Presence of moisture in compressed air is an issue that can cause an array of problems in the operation of the air compressor and affects the overall operation at the manufacturing plant. In fact, moisture causes rust, scale and clogged orifices and with that increases wear of the moving parts in the pneumatic tools that are powered by the air compressor. In this way, the efficiency and the safety of the industrial applications that rely on the use of pneumatic tools is significantly reduced and the risk of machine breakdown is greatly increased. With that being said, there’s no doubt that moisture in compressed air is a problem you shouldn’t overlook. Removing moisture from compressed air is not a rocket science. It is a simple process that consists of the following four stages.
Fist Stage: Draining the Compressor Tank
The initial step in separating moisture from compressed air is to drain the tank where the compressed air is stored (alternatively you can install an electronic auto-drain). Moisture in the tank appears when the hot compressed air (around 80C) comes from the pump directly to the air tank that is relatively cool (in most cases at room temperature). It is recommended draining the tank on a daily basis.
Second Stage: Using Water Separator For Air Compressor
A water separator for air compressor is a useful tool that can remove up to 60% of the moisture in the compressed air. The air separator has a similar function as an air filter. The compressed air that comes to the separator is directed to a special spiral that separates the moisture from it by using a centrifugal force. After this stage of air filtration the compressed air is dry enough for safe and effective performing of an industrial operation.
Third Stage: Cooling The Compressed Air
In general, the hotter the air is, the higher the condensation is and with that the presence of moisture in the air is more likely to occur. On the contrary, the lower the temperature of the air is, the lower the amount of moisture is. Due to the correlation of the air temperature (also known as a dew point) and the moisture content in the air, cooling the compressed air is one of the techniques for removing moisture from it. For this purpose, a special compressed air dryer is used for cooling the air down to 3C and with that to remove moisture from the air in the compressor.
Fourth Stage: Desiccant Bead Air Dryer
This stage is used for operations that require very low dew point such as painting for example. A desiccant bead air dryer is air refrigerating device that can cool the air down to -40C. This is done by absorbing the complete moisture from the air.
The post How to Remove Moisture from Compressed Air appeared first on Review The Page.