Runtech’s energy efficient vacuum revolution, Anna-Riina Ahonen, Marketing Manager, Runtech Systems

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
The report highlights cross-media effects, such as significant water savings and the capacity to recover a large portion of pumping energy through heat energy recuperation from exhaust air.
These systems are adaptable across various plant types and are
particularly considered for new installations or during the revamp of
existing vacuum systems.
Key demands and best practices include:
• Energy Efficiency: Prioritizing energy-saving dewatering technologies and vacuum systems, coupled with consistent maintenance and refinement.
• Process Optimization: Continual adjustments of vacuum levels to align with process demands, yielding substantial energy conservation.
• Technology Upgrades: Investment in cutting-edge vacuum blowers that enhance energy efficiency and lower operational expenses.
• Integrated Systems: Employing integrated control systems for managing vacuum levels and blower operations to ensure peak performance and energy efficiency.
Regarding environmental considerations:
•Emission Reduction: Efficient systems play a significant role in reducing energy usage, which correlates to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
• Water Management: Improved dewatering techniques promote superior water management and recycling, in line with environmental standards.
In essence, the BREF document underscores the critical
nature of refining dewatering and vacuum systems for better energy
efficiency, lessened environmental impact, and sustained production
quality. Adherence to the best available techniques is crucial for
meeting the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and propelling
sustainable production methods.
RunEco presents a sustainable and environmentally
responsible vacuum solution tailored for the paper industry.
This system operates without water, enhancing reliability and
significantly cutting CO2 emissions. RunEco’s approach substitutes
traditional vacuum level increases with adjustable-speed turbo
blowers, alongside optimized doctoring and save-all systems.
Optimal energy savings are achieved by applying vacuum
precisely where necessary, facilitated by real-time, accurate water
flow measurements. EcoFlow dewatering meters play a critical
role in fine-tuning vacuum levels, preventing excessive energy
consumption and contributing to overall system efficiency.
Responsive Vacuum Systems for Dynamic Paper Machine
Environments
In the papermaking industry, operational variables such
as machine speed, basis weight, and the condition of felts are
in constant flux. This variability renders a fixed vacuum setting
suboptimal across the diverse states of production. New paper
machines typically come with vacuum capacities that include broad
safety margins, often leading to an excess of unused capacity during
standard operation—usually between 40-60% of what was originally
specified.
Conventional vacuum technologies fall short in this context,
as they lack the flexibility needed to fine-tune vacuum levels,
conserve energy, and adjust to the evolving conditions of paper
production.
Manufacturers of new paper machines commonly err
towards excessive caution, resulting in vacuum specifications that
exceed the practical requirements. This conservative approach can
saddle end users with inefficient systems that unnecessarily elevate
energy costs. Runtech addresses this ineficiency by retrofitting
3- to 4-year-old systems to achieve energy savings upwards of
50% or more than 10 GWh/year. It’s essential, therefore, to clearly
define the vacuum system specifications to your machine supplier
to avoid the default delivery of cost-driven options that overlook total
operational costs over time.
Runtech’s dry vacuum systems feature adjustable capacity
to match the actual needs of the paper machine. The demand
for vacuum can be determined by several factors, including
water removal for flatboxes and Uhle boxes, gauged by EcoFlow
dewatering measurements, or by the runnability for pick-up rolls
and press suction rolls. It’s not uncommon to initially require higher
vacuum levels for pick-up rolls, which can then be reduced to
achieve energy efficiencies without compromising on performance.
Should there be runnability issues with pick-up felts,
operators can promptly increase the vacuum levels. Similarly, press
suction rolls often have vacuum levels set at -65 kPa by machine
suppliers, when in many instances, -40 to -45 kPa is sufficient,
particularly in machines operating at speeds below 1,000 m/min.
Correctly adjusting these levels can lead to substantial cost savings.
The capacity to swiftly adapt to changing operational
conditions is a hallmark of Runtech’s vacuum systems. For instance,
in a press rebuild, the system may be optimized to function
efficiently at far lower capacities than the OEM design points,
underscoring the value of an adjustable and responsive vacuum
system.
Figure 2: Difference between OEM design point and operating point.
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