MEASUR Setup and Weekly Power Analysis

MEASUR's compressed air module requires configuration across several tabs before running any simulation. This page documents what each setting requires and where to find the data, then provides an interactive power analysis tool for developing operating schedule inputs used across compressed air analyses.

MEASUR Data Entry Reference

Assessment Basics

The Assessment Basics tab establishes the fundamental settings for the simulation, including units, currency, and utility rate information.

Utility Rates

• Electricity Cost ($/kWh): Pulled directly from the utility analysis spreadsheet. This is the consumption rate that accounts for all relevant charges on the facility's electric bill.
• Demand Cost ($/kW-month): Also from the utility analysis spreadsheet. This reflects the demand charge component of the facility's rate structure.

Other Settings

• Currency: Default to $ (USD).
• Units of Measure: Typically set to Imperial for domestic assessments.
• Emissions Result Unit: Select tonne (Metric).

System Information

This tab captures global system parameters and environmental conditions.

System Parameters

• Atmospheric Pressure: Leave at the default of 14.7 psia unless the facility is at a significantly different elevation.
• Total Air Storage: The total receiver volume in the system. Estimate this as half of the total physical receiver volume recorded in the site notes.

Multi Compressor System Controls Method

This dropdown determines how MEASUR models the sequencing of multiple compressors when more than one unit is present. The options are as follows:

Carbon Emissions

The carbon emissions fields (Zip code, eGRID Subregion, and Total Emission Output Rate) are not currently used in ITAC analyses. Leave these at their defaults.

Compressor Inventory

The Inventory tab is where you enter data for each individual compressor in the system. This is typically the most data-intensive section.

Nameplate Data

Controls

The control type describes how the compressor regulates its output to match demand. This information typically comes from the manufacturer's specifications or CAGI sheet.

Design Details

Most fields in the Design Details section come from the manufacturer's spec sheet, CAGI data sheet, or nameplate data. Key fields include:

• Blowdown Time: From manufacturer specs. A default of 40 seconds is often reasonable if not available.
• Motor Design Efficiency: From CAGI or manufacturer specs.
• Motor Service Factor: From the nameplate. Typically 1.15 for most industrial motors.
• Full Unloaded Power % of Full Load: From CAGI. Indicates how much power the compressor draws while unloaded, expressed as a percentage of full load power.

Performance Points

Performance points define how the compressor behaves at specific operating conditions. The data required depends on the control type.

For Load/Unload Compressors:

• Full Load (cut-in): The discharge pressure at which the compressor loads. This is the lower bound of the operating pressure band, taken from site notes or the compressor controller settings.
• Max Full Flow (cut-out): The discharge pressure at which the compressor unloads. This is the upper bound.
• Airflow (acfm): For both the Full Load and Max Full Flow points, use the same rated capacity value from the CAGI sheet.
• Power (kW): Full load and max full flow power from CAGI.
• No Load (unloaded): Discharge pressure, airflow (0 acfm), and power consumption while unloaded — all from CAGI.

For VFD Compressors:

Performance points come directly from the CAGI data sheet, which provides multiple operating points across the speed range — typically at 100%, 70%, and 40% capacity, plus the no-load condition.

Day Types

Day types group the facility's operating schedule into distinct patterns. For example, a facility that runs differently on weekdays versus weekends would have two day types.

• Use the Weekly Power Pattern Analyzer below to determine the appropriate breakdown of operating days for each day type.
• Most facilities will have two day types (e.g., Weekday and Weekend) unless they operate 24/7 with uniform demand, in which case a single day type with 365 operating days is appropriate.

System Profile

The System Profile defines how the compressors operate throughout each day type, including compressor ordering and power consumption at each time interval.

• Profile data comes from the results of the Weekly Power Pattern Analyzer below.
• The profile is typically set with a 1-hour data interval, with power values for each compressor at each hour of the day.
• Compressor ordering is determined by the system's control method and the priority scheme observed or configured at the facility.

End Uses

The End Uses tab accounts for known air consumption in the system. The most important entry is the system leak rate.

• Day Type Leak Rate (acfm): Enter the leak rate determined from the FLUKE acoustic imaging study. Enter this value for all day types.

Additional end uses can be added if specific pneumatic equipment consumption data is available, but the leak rate is the primary and most common entry in this section.

Quick Reference: Data Sources

Weekly Power Pattern Analyzer

This calculator analyzes compressed air power consumption by day of week and hour of day to identify operational patterns. Upload current monitoring data to visualize daily schedules and calculate average hourly demand profiles.