As mentioned in previous articles, a compressed air installation is made up of several tools, of different functions and sizes. Some installations need more than one of the same products. In general, a compressed air installation includes:
- Air compressor that pressurizes the ambient air.
- Compressed air dryer, which can dry the compressed air.
- Filters to clean the air.
- Air receiver to stock compressed air.
- Condense drainer and oil/water separators to eliminate the condense and oil properly.
- Energy recovery and controlling system to optimise consumption.
An air compressor dryer for your compressed air system
While compressing, the vapour in compressed air turns into condensate. This condensation contaminates the entire system, worsening lubrication and corroding the piping system. To avoid these issues, Ceccato Aria Compressa offers two types of dryers:
- Refrigerant dryers that cool air to remove water.
- Adsorption dryers, using a desiccant element to separate water from air.
Refrigerant dryers are the most used, being suitable for most types of applications and compressed air systems. Adsorption dryers are the best choice for high-quality air final products.
Before comparing the advantages of a refrigerant or adsorption compressed air dryer combined with an air receiver, you should consider coalescent filters. To avoid the drainer overloads, placing a coalescent filter before the dryers can pre-filter the air.
A compressed air dryer set up
You must consider several aspects when including the dryer within your compressed air system. Proper ventilation, the right ambient temperature, and the amount of free water influence the air compressor’s performance. In general, a compressed air dryer can be installed in the same room as the compressors.
A compressed air installation with a refrigerant dryer and an air receiver
Installing a CDX refrigerant dryers before an air receiver fits most of general applications' needs.
Combining a refrigerant dryer and an air receiver can boost your compressed air installation. There are PROs and CONs regarding placing the refrigerant dryer before or after an air receiver.
Placing the refrigerant dryer before the air receiver reduces the risk of overloading the dryer. The air receiver can work as a water separator and an aftercooler, lowering the compressed air temperature. On the contrary, the refrigerant dryer can overload when the air consumption exceeds the compressor capacity. Installing a refrigerant dryer after the air receiver is ideal for hot and humid places.
If the refrigerant dryer is set before the air receiver, the stored dried air won’t condense in the receiver. An automatic condensate drain is, therefore, not needed. Besides, dried compressed air avoids corrosion in the air receiver. Installing a refrigerant dryer before the air receiver is better for most of applications.
A compressed air installation with a desiccant dryer and an air receiver
ADS adsorption dryers suits most of general applications if installed after air receiver.
As for refrigerant dryers, an air receiver works as an aftercooler when a desiccant dryer is placed after the receiver. Besides, the receiver functions as a water separator due to the lower air velocity. This configuration also benefits from the load of the desiccant dryer. However, the tank can be corroded by wet air, and thus, coating is required. This setup suits most of the general applications.
When a desiccant dryer is placed before the air receiver, no condensation is formed in the tank and corrosion risk is eliminated. Also, the air receiver doesn’t need an automatic condensate drain. However, there may be a risk of liquid water and/or contamination at the dryer inlet. It is recommended to add an extra water separator before the dryer.
When deciding where to place the air receiver, you need to consider the specific needs of your production system. In these cases, applying expert knowledge is always the best choice.
Air Filters in compressed air systems
In a compressed air installation, air filters clean the air. They must be correctly regulated in size and pressure. The right filter dimension is defined by the maximum airflow passing through the filter.
Every filter can cause a slight pressure change. Filters are equipped with a pressure drop gauge indicator, which calculates the pressure drop over the filter.
Your compressed air installation may need more than one filter based on the required air quality. All filters must be installed in the correct sequence, and an oil-water separator must be included. Regardless of the filters your compressed air system needs, a coalescent filter must be applied before a dryer. It filters the air and avoids water overload.
How to size an air receiver
Within a compressed air installation, the most known feature of an air receiver is storing compressed air. Many people don’t know that an air receiver has more functionalities. Other reasons to apply to an air receiver in your compressed air installation are:
- Separating condensate
- Absorbing short-term high air consumption
- Reducing the number of load/no-load cycles
- Equalizing the pulsating compressed air flow for piston compressors
Ceccato Aria Compressa air receivers come both vertically and horizontally to meet all space requirements. They are also equipped with a safety valve, pressure gauge, tap with test connection and a condensate drain tap.
In general, a compressed air installation includes one or more air receivers. Their size varies based on the compressor capacity, the control system and the consumer’s air requirement. Air receiver size and connecting socket are standardized. You must be sure that the tank capacity exceeds the compressors’ one.
If you want to increase the total airflow capacity, ensure the air receiver’s inlet and outlet connections are correctly sized. Besides, they must handle the total flow without causing an extra pressure drop.
Get in touch with our experts
When installing an entire compressed air system, you must consider a lot of information and focus on several details. Expert support and consultation are mandatory to set up your compressed air installation in the right way. Our technicians are trained to build a compressed air installation tailored to your needs and to spare money. Get in touch with our experts now!
