Compressed Air Alternatives

November 24, 2015November 24, 2015Ken Bean

Although compressed air is readily available and convenient to use in most plants, it is often more cost-effective to find an alternate solution to some problems. Some studies have shown that the overall efficiency of a typical compressed air system can be as low as 10% to 15%. With that in mind, using a fan or even modifying an air conditioning system to cool a component is likely to be less expensive in the long run than installing a compressed air vortex cooler.

Vacuum systems are more efficient and safer for cleaning than compressed air. Electric tools are less expensive to operate than their pneumatic counterparts, although torque and industrial durability need to be considered when selecting the right tool for the job. Ultimately, a person needs to consider all options and use compressed air only when it truly makes sense.

“The above statements are taken from the DOE Compressed Air Challenge website”

If you answer “yes” to any of the following, your use of compressed air can likely be reduced! We offer Free on site consultation to evaluate your compressed air needs.

Can this application use compressed air at a lower pressure?
Is the pressure required for this application in the range of a blower rather than a compressor?
Does the application use large volumes of air for short burst of time? ie. Chip blowing or bag house filter blow off
Is this application using compressed air for parts cooling or drying?

Is My Desiccant Bad?

November 17, 2015November 17, 2015Ken Bean

I recently suggested to a client that it was near time for a desiccant change. His response was, How do I know the desiccant needs changing and what impact or improvements new desiccant would make. He also wanted a factory statement on the life span of desiccant in his heatless dryer which in this case is activated alumina. Below is my response to him and I thought it might be beneficial for others as well.

The typical life span on desiccant in a heatless dryer is 3-5 years. Desiccant will typically last longer in a heatless since there is less thermal shock.

I’m not aware of anyone that publishes estimated life span.

The benefits of new desiccant are better dewpoint and lower pressure drop.

The desiccant in a dryer degrades because of attrition (the desiccant rubbing against itself which wears the bead size down), thermal degradation (if the desiccant is in a heated dryer) and of course if the dryer happens to be installed on a lubricated compressor system then it will go bad much quicker due to oil fouling. Once oil attaches to the desiccant bead, the pores of the bead are coating with oil (which cannot be removed) thus eliminating the desiccants ability to adsorb water vapor.

A good indicator of desiccant condition is to use a portable hygrometer on the downstream airline to see what actual dewpoint is being achieved.

Another indicator that desiccant is going bad is quicker than normal loading on the particulate filter downstream. As the desiccant deteriorates it creates more dust to be blown downstream which is then captured in the particulate filter.

Another check is the differential pressure across the dryer. Determine the clean differential pressure from the manufacturer and then compare that information to the actual Delta P between the dryer inlet and outlet. The higher the differential pressure above factory specifications indicates a worsening desiccant condition. Assure the factory number used for comparison either includes (or does not include the pre & post filters) and check the corresponding pressures for comparison.

The last suggestion is to obtain a desiccant test kit, pull a desiccant sample from the dryer and have it sent for analysis. However, to assure an accurate test the sample should be pulled from the middle of the desiccant bed which is often difficult and this service usually incurs a charge which is why I suggest it as the last option.

Proper Drains Create A More Efficient Compressed Air System

November 9, 2015November 10, 2015Ken Bean

Industry is beginning to understand the true cost of compressed air and it is not cheap. We work with a host of companies every day to reduce their compressed air cost and improve on the reliability of the compressed air system.

If your company only takes one step on it’s own to create a more efficient system for yourself then consider installing the correct condensate drain valves.

Using compressed air for an intended purpose is an obvious goal but we often find that the compressed air ends up being used in unnecessary and wasteful ways. Like blowing debris from parts or workers which is an obvious waste of a utility. Even more concerning is waste that occurs from improperly selected equipment and drain valves fall firmly on that line.

Everyone knows that compressed air systems create huge volumes of water that must be eliminated from the system at any location in the system where the air temperature drops, thus creating liquid water. These area’s typically include intercoolers, aftercoolers, refrigerated dryers and receivers . At these points, equipment (drain valves) must be installed to remove the liquid water from the system collection points.

A simple solution utilized in many systems is a timed based solenoid drain.

There are a couple of potential problems with a solenoid type drain valve. First, most of these drains utilize a very small orifice (port) where the water is discharged from the system making it susceptible to blockage by dirt, sludge or rust particles. Second, the drain discharges compressed air with the water which is a waste of the utility and Third, the timed function of the drain never takes the amount of water into consideration. Maybe the drain is open too long or perhaps the timed event is too short and the water is not completely discharged from the system.

A much better approach is to utilize a zero air loss type automatic drain like the Dehydra 52 shown below.

How It Works

Condensate enter the drain through one of he two inlet connections. A non-metallic float is tethered to a float arm. As condensate is collected and the translucent reservoir fills, the float rises. When the condensate reaches a designed level, the float lifts the trigger assembly and a drain cycle is initiated. The trigger assemble opens and directs control air to the valve actuator, which in turn opens the full-port drain valve.

The compressed air line from the water collection point is closed and condensate will then exit the unit. As the condensate level drops, the trigger assembly closes and the valve actuator closes the drain valve. The drain is returned to a standby condition.

Thus the collection point is fully drained and the during the draining process, no compressed air is lost from the system.

The drain valve is an area your company can easily make an impact to improve your compressed air system.

Cold Slows Production

November 3, 2015August 3, 2016Ken Bean

Throughput Suffers When Plant’s Freeze

Everyone knows frozen air lines bring a plant to a halt. The solution is to properly maintain your compressed air dryer. Call me before the cold weather brings you to a halt. My service technicians can repair or maintain any brand of dryer both regenerative and refrigerated.