QUALITY AIR PNEUROP

Quality Air Pneurop - which is the authority for establishing standard for compressed air equipment in Europe have made some recommendation for quality standards of Compressed air. It classifies 3 main contaminations in air.
They are: * Solid Contaminants; * Water and Moisture; * Oil particles and vapour.

Compressed Air Dryer System

While the dryer is the heart of the compressed-air drying system, a number of accessory components are needed for the dryer to function correctly. There are also auxiliary items that improve the operation or the maintenance of a dryer, or both, to such a degree that the process becomes simple and routine. Following are a number of the most frequently used components.

Compressor

The compressor is used to increase the pressure of the air to that desired in the system. Numerous types with differing pressure ratings are available.

Today market has a wide range of Compressor which has its own advantages, disadvantages which has to be seen from different view point like initial cost, operating efficiency, maintenance and quality of air determined.
Reciprocating Compressor are the one which we widely used. These are built in a wide range of model from a few HP to very large size. Recips themselves differ in their construction like vertical, Balanced oppose, Water cooled/air cooled, single stage/multi stage and so on.
The new entrant to the Air compressor in the screw compressor. These use two helically fluted screw which mesh and compresses air while they run. These have certain advantage in maintenance and operating cost. Other types of compressors are available like vane compressor, Centrifugal compressor. Of which centrifugal slowing being introduced.

OIL FREE COMPRESSOR

Since the lubricating oil used to lubricate the compressors contributes to the bulk of the oil carry over in the compressed air, compressor manufacturers have come out with Oil Free Compressor. Oil free Reciprocating compressor do not use oil in the crankcase; they have Teflon rings which are self-lubricating. These are quite popular and available in India. The latest trend is the so-called Dry Screw.
Normally screw compressor are flood lubricated i.e., the lubricating oil is injected into the compressor chamber and air oil mixture comes out of the compressor block. The oil is separated from air by means of oil separator filter and air is sent to the outlet of the compressor. The dry screw compressor does not get in touch with oil at all and the compressed air is oil free.

To obtain the advantages of Lubricated compressor like cost and maintenance over non-lubricated compressors, people have started using the concept of removing oil from standard lubricating compressor using high efficiency oil removing filters in the airline.
This oil removing filter uses high efficiency micro fibre paper media made out of Borosilicate other suitable material which uses the principle of coalescing technique. These filters which are available can filter oil content as low as 0.01 mg/m3 also. These filters should be protected by providing a pre- filter for removing the dirt and dust particles.

Problems Caused by Water in Compressed Air

Any one responsible for maintaining and operating plant compressed-air systems will be aware of problems caused by water in the air system. The problems are very apparent to those who operate pneumatic tools, rock drills, automatic, air-powered machines, sandblasting equipment, pneumatic logic devices and controls, air gaging, and paint spray equipment.

The principal problems might be summarized as follows:

Washing away required lubricants

Causing rust and scale to form within pipelines

Increased wear and maintenance of pneumatic devices

Sluggish and inconsistent operation of air valves and cylinders

Malfunction and high maintenance of control instruments and air logic devices

Product spoilage by spotting in paint and other types of spraying

Rusting of parts that have been sandblasted

Freezing in exposed lines during cold weather

Further condensation and possible freezing of moisture at the exhaust whenever air devices are rapidly exhausted

In the last case, some rock drills exhibit a 70°F (21°C) drop in temperature from inlet to exhaust. Most portable pneumatic tools have a considerably smaller temperature drop, but the problem can exist.
The increased use of control systems and automatic machinery has made these problems more serious and has caused increased awareness of the need for better-quality compressed air. Air-drying equipment is now a standard part of any well-designed compressed-air system.

AFTER COOLER

      Compressed air dryers are selected based on required flow, pressure, temperature, and dew point. Any variation in these parameters can strongly affect drying efficiency. Normally, compressed air exiting a compressor reaches 180–350°F (82–177°C) depending on compressor type and cooling method. At these temperatures, the air contains high moisture content, so installing an aftercooler before the dryer is essential.
      An aftercooler can remove 50%–75% of water vapor, depending on compressor intake conditions and cooler type. As the air temperature drops, moisture condenses and can be drained as liquid, reducing the load on the dryer and improving performance.
      Aftercoolers are available in air-cooled or water-cooled models, in both horizontal and vertical designs. Smaller air-cooled models can be mounted on tank compressors and use airflow from the compressor’s flywheel, while larger versions work using ambient air without requiring extra electricity or water.

Separators

A number of different types of separators are available to remove the condensed water from the air stream. The most common type uses the centrifugal principle, which drops out most of the liquid to a drain or sump area. The moisture is then periodically discharged by a manually or automatically opened drain valve.

Drain Valves And Moisture Traps

There are many different types of manual and mechanical traps and drains. Although not the same, traps and drains do enable accumulated liquids to be held for draining from receivers, coolers, driers, drop legs, and the like. The manual units range from a simple petcock to a ball, gate, or globe valve. The simplest type of mechanical trap consists of a ball-float arrangement that activates when rising water reaches a preset level.
No power is required to open this type. The least complicated power-activated drain is solenoid type that is energized by a timer signal). The solenoid plunger is then raised and the fluid is dumped, Electric- motor-driven units are available with solid-state controls to program the time intervals between opening and also the duration of the open cycle. Finally, there are pneumatically activated drains that have the interval between openings and the duration of the opening timed by air logic controls.

Filters

Coalescing and particulate filters are essential components used with compressed air dryers to ensure high-quality clean air. The dryer manufacturer’s recommended filtration setup should always be followed for best performance. A typical heatless dryer system includes inlet and outlet filters to remove contaminants before and after the drying process.
A coalescing filter removes oil and water aerosols by combining fine droplets into larger ones that can be separated and drained. A particulate filter removes solid impurities such as dirt, scale, rust and dust that may enter downstream of the compressor and dryer. Additional filters are also available to eliminate vapors and odors when required.
High-performance compressed air filters use multi-layer micro-fiber media to separate contaminants as small as 0.01 micron. Three major types of filters are typically used:

General Purpose Pre-Filter – 85% efficiency, 5-micron particle removal, used as a coarse pre-filter.

High-Performance Micro Oil Removal Filter – 99.99% efficiency, 1-micron particle removal, oil removal up to 0.5 PPM.

High-Performance Sub-Micro Oil Removal Filter – 99.9999% efficiency, 0.01-micron removal, oil removal up to 0.01 PPM, ensuring completely oil-free air.

These filters ensure dust-free, moisture-free, and oil-free compressed air for sensitive industrial applications.

Receivers

Air receivers act as storage reservoirs within a compressed air system, helping stabilize air supply and improve system performance. Depending on installation location—before or after the dryer—they offer different operational advantages.
When installed upstream (before the dryer), the receiver absorbs compressor pulsations and acts as an additional separator, allowing remaining moisture, oil, and solid contaminants to settle out. It also enables separate discharge lines where only part of the compressed air supply requires drying.
When placed downstream (after the dryer), the receiver ensures that airflow through the dryer stays within rated capacity and prevents issues such as liquid carryover, desiccant damage, or high dew-point levels. In this configuration, dry air is stored for peak demand, and temperature fluctuations during heat-reactivated dryer cycles are stabilized by the stored cool dry air.
For heat-of-compression dryers, the receiver must be installed after the dryer. Regardless of location, a properly sized receiver enhances system efficiency, reliability, and air quality.

QUALITY AIR PNEUROP

Compressed Air Dryer System

Compressor

OIL FREE COMPRESSOR

Problems Caused by Water in Compressed Air

AFTER COOLER

Separators

Drain Valves And Moisture Traps

Filters

Receivers

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Achieving Quality Compressed Air: Essential Components for an Efficient Air-Drying System

QUALITY AIR PNEUROP

Compressed Air Dryer System

Compressor

OIL FREE COMPRESSOR

Problems Caused by Water in Compressed Air

AFTER COOLER

Separators

Drain Valves And Moisture Traps

Filters

Receivers

Have a question about this?

About Us

Quick Links

Our Location

Support

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