airleader Easy

• The big easy
  
• The inexpensive entry-level 
• Full range of functions
• Max. 4 compressors

airleader MASTER 4

• The benchmark
• 10 "touchscreen operation
• Powerful web visualization
• Max. 16 compressors

airleader CN light

• The large standard
• 17"-touchscreen industrial PC
• Onboard visualization
• Lots of installation space
• Max. 16 compressors

airleader CN Compressor Network

• The gold standard
• 17"-touchscreen industrial PC
• On-board visualization
• Including alarm and service management
• Max. 32 compressors
• Max. 96 digital inputs
• Max. 68 analog inputs

• VSD Pro: Active speed optimizing on multiple VSD/FU compressors
• Multiple (control-) pressure sensors help in cases of poor compressed air pipe systems

VSD-Pro 

Replaces FU-Control

Good things get better!

Since late 2019, Airleader has made it possible to actively control the speeds of compressors across all brands. This allows more energy-efficient operation of FU/VSD compressors from all manufacturers.

Thanks to six years of practical experience working closely with our customers, this feature has been further optimized and made even easier to use!

But see for yourself:

This is how the station operated without VSD-Pro control and active speed intervention:

Here you can see the commissioning by our technician. (The prerequisite and key to active speed intervention is the integration of actual pressure data. The control pressure—typically from the line pressure sensor of the Airleader control system—must be wired to the compressor. This is quickly accomplished thanks to the Airleader’s modular bus structure. (Circuit diagrams can be provided upon request.)

As you can see, commissioning takes about 1 hour per compressor:

And here is the result:

All 3 speed-controlled compressors (gray, green, and red flow curves) run in percentage-synchronized mode with VSD-Pro, and thus operate as efficiently as possible!

With the new "VSD-Pro" function, a lot more energy can be saved

The VSD-Pro functionality is standard on all Airleaders starting with firmware version 3.00584!

All Airleaders manufactured from around the end of 2019 (with serial numbers XX03-XXXXXX and XX04-XXXXXX) can be updated to the latest version with a simple firmware update!

For older controllers, a hardware upgrade is quite easy to perform:

Older MASTER modules:

• Simple 1: 1 exchange of the controller core box
• Same dimensions and connectors

Example:

(Based on the typical specific performance digramm of a variable-speed drive (VSD) compressor, here: 200 kW / 7.0 bar).

Two 200 kW VSDs deliver 8 m³/min (VSD1) + 32 m³/min (VSD2) to meet the demand of 40 m³/min (red circles). For a variety of reasons, this is rarely synchronized! As a result, they each operate in a specifically unfavorable range!

Without a higher-level control system using VSD-Pro, this is unfortunately more the rule than the exception:

Both systems regulate as quickly as possible to the (same) target pressure, without regard to speed.

At this point the new VSD-Pro function changes the game:

Compressor 1, which is running at too high a speed, is assigned a pressure higher than the actual pressure, causing it to slow down, while the other compressor is assigned a lower pressure and speeds up. This process occurs continuously until both compressors are operating within the optimal range (green circles).

Image: Typical specific performance curve (“bathtub curve”) of a 200 kW variable-speed drive (VSD) compressor

Calculate the savings (per compressor):

The improvement in the specific operating efficiency of the VSD compressors is approximately 6.5% or 0.403 kWh/(m³/min)!

Annual delivery volume of a compressor (200 kW variable frequency drive/variable speed drive with approx. 60% load):

• 0.6 x 32.8 m³/min x 60 min/h x 24 h/day x 365 days/year = 10.3 million m³/year

Savings at 0.15 €/kWh:

• 10.3 million m³/year x 0.403 kWh/(m³/min) / 60 min/h x €0.15/kWh = €10,377/year

Since two identical VSD/FU compressors are being optimized here, the savings must be doubled:

• 2 x 10,377 = 20,754 €/year savings with VSD-Pro

FIX-Speed when possible:

Normally, Airleader prefers variable-speed drive (VSD) systems, which is usually what is desired, but is often not particularly energy-efficient. Unregulated compressors have fewer internal losses and should be used as soon as possible. This is what this function does when activated. As soon as an existing FIX-Speed compressor fits within the control range of the VSD compressor(s), it is not the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th VSD that is activated, but a suitable FIX-Speed compressor.

With the new “VSD Pro” function, significantly more energy can be saved.

Contact

Control pressure averaging

Faster reaction  to pressure fluctuations in widely branched networks. This reduces "fear surcharges" and saves energy.

This means that the control pressure can be defined as the average from pressures at 3 different locations. Pressure sinks often arise far away from the compressor station because heavy consumers switch on. However, the pressure in the compressor station is OK due to differential pressures, as a result of too weakly dimensioned pipework. Machine malfunctions in the pressure sink are the result.

The correct solution would of course be the adaption of the network dimensioning to the actual flow with an additional reserve. However, this is often not possible.

The control pressure averaging can provide a limited remedy for this problem:

From any number of pressure sensors (max. 64), in addition to the reference pressure sensor directly connected on the controller, 2 can be defined as control pressure sensors. The control pressure is then averaged from these 3 pressures. If the pressure on a sensor drops, the control pressure drops accordingly and the control reacts earlier.

If an adjustable pressure difference is exceeded, the corresponding sensors are hidden. This prevents "impossible" pressure values ​​in the event of failure or blockage of a sensor and corresponding incorrect switching.

The entire compressed air generation system works more sensitively and the pressure can be reduced accordingly, since every tenth of a bar saves approx. 1% energy!