Increasing Air Compressor Productivity While Reducing Maintenance and Repair Costs
Abstract
Compressed Air like electricity, natural gas, water, special gases and telephone service is a utility to the industry. It is also like these because it costs money. The need to recognize this can become compelling if the cost per year reaches the amounts determined in this study. We must think of a yard Compressed Air System as a" power plant" which contains capital machinery, a distribution system, a fuel source and supply, an operating plan and strategy, and an operating I maintenance budget. When this vital utility is put into this perspective we can start to deal with the considerations of systems engineering, planning, performance evaluation, cost control and preventive maintenance; the same as any power plant operator. Do we know what the Air costs that our system produces? This is one of the very first questions that Scot Foss asks when conducting his seminars or engineering consulting projects. We shall be referring to information found in various publications that were authored by Mr. Foss and will use his very well developed approaches to analyzing compressed air systems, just as was done for NASSCO. The experience with that specific yard system covers some 12 years, identifies key milestones in system improvement, as well as maintenance practices and related costs. The approach in this study to evaluating maintenance costs determined very early on that the maintenance and operation of most, if not all, shipyard compressor systems are inseparable. At NASSCO, the Maintenance Department is responsible for directly operating and maintaining the air compressors and distribution system. Therefore it was necessary to explore the best thinking in air systems, including engineering, planning, operational strategy, and preventive maintenance strategy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA458625
Entities
People
- R. S. Foss
Organizations
- Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division