Tuesday 14 February 2012

Air Dryers: Basic Function, usage and comparison with Air Compressors

Definition:

Air Dryers have been long in use from now; they are widely used in both industrial or commercial applications and home applications. Technically speaking, an air dryer is equipment or the device which is used to remove the water vapor from the compressed air.

Functions:

The basic or the main function of the air dryer is to remove moisture from the air by cooling it with a refrigerant. Thus, the water vapor is condensed, and the air can be compressed. The result is dry compressed air, which can be used in compressed air equipment without causing any damage. To reduce the amount of vapor in the compressed air is also the function of the air dryer. This function is done by cold generated adsorption drying in which the compressed air of the air compressor is passed through granulates, at the same time; it also lowers the due point.

Usage:

Air Dryer are used for both Industrial Applications and Residential/Home Applications. Although main and widely usage of air dryers are being found in industrial applications in many industries, there are still some areas and applications in non-commercial zone where air dryers are used. Below are the various usage and applications from both industrial and non-industrial areas where air dryers are widely used.

• Industrial Usage

o Hospitals: Here, air dryers are used for applications like bone screws, stents and medical implants; cleaning medical molding etc.

o Space Science: In the air space science applications such as cleaning orifices in turbine blades; removing magnesium oxide insulator from thermocouple harnesses; engraving optical lenses etc., air dryers are used.

o Heavy Industry: Heavy Industry is one of the widely using industries with applications for removing EDM recast and discoloration; finishing and texturing injection mold cavities; cleaning runner nozzles use air dryer in the day-to-day basis.

o Other Applications: Apart from above industries, there are air dryers used for cleaning and preparation of semi-precious stones and jewelry.

• Residential Usage

o Apart from the industrial applications use of air dryers there are few non-commercials or the home use of air dryers including spin dryers, hair dryers, condenser dryer, heat pump dryer and clothes dryers. Air dryers in home based applications are drying the substance or the object where air dryer is used.

Comparison with Air Compressors

Air Dryer is used to remove the vapor air from the compressed air. Air Compressor is used to convert power unit from to smaller volume. Air Dryers types include refrigerated dryer, Deliquescent dryer, Desiccant dryer and Membrane dryer etc. While, Air Compressors types include Rotary screw compressor, Reciprocating compressor, Single Phase Air Compressors and Multiphase Air Compressors etc.

Sunday 5 February 2012

A Detailed and in-depth introduction to Refrigerated Air Dryers



We all know about air compressors and its many types and usage. We have also been publishing basic information and overview air dryers which are widely used in both industrial applications and home applications. But to give our valuable customers and reader detailed information about what is an air dryer, how an air dryer works and what are the proper industrial and non-industrial uses of air dryers, as a leading air dryer manufacturer, we are presenting today in-depth knowledge on the workings of air dryers!

There are many industrial applications and non-industrial/home applications where air dryers find their place. And the Refrigerated air dryer is one of the most widely used and one of the most important types of air dryers. So let’s get into know how a refrigerated air dryer works!

Refrigerated Air Dryers can help you solve the problem of harmful moisture in you compressed air system. Extra level of moisture in the air compressor system can damage the equipment and can harm the processes or product which can cost you in time and money.  This method of drying is widely used and accepted because it is robust in nature as it generates dew points, which are adequate for most applications using well proven technologies that encounter few problems if properly sized, installed and maintained. 

·         The refrigerated air dryer cool downs the incoming compressed air first in an air-to-air heat exchanger where the outgoing cool dry air pre-cools the hot incoming air and condenses some moisture out. Then,
·         Then the incoming air gets supplied to air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger where the air is cooled downed up to 38ºf degree by the liquid refrigerant. This way the process enforces the moisture to condense into liquid water and it is drained away.
·         Compressor in the refrigerated air dryer pumps hot hi-pressure gas refrigerant (Freon) into the system condenser where it transfers the heat from the refrigerant gas to the ambient air to make the gas condenses into the liquid form.
·         Now, the liquid refrigerant which is also known as Freon is metered to a cold lower pressure so that it can enter the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and then the heat from the hot compressed air is absorbed into the cold refrigerant. 
·         Finally, the refrigeration compressor sucks low pressure hot gas refrigerant into the refrigeration compressor and the cycle starts over again
This way the whole cycle of air dryer works and the application of the air dryer gets working at its best until the air dryers works well, so the regular check-ups, maintenance and the testing of air dryers is very important and vital for any air dryers. There are many air dryer manufacturers who manufacture and export multiple style, type and size of air dryers being useful for a variety of applications at both industrial and non-industrial level.