Posted to News on 29th Jan 2011, 10:40
High-performance desiccant air dryers are energy-efficient
Atlas Copco is launching three new ranges of energy-efficient desiccant air dryer that are designed to ensure a reliable source of high-quality, dry compressed air to meet the needs of demanding applications. The new dryer ranges are particularly suitable for industries such as electronics, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas processing, where using the highest quality compressed air is vital. The three ranges use desiccants to adsorb moisture from the compressed air, thereby protecting production process equipment and helping to maintain the end product quality.
The new products include two ranges of heatless desiccant dryers: the CD 25+-145+ and the CD 110+-300+ ranges are based on a simple, compact design and working principle to guarantee reliability even in harsh operational environments. The third new range, the heat-reactivated blower purge dryers BD 100+-300+, is built for energy-efficiency and endurance. By using heated ambient air for regeneration, this dryer range keeps energy costs to a minimum because there is a lower incidence of purge air losses.
Energy efficiency is achieved through low pressure drops and delayed dryer cycles - the optional feature of dewpoint-dependent purge control minimises purge air losses by only switching over the unit's desiccant towers when they are saturated with moisture, rather than on a fixed time interval. High performance and a constant pressure dewpoint " even at full load " is guaranteed under any operating condition.
Minimal pressure drops
The new CD+/BD+ series contribute to energy savings and carbon footprint reduction by minimising pressure drops* and optimising the regeneration cycle. The pressure dewpoint** sensor measures the remaining humidity in the compressed air, detects when the active tower is saturated and then switches the functions of the two dryer towers at the optimal moment. Thanks to the dewpoint-dependent purge control switching, dryer cycles are delayed, with the result that energy savings of up to 90 per cent are achieved in contrast to more traditional switching systems.
CD+ dryers use a quantity of the dried air to regenerate their towers and are suitable for operation under hazardous conditions since they do not use ambient air. The BD+ unit mainly uses ambient air to dry its desiccant and, in comparison to a similar installation with the CD+ range, its blower purge technology makes it possible to downsize both the BD+ desiccant dryer and the compressor, resulting in major energy savings.
High performance
While Atlas Copco's engineers have focused on a simple design for the CD25+ - 145+, the robust vessels and galvanised flanged pipe connections of the CD 110+-300+ and BD 100+-300+ guarantee efficient regeneration while minimising leakages and keeping pressure drops low.
By monitoring all parameters of the desiccant air dryers with the Elektronikon Controller (not included on the CD 25+-145+ units), a constant pressure dewpoint down to -70degC (-100degF) is guaranteed, even at 100 per cent load. This ensures absolute dry air for vulnerable applications, such as automatic pharmaceutical processes that require the highest level of reliability 24/7.
Reliable dry air Installation and service are simplified thanks to easily accessible internal components, straightforward installations and the use of durable materials and components such as butterfly valves. Maintenance intervals are extended and costly production downtime for installation and servicing is kept to the minimum.
Controller
The Elektronikon controller is equipped with a user-friendly interface and navigation system. In addition, free online visualisation enables remote monitoring, enabling accurate anticipation of operating and maintenance needs.
Atlas Copco says the new CD+ and BD+ series reflect its primary focus on sustainability and on increasing energy efficiency while offering reliable performance for every application. Follow the link for more information about high-performance, energy-efficient desiccant air dryers.
* The pressure drop of the CD 110+-300+ and BD 100+-300+ ranges is below 0.2bar (e) / 2.90psig.
** Pressure dewpoint (PDP) refers to the water content in compressed air. It is the temperature at which water vapour condenses into water at the current working pressure. Low PDP values indicate small amounts of water vapour in the compressed air.
