Municipal Waste Sorting Equipment worked example

Air Separator Energy with air separator connected fan load of 11 kW: a worked example

This worked example runs the air separator energy numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: air separator connected fan load of 11 kW instead of the typical 22 kW. Estimate the electricity cost of running an air knife, air drum, or windshifter and convert it into a defensible cost per ton.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Air separator connected fan load: 11 kW (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 22)
  • Air separator runtime per period: 8 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Blended electricity rate: 0.12 $ / kWh (held at the documented default)
  • Tons processed during runtime: 120 tons (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Total air separator energy cost = connected fan load x runtime x blended electricity rate.
  • Total air separator energy cost works out to 10.56 $ / ton at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Air separator energy used works out to 88 kWh at these inputs.
  • Air separator energy cost per ton works out to 0.09 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Hourly air separator energy cost works out to 1.32 $ / hr at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where air separator connected fan load sits at 22 kW and the headline result is 21.12 $ / ton, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 10.56 $ / ton.
  • Use it when benchmarking line energy against tip-fee revenue, sizing fan motors for a new sort line, or investigating an unexpected power bill spike. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Total air separator energy cost: 10.56 $ / ton (headline result)
  • Air separator energy used: 88 kWh
  • Air separator energy cost per ton: 0.09 $ / piece
  • Hourly air separator energy cost: 1.32 $ / hr

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Air Separator Energy calculator, set air separator connected fan load to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.