| TECHNOLOGY | Filter driers and sight glasses

Filter driers and sight glasses

Fitters Notes (Part 11)

Stephan Bachmann,
Danfoss Refrigeration &
Air Conditioning,
Offenbach
After the detailed discussion of solenoid valves in the last issue, it’s
time to turn our attention to another pair of standard fittings in liquid
lines: the filter drier and the sight glass. The importance of these two
components is often (and undeservedly) underestimated. The filter
drier and sight glass protect the refrigeration system and provide an
important indication of any problem involving the refrigerant, moisture,
or contamination in the system.

Drying capacity this reason, it is common practice for

Filter driers
General function
Filter driers are usually installed in
the liquid line of a dry-expansion
refrigeration system, where they have a
dual function.
First, they trap coarse particulate
contamination and copper shavings,
and second, they capture any moisture
present in the system. For this purpose,
modern filter driers are equipped with a
drier core consisting of a 100% molecular
sieve for optimal drying performance
and filtering.
The filter drier should be replaced
each time the refrigeration system is
opened.
If you look at a filter drier data sheet, you
will always see the term“drying capacity”.
This specifies the amount of refrigerant
that can be dried by the filter drier with
a specific type of refrigerant at a specific
temperature, based on a certain moisture
concentration in the refrigerant before
and after the drying process.
For example, a DML 53 drier can reduce
the moisture concentration in 8.5 kg of
R134a refrigerant from 1050 ppm to 75
ppm at 24 °C. Here“ppm”stands for“parts
per million” and refers to the number of
water molecules (H2O) in the refrigerant
relative to the number of molecules of
refrigerant.
If the refrigerant charge of the planned
system is not yet specified, a suitable filter
drier can be chosen based on the liquid
capacity. The liquid capacity refers to the
cooling capacity in kilowatts when the
drier is installed in the liquid line.
Practical tip:
Refrigeration system engineers can
simply assume that the specified ppm
values shown in the datasheets/technical
brochures before and after drying are
realistic, and for practical purposes they
only have to concentrate on the type of
refrigerant and the refrigerant charge
of the system.
Selection and size
This information is adequate for selecting
a suitable filter drier based on the rated
drying capacity or liquid capacity.
The internal volume of the standard drier
is generally significant in this regard. For
manufacturers to indicate the internal
volume of the filter drier in the type
designation.
For example, with the Danfoss DML 53
the “53” indicates an internal volume of
5 cubic inches and a connection size of
3 (10 mm). The connection size number
in the type designation is divided by
8 to obtain the corresponding inch
dimension (for example, with “DML 53”
the connection size is 3, which means
3/8 inch and corresponds to 10 mm in
metric units).
The type designation may also include
the suffix “s” (such as DML 82s), where
“s” stands for “solder” and indicates a
solder connection. If the “s” suffix is not
present, the unit is designed for flare
connection.
Practical tip:
If during a service call you are forced to
use a drier model that you happen to
have in your service van, you can use
the last number of the type designation
to select a substitute with the right
connection size.
Standard driers and biflow driers
There are many different models of filter
driers. Standard models (such as DML)
are most commonly used in commercial
plant construction. They have a solid
core that is permanently bonded to a
compact housing.
These standard driers are designed for
only one direction of flow, as indicated
by an arrow on the drier housing.

© Danfoss A/S (RA Marketing/SB/mwa), January 2008 1

| TECHNOLOGY | Filter driers and sight glasses
This is usually fully adequate. However,
if you encounter a situation with biflow
operation, such as a heat pump system
with a four-way reversing valve, you can
either arrange two standard driers in
parallel with opposing flow directions
and fit each of them with a check valve
in the appropriate flow direction, or
instead select a biflow drier (such as the
Danfoss DMB).
Biflow driers can be used with liquid flow
in either direction without the risk that
previously filtered out foreign matter
will subsequently be released into the
system.
Burn-out driers and cartridge driers
with replaceable cores
In a situation where you actually need a
standard drier but the pipe connection
size is in the range of 22 mm or larger,
you can consider using a cartridge drier
with a replaceable core, such as the
Danfoss DCR.
Cartridge driers are available for use with
single or multiple solid filter cores.
The main advantages of this model
are very easy replacement of the filter
element without any soldering work
or dismantling of the piping, as well
as moderate service cost because the
housing remains in the system and does
not have to be purchased anew.
Like other filter driers, cartridge driers
are most often used in the liquid line.
However, the suction line is the preferred
2 © Danfoss A/S (RA Marketing/SB/mwa), January 2009
installation location when a cartridge
drier is used as a burn-out drier (with a
48 DA cartridge).
This may be necessary if too much
acid has been formed due to water
penetration into the refrigeration system
or a motor burn-out.
Most burn-out cartridges or burn-out
filter driers contain also a significant
amount of aluminium oxide because it
is ideally suited to absorbing acids.
In the event of a burn-out, the cartridge
should be replaced afterward at regular
intervals, and at the end it should be
replaced by a coarse filter cartridge
(type 48F).
Burn-out driers are also available with
non-replaceable cores (type DAS) for
small pipe connection sizes.
If you are interested in actually seeing the
enormous moisture absorption capacity
of a drier along with the large amount
of moisture present in the ambient air,
you can perform the following simple
experiment.
Remove an unused drier core (such as
a type 48 DM) from its sealed can and
place it on a postal scale. Record the
weight and note the colour of the drier
core (you can also take a picture).
One day later, the drier core will have
become much darker and distinctly
heavier.
Collector:
face-seal driers and pencil driers
In relatively small systems where the
cost of a receiver is difficult to justify, a
combined filter drier/receiver (type DMC)
can be used.
It basically consists of a large housing
that combines the functions of a receiver
and a drier core.
The world’s most commonly used type
of drier, thanks to kitchen appliances, is
the pencil drier.
Most pencil driers are copper-coloured
(and made from copper; other types of
driers are painted) and filled with silicagel
beads as the drying agent. A pencil drier is
fitted immediately ahead of the capillary
tube in almost every refrigerator.
Another type of drier is the face-seal
drier. This type is rarely encountered
by refrigeration system engineers who
work exclusively with stationary systems.
Face-seal driers are normally used in
transportation refrigeration systems,
and they are often referred to as “O-ring
driers”.
A face-seal drier is actually a standard
drier, but with a different type of threaded
connection than the flare-fitting models.
The seal between the drier and the pipe
fitting is provided by an O-ring using a
face seal, as the name indicates.
Practical tip:
A filter drier with an O-ring and the suffix
“FS” (such as DML305(FS)) is a face-seal
drier.
| TECHNOLOGY | Filter driers and sight glasses

Selection Variants
To select a suitable drier for a specific Standard sight glasses are available with
system, first consider the pipe diameter solder fittings and flare fittings with male
of the liquid line. threads, as well as with male and female
threaded fittings for direct connection
As there are usually several filter to a filter drier.
sizes available for a given connection
diameter, the drying capacity is also a
good selection criterion.

For quick selection without further Sight glasses

consideration of the drying capacity or
liquid capacity, you should always choose
a slightly larger drier.
For example, the drier sizes DML 83,
DML 163 and DML 303 are available with
10-mm flare connection. For a rough
selection, you should always favour the
163 or 303 size. There is never any real
disadvantage to choosing a slightly
larger drier, aside from the somewhat
larger installation length.
Function
Sight glasses are related to filter driers
in a certain way. In a system with an
expansion valve, a sight glass is usually
fitted in the liquid line immediately after
the filter drier.
In theory, the sight glass can be fitted
at any desired location on the liquid
line. However, placing it close to the
expansion valve is especially advisable.

Pressure drop
Generally speaking, when you select
a component you must always pay
attention to the pressure drop across
the component. This is normally not
necessary with filter driers because they
have only a small pressure drop when
used with suitable pipe dimensions.
Practical tip:
If condensation or even ice forms on the
pipe at the outlet side of the filter drier
in an existing system, despite a normal
condensing temperature (such as 45
°C) and without a subcooler installed,
the most likely cause is that the filter is
clogged with dirt particles.
If measuring ports are available before
and after the drier, a check with a
service pressure gauge will show a
correspondingly high pressure drop.
The only remedy in this case is to replace
the drier.
Generally speaking, a standard sight
glass with an indicator also has a dual
function. It monitors whether the
moisture content of the refrigerant
is within an acceptable range, and it
indicates whether liquid refrigerant
is always present at the expansion
component. If the moisture content is
OK, the indicator colour is green and no
further action is necessary.
If the indicator is yellow, there is a
problem with the moisture content of the
refrigerant. Excessive moisture content
can cause icing of the expansion valve
if the evaporating temperature is 0 °C or
lower. In addition, excessive moisture in
the system can react with the oil normally
used in modern refrigeration systems
(polyester oil) to form acids.
Frothing in the sight glass indicates
either a shortage of refrigerant or that
the refrigerant in the liquid line is not
entirely in the liquid state.
Neither of these situations is good for
the system, so they should at least be
recognised.
Sight glasses are also available without
housings for screw-in installation, and as
saddle-mount versions. Saddle-mount
sight glasses are fitted to the sides of
especially large-diameter pipes using
suitable adapters.
Solder connection
Special care must be taken when
installing a sight glass with solder fittings.
This should normally be done using
hard solder with a nitrogen blanket, as
is generally known.
This prevents the formation of scale
inside the pipe or the sight glass.
Using nitrogen is especially advisable
with a sight glass, as otherwise a black
coating can easily form on the inner
surface. Internal ash formation can be
avoided by the consistent use of dry
nitrogen.

© Danfoss A/S (RA Marketing/SB/mwa), January 2008 3

| TECHNOLOGY | Filter driers and sight glasses

Preview
This concludes our discussion on the
subject of driers and sight glasses.
In the next issue, you can learn about
four-way reversing valves, which are
increasingly being used due to the
growing popularity of heat pumps.

Information
The “Fitters Notes” series is based on the handbook of the same name produced by Danfoss,
which discusses the basic principles of commercial refrigeration systems and the associated basic
components.
You can view the Fitters Notes handbook from here:
http://www.danfoss.com/BusinessAreas/RefrigerationAndAirConditioning/EducationAndTraining/Fitters+Notes.htm
This “Fitters Notes” series is aimed at refrigeration fitters in servicing, system construction, people
entering refrigeration engineering from other disciplines, trainee refrigeration fitters and anyone who
would like to gain a basic practical knowledge of refrigeration in a series of articles.

The discussion avoids formulae as far as possible and only a small amount of prior technical knowledge is necessary.
Fitters like using rules of thumb and so we will provide plenty of them, even if this sometimes makes it necessary to
accept generalisations that are not always entirely accurate from an academic viewpoint. Unless otherwise stated, this
series always refers to refrigeration systems using fluorinated hydrocarbons, such as R134a, R404A/R507 and R407C (i.e.
not ammonia refrigeration systems).

4 © Danfoss A/S (RA Marketing/SB/mwa), January 2009