Exhaust Air Recovery System from the Utilisation Stage of Pneumatic System in Double Transmission Double Expansion Approach

Abstract

Pneumatic machines and systems are highly popular in the automation and mechanisation of production lines in many industry sectors, such as, e.g., food, automotive, production, and packaging. However, the energy efficiency of the pneumatic system is very low at about 10 to 20% The exhaust air from pneumatic machines has high energy, which is considered waste. This study introduces a novel energy recovery machine designed for integration into industrial compressed air systems. The authors describe the potential of the recovery machine within an industrial environment and present a developed exhaust air recovery system which collects exhaust air and converts it into electricity. Comprehensive industrial tests were conducted to evaluate its performance. The results, along with a detailed analysis, are presented, thereby showing there machine’s capabilities in recovering energy from compressed air processes. This research provides valuable insights into the practical implementation and benefits of deploying such energy recovery systems at an industrial scale. The findings demonstrate the machine’s potential to enhance energy efficiency and reduce operational costs in a wide array of industrial applications that are reliant on compressed air.