Download Energy Measurement Procedure

Energy Measurement Procedure
Rex Materials’ TCS is designed to substantially reduce the energy consumption associated with barrel heating. To
quantify the benefit, the following procedure has been outlined:
Notes:
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To provide an accurate assessment of the benefits of TCS, the operating parameters of the machine before
and after the installation of TCS, should be identical whenever possible
o This includes employing the same mold, material and cycle time as well as maintaining comparable
environmental conditions (ambient temperature, air flow)
Machine should be fully operational prior to taking readings, with all barrel temps within 2 degrees F of set
point
Verify heater bands in each zone are operating properly at/near rated wattage prior to measuring energy
consumption
Measure energy consumption of individual zone heater circuits
o Energy consumption associated with the entire machine should not be employed as this introduces
excessive variables and reduces the accuracy of the measurement
Document the time and duration of any machine interruptions during testing
o If an interruption occurs for an extended amount of time or the machine must be shut down for any
reason, testing should be discontinued and completed at a later time when the machine is operating
consistently
Measurement Technique:
It is recommended to calculate the average KW-hr usage in each zone using one of two methods:
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Measuring the total average KW-hr of each zone or by measuring the Average Total Amperage and
Average Supply Voltage to each zone
o Multiply Total Amperage by Average Supply Voltage
o Monitor machine for 1 hour, taking readings in 3 second intervals
Or
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Multiply the Average Percent On-Time of each zone by the measured Maximum KW of each zone, or the
heater KW rating
o Some machines provide the Percent On-Time of each zone, as an output from the machine
 This may be an average over time or an instantaneous reading. An average over time is
required.
o If Percent On-Time is not provided by the machine, it can be determined as follows:
 Measure both the Average Amperage and Peak Amperage at 3 second intervals, for 1 hour
 Divide the Average Amperage by the Peak Amperage to determine Percent On-Time
 Multiple the KW of each Zone by the Percent On-Time to determine the power
consumption
Note: It is highly recommended that the before and after energy measurements occur in quick succession. A
recommended timeline is as follows: Start up and run machine at steady state for 1-2 hours, measure “before”
energy consumption, shut down, install TCS heaters, start up and run machine for 1-2 hours and measure “after”
energy consumption
Document Title: Energy Measurement Procedure
Rev. Level: -
Page 1 of 1
Document Number: TBD
Revision Date: 05/30/16