow of compressed air to support effcient com- component pressure drop shall be correlated with periods
pressor control, permissive start-up time for stand-by of low, average, and peak air demand. The assessment
compressors, and demand events. shall identify remedial measures to reduce airfow rate
(d) Transmission pressure loss to one or more sectors through elimination of waste and inappropriate use or
of the plant site considering peak airfow rate to each application of secondary storage with controlled refll to
various sector. Pressure loss should be inclusive of pipe- reduce peak demand. With projections of reduced airfow
line pressure gradient, pressure drop through treatment rate, the assessment shall recommend the size and appli-
equipment, and pressure differential for applied second- cation of system components for proper airfow capacity.
ary storage within the transmission system. Considering the entire compressed air system — sup-
(e) Point-of-use pressure profle considering the fow ply, transmission, and demand — the assessment shall
static or fow dynamic characteristic of end use. Point- identify specifc remedial measures and estimate the per-
of-use pressure profles shall be inclusive of pressure loss formance impact and energy bene ft of pressure pro fle
from the equipment connection point through point-of-use improvements.
treatment equipment, piping, and controls. If secondary
storage is recommended, the pressure profle shall indicate
6 . 3 . 4 Excessive Pressure Gradient. The assessment
the necessary storage pressure differential.
shall include an analysis of pipeline pressure gradients
The assessment shall state the recommended demand
and identify if excessive pressure loss at the current
side target pressure and pressure variation tolerance for
airfow rate is a function of high pipeline velocity and
each various demand sector. The assessment shall pro-
distance traveled or if restrictive choke points exist. The
vide a control strategy to align supply with demand and
assessment shall identify sectors of the transmission sys-
maintain alignment throughout normal variations in the
tem presenting excessive pressure loss. If excessive pres-
demand pro fle.
sure gradient is identifed, the following supplemental
element of assessment shall be performed.
6 . 3 . 1 Average Pressure and Pressure Variations. The The assessment shall evaluate air demand in the af-
assessment team shall analyze the system pressure pro- fected sector(s) to identify remedial measures that will
fle using data collected during the assessment. The decrease airfow rate to the sector through elimination of
assessment shall determine average system pressure cor- waste and inappropriate use or application of secondary
relation with energy and total air demand pro fles. The storage with controlled re fll. With projections of reduced
assessment shall investigate dynamic pressure varia- airfow rate through the affected pipeline, the assessment
tions and correlate them to supply-and-demand airfow team shall calculate the expected pressure gradient as-
balance. The assessment shall identify characteristic sociated with the reduced air demand. The assessment
signatures of system events that warrant more detailed shall identify specifc remedial measures for sector de-
investigation and opportunities to improve the supply- mand reduction, piping modifcations to eliminate choke
and-demand balance with application of storage and points, opportunities to create piping loop connections to
quantify the energy beneft resulting from pressure pro- existing pipelines having unused fow capacity, or com-
fle improvement. plete pipeline redesign.
The assessment shall estimate the performance impact
and energy bene ft of pressure pro fle improvements.
. . Peak Airflow — Effect on the Pressure Profi le.
6 3 2

Peak airfow and the resultant pressure drawdown and/or

pressure instability can cause the pressure profle to fall .
6 4 Perceived High - Pressure Demand
below the plant’s minimum system pressure requirement. Using data gathered during the assessment, the as-
Increasing the overall system pressure to accommodate sessment team shall validate the end-use pressure re-
pressure drawdown and pressure instability can be a very quirement for all applications identifed according to
energy intensive solution. The assessment shall perform Mandatory Appendix I, I-4, d. Perceived high-pressure
root cause analysis to identify the cause-and-effect rela- demands often set the low limit for the plant’s minimum
tionship associated with the pressure profle’s interaction system pressure. Lowering the system pressure pro fle
with peak airfow. The assessment shall investigate spe- presents energy reduction opportunities. The perceived
cifc remedial measures of storage and/or reduced system need for high pressure at any individual end-use demand
resistance. The assessment shall identify the anticipated may be the result of many factors.

16
 ASME EA-4–201 0

(a) Casual reference to general operating data for the energy consumption. The assessment shall analyze the
end-use demand may give rise to a perceived pressure re- potential to modify the end-use device to allow success-
quirement not necessary for the actual end-use application. ful operation at lower supply pressure. If it is not feasible
(b) The end-use air demand performance may be the or cost effective to modify the end-use device, the assess-
result of systemic issues that are the root cause of the per- ment team shall propose an alternative means to supply
ceived need for high pressure. the air demand, such as a small dedicated independent
air system, application of pneumatically powered air
. . Rated/Recommended End Use Pressure. The
6 4 1 -
amplifers, or an electrically driven booster compressor.
assessment team shall research recommended operat-
ing data for the end-use compressed air demand in the .
6 5 Demand Profi le
context of in-situ performance requirements. The assess- The assessment shall identify energy and performance
ment team shall check to verify that general operating improvements that relate to the compressed air demand
data do not overstate the pressure requirement for the profle. The assessment shall evaluate the potential for
actual production function being accomplished. The as- demand reduction, improving the supply-and-demand
sessment shall verify recommended end-use pressure in balance and optimizing the compressor control response
the context of the “as-installed,” end-use requirement. to normal variations in air demand. The assessment shall
analyze the combined performance of the supply sys-
. . Dynamic Flow/Pressure Relationship. The as-
6 4 2 tem (generation and storage), transmission system, and
sessment shall include analysis of the dynamic perfor- point-of-use equipment to identify opportunities to bet-
mance of the end-use demand, using high-frequency ter control and support the system’s demand profle. The
data gathered during the assessment. This includes in- assessment shall identify specifc remedial measure(s) to
vestigating the dynamic point-of-use pressure profle exercise compressed air demand management and quan-
from the equipment connection pressure to the subject tify estimated energy savings.
end-use device. The assessment shall evaluate the nature
of the end use as fow static or fow dynamic demand. . . Average Airflow and Airflow Variations. Using
6 5 1

The assessment shall assess the appropriateness of the data gathered during the assessment, the air demand
current end-use pressure profle and dynamic pressure profle, including its correlation to the energy profle and
signature. average system pressure, shall be identifed. Periods of
high and low demand shall be identifed and the system’s
. . Stability of Supply Pressure. The assessment ability to maintain an optimum supply-and-demand bal-
ance. The assessment shall identify any specifc periods
6 4 3

team shall assess the stability of pressure delivered at the

equipment connection point. Pressure instability can be of operation that warrant more detailed analysis.
caused by dynamic performance of the transmission sys- The assessment shall analyze periods of supply-
tem or the impact of other system events on the equip- and-demand imbalance and identify specifc remedial
ment connection pressure. The assessment shall rule out measures to better align supply and demand. The as-
upstream pressure instability as a reason for perceived sessment shall consider measures necessary to maintain
high-pressure requirements. alignment throughout normal changes in the plant’s
compressed air demand.
. . Remedial Measures and Quantify Savings. The
The assessment shall include a review of airfow
6 4 4

assessment shall identify specifc remedial measures ad- variations and the dynamic performance of system air
dressing high-pressure air demands and estimate the demand together with the system’s dynamic pressure
performance impact and energy beneft of pressure pro- profle. Demand events and system response, includ-
fle improvements.
ing pressure drawdown rate and airfow contribution of
storage, shall be analyzed. The assessment shall include
a quantifcation of demand events and their total airfow
. . . Existing Pressure Anomalies. If the root
6 4 4 1 rate and duration. The assessment team shall investigate
cause of perceived need for high pressure is a result of the characteristic signatures of repeated events and, if
systemic or point-of-use pressure anomalies, the assess- possible, correlate the event to the associated production
ment team shall investigate remedial measures to ad- equipment and/or activity.
dress the root cause issue.
. . Transmission System Performance. The assess-
6 5 2
. . . Valid High - Pressure Use.
6 4 4 2 If the end use is ment team shall assess the performance of transmission
a valid high-pressure demand representing a small frac- during demand events and identify any ripple effects on
tion of total air demand, and is driving the system pres- the system pressure profle. The assessment shall analyze
sure profle to excessively high pressure, the assessment how demand events are refected in control signal pressure
team shall investigate alternatives that will reduce system and the resultant supply side response. The assessment
17
 ASME EA-4–201 0

team shall determine whether compressor controls respond The assessment team shall perform root cause analysis
in an effcient manner. The assessment shall analyze how to identify issues impacting critical compressed air per-
demand events are refected in the connection pressure formance. Analysis should also consider and, if possible,
at end-use applications. The assessment shall determine rule out other causes, such as mechanical vibration or re-
whether there is any adverse effect of pressure variation at actionary force acting on the end-use pneumatic device.
end-use demands. In some instances, the result of analysis may be to rule out
compressed air-related performance as a causative effect.
. . Remedial Measures and Quantify Savings. The
6 5 3 The assessment shall include an analysis of the end-
assessment shall evaluate alternatives of improved com- use function to quantify the value and allowable toler-
pressor control, primary/secondary storage, and fow ance for end-use pressure and/or airfow rate necessary
pressure control to more effciently deal with airfow to properly support the end-use application.
variations that occur. The assessment shall identify spe-
cifc remedial measures and quantify the expected en- . . Analyze Process Limits. The assessment team
6 6 3
ergy reduction. shall determine the need to provide monitoring and con-
trol of compressed air as a process variable. If necessary,
.
6 6 Critical Air Demands the assessment team shall establish process constraints
Critical air demands are those end uses of compressed with appropriate methods of process monitoring, alarm
air that have the potential to impact product quality, pro- indicators, and documentation of performance.
duction rate, scrap rate, rework cost, customer satisfac-
tion, etc. As such, improving performance of critical air . . Remedial Measures and Quantify Savings. The
6 6 4

demand is most relevant in terms of nonenergy benefts assessment team shall identify specifc remedial mea-
to production operations. However, there are often en- sures for critical air demands and quantify the expected
ergy-related benefts associated with improving perfor- cost savings. As required, the assessment team shall iden-
mance of critical air demands. tify measures required to implement process monitoring.
A fnancial analysis shall include the cost of control and
. . Effect on Productivity and Energy. Given the
6 6 1 monitoring. The net savings shall include the productiv-
secondary role of energy reduction when analyzing criti- ity impact and net energy change from implementing the
cal air demands, it is important to consider the positive remedial measures.
effect on productivity and associated fnancial beneft of
improved performance. In this situation, the plant func- . Compressed Air Waste
6 7
tional baseline as relates to production output is of rela- Using data collected during the assessment, the vari-
tively greater importance than the energy consumed. ous components of compressed air waste shall be identi-
For situations where energy use is increased, energy fed. Specifc remedial measures necessary to eliminate
analysis is more involved than the straight forward base- waste shall be provided, and energy savings estimates
line versus postimplementation energy comparison. for each remedial measure shall be calculated.
Alternative energy analysis methods used should be
reached through consensus of all stakeholders. Analyti-
cal methods used should be transparent and fully dis- . . Leakage. The total amount of leakage present in
6 7 1

closed. the system shall be estimated. The assessment team shall

make observations with respect to the existing piping and
. . Critical End Use Characteristics. Analysis of a maintenance practice as relates to the relative number
6 6 2 -

critical air demand will beneft from defning the fow and size of leakages. It can be expected that greater leak
and pressure characteristics of this demand. The assess- reduction is achievable when there are relatively fewer
ment shall determine whether compressed air system large leaks as compared with numerous small leaks. Nu-
performance related to the critical end use should be merous small leaks may be a result of widespread use
considered as a process variable. of poor piping practice in which small leaks are likely to
For critical end-use applications, the dynamic perfor- occur. Specifc recommendations shall be developed to
mance and characteristic signatures for airfow and/or address any existing poor piping practice.
critical end-use pressure shall be documented. Dynamic The assessment team shall establish short-term leak
data should be recorded at a data interval frequency not reduction targets and recommendations of specifc reme-
less than one order of magnitude greater than the time dial actions to achieve the targeted leak reduction. For
base of the critical end-use event. The assessment shall the leak reduction target, estimated energy savings shall
include an analysis of end-use function data and perfor- be provided.
mance, comparing characteristic signatures for periods
of normal operation with periods of unsatisfactory op- . . Inappropriate Use. Using data gathered during
6 7 2

eration. the assessment, inappropriate uses shall be identifed,

18
 ASME EA-4–201 0

and alternatives shall be provided. The assessment The assessment team shall evaluate the pressure loss
team shall calculate the projected energy use of alterna- associated with the air treatment equipment within the
tive methods and shall estimate total net energy savings transmission system and assess its effectiveness. If it is
from the implementation of the identifed alternative found that the unacceptable contaminants could be in-
methods. troduced downstream from the transmission system’s
air treatment equipment, the assessment team should
6 . 7 . 3 Artifi cial Demand. Using demand side pressure consider whether it is more appropriate to perform the
data gathered during the assessment and the established necessary air treatment in closer proximity to the end-
demand side target pressure resulting from the recom- use requirement.
mended system pressure profle, the potential reduction The assessment team should evaluate point-of-use treat-
in artifcial demand shall be calculated. The assessment ment equipment to verify that it is required and appropri-
shall include an outline of specifc remedial measures nec- ate in the purity class produced. The assessment team shall
essary to achieve and maintain the established demand analyze the treatment equipment’s impact on the dynamic
side target pressure for the system (or each demand sec- pressure profle and determine whether it is suitably sized
tor) and the estimated energy savings from implement- to support peak airfow rate of the end-use application
ing such remedial measures. while operating with a reasonable pressure loss.

6 .8. 4 Remedial Measures and Quantify Energy Result.

6 .8 Optimize Air Treatment The assessment team shall develop a system-wide com-
The assessment team shall determine a system-wide pressed air treatment strategy, including specifc reme-
compressed air treatment strategy considering end-use dial measures to optimize compressed air treatment. The
requirements, the current method of compressed air assessment shall include recommendations for supply
treatment, and pressure dew point data gathered during side treatment, sectioning of independent air treatment
the assessment. The energy and performance improve- sectors if appropriate, air treatment applied to the trans-
ment opportunities resulting from specifc remedial mission system, and/or point-of-use air treatment rec-
measures recommended to optimize air treatment shall ommendations.
be identifed. The assessment shall include estimated en- Based on measurements made and data collected dur-
ergy savings for the optimized air treatment strategy as ing the assessment, the present energy use of the existing
compared with the present method of operation. method of compressed air treatment shall be calculated.
Considering the energy use of the proposed compressed
6 .8. 1 Appropriate Air Quality. Considering existing air treatment strategy, the assessment team shall estimate
end-use applications of compressed air and their respec- the net energy savings as compared with the existing
tive air quality requirements, allowable contamination method.
levels for particulate, dew point, and hydrocarbons in
the compressed air shall be established. Allowable con- 6 .9 Reduce System Operating Pressure
tamination levels should be specifed in accordance with
ISO 8573-1, Compressed air — Contaminants and purity The assessment team shall establish the recommended
classes. target pressure for system operation. The assessment
shall include an analysis of the recorded system pressure
profle and apply the cumulative result of all remedial
6 .8. 2 Redundant Treatment Equipment. The assess-
measures related to the system pressure pro fle, includ-
ment team shall evaluate the application of redundant
ing mitigating the effect of pressure variations, draw-
air treatment equipment and end-use risk factors. The
down events, dynamic pressure instability, irrecoverable
assessment shall include an appropriate strategy to elim-
pressure loss, and excessive end-use dynamic pressure
inate any unnecessary air treatment equipment while en-
loss, and establish specifc recommendations for an ap-
suring that risk management objectives and stakeholder
propriate system pressure pro fle.
needs are satis fed.
The assessment shall include the recommended de-
mand side target pressure and pressure variation toler-
6 .8. 3 Treatment Effect on Pressure Profi le. The as- ance for each various demand sector. The assessment
sessment team shall evaluate the existing application of team shall evaluate system operation at the reduced tar-
air treatment equipment and its impact on the system get pressure and estimate the energy use reduction as-
pressure pro fle. Opportunities to eliminate irrecover- sociated with the reduced target pressure.
able pressure loss shall be identifed. This shall include
an analysis of the dynamic interaction of supply side air
treatment equipment resistance with the compressors’ 6. 1 0 Balance Supply and Demand
changing airfow delivery and the impact on control sig- The assessment team shall analyze the compressed air
nal pressure. system control methods necessary to maintain real-time

19
 ASME EA-4–201 0

balance between supply and demand with suffcient waste and energy loss associated with improper opera-
transmission capacity to move compressed air energy tion of condensate drains.
from supply to demand as required by the dynamic char- Supplemental elements of assessment as determined
acteristics of the system. in the site-specifc assessment SOW may direct the as-
The assessment shall include an evaluation of the ap- sessment team to evaluate other maintenance opportuni-
plication of primary and/or secondary storage with ap- ties. The assessment team shall identify opportunities to
propriate control to support peak air demand and delay improve performance and reliability and shall estimate
or eliminate the start-up of additional compressor capac- the impact on total energy use.
ity in response to short-term demand events. Air compressor cooling frequently affects performance
The assessment team shall analyze the total impact of and reliability. If the site-specifc SOW includes main-
compressed air demand reduction, including the elimi- tenance actions affecting compressor cooling, the as-
nation of inappropriate uses, leakage, and artifcial de- sessment team shall evaluate the interaction with other
mand, together with the impact of the recommended systems, such as heating, ventilation, and air condition-
compressed air storage to reduce peak airfow supplied ing (HVAC) equipment, which may impact performance
from generation. Given the baseline demand pro fle, the and reliability.
assessment team shall estimate the projected demand The assessment team shall recommend specifc reme-
pro fle with the implementation of recommended mea- dial measures and estimate energy reduction. Recom-
sures. This analysis shall optimize compressor control mendations shall consider that sustainable results related
strategy to the projected demand pro fle, including con- to maintenance opportunities frequently require ongoing
sidering the following: maintenance programs to be implemented. Remedial
(a) Shutdown any compressors that are not needed to measures shall promote sustainable improvement of sys-
support the reduced demand pro fle. tem performance and energy effciency.
(b) Where possible, operate compressors at their most
effcient performance condition, which is typically at 6. 1 2 Evaluate Heat Recovery Opportunities
their full load design point.
The assessment team shall analyze the annual op-
(c) Apply trim compressor capacity operating with the
erating pro fle for applications that could potentially
most effcient part-load capacity given the available mix
use heat recovered from the air compressors. Based on
of compressor sizes and control types.
a conceptual design of a suitable heat transfer system,
(d) In multiple compressor systems, consider applying
the assessment shall include an estimate of the amount
control automation to maintain supply-and-demand bal-
of recoverable heat. This analysis shall determine the net
ance under normal variations in the demand pro fle.
energy reduction accounting for energy use of auxiliary
The assessment team shall identify the necessary re-
fans, pumps, heat pumps, or other equipment associated
medial measures to implement any proposed control
with a heat transfer system.
strategy. The expected reduction in energy use savings
shall be quantifed.
The assessment team should consider that implemen- 7 REPORTING AND DOCUMENTATION
tation of remedial measures will likely occur as an on-
going process phased in over time. The assessment shall 7.1 Final Assessment Report
include a description of the control strategy’s fexibility At the conclusion of the on-site assessment and any
to effciently meet the demand pro fle as it may change required follow-up data analysis, the assessment results
within various stages of implementation. If specifc shall be reported in a fnal written report, as described in
changes to the design and implementation of the con- para. 7.2.
trol strategy are necessary during the implementation of
remedial measures, the assessment shall include appro-
priate milestones and anticipated changes that must be 7.2 Final Assessment Report Contents
implemented. The fnal assessment report shall include the following
information:
(a) executive summary
6. 1 1 Assess Maintenance Opportunities (b) facility information
The assessment team shall evaluate maintenance per- (c) assessment goals and scope
formed on the compressed air system and its effect on (d) description of system(s) studied in assessment and
energy effciency, performance, and reliability of the signifcant system issues
system. The team shall evaluate maintenance and instal- (e) assessment data collection and measurements
lation of the compressor intake flter and piping to as- (f) data analysis
sess the impact on compressor capacity, reliability, and (g) annual energy use baseline
effciency. Installation and maintenance of condensate (h) performance improvement opportunities and pri-
drain traps shall be investigated to assess compressed air oritization

20
 ASME EA-4–201 0

(i) recommendations for implementation activities 7.2.5 Assessment Data Collection and Measurements.
(j) appendices The methods used to obtain data and conduct measure-
ments shall be identifed, including an overview of the
7 . 2 . 1 Executive Summary. This section shall con- measurement plan. Measurement data and observations
dense and summarize the report in brief. The executive required for para. 7.3 not reported in para. 7.2.6 shall be
summary shall provide an overview of placed in an appendix.
(a) the production process and present plant opera- The assessment report or appendix shall describe mea-
tion, the facility, plant background, and products made surement details to provide consistency, repeatability,
at the plant and reproducibility of measurements during the assess-
(b) goals and scope of the assessment ment and for future measurement and verifcation ac-
(c) system(s) assessed and measurement boundaries tivity. The assessment report shall show the confdence,
used precision, and data loss of measurements.
(d) annual energy use baseline and associated conf-
dence and precision 7 . 2 . 6 Data Analysis. The report shall include the
(e) performance opportunities identi fed with associ- outcome of your measurements and data analysis in
ated energy and cost savings accordance with your site-specifc assessment goals, as-
(f) recommendations for implementation activities sessment plan of action, and SOW. Any signifcant ana-
lytical methods, measurements, observations, and results
7 . 2 . 2 Facility Information. A brief overview of the from data analysis from completed action items shall be
production process and summary of the present produc- documented, including but not limited to
tion operations and plant output level. A detailed de- (a) power consumption of the compressors
scription of the facility, plant background, and products (b) compressor control response
made at the plant. (c) compressed airfow delivered to the system in scfm
(d) supply eff ciency in specifc power (kW/100 stan-

7 . 2 . 3 Assessment Goals and Scope. This report sec- dard cubic feet per minute, or compressed air supply eff-
tion shall contain a brief statement of the assessment’s ciency, such as standard cubic feet (scf) per unit of energy
goals. The report shall identify the boundaries of the (kWh)
(e) air treatment
specifc system(s) on which the assessment was per-
(f) critical air demands
formed and why the boundaries were selected. This
report section shall include a description of the general (g) compressed air waste
(h) condensate drainage
approach and methodology used to conduct the assess-
(i) air pressure leaving the supply side of the system
ment. Using Mandatory Appendix II (Plan of Action
Matrix), the system assessment objectives, action items, in pounds per square inch gage (psig)
(j) supply side pressure pro fle
and methodologies that were used for the Plan of Action
shall be described. (k) demand side pressure pro fle
(l) transmission/distribution piping gradients
(m) end-use applications assessed for appropriateness,
7 . 2 . 4 Description of System(s) Studied and Signifi cant
System Issues. The report shall include a detailed de-
high-volume intermittent, and high pressure
(n) heat recovery
scription of the specifc system(s) on which the assess- (o) safety i ssues
ment was performed. Depending on the system assessed, The assessment report shall identify the methods of
the discussion of system operation can be extensive and calculation and software models used with assumptions
should be supported by graphs, tables, and system sche- clearly stated.
matics. Supporting documentation should also be in- Unremarkable fndings should not be included in the
cluded to clarify the operation of the system components report. However, pertinent negative fndings shall be re-
and their interrelationships. ported.
Any signifcant system issues shall be described, in-
cluding an operational review of the system. Any existing
best practices found (methods and procedures found to be 7 . 2 . 7 Annual Energy Use Baseline. The assessment
most effective at energy reduction) shall be documented. report shall contain annualized base-year performance
A one-line block diagram or other visual portrayal that for total compressed air demand and energy use of the
depicts both the supply and demand sides shall be in- compressed air system. The analytic method used to de-
cluded and shall include identifcation of the monitoring velop the annual base-year projection from measured
and measurement points. Any signifcant system issues baseline data shall be described. Plant functional and
shall be described, including an operational review of production process observations and information shall
the system, demand side issues, transmission issues, and be reported. This section shall provide a description of
supply side issues. the plant’s functional areas, baseline production output
21
 ASME EA-4–201 0

level, and operating schedule during the baseline period. General observations of noncompressed air system-
Information describing normal production variations related energy saving opportunities should also be
shall be reported. discussed.
The report shall clearly describe the assessment baseline
as a basis for both routine and nonroutine adjustments. 7 . 2 .9 Recommendations for Implementation Activi -
Adjustments are calculated from identifable physical ties. Details on performance improvement opportuni-
facts with respect to changes in the physical plant and ties shall include the next steps needed to move from the
production process. The report shall provide suffcient identifed performance improvement opportunities to
information on the plant functional baseline during the implementation of the listed measures. Methods for re-
assessment to provide a basis for adjustments. fning data analysis as needed, and for obtaining reliable
Routine adjustments are those energy-governing fac- implementation cost estimates, should be addressed.
tors that are expected to change, such as production vol- Methods for optimizing and maintaining system perfor-
ume variations. Baseline relationships of production- and mance following implementation of adopted measures
time-dependent compressed air energy consumption and should be identifed.
compressed air demand should be clearly stated. Implementation cost estimates for the performance
Nonroutine adjustments are related to factors that are improvement opportunities, if developed as an op-
not usually expected to change during the short term. Fac- tional activity, are intended to be screening or fea-
tors such as facility size and the design, type and number sibility estimates and could also include preparing
of production lines involving pneumatically powered metrics, such as return on investment and payback
equipment are examples of nonroutine adjustments. period.
It should be noted in the assessment report that it is
7 . 2 .8 Performance Improvement Opportunities recommended that further engineering analysis be per-
Identifi ed and Prioritization. Performance improve- formed prior to implementing the recommendations
ment opportunities can include those from maintenance contained in the assessment report.
improvements, operational improvements, equipment
upgrades and replacement, revising control strategies, . . Appendices. Material that is somewhat
process improvements and changeover, and other ac- 7 2 10

lengthy and does not necessarily contribute to the overall

tions that reduce energy consumption. presentation of the report should be included in appendi-
The analysis shall quantify estimates of energy reduc- ces to keep the body of the report short.
tion and cost savings from recommended performance Examples include software tools used and progress
improvement opportunities, as well as the total energy and wrap-up meeting information, such as participants
reduction and cost savings. and content. Appendices should include titles such as
To aid in the selection of projects for implementation, “Appendix A: Measurements Obtained During Assess-
the assessment team should provide information with ment” or “Appendix B: Example Calculations.”
respect to factors that infuence prioritization of oppor-
tunities identifed.
The report shall provide information with respect to .
7 3 Data for Third Party Review
the following categorical characteristics: The report or other documentation delivered with the
(a) energy reduction and cost savings with confdence report shall include suffcient raw data from the assess-
level and precision interval ment so that the analyses performed in section 6 can be
(b) potential barriers to achieving projected savings confrmed by a third party. This documentation shall be
(c) statement of anticipated project life and sustain- structured so it can be easily accessed by verifers and
ability other persons not involved in its development.
(d) potential impact to ongoing operations
(e) description of implementation steps and barriers to
implementation .
7 4 Review of Final Report by Assessment
(f) anticipated parallel bene fts (e.g., improved pro-
Team Members
ductivity, improved operations, lower environmental Before the assessment report is fnalized, members of
impact) the assessment team shall review the assessment report
(g) environmental impact that may trigger reanalysis for accuracy and completeness and provide comments.
of environmental requirements at the plant Upon review of the draft report and requests for modi-
Nonenergy opportunities, such as production output fcations, the assessment team shall provide a consensus
level improvement, emission reductions, and product acceptance and then prepare and issue the report in fnal
quality improvements, shall be identifed. form.

22
 ASME EA-4–201 0

MANDATORY APPENDIX I
PRELIMINARY DATA COLLECTION MATRIX

The purpose of the matrix is to present assessment Users of this Standard may decide that in addition to
objectives, action items, and methodologies. Some required elements, their technical and business objectives
are required elements of an assessment that is fully will bene ft by including some supplemental assessment
compliant with this Standard. Supplemental elements activities. Based on the assessment team’s expertise and
including other objectives, action items, and method- judgment, supplemental assessment activities may be in-
ologies can be included at the discretion of assessment cluded in the assessment. Once a supplemental element
team members. is included in the assessment SOW, it is a required ele-
ment, and the applicable requirements of the Standard
Required elements: assessment objective, action shall apply.
item, and methodology are shown in Mandatory
Appendix I using black text on white background, NOTE: Shaded items are supplemental elements for an assessment.
as shown here. Each required element, assessment Methodologies that potentially apply to their associ-
objective, and action item shall be investigated using ated action item are marked with an X. If a methodology
one or more methodologies also shown as black text
is not applicable to a particular action item, “na” appears
on white background.
in the column for that methodology.

I -1 PLANT BACKGROUND
Document plant background information including a brief description of manufacturing processes and Methodology
products. Document the company’s markets, employees, revenue, and general business climate.

Observe — Research

Data Logging
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Dynamics
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NOTE : Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item
1) Identify NAICS Code. X na na na na

2) Identify raw materials used. X na na na na

Describe the plant’s overall manufacturing
a. Document an overview description of the
process. 3) X na na na na
manufacturing process.

4) Describe the fi nished product(s). X na na na na

Identify the standard measurement of

1) X na na na na
production volume by product.
b. Describe plant’s products and markets.
2) Document packing and shipping methods. X na na na na

3) Describe typical markets served. X na na na na

Identify size, e.g., number of employees, annual

c. Describe the company’s size. 1) X na na na na
revenue, market position, etc.

Identify present business climate, industry sec-

d. Describe the general business climate. 1) X na na na na
tor performance, and market outlook.

23
 ASME EA-4–201 0

I -2 PLANT FUNCTION
Describe the plant’s location, size, and ambient/environmental conditions and the compressed air system’s
functional attributes. Methodology

Observe — Research

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

1) Location X na na na na

2) Elevation, ambient conditions X na na na na

3) Size, sq ft, number of employees, etc. X na na na na

a. Plant site information. Environmental conditions in compressor equipment
4) and production areas, e.g., temperature, humidity, X na na na na
hazards, classifi ed areas, dusty conditions, etc.

Describe site (site map) single/multi-building, produc-

5) X na na na na
tion departments, business units, etc.

1) Describe production process by functional areas. X na na na na

2) Production level X na na na na

b. Production process information. Operating Schedule for various shifts, departments,

3) X na na na na
business units, etc.

Production variations, typical operating days, seasonal

4) X X na na na
changes, market variations, etc.

Interview facility operations personnel regarding

overall system operation and areas of concern. Tabulate
1) X na na na na
specifi c concerns, and prioritize them for further
investigation.

I n terview operators of supply sid e equipm en t to

determ in e th e n ature of routin e operation s. I d en tify
Facility Specialists’ interviews to operation al an om alies, th eir freq uen cy of occur-
discuss system operation with vari- ren ce, an d th e severity of im pact on en ergy effi-
ous stakeholders within the facility. cien cy, system performan ce, an d reliability.
2) X na na na na
Evaluate system information gained Discuss historical performance issues that are known
from each stakeholder’s perspective to have occurred and the resultant design and/or op-
to identify and prioritize opportuni- erational measures that have been implemented.
ties for energy savings and perfor-
c.
mance improvement. Tabulate operational considerations, and prioritize
them for further investigation.
Tabulate the opportunities and
Interview production personnel from the various produc-
identify particular system areas,
tion areas to learn how the compressed air system can
components, equipment, and pro- 3) X na na na na
best support production operations. Identify specifi c
cesses that should be included in
concerns, and prioritize them for further investigation.
the Plan of Action (see para. 4.8 for
more detailed investigation). Interview maintenance personnel responsible for each
area of the compressed air system, supply, transmis-
4) X na na na na
sion, and demand/point of use to identify specifi c
concerns, and prioritize them for further investigation.

During interviews with all personnel, discuss potential

5) heat recovery, and identify existing energy use that has the X na na na na
potential to be offset with heat from the air compressors.

24
 ASME EA-4–201 0

I -2 PLANT FUNCTION (Continued)

List primary energy sources, and quantify annual
1) X na na na na
energy use for each.
Review primary energy cost used to power air compres-
2) sors. Establish cost per unit of energy to be used for X na na na na
system assessment cost analysis.
d. Energy information.
Identify secondary energy resources (in addition to
3) X na na na na
compressed air).
Describe the present method used for compressed air
4) X na na na na
energy and operating cost accounting.
5) Describe on-site energy production. X na na na na
1) Generalize energy awareness for all energy systems. X na na na na
Generalize energy awareness of compressed air energy
2) X na na na na
use.
Identify past and present initiatives related to energy
3) X na na na na
awareness training.
Identify, review, and summarize previous compressed
Energy awareness and organi- 4) X na na na na
e. zational energy management air-related studies, baselines, or benchmarking.
initiatives. Identify existing best practices. Review and summarize
5) previous system design, and upgrade projects that X na na na na
have been approved, initiated, and/or implemented.
Identify existing compressed air management initia-
tives, including, leak repair, maintenance, performance
6) X na na na na
monitoring, management information systems/report-
ing, etc.
Summarize existing maintenance program, the process
1) for scheduling, and equipment included in any existing X na na na na
routine maintained program.
Generalize compressor package operation and
maintenance condition, including cleanliness of heat
2) exchanger surfaces and condition of lubricant, lubri- X na na na na
cant separator, lubricant fi lter, lubricant level, and air
intake fi lter.
Generalize the compressor package’s function of
3) installed gages, temperature transducers, and other X na na na na
operational instruments and displays.
Observe and document the compressor’s drive motor,
4) X na na na na
cleanliness, and operating environment.
Generalize the operating condition of treatment equip-
Maintenance and operating 5) ment, including heat exchange surface cleanliness, and X na na na na
f. pressure drop through fi lters and dryers.
information.
Generalize the function of installed gages, temperature
6) transducers, and other operational instruments and X na na na na
displays.
Identify the frequency of and process for routine checks
7) X na na na na
on supply side equipment.
Identify the frequency of and process for routine checks
8) X na na na na
on transmission equipment.
Identify the frequency of and process for routine checks
9) X na na na na
on demand side and point-of-use equipment.
Identify sources of ineffi cient operation, and review
1 0) obvious signs of repair and operation improvement X na na na na
opportunities.
List specifi c maintenance opportunities recommended
11) X na na na na
for further investigation.

25
 ASME EA-4–201 0

I -3 COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEM DEFINITION

Defi ne the plant’s compressed air system(s), including the scope of the system’s supply side, transmission Methodology
equipment, and demand side characteristics.

Observe — Research

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Develop a site-wide block diagram showing the relative locations of
separate supply points and the various production areas (buildings,
1) departments, business units, etc.) that are served by the system. X na na na na
Identify various end-use demands and their location, and note any
high energy use equipment, processes, and/or production areas.
Document individual compressor model and S/N information, along
Document the system confi gu- 2) X na na na na
with performance information, as per CAGI Compressor Data Sheets.
ration. Include information on
Document individual treatment equipment components, includ-
each wholly separate system
ing model and serial number information, along with performance
(systems that are completely
information, as per CAGI Equipment Data Sheets.
separate and isolated from any
3) X na na na na
other system).
a. Note the location of treatment equipment, supply, transmission,
and demand/point-of-use installation. Indicate the location on the
Any “independent” systems
system’s block diagram.
that are interconnected in any
manner should be considered Document individual air storage receivers, including size and work-
as a single system with mul- ing pressure. Include vessel pressure code certifi cation information.
tiple sectors. 4) X na na na na
Note the air receiver’s location, supply, transmission, and demand/
point-of-use installation. Indicate the location on the system’s block
diagram.
Document “typical” air uses, and note the location and number
5) of end-use applications that have similar functional and air-use X X na na na
characteristics.
Identify individual compressor control types and any existing
central system master and/or network controls. Identify which
1) X na na na na
individual pieces of equipment (e.g., compressors, dryers) are, and
are not, integrated with the system’s existing controller.
Within the supply side and mainline piping of the transmission
system, identify any existing control valves, including their location,
2) X na na na na
performance rating, and function. Typical valves might include check,
isolation/crossover, back pressure, and pressure/flow controls.
For areas and equipment selected for detailed study (see Mandatory
3) Appendix I, I-2, c.), identify control valves, including their location, X na na na na
performance rating, and function.
Document existing system
b. controls and performance Identify any existing system transducers providing performance moni-
monitoring equipment. toring and/or control input to the system. Identify their location and
4) function. Sensor might include switches sensing, pressure, tempera- X X na na na
ture, flow, etc. Also include transducers that may be sensing, pressure,
temperature, flow, kW, dew point, or other operating parameters.
Identify and list device tags for compressed air system transducers
and/or controls that are included as inputs or outputs associated
5) with an existing DCS, BMS, or SCADA system (Distributed Control X X na na na
System, Building Management System, or Supervisory Control And
Data Acquisition system).
Include control components in the system’s block diagram. Sum-
6) marize existing control strategies for supply, transmission, and X na na na na
demand/point-of-use operation.

26
 ASME EA-4–201 0

I -4 INVENTORY KEY END - USE AIR DEMANDS

Based on information gathered during the investigation associated with Mandatory Appendix I, I-2, Plant Methodology
Function, and I-3, Compressed Air System Defi nition, tabulate end-use air demands to identify and prioritize

Observe — Research
opportunities for energy reduction, performance improvement, and increased system reliability. Establish
energy use and system performance impact threshold used to segregate and prioritize specifi c end-use
applications for further, more detailed study.

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
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NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment . System Assessment Action Item

Identify equipment and process requirements using large
High-energy use equipment using 1) X X na na na
amounts of compressed air.
large volumes of compressed air.
a. 2) Estimate operating time and the resultant annual energy use. X X na na na
Identify applications to receive
Consider the end-use effect on system performance, includ-
further, more detailed study. 3) X X X na na
ing supply, transmission, and other end-use applications.

High-volume intermittent end-use Identify equipment and process requirements using large
applications. 1) amounts of compressed air for short periods of time, fol- X X X na na
b. lowed by an interval of time with minimal air demand.
Identify applications to receive Consider the end-use effect on system performance, includ-
further, more detailed study. 2) X X X na na
ing supply, transmission, and other end-use applications.
Potentially inappropriate use. Identify potentially inappropriate uses of compressed air.
Consider possible alternative energy technologies. Plan
c. 1) X X na na na
Identify applications to receive and prioritize further study methodology (see Mandatory
further, more detailed study. Appendix II, II-9, b.).
Perceived high-pressure use.
Identify perceived high-pressure use that infl uences the
d. 1) system’s present operating pressure. Plan and prioritize X X X na na
Identify applications to receive
further study methodology (see Mandatory Appendix II, II-6).
further, more detailed study.
Identify low-pressure end-use demands that are supplied
e. Low-pressure use. 1) using high-pressure compressed air regulated or throttled to X X X na na
low pressure.
With information gathered during Facility Specialists’ Inter-
views (Mandatory Appendix I, I-2, c.), identify poorly per-
f. Poorly performing applications. 1) forming, unreliable end-use applications. Plan and prioritize X X X na na
further study methodology (see Mandatory Appendix II, II-8,
Critical Air Demands).
With information gathered during Facility Specialists’
Interviews (Mandatory Appendix I, I-2, c.), identify end-use
End-use applications with air qual-
g. 2) applications operating with unacceptable air quality. Plan X X X na na
ity issues.
and prioritize further study methodology (see Mandatory
Appendix II, II-1 0, Optimize Air Treatment).

I -5 HEAT RECOVERY
Identify existing heating applications with the potential to use heat rejection from the compressor to offset exist- Methodology
ing energy use.
Observe — Research

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending

NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.

:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

With information gathered during Facility Specialists’ Interviews
Energy using applications that
(Mandatory Appendix I, I-2, c.5), identify applications with heat
a. have the potential to use heat 1) X X na na na
recovery potential. Plan and prioritize further study methodology
rejected by the air compressors.
(see Mandatory Appendix II, II-1 5, Heat Recovery).

27
 ASME EA-4–201 0

MANDATORY APPENDIX II
PLAN OF ACTION MATRIX

The purpose of this matrix is to present assessment objec- Users of this Standard may decide that in addition to re-
tives, action items, and methodologies. Some are required quired elements, their technical and business objectives will
elements of an assessment that is fully compliant with this beneft by including some supplemental assessment activi-
Standard. Supplemental elements including other objec- ties. Based on the assessment team’s expertise and judg-
tives, action items, and methodologies can be included at ment, supplemental assessment activities may be included
the discretion of assessment team members. in the assessment. Once a supplemental element is included
Required elements: assessment objective, action item, in the assessment SOW, it is a required element, and the ap-
and methodology are shown in Mandatory Appendix II plicable requirements of the Standard shall apply.
using black text on white background, as shown here. Methodologies that potentially apply to their associ-
Each required element, assessment objective, and action ated action item are marked with an X. If a methodology
item shall be investigated using one or more methodol- is not applicable to a particular action item, “na” appears
ogies also shown as black text on white background. in the column for that methodology.

II -1 PRESENT ENERGY USE

Quantify and document the system’s present package power consumption of each air compressor (kW), total Methodology
energy use (kWh), and cost. Quantify and document the power input to auxiliary supply side equipment, air dry-

Observe — Research
ers, ventilation fans, cooling pumps, etc.

Using a baseline period as required in para. 5.1 .3, annualize estimated base-year energy use and cost. (Use cost

Data Logging
Spot Check
per unit of energy determined as per Mandatory Appendix I, I-2, d.2.)

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE : Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item
Take measurements to determine package
Determine package power of each compressor to power consumption of all air compressors, and
evaluate control response. 1) quantify total energy consumption. Record the na X X X X
energy baseline profi le for various typical peri-
a. Baseline energy use and cost for the current ods of operation.
method of operation. Assess various typical Determine power consumption of all air dryers,
operating periods to annualize the baseline and and quantify total energy consumption. Record
establish base-year energy use. 2) X X X X X
the energy baseline profi le for various typical
periods of operation.

II -2 PRESENT COMPRESSED AIRFLOW PROFILE

Quantify and document the overall compressed air demand rate of airflow (scfm) supplied to the system. Methodology
Observe — Research

Using a baseline period as required in para. 5.1 .3, annualize base-year compressed air demand (MMscf).
Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending

NOTE : Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item
Baseline compressed airfl ow supplied to Take measurements to determine the airflow rate sup-
the system . Assess various typical operat- plied to the system, and quantify total compressed air
a. in g periods to an nualize the baselin e, an d 1) demand (scf) net after all supply side compressed air na na X X X
establish base-year total compressed air losses. Record the compressed airfl ow baseline profi le
use. for various typical periods of operation.

28
 ASME EA-4–201 0

II -3 SUPPLY EFFICIENCY
Quantify and document the overall compressed air supply effi ciency, including power (kW/1 00 scfm) and energy Methodology
(scf/kWh) effi ciency (see also Nonmandatory Appendix A).

Observe — Research

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Using supply side power baseline data
(Mandatory Appendix II, II-1 ) and baseline
air demand (Mandatory Appendix II, II-2),
calculate compressed air supply effi ciency,
i.e., specifi c power (kW/1 00 cfm) and/or
Baseline compressed air supply effi ciency. Assess energy (scf/kWh).
a. changes in supply side effi ciency during normal varia- 1) na na X X X
tions in system compressed airfl ow profi le. NOTE Measurement of power and airfl ow
:

must be independent. Inferred measurement

of airfl ow calculated from direct measure-
ment of power (or vice versa) shall not be
used to calculate compressed air supply
effi ciency.

II -4 SYSTEM VOLUME
Estimate the total volume of the entire compressed air system. System volume is an important parameter neces- Methodology
sary to assess system events and compressor control response. As system pressure increases, compressed air

Observe — Research
energy is entering storage, and that energy is released from storage as system pressure decreases. There are two
methods to determine system volume mechanical volume and effective volume. Either method may be used (see
:

also para. 6.2).

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Determine the mechanical volume of the com-
pressed air system. Review drawings and piping
diagrams, and account for existing air receivers
1) X na na na na
and pipelines. Depending on the system size
Determine the entire volume of the compressed and distribution header diameters and lengths,
a. smaller diameter headers can be omitted.
air system.
Using measured performance data based on
fi eld tests or normal load/unload cycling of
2) na na X X X
compressors, calculate the effective volume of
the compressed air system.

II -5 PRESSURE PROFILE
Document the current system pressure profi le, and identify opportunities to minimize irrecoverable pressure loss Methodology
(see also Mandatory Appendix II, II-1 1 , c.1 ).
Observe — Research

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending

NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.

:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Supply side test pressure points should include

compressor discharge, upstream and downstream of
supply side treatment equipment, primary storage,

29
 ASME EA-4–201 0

II -5 PRESSURE PROFILE (Continued)

and upstream and downstream of pressure/
1) na X X X X
fl ow controls.
Baseline the system’s present pressure profi le. Transmission system test pressure points
Record system pressure variations and pressure should include entrance to distribution pip-
differential between defi ned test points for various ing, upstream and downstream of treatment
typical periods of operation. equipment, fl ow pressure controls, and
2) other potential restrictions. Test pressure na X X X X
Evaluate pressure differential under various normal points should also include remote ends of
a. flow conditions to identify high-pressure drop through the distribution piping and, as appropriate,
excessively restrictive components. equipment connection point pressure to
critical end-use applications.
Evaluate piping pressure gradient under various nor- Point-of-use test pressure points should in-
mal flow conditions to identify pressure loss during clude measurement as close as practical to
periods of peak air demand and to assess the impact, the specifi c point of use, pressure upstream
if any, of high-volume intermittent demand events. 3) na X X X X
and downstream of treatment equipment,
control valves, piping/tubing, and other
potential restrictions.

II -6 PERCEIVED HIGH - PRESSURE DEMANDS

Assess performance of perceived high-pressure demands, and identify opportunities to reduce system pressure. Methodology

Identify specifi c end-use applications to be assessed from those listed in Preliminary Data Collection, Manda-

Observe — Research
tory Appendix I, I-4, d. If no perceived high-pressure demands were identifi ed to receive further, more detailed
study, this section does not apply.

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Refer to equipment documentation, including

drawings, installation instructions, opera-
Validate the actual end-use pressure for recom- tion, and maintenance manuals to determine
a. 1) X na na na na
mended airfl ow and pressure requirements. recommended average and peak airfl ow rate,
along with minimum recommended operating
pressure.

Take measurements to determine pressure

profi le performance. Test pressure points
should include the equipment connection point
and measurement as close as practical to the
Validate the present point-of-use pressure profi le specifi c point of use. Also, consider pressure
from the equipment connection point to the actual measurement upstream and downstream of
b. 1) na na X na X
end use, including all piping and tubing to the treatment equipment, control valves, piping/
actual end use. tubing, and other potential restrictions. Record
characteristic signatures of the pressure profi le.
If possible, record pressure data during both
normal and abnormal operation of the end-use
application.

Take m easurem en ts to d eterm i n e th e en d -

Validate transmission performance, distribution
use pressure presen tly supplied at th e
piping, transmission treatment, secondary stor-
c. 1) eq ui pm en t con n ecti on poi n t to vali d ate th e na na X na X
age, transmission controls, and piping drops to
tran sm ission system ’s support for ai rflow
the equipment connection point.
req ui rem en ts.

Take measurements to determine airfl ow rate

for the end-use air demand. Assess peak airflow
rate as compared with the airfl ow capacity for
Document the end-use minimum, average, and
d. 1) point-of-use piping and control components, na na X na X
peak airfl ow rate.
e.g., fi lter, regulator, lubricators, shut-off or
lock-out valves, control valves, speed controls,
etc.

30
 ASME EA-4–201 0

II -6 PERCEIVED HIGH - PRESSURE DEMANDS (Continued)

Document end-use requirements for ISO Air
Quality Class. Assess point-of-use treatment
1) X na na na na
components, i.e., fi lters and dryers for appropri-
Assess the application and capacity rating of ate application.
e. point-of-use treatment equipment to minimize or
eliminate irrecoverable pressure loss. Take measurements to determine airfl ow rate
for the end-use air demand. Assess peak airflow
2) na na X na X
rate as compared with treatment equipment
capacity rating.

II -7 DEMAND PROFILE
Quantify and document the present dynamic demand profi le, including airfl ow rate and effectiveness of existing Methodology
compressed air storage.

Observe — Research
Assess the system effi ciency and supply side control response.

Assess performance of high-volume intermittent demands. Identify specifi c end-use applications to be assessed

Data Logging
Spot Check
from those listed in Preliminary Data Collection, Mandatory Appendix I, I-4, b.

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Take measurements to determine the total
1) dynamic airfl ow rate of compressed air entering na na X X X
the transmission system.

During pressure drawdown, account for airflow

entering the system from storage (scfm) based
Take measurements to determine compressed air-
flow and pressure dynamics to identify peak, valley,
2) on system capacitance downstream of the flow na na X X X
a. measurement location (scf/psi) and rate of
and average airfl ow rate for various operating time
pressure decay (psi/min).
periods.
During pressure recovery, account for airfl ow
entering storage (scfm) based on system
3) capacitance (scf/psi) upstream of the flow mea- na na X X X
surement location and rate of pressure recovery
(psi/min).

Take measurements to determine compressed air- Match characteristic signatures with peak air-
b. flow and pressure dynamics to identify characteris- 1) flow rate, cycle frequency, duration, and dwell na na X na X
tic signatures. time of end-use demands.

Quantify selected high-volume intermittent de- Determine the real dynamic demand require-
mands cyclical large air demand for a short time ment, including peak airflow rate, cycle
X X
:
c. 1) na na na
period followed by a dwell time of low or no air frequency, duration, and dwell time of the high-
demand. volume intermittent demand.

Assess the air demand’s impact on the

Take measurements to determine high-volume air
system’s pressure profi le, supply side control
d. demand’s impact on system pressure and piping 1) na na X X X
response, and impact on system operation and
gradient.
effi ciency.

Gather data necessary to assess storage,

Evaluate alternative solutions that will control
pressure/fl ow control, piping, and pressure
e. and/or supply the dynamic demand with improved 1) na na X na X
profi le alternatives to improve overall system
system effi ciency.
performance and effi ciency.

31
 ASME EA-4–201 0

II - 8 CRITICAL AIR DEMANDS

Assess performance of critical air demands and existing poor performing end-use applications. Methodology

Observe — Research

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Document the present pressure performance
Investigate how the compressed air system must
of critical and poor performing air demands.
support the end-use work energy conversion or pro-
Assess process-related cause/effect perfor-
a. 1) cess related production requirements. Classify the na na X X X
mance relationships and how they impact
end-use application as a fl ow static or flow dynamic
quality, production rate, scrap rate, rework
end use.
cost, customer satisfaction, etc.
Establish the end-use pressure and allowable
variance through measurement and verifi cation of
end-use pressure.
For flow static critical end use and poor
performing applications, defi ne the actual 1) na na X na X
Test pressure points should include measurement as
required end-use pressure and pressure close as practical to the specifi c point of use and the
tolerance necessary for consistent, reliable equipment connection point pressure to the critical
b.
operation. point-of-use application.

If possible, assess performance during nor- Gather data necessary to assess alternative solutions
mal and abnormal operation. that may be implemented to mitigate documented
2) cause/effect relationships presently resulting in X X X X X
unsatisfactory operation while promoting system
effi ciency.
For flow dynamic critical end use and poorly Determine the real dynamic demand requirement,
performing applications, defi ne the actual including peak airfl ow rate and dynamic pressure,
1) na na X na X
required end-use dynamic airflow and pres- that must be sustained during the cycle of the end-
sure profi le necessary for consistent, reliable use application.
operation. Assess the air demand’s impact on the system’s
c. 2) pressure profi le, supply side control response, and na na X na X
Defi ne allowable tolerance for com- impact on system operation and effi ciency.
pressed airfl ow rate and dynamic pressure
performance. Gather data necessary to assess application of stor-
age, pressure/flow control, piping, and pressure
3) X X X X X
If possible, assess performance during nor- profi le alternatives to improve end-use operation and
mal and abnormal operation. promote system effi ciency.
Determine the need to provide process
Gather the data necessary to designate process
control style monitoring and control of com-
d. 1) parameters and implement appropriate monitoring X X X X X
pressed air system performance at critical air
and control.
demands.

II - 9 IDENTIFY COMPRESSED AIR WASTE

Quantify the energy consumed, and estimate savings opportunities. Methodology
Observe — Research

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending

NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.

:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Take measurements to determine system or sector air
consumption during normal production periods, and
compare with minimum production/nonproduction
time periods.

32
 ASME EA-4–201 0

II - 9 IDENTIFY COMPRESSED AIR WASTE (Continued)

OR
Perform a system bleed down test during mini-
mum production/nonproduction time periods.
Identify air wasted to leakage, establish leakage OR
a. reduction goal, and quantify potential energy 1) Using other available methods, estimate overall na X X X na
reduction. system leakage.
THEN
Establish a leakage reduction target, and quan-
tify energy savings.

Assess inappropriate uses, consider alternative

Review com pressed air deman d, an d docu-
energy technologies, and quantify net energy
m en t poten tially inappropriate use. Docum en t
savings.
th e justifi cation for con tin ued com pressed air
b. 1) X X X X X
use. Or describe application of an alternative
Investigate specifi c, potentially inappropriate end-
en ergy tech n ology, an d quan tify n et en ergy
use applications as identifi ed in Preliminary Data
reduction .
Collection, Mandatory Appendix I, I-4, c.

Take measurements to determine system or

Quantify existing artifi cial demand as a function sector air consumption and the applied demand
c. of present demand side system or sector pressure 1) side pressure. Establish an appropriate target na na X X X
and a recommended target pressure. pressure, and quantify estimated artifi cial de-
mand reduction and energy savings.

II -1 0 OPTIMIZE AIR TREATMENT

Assess and validate the need for, and effectiveness of, treatment equipment as it is presently installed. Methodology
Identify opportunities for performance improvement and energy reduction. “ISO Class” refers to ISO Stan-

Observe — Research
dard ISO 8573-1 , Compressed air – Contaminates and purity classes.

The application of compressed air treatment within a system may be located at the supply side, within the

Data Logging
Spot Check
transmission system, and at one or more air demands. Evaluate treatment in all areas.

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Assess end-use requirements, and docu-
ment required ISO Class for air treatment.
1) X na na na na
Establish ISO Class for supply side treat-
ment equipment.
Assess requirements for additional treat-
Assess end-use applications, and establish air ment equipment within the transmission
a.
quality ISO Class requirements for the system. 2) system to supply more stringent ISO Class X na na na na
air quality to individual sectors of the sys-
tem. Document the required ISO Class.
Identify demands with end-use applications
3) requiring more stringent ISO Class air qual- X na na na na
ity, and document the required ISO Class.
Identify ISO class for air processed though the Validate the present treatment equipment
b. presently installed air treatment equipment 1) application and effectiveness as in accor- X X X X na
when properly installed and maintained. dance with ISO 8573-1 Class requirements.
Investigate treatment equipment-rated per-
formance as related to job site conditions,
1) including airflow rate, inlet temperature, X X X X na
Assess the present performance of air treatment inlet pressure, and ambient temperature,
c. and assess performance.
equipment as presently installed and operated.
Take measurements to determine the pres-
2) sure dew point at selected air dryers and na X X X na
end-use applications.

33
 ASME EA-4–201 0

Evaluate air treatment equipment pressure drop

Take measurements to determine treatment
for varying airfl ow rate during low, average, and
d. 1) equipment pressure drop during low, aver- na X X X na
high demand periods. Document the effect on
age, and high demand periods.
the system pressure profi le.
Take measurements to determine the dy-
Assess the dynamic effect of changing airfl ow
e. 1) namic response of the system pressure pro- na na X X X
rate on the pressure profi le.
fi le associated with typical airfl ow changes.
Evaluate intermittent peak airfl ow rate through Take measurements to determine the airfl ow
treatment equipment, and confi rm that it is rate and pressure profi le through treatment
f. within rated performance. Also, assess the 1) equipment. Account for the effect of up- na na X X X
dynamic effect of intermittent peak airflow rate stream storage volume and drawdown rate
on the pressure profi le. to account for storage airflow rate.
Identify opportunities to reduce or elimi-
nate irrecoverable pressure loss through
Minimize irrecoverable pressure loss through
g. 1) treatment equipment. Evaluate air treatment X X X X X
treatment equipment.
alternatives, describe the impact on air qual-
ity, and quantify projected energy savings.

II -1 1 IMPROVE COMPRESSOR CONTROL

Evaluate the present compressor control strategy and performance response to the existing demand profi le. For Methodology
multiple compressor systems, assess the current method used to coordinate the operation of all compressors.

Observe — Research
Identify opportunities to improve compressor control, optimize response to the system demand profi le, and
quantify projected energy reduction.

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Investigate that compressors are shut down when
1) X na X X na
not required.
Assess trim capacity operating strategy, which
Evaluate the existing compressor control strat- typically is most effi cient with only one air com-
egy to determine whether it is appropriate for pressor providing trim capacity. Verify that the
the system demand profi le. 2) na na X X X
trim compressor control type provides the best
a. part load operating effi ciency for the range of com-
Using the measurement of compressor power pressor sizes and control types available.
(see Mandatory Appendix II, II-1 ) and measure-
ment of airflow rate (see Mandatory Appendix II, Evaluate that base load compressors operate at
II-2). 3) their most effi cient performance condition, typi- na na X X X
cally at full-load design point.
Assess the potential for compressors to start in
4) na na X X X
response to intermittent peak demand.
Investigate the minimum and maximum rated
1) working pressure of each air compressor to iden- X na na na na
Evaluate the system pressure profi le as identi- tify operating limits.
fi ed in Mandatory Appendix II, II-4, and assess
b. For each compressor, investigate the compressor
the potential to optimize compressor control
response. profi le. Identify the maximum full-flow operating
2) X X X X na
pressure and total package input power. Assess each
compressor’s performance for part load operation.
Take measurements to determine the effect of
system dynamics on control signal pressure(s)
and compressor energy use. Measure pressure
1) according to Mandatory Appendix II, II-5. na X X na X

Assess the present control signal pressure(s) Determine the magnitude of control pressure shift
c. that occurs with normal airfl ow variation.
and compressor control response.
Investigate cause/effect relationships that influ-
ence control signal pressure. Identify remedial
2) measures available to improve the control signal na X X na X
pressure and resultant compressor energy re-
sponse. Quantify projected energy reduction.

34
 ASME EA-4–201 0

II -1 2 OPTIMIZE THE SYSTEM PRESSURE PROFILE, AND REDUCE OPERATING PRESSURE

Optimize the system’s pressure profi le, and assess the opportunity to reduce system pressure. Use information Methodology
gained in all areas of investigation of the system pressure profi le. Include fi ndings from Mandatory Appendices II,

Observe — Research
II-5 through II-8, II-1 0, and II-1 1 .

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Determine the lowest optimum system and or sector
1) X na X X X
pressure for production demands.

Establish appropriate target pressure for system

or sector supply. Develop the projected system
pressure profi le after implementation of remedial
Optimize the system’s pressure pro- measures identifi ed in the assessment.
fi le accounting for end-to-end pressure
requirements. Account for all demand side irrecoverable pressure
2) X na X X X
loss associated with transmission and point-of-use
Identify the lowest optimum target pressure losses.
necessary to reliably support production.
Also, account for the necessary recoverable pressure
Assess the benefi t of supplying various differential associated with demand side secondary
a.
demand sectors at different target pressures. storage strategy.
Identify demand sectors that should be given
priority during unanticipated system draw- Establish the projected supply side pressure profi le
down events. after implementation of remedial measures identi-
fi ed in the assessment.
Develop robust remedial measures to achieve
production reliability and sustainable energy Account for the necessary compressor control pres-
sure band and irrecoverable pressure loss associ-
benefi ts. 3) X na X X X
ated with supply side piping, treatment equipment,
etc.

Also, account for the necessary recoverable pressure

differential associated with application of primary
storage strategy.

II -1 3 BALANCE SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Using all fi ndings from assessment activity, develop an all-inclusive system control strategy to provide real-time Methodology
balance between supply and demand. Provide for operating fl exibility to effi ciently maintain supply-and-demand
Observe — Research

balance throughout the full range of normal system compressed air demand.
Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending

NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.

:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Compare rotating generation capacity power
measured (Mandatory Appendix II, II-1 ) with com-
1) X na X X na
pressed air demand (Mandatory Appendix II, II-2),
and quantify excess generation.

Quantify the mismatch between rotating genera- To allow automatic shutdown of compressors,
investigate the amount of useable air in storage
a.
tion capacity and system demand. Investigate 2) X na X X na
the opportunity to automate shutdown of un- that is necessary to support permissive start time
needed compressor capacity. for automatic start-up of compressors.

Determine whether additional storage is required;

3) calculate the recommended size and pressure X na X X X
differential.

35
 ASME EA-4–201 0

Assess the availability of storage to support

Delay or prevent start-up of compressors in demand events, including peak airflow rate, cycle
b. 1) X na X X na
response to short duration demand events. frequency, duration, and dwell time of the demand
event (see also Mandatory Appendix II, II-7, c.).
Given the present mix of compressor sizes, control
1) types, and available storage, optimize supply- X na X X X
and-demand balance.
Optimize primary and secondary storage to
maintain dynamic balance between supply and
2) X na X X X
demand. Optimize compressor control to replen-
Investigate alternative system control strategies ish storage.
combining storage, compressor control, and
Investigate the application of alternative compres-
automation to create and maintain alignment
c. 3) sor sizes and control types to optimize supply X na X X na
between supply and demand.
effi ciency.
Investigate the role of automation in control of
4) X na X X X
multiple compressors.
Identify remedial measures necessary to optimize
supply-and-demand balance, storage strategy,
5) compressor control response, and automation of X na X X X
multiple compressor control. Quantify projected
energy reduction.

II -1 4 ASSESS MAINTENANCE OPPORTUNITIES

Evaluate maintenance performed and its impact on energy effi ciency, performance, and reliability of compressed Methodology
air system equipment. Evaluate interaction with other systems, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning

Observe — Research
(HVAC) equipment performance and energy use. Investigate opportunities to improve performance and reliability
while reducing total energy use. Recommend specifi c remedial measures, and estimate energy reduction and
savings.

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Assess compressor intake conditions, including,
a Evaluate compressor intake conditions. 1) fi lter pressure drop, intake location, and frictional X X X na na
loss for intake piping.
Evaluate ambient conditions and suitability of the
present intake fi lter, given the particle size and
2) X X na na na
amount of contamination present at the intake
location.
Estimate the effect of current intake conditions
3) on delivered compressor capacity, reliability, and X X X X na
energy effi ciency.
Investigate specifi c recommendations to improve
4) compressor intake conditions and estimated perfor- X X na na na
mance improvement and energy reduction.
Inventory and classify existing drains manual,
:

1) fl oat style, solenoid timer, and zero-air loss with X X na na na

reservoirs.
Assess the performance and maintenance as-
sociated with existing condensate drains. Assess
Investigate the present installation and mainte-
present performance for proper operation, failure
nance of condensate traps; they should reliably
b. 2) to remove condensate, and excessive air waste. Es- X X na na na
remove condensate, but not compressed air,
timate the present air waste, energy loss, and cost
and should not be left open.
associated with improper operation of condensate
drains.
Recommend remedial measures for routine trap
3) functional checks, maintenance, and replacement. X X na na na
Quantify estimated energy reduction.

36
 ASME EA-4–201 0

II -1 4 ASSESS MAINTENANCE OPPORTUNITIES (Continued)

Check compressor operating temperature, assess-
ing the performance of the oil-cooler, inter-stage
coolers, and compressed air after-cooler. Compare
c. Compressor cooling. 1) X X na na na
temperature measurements with the manufacturer’s
recommended operating temperatures and maxi-
mum temperature limits.
For air-cooled compressors, assess the cooling air
temperature and airfl ow through the air-cooled
coolers. If external duct work has been attached,
Air-cooled compressor’s cooling airflow and evaluate the static pressure loss through duct work
d. 1) X X na na na
performance. as compared with the manufacturer’s recommended
maximum external static pressure. Investigate the
installation and operation of booster fans or blow-
ers to aid in ventilation airfl ow.
For water-cooled compressors, assess the cooling
water temperature entering the compressor and
temperature rise to the water discharge connec-
tion. Measure water inlet pressure, and assess
Water-cooled compressor’s cooling water con-
e. 1) the suitability of water drains. If a tower water or X X na na na
ditions and water fl ow.
other closed loop system is used, measure the
return header pressure at the compressor’s water
discharge, and compare with the manufacturer’s
recommended water pressure differential.

Check for proper airfl ow patterns to prevent heat

f. Compressor room ventilation. 1) from one piece of equipment affecting the cooling X X na na na
of other equipment.

Check for adequate exhaust ventilation and suffi cient

2) make-up air to prevent negative pressure from occur- X X na na na
ring in the compressor room.
Assess the impact of compressor cooling on heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment
energy use. If the air compressors add heating or cool-
3) X X na na na
ing energy load on HVAC equipment, assess alterna-
tives that will have lesser impact on HVAC equipment
energy use.
Measure temperatures associated with operation
of treatment equipment. Compare actual operating
temperature with the manufacturer’s specifi cations.
1) X X na na na
Ensure that equipment is operating within specifi ed
Compressed air treatment equipment limits or performance capacity has been properly
g. rerated for job site conditions.
temperatures.
If indicated, recommend remedial measures for
proper treatment of compressed air, and quantify
2) X X na na na
estimated energy and cost reduction (see also
Mandatory Appendix II, II-1 0).

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 ASME EA-4–201 0

II -1 5 HEAT RECOVERY
Investigate the potential to use heat rejection from the air compressors to offset existing energy use. Methodology

Observe — Research

Data Logging
Spot Check

Dynamics
Trending
NOTE Shaded items are supplemental elements for a system assessment.
:

System Assessment Objective System Assessment Action Item

Assess the compressor’s cooling system and
manufacturer’s specifi cations for heat rejection
X
:
1) na na Na na
Determine the amount of heat rejection from cooling air/water flow, rate of heat rejection, and
the air compressors. Identify other potential temperature.
heat sources that may be combined with the Investigate existing heating applications with the
air compressors to increase the total amount of 2) potential to use heat rejection from the compres- X X X X na
available heat. sor to offset existing energy use.
a.
Investigate existing energy users and the amount Estimate the amount of recoverable heat. Provide
for suitable heat rejection to maintain reliable
of recoverable heat that can be applied. Estimate 3) X na na Na na
the total net amount of recovered energy, exist- compressor operation when the recoverable heat
ing energy offset, and annualize savings. load is reduced or off-line.
Annualize the net energy reduction, and estimate
4) X na na Na na
savings.

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 ASME EA-4–201 0

NONMANDATORY APPENDIX A
UNITS OF MEASURE FOR COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEM ASSESSMENT
The following are units of measure for compressed air (b) Production Output Units of Measure. Production out-
system assessment: put should be quantifed using the plant’s routine mea-
(a) Pressure Units of Measure . Pounds per square inch sure of production output, e.g., number of units or tons
gage (psig) [bar or kilopascal (kPa) gage]. of product.

Table A-1 Compressed Air and Primary Energy Resource Units of Measure
Parameter Power: Time Rate Measurement Energy: Total Measurement
standard cubic feet (scf)
standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) [normal cubic meters (Nm 3 )]
[normal cubic meters per minute (Nm 3 /m)] or
Compressed airfl ow rate shall be quantifi ed as mass million standard cubic feet (MMscf)
Compressed airfl ow
flow. Common measures of mass flow are pounds mass,
standard cubic feet, and normal cubic meters per unit of Total amount compressed air shall be quantifi ed as
time (typically minutes or seconds). Volumetric meas- pounds mass, standard cubic feet, kilograms, or other
ures should not be used. unit of mass; volumetric measures should not be
used.
kilowatt (kW) kilowatt-hour (kWh)
or
gigawatt-hour (GWh)
Primary energy resource
The primary energy resource shall be quantifi ed in units The primary energy resource total consumption shall
of power (e.g., watt, Btu/min, calorie/sec). be quantifi ed in units of energy (e.g., watt, joule, Btu).

kilowatt-hour per standard cubic foot (kWh/scf)

kilowatts per 1 00 standard cubic feet per minute [kilowatt-hours per normal cubic meter (kWh/Nm 3 )]
(kW/1 00 scfm) or
or standard cubic feet per kilowatt-hour (scf/kWh)
standard cubic feet per minute per kilowatt (scf m/kW) [normal cubic meters per kilowatt-hour (Nm 3 /kWh)]
[normal cubic meters per minute per kilowatt (Nm 3 /kW)]
Compressed air supply The compressed airfl ow rate shall be total net mass
effi ciency of compressed air after all parasitic mass fl ow losses;
The compressed airfl ow rate shall be net mass flow of e.g., supply leakage, air dryer purge air use, etc.
compressed air after all parasitic mass flow losses, e.g.,
supply leakage, air dryer purge air use, etc. The primary energy resource shall be total net energy
used, including all energy input associated with
The primary energy resource rate of consumption shall compressed air supply (e.g., air compressors, dryers,
include all energy input associated with compressed air pumps, fans).
supply (e.g., air compressors, dryers, pumps, fans).

A-1 UNITS OF MEASURE USED FOR REFERENCE (b) Compressed Air Total . (total measurement of com-
PURPOSES pressed air) standard cubic feet (scf) and million stan-
dard cubic feet (MMscf).
For the purpose of this Standard, units of measure as
(c) Electrical Power. (time rate measurement of primary
listed below will be used for reference. The practitioner
energy resource) kilowatt (kW).
may use any appropriate unit of measure.
(d) Electrical Energy. (total measurement of primary
(a) Compressed Airfow Rate. (time rate measurement of
energy resource) kilowatt-hour (kWh).
compressed airfow) standard cubic feet per minute (scfm).

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 ASME EA-4–201 0

(e) Power Supply Eff ciency. (time rate measurement of A traditional unit of measure used for time rate
compressed air supply effciency) kilowatt per 100 stan- measurement of compressed air supply effciency is
dard cubic feet per minute (kW/100 scfm). scfm/kW.
(f) Energy Supply Eff ciency. (total measurement of The time rate measurement of compressed air supply
compressed air supply effciency) standard cubic feet per effciency (kW/100 scfm) referenced here is supplied in
kilowatt-hour (scf/kWh). volumetric terms (kW/100 cfm) by CAGI member com-
panies that have developed standard performance report-
ing data sheets 1 for compressed air supply equipment.
A-2 NOTES — UNITS OF MEASURE REFERENCE The air compressor performance data sheets include
For compressed air mass fow rate term (scfm), stan- specifc package input power at rated capacity and full-
dard conditions are de fned as 14.5 psia, 68°F, and load operating pressure given in units of kW/100 cfm.
0% RH. Note the airfow rate cfm given in volumetric terms (cfm)
The total measurement of compressed air supply eff- can be corrected to mass fow (scfm) for the atmospheric
ciency energy term (scf/kWh) with standard conditions pressure, temperature, and relative humidity conditions
is de fned above. as they exist at the compressor installation site.

1
For additional information on CAGI data sheets and perform-
ance verifcation program, visit the Compressed Air and Gas Insti-
tute Web site at http://www.cagi.org/veri fcation/ea_sheets.htm.

40
 ASME EA-4–201 0

NONMANDATORY APPENDIX B
KEY REFERENCES

[1 ] ANSI/GEIA Standard ANSI/EIA-632, “Process [8] INCOSE, Systems Engineering Handbook, version
for Engineering a System.” Government Electronics 2a, June, 2004; version 3, June, 2006, Seattle, WA, 1998.
and Information Technology Association, Arlington, [9] ISA-37.1-1975 (R1982), Electrical Transducer No-
VA, 2003. menclature and Terminology. Instrument Society of
[2] ASHRAE Guideline 14-2002, Measurement of America, Research Triangle Park, NC.
Energy and Demand Savings. American Society of [1 0] ISO/IEC Guide 99, International Vocabulary of
Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Engineers, Metrology (VIM), International Organization for Stand-
Atlanta, GA. ardization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2001.
[3] ASME PTC 19.1, Test Uncertainty. The American [11 ] ISO 8573-1:2001(E), Compressed air – Part 1 Con-
Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York, NY, 2005. taminates and purity classes, International Organization
[4] ASME PTC 19.22, Digital Systems Techniques. The for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2007.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York, [1 2] NIST Technical Note 1297, Guidelines for Evalu-
NY, 1986. ating and Expressing the Uncertainty of NIST Measure-
[5] ASTM International E 2516-06, 2006 Standard Clas- ments, 1994.
sifcation for Cost Estimate Classifcation System, West [1 3] Patrick Antony et al., Systems Engineering Meas-
Conshohocken, PA. urement Primer. INCOSE, International Council on Sys-
[6] EVO 10000–1.2007, International Performance tems Engineering, Seattle, WA, 1998.
Measurement and Verifcation Protocol, San Francisco,
CA, 2007.
[7] INCOSE, Guide to the Systems Engineering Body
of Knowledge, G2SEBoK, INCOSE.org http://g2sebok.
incose.org, 2.1.1.4. Systems Engineering Discovery.

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