Environmental Impact of Air Compressor - Case Study Example

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF ELECTRIC MOTOR; AIR COMPRESSOR By Professor Class University City Date of submission Introduction Electric motors are accountable for about 40% of the global electricity consumptions. The most common consumers or electricity responsible for the overall percentage is from fans, driving pumps, compressors and other mechanical equipment used for transactions. According to the estimations by international energy agency, 7% of the demand for global electricity could be retained if the development and use of energy efficient electric motors are used (IEA, 2006). With the challenge of climate change and global warming, nations and industries are united to reduce the product that cause environmental impacts across the electric motor life cycle are focusing on the analysis of progressive changes to the design of the products, manufacturing process and configuration of the supply chains. Therefore, environmental impact assessment (EIA) of electric motor is beneficial to instigating changes to in the design phase of the equipment. Additionally, the impact that is caused by choice of materials, the process of manufacturing, operations and decommissioning can be evaluated to ensure that environmental compliance is attained. Through EIA, the basic requirements for the materials selection is done carefully to the desired functionality and designs that meet the critical requirement that do not cause harm the environment. Electric motors can be defined as devices that produce mechanical energy through the conversion of electrical energy. Some of the common electric motor includes compressors, fans, pumps and conveyors (Bloch, 2006, 45). About a third of the electric motors are used in the industries such as paper, oil and petroleum, food and bulk chemicals among others. In most regions around the world, the uses of electric motors are regulated by state laws. For example, the United State department of energy established the use of electric motors, to begin in the year 2016, which will ensure an increase in the minimum efficiency of new motors. Axial Air Compressor and It Functions The global desire to improve on energy security and measures to reduce the emission of CO2 in the atmosphere has seen the development of electric motor equipment’s that consume less power but give the same and perfect output. In this case, the choice of electric motor equipment is an axial air compressor that is a product of FINI COMPRESSORI’. The equipment, which is majorly used on construction, for example, bridges and drainages is usually lubricated, with a capacity of twenty five litres air tank. The air compressor is powered by electric motor that uses 1.8 kW of electricity. The study will focus on the environmental aspects of the machine with broader objective looking at the boundaries of the system. The system boundaries mainly factor in the raw materials used in making the equipment, the extraction of the raw material and the end life of the axial air compressor (Bloch, 2006, 73). Apart from the construction industry, the air compressor has additional functionalities that are important to the society as well. The equipment can be used to provide pressure for drills, nail guns, spray guns, staplers and impact wrenches and inflating tires. Depending on the purpose, the air compressor can be modeled to different sizes to fit its functions. Some of the models are small to perform functions such as inflating pool toys and powering gun nails and balloons. The main advantage off the air compressor is that there is no need for the bulky motor for each tool. Instead of the bulk motor, a single motor found on the compressor has the capability of converting electrical energy into kinetic energy. The capability ensures light, compact and tools that are easy to handle with a quiet operation. According to the manufacture, the equipment has few parts to dispose. Conducting an environmental Impact assessment of the air compressor requires that all the manufacture to use materials that are environmentally friendly and that can be reused or recycled. Therefore, the metallic parts of the equipment must have the capability of being recycled once the equipment is rendered useless. For this EIA and life cycle assessment, The procedure will follow the cradle to grave methodology and using the Simapro 3.1 code, which will look at the ecological indicators and the ecological points of the equipment. Identification of the Environmental Aspects/Impacts Achieving the production of machines and equipment that are eco-efficient call for ‘closing the loop’ to help in creating a cyclic systems to which resources can be recovered from the end use of the product. In most companies that produce machine and equipment like the air compressors, the economic and environmental efficiency of reproducing the equipment’s is a common assumption that ensures the products are efficient ecologically (Kerr and Ryan, 2001). By using some of the recovered part at the end of life of the equipment, the manufacturers of the equipment, therefore, help in reducing economic cost and environmental impacts that may be associated with the production of the equipment at the disposal of the materials that are used to make the equipment. The larger percentage of the machine is made of aluminum and copper, which are equally, important mineral resources that need to be used sustainably. Therefore, conducting the Environmental impact assessment of the air compressor will ensure the manufacturers put into account that the raw materials are scarce and need to be used sustainably. Assessing the air compressor environmental impact assessment is based on comparative levels with other similar products with the same functions. The environmental assessment considers the ‘cradle to grave.' Analysis approach (Haapala et al. 2008). The environmental impact of the air compressor is based on the source, type and the amount of input material as well as the amount of energy used to drive the machine. Most importantly, the equipment will also need to be transported from one place to another. The mode of transportation will also need to be factored in while looking at the environmental impact of the compressor. The environmental impact assessment considers some of the important aspects in the life cycle of the equipment. This will include material extraction and processing to make the air compressor, various components that will be used to make the equipment functional, the use, and end life of the product life cycle. Figure1. Air compressor life cycle While determining the life cycle inventory of the axial air compressor, it is mandatory to look at the process inputs and output. The amount of energy put to drive the equipment should be much less compared to the output of the equipment. This will be important in assessing the environmental impact of the equipment any time it is put into use. The environmental impacts can be determined by looking at the aggregate energy demand and the ecological indicators (Hischier and weidma, 2009). Assessing the environmental impact of the air pressure, or what is referred to as the end of life of the equipment is mainly concerned with improvement. This will give the major environmental impact once the equipment is decommissioned. The end of life analysis will see the major changes that will be used to manage the amount and type of material used in manufacturing and the design process. Quantitative Assessment of Environmental Impacts The study of Environmental Impact Assessment of the air compressor that uses electric motor is mainly aimed at evaluating the damages that might be caused by production, use and disposal of the equipment. At the end of this all, the goal is to come up with recommendations that would lead to innovations that would minimise the environmental damage. The main system of study, in this case, is the production of moment or force by using the air compressor and how the production of that force results to environmental effects. The main unit of function is presented using a coaxial air compressor that is mainly composed of aluminum alloy and copper as the main materials (Bruijn, et al., 2004, 72). Manufacturing and production of air compressor The general assumption made by the manufacture of the equipment is estimated to be 10 years and above before it is decommissioned. The study boundary considers the tools and the components of production. To produce a single air compressor, materials have to be transported from one point to the production company. Once the production is complete, the compressor has to be painted and packaged and relocated to the customers. At the point of production, various machines are used which may be contributing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The component of the air compressor is not entirely made of aluminum and copper, some of the small parts are made of plastic and rubber. During manufacturing, some of the materials go to waste in terms of left overs, and other are caused by shaping of the equipment parts. During production, crude oil are used for lubrication and testing the performance of the engine. Packaging and Transport Once the axial air compressor has been manufactured, the equipment need to be packaged and stored as it wit for transportation to various regions. The materials used for packaging also form part of the production process. The depending on the material used for packaging, the company must consider every environmental issues of concern. Most companies that manufacture machine and related equipment prefer using wood as the preferred packaging material. Some of these woods are obtained from trees that are supposed to be conserved and used sustainably. The challenge will rise when every company used wood to package the products and are not taking keen interest in managing the depleted forest resources. Transporting the finished product will require the use of heavy vehicles such as tracks that release a lot of CO2 to the atmosphere. In order to reach the wider global market, the companies producing the air compressors are forced to use deep sea vessels. Trade ships are known to be contributing a larger percentage of ozone depletion due to the amount of carbon dioxide they release into the atmosphere. Product Use Various environmental factors are considered when assessing the environmental impact of the axial air compressor. Using the product form the core of the EIA that is related to using the equipment. The first thing to consider in the product use is the level of noise pollution caused by the equipment. As discussed above, the air compressor has various functions. The electric motor forms the main component that makes the equipment to function. In construction, the equipment can be used to carry out excavation work. During excavation, the noise produced by the equipment must be monitored. According to the United State environmental protection agency, the level of noise pollution caused by air compressor while in operation if estimated to be 81 dBA, 50ft from the source of operation. The product will also require lubrication for it to operate effectively. The oil used for lubrication may spill out if the equipment is not maintained hence posing as hazard to the environment. When the air compressor is used for long, regular maintenance will be necessary hence requiring the engineer to change regularly the oil and other worn out parts (Radgen, 2001, 53). Energy consumption is another important factor to be considered while using the equipment. Since the electric motor uses electricity, various factors have to be considered during operation. Monitoring the level of electricity consumption takes into account six main categories, namely, the energy required to manufacturing the equipment, the energy that is used during the assembling of compressor and the amount of energy required to paint the tank as well as the entire equipment (Kerr and Ryan, 2001, 79). Consequently, the amount of power consumed when starting the engine and while the equipment is on standby, operational energy and energy lost due to malfunctions and lack of maintenance. The machine will also require washing, which will involve the use of detergents that may be considered environmentally unfriendly. Decommissioning / End of life This is the final stage of the equipment once it is rendered useless and is no longer performing the required function. The air compressor can be rendered useless due to permanent damage to the equipment or when the life span has ended, and it has been replaced with the current equipment. Reducing the Environmental Impact of air Compressor Considering the life cycle and the environmental EIA of the axial air compressor, the analysis of the factors that may be considered unfriendly to the equipment are very important to the production, operation and disposal. Due to the complexity in producing a single unit of the equipment, the companies that are responsible for the production should reduce the amount of units being produced. Reducing the production will help conserve the limited mineral resources used as raw material (Radgen, 2001, 34). The company’s manufacturing the product should carry out routine evaluation of the equipment to ensure the materials and performance of the product is appropriate to ensure maximum output with minimal input. Once the life span of the compressor is reached, every component of the equipment must be evaluated while looking at the materials used in construction. Every component should be classified and sorted accordingly such that the metallic parts are recycled, the non-metallic parts such as the plastic and rubber are recycled, and those that cannot be recycled are incinerated. During the production process, there are waste being generated. The companied should, therefore, ensure that all the waste are segregated before disposal (Turton, 2012, 26). The benefit of segregating industrial waste is to ensure minimal waste disposal to the landfill. Liquid and gas waste should as well be treated before disposal. The crude oil that is used for lubrication should also be collected or recovered and incinerated as well as being reused. Transportation of the product to other regions using the tracts should also be reduced by selling most of the products to the regions where they are made. Long distance transportation such as the use of deep sea vessels can be eliminated by establishing assembling factories in every region around the world (Kerr and Ryan, 2001, 92). Since the air compressor use electric motor as the central component, the amount of electric energy consumption must be evaluated and monitored. The design of the material should be in such a way that it use little energy while producing equal or more functions. The level of noise produced by the air compressor may cause injury to the used if they are exposed for long. To ensure safety measures, the machine operator must have protective equipment to prevent physical damage of to the ear. The person operating the equipment should also not engage in a daily routine of operation since the person may suffer stress that result from fatigue and tiredness. Regular maintenance of the equipment is required to prevent engine oil spillage and wear and tear that result from operating the machine (Bruijn, et al., 2004, 132). To ensure the equipment provide a long service; maintain the compressor will require the user to exchange worn out parts with new ones. Recommendations Following the Environmental impact assessment of the axial air compressor from the point of production, use and decommissioning, the components of the equipment that are considered to be having the highest environmental impact is when the product is being put into use. This is the stage when the product will cause physical damage to the natural environment and to people operating the equipment. The overall recommendation to reducing the environmental impact of the air compressor to the environment is to consider a change of product design. Improving the design will factor in the major operational procedures as well as the output of the product. Some of the global improvement that can be done to the air compressor is by making a perfect finish to the moving parts to prevent wear and tear (Turton, 2012, 46). The weight of the revolving parts can be reduced to ensure the equipment use less energy in rotating the belts. Finally, increasing the connection pipe seals can prevent oils from leaking and spilling to the environment. With the issue of climate change, every machine and equipment being manufactured should be evaluated in terms of safety, environment and efficiency in performance. References Bloch, H., 2006, A practical guide to compressor technology. Hoboken, N.J, Wiley-Interscience. Bruijn, H., et al., 2004, Handbook on Life Cycle Assessment Operational Guide to the ISO Standards. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/0-306-48055-7. Haapala, K. R., J. L. Rivera, and. Sutherland J. W, 2008)Application of Life Cycle Assessment Methods to Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing. International Journal of Innovative Computing, Information and Control. 4(3), pp. 575-589. Hischier, R. and Weidma, B., 2009, Implementation of Life Cycle Impact Assessment Methods, Final Report. ecoinvent v2.1 No. 3, S.C.f.L.C. Inventories, St. Gallen, Switzerland. IEA. Industrial motor systems energy efficiency: Towards a plan of action. 2006. Obtained from http://www.iea.org/work/2006/motor/proceedings.pdf. Kerr, W. and Ryan, C., 2001, Eco-efficiency gains from remanufacturing A case study of photocopier remanufacturing at Fuji Xerox, Australia, Journal of Cleaner Production 9, pp. 75–81. Radgen, P., 2001, Compressed air systems in the European Union: energy, emissions, savings potential and policy actions. Stuttgart, LOG_X. Turton, R., 2012. Analysis, synthesis, and design of chemical processes. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall. Read More