Blog - Air Compressors

Properly Sizing Industrial Compressed Air Systems—For Today and the Future

 

One of the most critical steps in designing or upgrading an industrial compressed air system is making sure it’s sized correctly—not just for today’s demand, but also for years down the road. An oversized or undersized system can result in wasted energy, higher utility bills, premature equipment wear, or even costly production downtime.

At California Compression, serving Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area, we frequently work with businesses experiencing rapid growth. Many of these companies wrestle with the question of whether to size their compressed air system for current needs or future expansion. Here’s one example that highlights why choosing the wrong compressor can be costly, and how the right system design can save money while supporting long-term growth.

The Problem

A California-based food and beverage manufacturer specializing in cooking oils and spices purchased a 100 hp first-generation Atmos DSP (Dry Screw Packaged) Series oil-free rotary screw compressor from a previous distributor. The system was chosen based on projected production growth expected 10 years into the future.

When California Compression conducted an air and energy audit, the results revealed a significant mismatch between capacity and actual demand:

  • The facility was only using 40% of capacity during peak demand
  • Only twice per month did demand reach 80% of capacity
  • The compressor had 23,689 run hours but only 4,336 load hours, meaning it spent the majority of its time idling inefficiently

Because the system consistently ran below its efficient operating threshold, the customer experienced condensation in process equipment, frequent breakdowns, and unnecessary wear and tear. This was a clear case of an oversized, inefficient compressed air system.

The Solution

Instead of relying solely on one large compressor, we recommended a hybrid system: a combination of an oil-free scroll compressor and the existing Atmos DSP rotary screw compressor. While variable speed drive (VSD) compressors are often considered, in this case, they would still run below their efficiency threshold during low-production periods, resulting in penalties from the utility company.

The audit showed the customer only required a 25 hp compressor for today’s peak demand. To allow for future growth, we installed a 45 hp Atmos SRL Series oil-free scroll compressor. This scroll package includes six pumps at 7.5 hp each, designed to automatically adjust as demand increases—ensuring maximum efficiency at every stage of growth.

The 100 hp Atmos DSP compressor is still used occasionally, about twice per month when bulk orders push demand to 80% of its capacity. For day-to-day operations, however, the scroll compressor now handles the load efficiently, while the DSP unit provides additional support only when truly needed.

The Results: Key Benefits

By right-sizing the system and combining the Atmos scroll compressor with the existing DSP rotary screw, the manufacturer now enjoys:

  • Lower electricity bills through optimized energy use
  • Reduced equipment wear by eliminating unnecessary run time on the large compressor
  • Lower maintenance and repair costs
  • Scalability for future production growth without overpaying for unused capacity

 

 

 

 

 

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