What is the difference between a desiccant dryer and a refrigerant dryer




















In its basic form, drying occurs as air is passed over a bed of desiccant materials such as silica gel, with water molecules being absorbed out of the air, into the desiccant substance. The drying process usually occurs between two desiccant beds, with one regenerating after saturation, while the other is in use, processes which can be tracked via monitoring equipment. This low dewpoint is an essential measurement for critical applications such as pharmaceutical manufacturing and food and beverage production.

Talk to your Sullair representative to find out more about our range of refrigerated and desiccant dryers. Skip to content. You are here:. Across many industries, compressed air is an essential component in a vast range of operations.

What dryer options should I consider? These dryer types are composed of selective membrane microtubules that selectively retain water vapor.

When a stream of saturated compressed air is passed through this membrane system, the moisture is retained while dry air is released at the outlet. Membrane dryers are particularly suited to isolated locations where a constant flow of compressed air is required. NiGen uses similar membrane technology in our nitrogen generators for Oil and Gas. Deciding on what type of air dryer to use for your process depends on the consideration of several factors including:.

For industrial drying applications where dry air is required metal finishing, beverage, and food processing , the use of a desiccant dryer is ideal.

Water vapor in compressed air passed through a desiccant dryer is more thoroughly eliminated than any other drying method. Desiccant dryers operate at significantly lower dew points which facilitates the elimination of moisture more efficiently than a refrigerated dryer.

By comparison, refrigerated air dryers are typically operated at higher dew points than desiccant dryers. These dryer types are ideal for manufacturing operations where some degree of retained moisture ISO Quality Classes 4, 5 and 6 is acceptable. An additional benefit of deciding on a refrigerated air dryer is the lower overall cost of purchase, operation, and maintenance when compared to the cumulative expenditures on a desiccant dryer.

An air dryer and a water separator differ on the state of the fluids for which they are employed. While an air dryer is designed to remove vaporized water from compressed air a mixture of gases , a water separator also known as an oil-water separator operates on the principle of the immiscibility of oil and water both liquids to separate the two. At NiGen we are dedicated to providing our clients with the most efficient air drying solutions best suited to their unique process needs.

We offer cost-effective rental services on high-quality compressed air desiccant dryers guaranteed to cater to your specialized compressed air-drying needs. Contact us online today to learn more about our products and services. Desiccant Air Dryer vs. Refrigerated — Compressed Air Dryer Types A lot of industrial processes require a steady flow of moisture-free, compressed air to optimize productivity.

Compressed Air Dryer Types One of the major issues operators of compressed air systems must contend with is air dryer selection. Desiccant Dryer A typical desiccant air dryer setup consists of towers that contain hygroscopic material desiccant beads that absorb water from compressed air circulated through them. Heated Desiccant Regeneration These desiccant types utilize heat to regenerate the desiccant materials.

Heatless Desiccant Regeneration Heatless desiccant dryers utilize a portion of the generated dried air to eliminate moisture from the saturated desiccant in a regenerating tower. Refrigerated Air Dryer Refrigerated compressed air dying systems function on the principle of condensation to achieve air moisture removal. Cycling Cycling type refrigerated dryers function similarly to typical refrigerator units.

Non-Cycling This type of air dryer runs a continuous cooling cycle by constantly circulating refrigerant through its circuit independent of moisture levels. Membrane Air Dryer These dryer types are composed of selective membrane microtubules that selectively retain water vapor. When to Use Desiccant Dryer vs. Air drying circuit. In an air-to-air heat exchanger, incoming hot compressed air is cooled by exiting cold dry compressed air where water vapor begins to condense.

During this step, remaining moisture condenses into liquid and is drained from the circuit. Finally, this process has gone full circle as the cold dry compressed air enters the air-to-air heat exchanger where it is warmed by the incoming hot air to around room temperature to mitigate condensate on the downstream air piping network.

Refrigeration circuit. A refrigeration compressor pumps highly pressurized, hot gas refrigerant into a condenser radiator that transfers heat from the refrigerant to the ambient air which condenses the high pressure gas into a high pressure liquid. Then, the high pressure liquid refrigerant flows through an air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger where the refrigerant-side, absorbs the heat from the air-side and, converts into a low pressure refrigerant then into a low pressure gas as the air-side is chilled.

Finally, the now low-pressure, warm refrigerant gas is drawn back into the refrigeration compressor so that the cycle can begin again. Ultimately, choosing the best air dryer for a compressed air system requires a series of careful considerations. Operators should ask themselves questions such as:. With a variety of adsorption and refrigerated models to choose from, Mattei air dryers are compatible many air compressor models and are ideal for applications any industry — from manufacturing and agriculture to food and beverage or pharmaceutical.

Regardless of the specifications of your applications, a Mattei air dryer can provide unmatched reliability, efficiency, durability, and cost-effectiveness. Topics: Air Compressor , air dryer. Menu Login. Adsorption Dryers How They Work: In an adsorption dryer, also referred to as a desiccant dryer, most air flows over a bed of hygroscopic material—such as silica gel, molecular sieves, or activated alumina—which absorbs the water vapor from the air.



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