FIELD TEST RESULTS FOR THREE NEW INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES THAT SAVE ENERGY AND IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY

摘要

This paper summarizes the field test results for three market-ready industrial products and procedures that increase productivity and save electrical energy. Each product has undergone two to three years of market review using funds provided by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (Alliance). The applications include: optimizing municipal wastewater treatment, increasing the productivity and quality of silicon ingot manufacturing, and controlling adjustable speed loads with a new magnetic coupling. BacGen has demonstrated at six sites the effectiveness of process control optimization in helping small- to medium-sized municipal and industrial wastewater lagoons and activated sludge treatment plants meet stringent environmental requirements and at the same time save 50% to 60% of the aeration energy normally consumed. Siemens Solar has retrofitted over a dozen of their Czochralski silicon crystal ingot growing furnaces with insulation, radiation shields and hot top-off feeders. This innovation has been proven to reduce cycle time and increase productivity by 15%, reduce argon gas consumption by 50%, improve ingot and solar cell quality, and save 40% of the electrical energy previously required to grow silicon crystals. The process improvement is now being introduced to the semiconductor industry. Magna-Drive Corporation has created a growing market for a new mechanical adjustable speed drive for controlling variable loads. This coupling uses rare-earth, permanent magnets with an adjustable spacing to couple a motor shaft to a load shaft. It provides vibration isolation for the motor, thus reducing noise and damage to motor mountings. It allows the motor to be softly loaded, reducing current spikes and voltage drops on the electrical system. It reduces set-up time and labor by eliminating the need for precise drive shaft alignment, and it can act like a "shear pin" protecting the motor and drive system from load jams. In addition to these non-energy benefits, the new coupling provides 40% to 50% electrical energy savings in pump and fan applications.