KVA to KW Calculation - help please

[wade88]

Morning fellas,

Been getting some rather high meter readings lately so trying to compile a machinery list so i have a good idea of what is consuming what and where, and how much our bills should really be looking like each month etc. Pretty standard maintenance stuff.

However im having trouble with the calculations converting KVA to KW as the asset list i am tabulating is all in Kw's, but some machines only state their KVA not KW rating.

I know that this KVA = KW/PF is the equation, but im having a hard time working out the power factor? Anyone out there a bit of a wizz with such things?

Cheers, Ben

 

[geofff]

Yes mate, it really is that simple to convert in the real world, unless you are doing exams and need to show working out in vectors, in which case good luck!

 

[wade88]

Nope i certainly dont need to do that just need a general idea. Nice one pal thats great

 

[Engineer54]

Well of course it manages it guys, buy seeing where the main consumers are, and where they are drawing power when not necessarily needing it, highlighting wastage etc. By picking up on energy consumption in places where it is not necessary will save money. I can get an accurate idea of how much energy all our lighting banks are using and then make an educated decision around whether or not to change to different bulbs, same applies to office lighting, i can also grasp an idea of how much it costs in energy to manufacture certain products which can then be factored into their costing and a new more applicable price can be applied to the product based around accurate knowledge of their total manufacturing costs.

The idea of this equipment isnt a self supportive, singing and dancing do it all energy reducing system , its just a highlighter to consumption. Its effectively just a mini clamp meter on every circuit on a permenent basis sending me real time info. If i can see where the energy is being used and wasted, i can therefore effectively manage it. The energy reduction aspect therefore comes in based on my own initiative.

I misread what you were saying in your earlier posts wade. The way you were describing the system, sounded as if it just might be one of these optimum voltage Gizmo's that are full of hype, but delivers very little to most installations, and can in some circumstances do more damage than good! lol!!...

Yes ongoing monitoring will certainly indicate where prospective saving can maybe made to larger installations, and yes it's a good idea all round, to have such a system in place. It will however in all likelihood involve more company investment to address some of those savings, such as capacitor placements, lamp changes etc etc. What you have there, is one of the options available on a up-market typical building management system (BMS) You could now install (if you haven't one in place already) a factory wide central control facility, that can implement switching any areas that you find are not required at certain times etc...

Why are you expecting a barrage of comments? As i say, what your doing will i'm sure in the long run save your company money, ...if the cost savings warrant the extras in expenditure... My Hat's off to you Wade!! lol!!!

 

[wade88]

Thats ok buddy, its not uncommon for me to confuse people in the first 10 words! Yes in the not so long term this investment will pay for itself in no time. We are a £6 million company and turn over £500,000 a month a moment but losses are being seen in certain products due to the simple fact we are totally ignorant as to their "absolute" costings of manufacture. I think many company involved in the manufacturing business over look things like energy consumption and merely see it as a necessity and therefore its not really thought about. But we run many machine simultaneously around the 15kw mark and several huge motors that pretty much work flat out al day for 8 hours...when you add those figures up against our 10p per KWH from british gas, its a fair few quid a month. So if i can drop those bills by even 15%, this will have paid for itself in a matter of months.

Like you say however, and your absolutely right, some extra costs may well be incurred to make some corrections where needed, but i hope by the middle of next year to have this ship as energy effeciently tight as a badgers bum hole. My war on energy wastage has begun!!

 

[Knobhead]

One way of reducing cost may not go down to well but it works. Depending on your tariff night time working! It saved us £1000’s it cost more in wages but the advantage of running on a cheap tariff far out weighed it. Our monthly energy bills 20 years ago were £1M electricity, £.8M gas and £.5M coal. Not much could be done with the coal prices, but gas and electricity……

Just don’t let your production workers know who I am :90:

 

[wade88]

Oi lads i know this fella called Tony, he reckons this is a GREAT idea?.....what do you think?

Friday nights? Nah no one goes out on friday nights anymore pal, you'll have way more fun working....

 

[Knobhead]

Not keen on the idea then?

 

[wade88]

Its a great idea dont get me wrong, but i dont care THAT much, that i also end up working night shifts to supervise the lads. Besides, take me out the equation anyway, these guys would need some severe convincing to even consider working nights.

 

[Knobhead]

We had a 24/7 process but some parts were designed to buffer product produced during the day and the process would continue at night and weekend. Running two machines of 6000HP each made sense off peak. With the ancillary kit it would be 15000HP total. I loved one bit of the PLC program that before the plant start up it would check with Scottish Power that they had enough spinning reserve running. SP could tell us to shut down if needed.

 

[wade88]

Holy sh*t mate what was this company? what did you do? £1M leccy bill?!!!! its all a bit above my station here pal! Im just a humble plant manager for a small company

 

[Knobhead]

Wade clear out your in box, can't PM you.

 

[wade88]

ok mate cleared it up