![\"hydraulic](\"https:\/\/www.hydraulicsupermarket.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/PIPE-LEAKS-01-300x225.jpg\")
In a previous blog post I discussed the true cost of hydraulic oil leaks. In the case of oil leaks, the expenses that need to be considered include:<\/p>\nIn a previous blog post I discussed the true cost of hydraulic oil leaks. In the case of oil leaks, the expenses that need to be considered include:<\/p>\n
Make-up fluid;
\nClean-up;
\nDisposal;
\nContaminant ingress; and
\nSafety.<\/p>\n
But what about hydraulics’ fluid power cousin – pneumatics? One of the advantages pneumatics has over hydraulics is its clean-ness. Air leaks are much easier to ignore than oil leaks because they don’t draw attention to themselves in the same way. You don’t need to worry yourself with clean-up and disposal costs. Contaminant ingression is possible, but is generally not a major concern. And unless the leak is significant, safety is not usually a big issue either. So that leaves make-up fluid (air).<\/p>\n
Make-up air<\/strong><\/p>\n While air is free – clean, dry compressed air is not. In considering the cost of make-up air for a pneumatics system the following need to be considered:<\/p>\n Depreciation (wear and tear) of the compressor; The ideal leakage rate is of course zero, but when calculating the free air delivery (FAD) required by a pneumatic system, a rule of thumb is to allow for leakage of 10% of total flow rate. Consider a 10 cubic meter\/minute system leaking one cubic meter\/minute. The power required to compress one cubic meter (35.3 cubic feet) of air per minute to a pressure of 6 bar (90 PSI) is approximately 5.2 kW. At an electricity cost of $0.10\/kWh this leakage is costing over 50 cents per hour in electricity consumption alone. In a 24\/7\/365 operation that amounts to $4500 per year!<\/p>\n Calculating the cost While a leakage rate of 10% of flow rate may sound high and would be unsustainable in a hydraulic system, air leakage rates as high as 25% are not unheard of – even in apparently well maintained pneumatic systems. The actual leakage rate of a system can be calculated using the following formula:<\/p>\n QL = QC* t \/ (T+t)<\/p>\n Where: Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n As demonstrated by the above example, the annual cost of air leaks in pneumatic systems can be significant – in power consumption alone. So conduct regular leakage tests on your pneumatic systems and take necessary action to locate and rectify leaks as required.<\/p>\n And for more on the operation and maintenance of compressed air systems and pneumatic equipment visit: HydraulicSupermarket.com\/pneumatics<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a previous blog post I discussed the true cost of hydraulic oil leaks. In the case of oil leaks, the expenses that need to be considered include: Make-up fluid; Clean-up; Disposal; Contaminant ingress; and Safety. But what about hydraulics’ … Continue reading
\nConditioning costs – filtration, drying and lubrication of the air; and
\nEnergy cost of compression.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nQL = System leakage rate (cubic meters\/minute)
\nQC = Compressor FAD (cubic meters\/minute)
\nT = Leakage time – time between compressor cut-out and cut-in (minutes)
\nt = Charging time – time between compressor cut-in and cut-out (minutes)
\nNote: this formula assumes that all system consumption is suspended while the leakage test is conducted.<\/p>\n