All About Desiccant Dryers

May 26, 2021 4:26 pm Leave a Comment

All About Desiccant Dryers

As compressors draw air into pneumatic systems, they also take in an amount—however small—of moisture. If left unchecked, this moisture can condense and disrupt the performance of the system downstream. Additionally, it can lead to the corrosion of systems components and growth and buildup of bacteria. Desiccant dryers are one method of avoiding these issues.

Desiccant dryers use desiccant material—specialized drying agents—to adsorb water vapor from process air. They play critical roles in operations that require particularly dry air, such as those of pneumatic systems and scientific instruments.

The following blog post provides an overview of desiccant dryers, including how they work and the types available.

How Do Desiccant Dryers Work?

Desiccant dryers rely on the principle of adsorption, employing drying agents—such as silica gel activated charcoal, and activated alumina—to adsorb moisture from compressed air streams flowing through systems. They are available in several variations, with the two primary classifications being heated and heatless. Both types operate similarly, as outlined below.

Desiccant material is stored in two adjacent towers, a drying tank and a regenerating tank.
The moisture-laden air flows into the drying tower, where the desiccant adsorbs the moisture from the air stream. Heated models use a heating element to raise the air temperature to facilitate moisture removal, while heatless models rely on heat naturally generated by the adsorption process.
Dry air from the first tower transfers to the regenerating tower, where it pulls moisture off the desiccant to prepare it for reuse and then exits the system.

What Desiccant Dryer Is Right For You?

Desiccant dryers are available in several designs to suit different pneumatic system needs. At Energy Machinery, we offer the following types:

DGH Series

The DGH Series from Gardner Denver is a line of highly customizable heatless desiccant dryers. These standard dryers can be easily adjusted to meet the requirements and restrictions of any compressed air application. They offer pressure drops of less than five psi, accommodate inlet pressures of 100 psig and temperatures of 100° F, and come with standard and energy-saving controllers.

DHW Series

The DHW Series from Hankison® is a line of wall-mounting desiccant air dryers. They provide dew points in ISO 8573-1: 2010 Class 1 (-100º F, -73º C) and Class 2 (-40º F, -40º C) while maintaining flow rates of 7–50 scfm, making them suitable for use in applications that require low-pressure dew points.

HHS, HHL, and HHE Series

The HHS, HHL, and HHE Series of heatless desiccant dryers from Hankison features a two-tower system filled with premium-grade alumina. These dryers are available with three different control systems engineered for optimal performance in specific industrial applications.

HBP Series

The HBP Series from Hankison is a line of blower purge desiccant compressed air dryers. They offer 100% efficiency and are available with heat rated outputs ranging from 10 kW to 70 kW and average full loads ranging from 10 kW to 70 kW.

Energy Machinery: Your New England Compressed Air Specialists

For all of your desiccant air dryer needs, turn to the experts at Energy Machinery. Equipped with almost 50 years of experience providing compressed air systems and supporting products, we can identify and supply the right solution for your compressed air application.

For additional information about our desiccant dryers and other product offerings or assistance choosing one for your facility, contact us today.

Oil Lubricated Air Compressor

January 26, 2021 2:46 pm Leave a Comment

Oil Lubricated Air Compressor

An air compressor converts the power from a gas or electric motor into pressurized air—more commonly known as compressed air—and then releases the pressurized air through discharge valves to support a variety of uses.

The basic air compressor design is fairly simple to understand. Air is brought into a chamber by means of intake valves and subsequently compressed, either by means of an up-and-down pumping action (as in reciprocating piston compressors) or a centrifugal spinning action (as in rotary vane compressors).

There are several types of air compressors available on the market today, including:

Rotary screw air compressors
Scroll air compressors
Rotary vane air compressors

When it comes to lubrication, compressors generally fall into one of two categories: oil-lubricated or oil-free. This blog post will discuss oil-lubricated air compressors and provide a comparison between them and their oil-free counterparts.

What Is an Oil-Lubricated Air Compressor?

As the name implies, an oil-lubricated air compressor uses lubricating oil to keep its piston or rotary element free of unnecessary friction and in top operating condition. The oil is also an important component in reducing heat and maintaining energy efficiency within the air compressor.

Oil-lubricated air compressors can be grouped into splash or pressure designs. Splash systems deliver the lubricating oil to the compressor’s moving parts by means of rotating dippers that throw the oil up from a reservoir, while pressure systems utilize an oil pump to deliver consistent lubrication throughout.

Oil-Lubricated Air Compressors vs. Oil-Free

Lubricated and oil-free air compressors each have advantages and drawbacks. The following is a brief overview of the pros and cons associated with each design.

Pros and Cons of Oil-Lubricated Air Compressors

Oil-lubricated compressors are able to handle higher pressure capabilities than their oil-less counterparts.
Generally, oil-lubricated models are more durable than oil-free designs.
Lubricated compressors are the preferred choice in working conditions with extreme heat and/or humidity.
Oil-lubricated compressors require more regular maintenance to check and/or change the lubrication.
Oil-based models are heavier—and therefore less portable—than oil-free compressors.
Oil-lubricated compressors ultimately release some oil contaminants into the air.

Pros and Cons of Oil-Free Air Compressors

Oil-free compressors are light-weight and more portable than oil-lubricated models.
Oil-less compressor models are typically maintenance-free.
Generally, oil-free compressors are quieter than oil-lubricated designs.
Oil-free compressors don’t have the same high-pressure capabilities as oil-lubricated compressors.
They are less corrosion-resistant than oil-lubricated models.
Some oil-free models do not last as long as their oil-lubricated counterparts.

Air Compressor Lubricating Oil

At Energy Machinery, we offer a number of lubricating oil products for air compressors, such as:

Lubricant AEON®9000SP. This synthetic lubricant/coolant blend is primarily designed for rotary screw air compressors and has been proven to provide superior operational results and service durability.
AEON Compressor Lubricants. Our catalog of petroleum-based and synthetic lubricants help to mitigate the compressional friction within rotary screw and reciprocating air compressors alike.
AEON Compressor Fluids. These compressor fluids come in a variety of types and sizes to fit specific lubrication needs.

All of our compressor lubricants have been thoroughly tested and proven to yield exceptional results. We are more than happy to help each and every one of our customers find the best product for his specific model of air compressor.

Oil-Lubricated Air Compressors at Energy Machinery

In summary, both oil-lubricated and oil-free air compressors have unique capabilities, advantages, and drawbacks. Whether working with an oil-lubricated rotary screw, scroll, or rotary vane models, it is vital to feed the correct type and amount of oil into the system for best results.

If you are interested in learning more about oil-lubricated air compressors or have questions about our catalog of air compressors and lubricants, please contact us today.

All About Desiccant Dryers

All About Desiccant Dryers

Author Archives: Armani Goens