The choice of an air dryer is a crucial part of any project or upgrade to any plant. The wrong choice at inception can cost a company millions in spoilt goods and products or in wasted energy costs.
Driers vary widely. Some merely provide dew point suppression with high operating costs while others offer medium or low dew point capability. In general, the drier the compressed air (the lower the dew point), the higher the capital and operating cost.
Start with an evaluation of the plant’s air quality requirements. How dry does the compressed air have to be? Over-specifying the factory’s air quality requirements will increase the cost of the dryer. Refrigeration air dryers have the lowest operating cost with lower pre- and after-filtration requirements when compared with a chemical adsorption air dryer. In the majority of applications, a refrigeration air dryer will be sufficient.
If large volumes of low dew point air are required, the use of a more expensive chemical adsorption air dryer fitted with dew point demand control and purge heating is indicated. Compared with its heatless twin tower cousin, it has a lower operating cost, but a higher purchase price. However, the difference in capital cost will be recovered in less than two years, thereafter saving the operator substantial amounts of money while providing high quality compressed air.
Another solution could be the use of a refrigeration dryer as the prime dryer in the compressor room, with a de-centralised chemical adsorption dryer downstream within the factory. The refrigeration dryer provides bulk low cost air drying, thereby reducing long-term operational costs. The smaller downstream chemical air dryer provides a more cost effective solution for specific applications that require very high quality compressed air.
Compressed air treatment is a specialised field. Consult a reputable supplier for advice before making your final choice on an air dryer. Always consider the cost of ownership and the level of competency that a supplier can offer before placing an order.
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