Compressed Air Systems IV Supply Side Components PDF

Compressed Air Systems IV Supply Side Components Transcript
Slide 1: Compressed Air Systems IV- Supply Side Components

Welcome to Compressed Air Systems IV: Supply Side Components.
This is the fourth in a series of compressed air system courses offered by Energy University. If you have
not already done so, it is recommended that you participate in the first three compressed air courses
before taking this course.
Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group
Slide 2: Many Thanks to the US Department of Energy & the Compressed Air Challenge
This course was produced using material from the US Department of Energy’s “Improving Compressed
Air System Performance”. The source book is free and available for download from the Compressed Air
Challenge website: www.compressedairchallenge.org.
Slide 3: Welcome
For best viewing results, we recommend that you maximize your browser window now. The screen
controls allow you to navigate through the eLearning experience. Using your browser controls may disrupt
the normal play of the course. Click attachments to download supplemental information for this course.
Click the Notes tab to read a transcript of the narration.
Slide 4: Objectives
At the completion of this course, you will be able to:
Identify the components of a compressed air system on the supply side, and understand what they do;
Explain why compressed air has to be cooled and dried, and how this is achieved;
Compare the operation, benefits and drawbacks of different types of dryers;
Identify the purpose of receivers and how they contribute to energy efficiency;
Explain the purpose of filters and pressure control valves; and
Describe how a pressure/flow controller can provide stable, low pressure to the process to minimize un-
regulated air loss.
Slide 5: Introduction
Compressed air system components can usually identified by the major function that they provide
whether the function is related to compression, conditioning, filtration, distribution, and some nature of
end use. Most systems have a supply-side and a demand-side. The supply-side is normally where
ambient air is processed into a pressurized, dry, clean form that can be used for many useful tasks. The
demand side is the portion of the plant where air is distributed, final-filtered, regulated, and perhaps
lubricated for a productive end use. The images in this slide depict both the supply-side and demand side
of a typical industrial compressed air system.
Slide 6: Review
In previous classes, we learned some basic compressed air concepts, and focused on the types of
compressor and how they are controlled. However, there is much more to a compressed air system than
just the compressor. In this course, we will learn about other components on the supply side of the
system. The following components may be found as part of the supply-side of a compressed air system:
Air Inlet Filter: Filters particulate and water of incoming ambient air.
Compressor: Discussed in Compressed Air Systems II Compressor Types and Selection. They compress
atmospheric air into a useful and versatile utility. During the process, lubricants could be present.
After-Cooler: Cools compressor discharge air and condenses up to 70% of the moisture drawn into the
© 2012 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved. All trademarks provided are the property of their respective owners.
compressor.
Separator: Separates condensed liquids leaving the after-cooler.
Automatic Drain: Automatically drains condensate out of the separator and other conditioning devices.
Primary Receiver: Provides storage for compressed air supply in case a compressor fails. This can give
time for an additional compressor to start up with little pressure loss and no interruption in production.
Pre-filter: Improves performance, reliability, and service life of the dryer.
Dryer: Condenses and removes moisture that was not removed by the after-cooler.
Cold-Coalescer: Condenses and removes oil vapors at the most efficient location.
Adsorber: Removes leftover traces of oil and water vapors.
After-filter: Removes leftover particles.
Dry Receiver and Pressure Flow Controller: If used can provide final pressure regulation for the system.
Diagram used with permission from the US Department of Energy and the Compressed Air Challenge
Slide 7: Moisture Removal

Let’s now discuss water in compressed air systems. To deliver air of the required quality we need to
manage its temperature and moisture content. Equipment such as inter-coolers, after-coolers, and dryers
perform valuable moisture removal functions.
Pressure dew point and frost point are important quantities when managing compressed air. These are
the temperatures at which condensation or frost will first occur in piping. Condensation is the formation of
liquid; frost is the formation of ice crystals in piping.
Typically, compressed air must be dried, because the equipment that relies on compressed air needs it to
be moisture free. “Moisture free” can have many definitions but generally the actual requirement is to
have no droplets or frost in the compressed air piping.
The actual dew point requirement normally depends on the minimum temperature that the compressed
air piping will be exposed to, but there can be process requirements for dry air too.
The level of “dryness” required has a direct impact on the cost of purchasing drying equipment, and the
cost of drying the air.
Throttling the air pressure through a reducing valve will result in a new lower pressure dew point of that
air stream.
Slide 8: Intercooler & Aftercooler

In a multi-stage compressor, there will typically be an intercooler between each stage. This is a heat
exchanger that removes the heat of compression before the air enters the next stage. As the air is
cooled, the airstream may fall to its pressure dew point and any additional cooling causes water vapor to
condense out. Condensate is separated from the compressed air and drained out of the system.
An aftercooler cools air leaving the compressor. Sometimes it is an integral part of the compressor
package, but sometimes it is a separate heat exchanger.
Slide 9: Intercooler & Aftercooler

Intercoolers and aftercoolers can use ambient air or water for cooling. Cooling water circulates through a
series of coils. Hot moist compressed air passes through the heat exchanger, heat is exchanged from
the air to the chilled water. As this compressed air is cooled, the pressure dew point is reached, and
water vapor condenses in the heat exchanger and is drained away through a condensate trap.
The cooling water passing through the coils, is now warmed after capturing heat from the hot compressed
air. The cooling water exits the exchanger and carries heat for rejection to a cooling tower, or to a chiller.
Potentially this waste heat may be recovered; since more than 80% of the electrical energy used by the
compressor is changed into heat, this can be a valuable resource for energy and cost savings. If chilled
water is used for cooling, energy savings potential is significant. See our class on waste heat recovery
for more on this topic.
Slide 10: Moisture Separators

A moisture separator installed following each intercooler or aftercooler is used to remove condensate
created by cooling air below its pressure dew point.
Separators may contain baffles that force the air to change direction. The water drops have greater mass
and inertia and tend to collect on the baffles. Impingement separators are similar. They are shaped so as
to collect the moisture on their surfaces. Baffle and impingement types are 80 – 90% efficient.
Another type is shaped to force the air into a cyclone and throw off the free water. Cyclone types are 90
to 95% efficient.
Finally some more complex types incorporate a centrifugal action, and are the most efficient with
performance over 95% and sometimes even over 99%.
Over 20 liters of water may be removed each day from a compressor making 170 SCMH of compressed
air at approx 7 bar when the pressure dew point is reduced from 38°C to 2°C. This would be equivalent
to over 6 gallons of water from a compressor making 100 SCFM of compressed air at approx 100 psia
when the pressure dew point is reduced from 100°F to 35°F. Without after-coolers, separators, and
dryers, much of this water would end up down the piping system causing corrosion and damage to
system components.
Diagrams courtesy of Spirax Sarco
Slide 11: Traps

Liquids collected at intercoolers and after coolers need to be drained out of the system. Traps are used
to “trap” expensive compressed air while allowing condensate and perhaps oil to be safely and efficiently
drained away. Liquid condensate traps and a proper piping arrangement are shown in these images.
Always:
Check for proper size
Conduct leak checks & repair leaks
Check for blockage
Manual valves are sometimes used but their use is discouraged. The disadvantage is that they must be
opened and closed by an operator. The valve may be left open to allow condensate to drain, allowing
compressed air to continually escape into the atmosphere.
Float-type traps do not waste air but they often have demanding requirements for maintenance and are
prone to blocking by sediment.
An electrically operated solenoid valve can be used with an adjustable timer, but setting the timer
correctly can be an issue – the valve may open more often than needed and waste air, or not often
enough and fail to provide adequate drainage.
Zero-air loss traps with reservoirs incorporate float or level sensors and electric or pneumatic signals to
open valves. The reservoir must be drained periodically to avoid fouling.
Imagery courtesy of Spirax Sarco
Slide 12: Oil-Water Separators

Oil-water separators may be required by local waste water authorities on drains if the air compressor is a
design that uses lubrication. The liquid condensate from the aftercoolers will also contain oil. Most
countries have laws that forbid dumping this oily water on the ground, into waterways, or into sewers.
Failing to comply with these requirements can be very costly.
Imagery courtesy of Spirax Sarco
Slide 13: Receivers

Receivers are vessels used to store compressed air until it is required. There will typically be a primary
receiver on the supply side and another on the demand side.
Air compressors work efficiently when they are operated at full rated-load. When operated under partial
load, they will use more energy per unit of airflow. This means that if there are intermittent peaks in the
demand for compressed air, the compressor will work efficiently during these brief peak periods, and
inefficiently all the rest of the time.
A receiver provides a reservoir of compressed air. The receiver acts as storage and can serve out
compressed air over a prescribed range of pressures to meet intermittent peak loads. If short-term peak
air demand can be served from air stored in the receiver, it’s not necessary for a large compressor to be
turned on. This saves energy and perhaps eliminates the need for extra compressor investment. Or, a
smaller compressor can be used – it may work more hours of the day in order to store up the required air,
but it will operate at higher efficiency than a large compressor that is only part loaded operating for short
time periods.
Slide 14: Receivers

This is the formula for calculating the volume of a receiver
It can be rearranged like this
where v is the volume of the receiver tank

t is the time for the receiver to go from upper to lower pressure limits
C is the free air needed
pa is atmospheric pressure, 1.013 bar or 14.7 psia
p1 is the maximum tank pressure and
p2 is the minimum tank pressure
Here’s the formula showing metric units
and with US customary units
Slide 15: Receiver Sizing Best Practice

In the past when energy was of little concern, system receiver capacity was sized for about 2.2 litres per
SCMH (standard cubic metre per hour) or approx 1 gallon per SCFM (standard cubic feet per minute),
based on compressor capacity. Applying that rule the recommended volumes would be shown in these
tables.
It is important to note that receiver capacity is inexpensive and improves system performance. For
efficient operation, rotary screw compressors operating under load-unload control should be sized with:
between 11 and 22 litres of receiver capacity per SCMH (standard cubic metre per hour)
or
between 5 and 10 gallons per SCFM (standard cubic feet per hour)
This guideline would result in the following sizing recommendations.
Remember, piping volume counts as receiver capacitance too and large pipe results in good pressure
flow distribution through the system for energy savings!
Slide 16: Dryers

Let’s discuss dryers now. After passing through the aftercooler and separator, the air is still saturated. If
this air is delivered to the plant as-is, moisture will condense as it cools further, and potentially corrode
equipment, or interfere with processes. Therefore, we need to dry the air before it is passed on to the
plant. Dryers are used for this.
Deliquescent absorption dryers are rare but can be found in certain locations. They use a medium to
absorb the moisture. Over time the medium changes from a solid to a liquid which is drained away and
eventually has to be replaced. The medium may be sodium, potassium or calcium salts, or based on
urea. The liquid must be properly disposed of according to environmental regulations.
These dryers suppress the dew point temperature an amount below what it was when it entered the
dryer. Performance values yield air dried to an extent equivalent to 11 to 14°C or 20 to 25°F change in
dew point.
Slide 17: Refrigerant Dryers

Refrigerant dryers are more common than deliquescent dryers. Like the compressor aftercooler, it works
by cooling the air with refrigeration so that the vapor condenses. We may not want to send cool air to the
plant, so most dryers have a heat recovery exchanger to improve dryer performance, reduce electrical
consumption, and to warm the dried air before sending it out to the plant.
Most refrigerant dryers can be classified into cycling and non-cycling types:
Cycling dryers cool compressed air indirectly through an intermediate substance. The air is exposed to a
thermal storage medium, like refrigerant or chilled water in coils, or even masses of aluminum granules or
bronze ribbon. The medium is chilled, and then the compressed air gives up heat to the medium. The
dryer is controlled by one or two thermostats that turns off the refrigeration when it is not needed. This
allows the dryer to cycle depending on the demand of the system.
Here we can see an example of a non-cycling dryer. It cools the air directly using direct-expansion
processes. There is no cold medium removing the heat from the air. Instead, the warm, moist
compressed air passes through two heat exchangers; one exchanger to pre-cool incoming hot moist
compressed air while re-heating cold refrigerant-dried compressed air ready to be supplied to the plant.
The second heat exchanger is a refrigerant-to-air exchanger (using a vapor-compression refrigeration
cycle for cooling) used to further reduce the compressed air temperature down just above freezing so
more moisture can be condensed out of the air stream. Again, this cold air is re-heated in the first heat
exchange as it passes through, precooling the moist warm incoming air stream.
These dryers can dry the air to an extent equivalent to 20°C or 35°F pressure dew point temperature.
Slide 18: Desiccant Dryers

Another type of dryer relies on desiccant materials to adsorb moisture, like the packets of silica gel that
you find in some consumer goods. The air entering the dryer must be free from oil. The air passes
through a tower of desiccant granules, and the substance captures the moisture in its pores.
Desiccant material can hold only so much moisture and periodically it must be taken off-line and
regenerated so it can again be used for the drying process. Generally, there are two towers, so that one
can be in service while the other one regenerates. The dryer may have a built-in regeneration cycle to
change from the spent active tower to the newly regenerated tower.

The regeneration cycle can be done in a number of ways. We will look at the least efficient method first
and progress to the most efficient method.
The Pressure-Swing Heatless Method is achieved by reducing the pressure in the container and passing
previously dried compressed purge air through the material. This uses a lot of valuable compressed air
during tower cycling and by using dried compressed air for purge air.
Heated Exhaust Purge includes a heated tower bed or heated dried compressed purge air flow for drying.
This also wastes some compressed air during purge and tower cycling but less of it then the heatless
method.
The Heated Blower Purge method uses ambient air that may be produced by a blower. It may be heated
within the dryer or externally to reduce the amount of purge air required. This is more efficient than
compressed air purge air methods of regeneration but some compressed air waste occurs when the
tower de-pressurizes to start the regeneration process.
Heat of Compression dryers may be used in certain applications. Very hot air leaves the compressor
without any aftercooling, and is passed through the regenerating tower to drive off moisture from the
desiccant using the heat in the air. The air enters an intercooler which is used to cool the very warm and
now moist airstream and condense much of the moisture it contains. When the air exits the intercooler, it
then passes through the active desiccant tower to be final dried to a very low pressure dew point.

Another version uses a heat wheel type of arrangement, diverting discharge air into two separate air
streams through the desiccant.
Here we can see air stream A [green arrow], which is cold saturated air coming from the aftercooler. This
passes through the desiccant and exits as dry air [blue arrow]. Over time the desiccant needs to be
regenerated. The drum of desiccant rotates so that gradually the used desiccant passes into air stream
B. Air stream B is hot unsaturated air [orange arrow] coming from the compressor outlet before the
aftercooler. This may be further heated to produce even hotter air [red arrow]. The hot purge air passes
through the desiccant and regenerates it. As the air passes through, it picks up moisture from the
desiccant and exits as hot saturated air [yellow arrow]. The purge air stream is then cooled and passes
back through the wheel to be dried.
Desiccant dryers can achieve dew points well below the freezing point of water. Because of these
extremely low dew points, the entire air stream does not have to be dried. This can greatly reduce
operating costs.
Desiccant is not very effective if the inlet conditions are above 60°C or 140°F (except for heat of
compression dryers which need hot compressor discharge air to function).
Slide 21: Operating Cost

The cost of operating each type of dryer can vary considerably:
Deliquescent dryers are the least costly to run, but they do not dry as well achieving relatively high
pressure dew points of about 15°C or 60°F. Normally, lower pressure dew points are needed and other
more costly dryers are required.
Refrigerant dryers are economical to operate and are suitable for most applications.
Desiccant dryers provide very dry air for cold or critical applications. Pressure swing desiccant are least
expensive but cost the most in energy. Heated purge and blower purge improve on the economics of
operation at a higher initial cost.
Heat of compression desiccant dryers provide operating costs that are relatively low and also can serve
up very low dew point. The disadvantage is that the capital costs of this type may be significantly higher
and this type of dryer is not suitable for all compressor applications.
Be sure to evaluate the total cost of ownership when choosing dryer equipment.
A tool to help with this can be downloaded from the Attachments to this class. It provides typical values
of the electrical load of different types of dryer. You can adjust the pink cells to reflect the size of your
system, the total operating hours per year, the currency that you use and the unit cost of energy. There
are two tabs, one for SI countries, which expresses the air volume in cubic metres per hour, and one for
the US with the air volume in cubic feet per minute. The tool will give you an approximate indication of
the relative cost of the different methods. More accurate comparisons should be done by an expert and
may need to take into account impact on peak demand charges as well as energy charges.
Slide 22: Filters

A compressed air system includes a variety of filters. Filters appear at the air inlet to remove particles
and moisture before they enter the compressor. They are also located within the compressed air system
to protect equipment downstream of the compressor. Cleaning and replacing filters is an important part
of the system maintenance to preserve its efficiency.
Particulate filters remove debris. Many compressed air systems also include filters to remove odors. Air
line filters may be located on the demand side to provide additional protection if required by some
equipment.
Coalescing filters have a very fine mesh that removes lubricant oil from the compressed air. The element
of a coalescing filter is often made of glass fibers. The oil vapor ‘coalesces’ onto these fibers and drips
down into a filter bowl.
An adsorption filter may also be used to remove any last traces of oil. Adsorption is a process whereby
oil molecules adhere to a surface of adsorbent material. It is a surface phenomenon, and so it differs
from absorption, in which the material becomes permeated. The material is typically a type of activated
carbon. Adsorption filters are also known as vapor filters.
Slide 23: Air Quality

Air quality requirements of the process dictate the level of solids, dew point, and oil content for various
ISO Quality Classifications. Up to date copies of this standard are available from ISO.
Slide 24: Pressure/Flow Controllers

Pressure/Flow Controllers are devices that separate the supply side from the demand side influences.
These are comprised of custom-engineered components including a dry-receiver and a pressure/flow
control valve(s), and a control system (see the receiver and control valve in the green hashed oval in the
slide). The flow controller manages the flow of air from the dry receiver on the supply side into the
distribution system.
With a flow controller, you can precisely control the demand-side pressure to a set point less than a
normal system would be set to. This reduces air lost through un-regulated leaks and loads.
The dry receiver contains air, usually between half and one atmosphere (0.3 to 0.7 bar ) higher than the
downstream system pressure – that’s approx 5 psi to 10 psi higher. This volume of air is available for
release during short periods to serve intermittent plant loads without starting another compressor.
Any pressure variations that occur on the supply side are confined away from the demand side. Without
a pressure/flow controller, pressure swings transmitted to unregulated end use devices can result in
added air loss waste.
Slide 25: Pressure/Flow Controllers

Stable pressure control can be seen in the graph depicted in the slide.
The upper line represents output from the plant air compressors. The lower line is the precise pressure
output from the Pressure/Flow Controller.
The main function of a PFC is to separate the demand side of the system from the supply side and to
allow pressure to the distribution system to be maintained at a steady level sufficient to meet end use
requirements. Primary dry receiver volume upstream of the controller is essential to ensure the required
flow to the system.
The main advantage seen here is that supply to the distribution system can be maintained at around 6
bar or 90 psig or less with small variations of +/- 0.05 bar or +/- 1 psi. This provides a constant system
pressure and minimizes “artificial demand” from unregulated uses and leaks. Some systems can operate
safely down to 4 bar or 60 psig.
If installed, it is very important that plant maintenance staff understand the operation of this system and
keep it maintained properly in service. A normal failure mode of the controller is to move to a full-open
position resulting in no savings at all to the owner.
Slide 26: Summary

Let’s summarize some of the information that we have discussed in this course.
We identified the components of a compressed air system, including filters, the compressor itself,
intercoolers and aftercoolers, separators and drains, receivers, dryers and cleaning devices such as the
cold-coaslescer, adsorber and after filter.
We learned that dry air is important to prevent damage to equipment and interference with processes.
We learned about
deliquescent absorption dryers – which are low cost but do not dry as well as some other types
refrigerant dryers – which are economical and suitable for most applications
desiccant dryers – which are expensive but provide very dry air, and
heat of absorption dryers – which are economical and can also provide very dry air, but at higher capital
cost
We saw that receivers provide air storage that prevents running a large compressor for short peak
periods. Using a smaller compressor to store up air is more energy efficient.
We saw that a pressure / flow controller separates the supply and demand sides of the system to provide
stable, low pressure to the process. This minimizes un-regulated air loss.
Slide 27: Thank You!

Thank you for participating in this course.

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Compressed Air Systems IV Supply Side Components Transcript

Slide 1: Compressed Air Systems IV- Supply Side Components

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Slide 7: Moisture Removal

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Slide 8: Intercooler & Aftercooler

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Slide 9: Intercooler & Aftercooler

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Slide 10: Moisture Separators

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Diagrams courtesy of Spirax Sarco

Slide 11: Traps

Imagery courtesy of Spirax Sarco

Slide 12: Oil-Water Separators

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Imagery courtesy of Spirax Sarco

Slide 13: Receivers

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Slide 14: Receivers

It can be rearranged like this

where v is the volume of the receiver tank

Here’s the formula showing metric units

and with US customary units

Slide 15: Receiver Sizing Best Practice

This guideline would result in the following sizing recommendations.

Slide 16: Dryers

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Slide 17: Refrigerant Dryers

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Slide 18: Desiccant Dryers

Slide 19: Desiccant Dryers

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Slide 20: Desiccant Dryers

Imagery used with permission from Atlas Copco Group

Slide 21: Operating Cost

Slide 22: Filters

Slide 23: Air Quality

Slide 24: Pressure/Flow Controllers

Slide 25: Pressure/Flow Controllers

Slide 26: Summary

Slide 27: Thank You!

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