Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Understanding Manufacturing Energy Use Through Statistical Analysis, J. Kelly Kissock, John Seryak

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Energy in manufacturing facilities is used for direct production of goods, space conditioning, and general facility support such as lighting. This paper presents a methodology for statistically analyzing plant energy use in terms of these major end uses. The methodology uses as few as 60 data points that are relatively easy for most plants to obtain. Multivariable change-point models of electricity and natural gas use as functions of outdoor air temperature and production data are then developed. The statistical models can be used to predict energy use for energy budgeting, measure savings, determine cost structures, and diagnostic purposes. Moreover, in …

Estimating Energy Savings In Compressed Air Systems, Chris Schmidt, J. Kelly Kissock

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Compressed air is typically one of the most expensive utilities in an industrial facility. As a result, potential savings opportunities are aggressively sought out and identified. Once identified, projected energy savings must be calculated in order to justify the cost of implementing the savings opportunity. It is important to calculate projected energy and cost savings as accurately as possible. Unfortunately, savings are frequently overestimated because the methods used to estimate savings neglect to consider important factors such as compressor control and type, storage, and multiple compressor operation.

In this paper, a methodology is presented for modeling air compressor performance and …