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  • Different Types of Industrial Compressed Air Dryers and their Uses

    Compressed air dryers are used in all types of gas plants including oxygen plants, hydrogen gas plants, Nitrogen plants, N2O plants, and so on. The presence of water in any compressed air system can damage the entire system. It can corrode valves, pipes, and can even cause outdoor airlines to freeze. Air dryers are basically used for the removal of contaminated water and other foreign particles from the compressed air. In any system where there is presence of water in the compressed air system, an air dryer is definitely required for addressing the situation. Water can exist in three ways in a compressed air that is vapor, mist, or liquid. Different types of compressed air dryers are available on the market, and each comes with its own specific functions of removing maximum amount of water from the compression system.

    Different types of compressed air dryers include: Internal Heat Reaction Type, Heatless Type, No Purge Loss Type, Heat of Compression (HOC) Type, Desiccant dryers, and Refrigerant dryers.

    Industrial compressed air dryers may include single, or even multiple stages for drying the air and correcting various other problems associated with the water. These dryers may need either DC power, AC three phases, or AC single phase power for operation. They can be expanded to the atmospheric pressure, which drops immediately to its dew point in degrees Fahrenheit.

    Most of the industries use refrigerated air dryers. These dryers have two functions, the first is to cool down the incoming hot air using cool air, and secondly, they increase the temperature of outgoing air to prevent condensation. Many new models of compressors are being introduced in the market and have compressors closely integrated with the dryers.

    Deliquescent dryer is also popular and uses powder at the bottom that absorbs water from the air compressor and turns into liquid. One the entire powder turns to liquid, the entire vessel contents are emptied and new tablet is inserted. These compressors are easy to use and work perfectly in remote sites and need little maintenance. Another type of industrial compressed air dryer uses silica gel to lower the temperature of water to condense. This helps in improving the efficiency of the air dryer.

    Each industrial compressed air dryer helps in the efficient removal of water and comes with its own set of functions and uses. It all depends upon the requirements of the industry where the air dryer will be used. These compressed air dryers use specific processes and tools for drying the air only. These dryers are very important for the efficient functioning of compressed air mechanism in any industry. Without them, the operational efficiency of any system will be severely compromised.

  • Why Do You Need an Industrial Refrigerated Dryer?

    An air dryer is an important part of a compressed air system, which takes air from the surrounding environment and pressurizes it for later use. Air dryers help in the removal of moisture and some other impurities that are left after the compression processes. Refrigerated air dryers have a mechanical refrigeration system that helps cool the air, usually to a temperature between 38 degrees and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. These kinds of air dryers also condense water vapor in the compressed air.

    There are two types of refrigerated compressed air dryers—non-cycling dryers and cycling dryers. Non-cycling refrigerated dryers work continuously, and use evaporators to cool the compressed air. As warm air enters into one side of the evaporator, it is cooled by liquid refrigerant flowing at low pressure on the other side.

    Refrigerated dryers use two heat exchangers: an air to air exchanger and an air to refrigerant exchanger. When the air is cooled, water vapor is then condensed into a fluid.

    Industries rely on compressed air for many of their applications, and because of this, their compressed air systems are crucial to their success. However, these companies should not only concern themselves with getting compressed air, but the manner in which the air is treated is also important.

    One of the biggest concerns with compressed air is the moisture within it. Compressed air is usually hot, so when it is cooled, any water that was in it condenses and collects. If this problem is not taken care of, that water will damage the compressed air network significantly and affect the finished product. Any excess water can lead to corrosion, wear and overall damage of the air system itself and any machinery attached to it. This increases the cost of production and affects a business’s product.

    Refrigerated dryers solve this problem by removing the moisture, leading to dry compressed air. Because of this, refrigerated compressed air dryers allow for optimal performance while also minimizing the operating costs. When choosing a refrigerated dryer, businesses must consider these savings as well as the the initial purchase price, which is often the only thing people focus on. Buying a quality air dryer ensures a much longer life of equipment, and will save a great amount of money on both repairs and replacements.

    While there are different methods available to remove moisture from air compressor systems, refrigerant compressed air dryers remove a significant amount of moisture making the resultant compressed air dry and ideal for most applications.

  • Why Treat Compressed Air?

    Compressed air is an essential power source of modern industrial machines. Factories are heavily dependent on the steady reliability and output of their production lines. It is well known that the harm caused to pneumatic equipment exposed to compressed air can be extensive and costly.

    Due to the method of compression, compressed air tends to have a variety of harmful contaminants. The compressed air is regular atmospheric air and when condensed, its impurities are more compact, up to seven times more concentrated. Everything from dust, degraded lubricating oil, exhaust gas, pollen and water can form a corrosive and undesirable sludge in the system. The result of compression is that the condensate of impurities, often acidic in nature, cause significant damage to the equipment it contacts. Tools and pneumatic machinery alike suffer from blocked valves, corroded pipes, rust, scale and even spoilage of the products being produced. Such issues translate into lost time and resources.

    It is not just the cost of repair and upkeep that make the damage worth avoiding; it is also the need to often shut down production lines to address malfunctioning equipment. Additionally, the pollutants from the condensate can shorten the life of affected equipment. The only solution is to neutralize or remove the impurities. Fortunately, there is a way to avoid many of the issues associated with compressed air usage via compressed air treatment.

    Filtration and drying both play an important role in the treatment of compressed air. Dependent on the contaminants present there are a variety of purification technologies that must be implored. Universally, one of the most crucial is a water separator for the control of condensed water. An adsorption filter addresses oil vapor, while adsorption and refrigeration dryers both attend to water vapor. Microbiological filters can handle dust and particulate solids; however, a dust removal filter covers both the aforementioned and rust and pipescale contaminants as well.

    It is worth noting that a coalescing filter has the ability to strike the widest range of contaminants. Not only will it filter atmospheric dust and solid particulates, microorganisms, rust and pipescale, it also handles liquid oil, oil aerosols, and water aerosols as well. Consideration of what the major contaminants are need to be addressed and will help clarify the treatments needed to garner the best results. Choosing the right filter will clean your compressed air and elongate the life of you industrial air compressor unit, provided it is maintained properly.

  • Choosing the Right Industrial Air Compressor

    When it comes to powering large equipment in construction or industrial settings, one of the best sources of power is compressed air. A large, industrial sized air compressor unit takes in large amounts of air in a tank, compresses air down to a high pressure, and expels that air via a pneumatic hose that goes into powering different tools.

    Because of the often expensive nature of buying an industrial air compressor, doing research and picking out a model and its companion pieces that work for you is essential. One of the first factors you want to take into account is the amount of pressure being produced by the unit, which is measured in PSI, or pounds per square inch. Every tool that you attach to the industrial air compressor will use a different PSI, so making sure that your unit can produce the required PSI for all of your equipment is vital.

    Another important measurement that you need to consider is CFM, or cubic feet per minute. This measures the amount of air moving through the compressor unit itself. If you plan on running multiple tools at the same time from the same air compressor, you are going to need a higher CFM in order to keep the PSI going to each tool at its optimal level.

    Aside from keeping all your measurements up to par, you are also going to need to take maintenance of the machine into account. One of the biggest problems with an industrial air compressor is condensates that form inside the system, so a dryer will be required to get rid of these condensates. Adding a dryer to your air compressor unit is another key aspect to consider when purchasing the entire unit.

    Another aspect of maintenance that you need to consider when choosing the right industrial air compressor is the type of filter you are going to be using in the unit. Air filters are used to remove airborne micro particles from the system such as dirt, oils, water vapor, and other contaminants.

    The final piece to the air compressor puzzle is how you want it to be run, either by gas or by electricity. Choosing between the two is a matter of preference and budget, but be sure to only use a gas operated machine in a well-ventilated area.

    When choosing an industrial air compressor, take all of these considerations in mind, as they will help you get a better understanding of what type of machine you are really trying to purchase. Check out an established, credible air compressor dealer is a great place to start, as they will have all the expertise and knowledge to get you just the right compressor for your needs.

  • Kinds of Reciprocating Air Compressors

    The importance of compressed air is not often recognized. It is astonishing to learn that 10% of electricity is used to produce compressed air; this translates as 80 terawatt hours of consumption per year. Furthermore, because of its wide range of uses, compressed air is commonly referred to as the fourth utility, after electricity, water and natural gas.

    Common applications of air compressors include filling gas cylinders for paintball guns, building divers' 'hookah' systems, and powering various kinds of tools, such as sanders and paint-sprayers. One of the most common kinds of compressors are reciprocating compressors that can range in size from 1 to 50 HP (horsepower). Reciprocating compressors pressurize air by reducing its volume, also called positive displacement. This is achieved through having the compressor suck in successive volumes of air through unidirectional valves and confining the air in a chamber.

    When purchasing a reciprocating air compressor, there are a number of types available on the market, each offering its own unique benefits. There is the option of portable or stationary compressors. The benefits of the portable compressor are self-explanatory, and many compressors are built to be portable. The basic design of a reciprocal compressor generates unbalanced forces and so it's rare to find a portable compressor with a HP over 3 as these must be secured onto a solid foundation.

    Models may be single-stage or two-stage. Single-stage compressors will compress air to its final pressure in a single piston stroke. Two-stage compressors will compress air in two stages. For higher pressures opt for two-stage models since single-stage compressors are generally capable of not more than 125 PSI (pounds per square inch).

    Lubricating systems also vary, with the choice of pressure lubricated, splash lubricated and oil-less compressors readily available. Most compressors use splash lubrication, in which a dipper splashes oil through the internal parts of the pump. However, for certain applications, such as heavy duty cycles and high temperature conditions, pressure lubricated pumps offer the best solution. Oil-less compressors should be adopted in situations where clean air is an absolute necessity, such as when building a diver's hookah system or in pharmaceutical applications.

    Lastly, consider the drive system, electric or gas powered? Electric compressors can be used indoors or outdoors, but gas powered compressors are great for builders or re-modelers who may move the compressor from site to site and don't always have access to an electricity supply. Electric and gas powered compressors have comparable performance.