How to deal with the air compressor with water

Technical solution to the problem of water content in the air outlet of an air compressor

during the operation of the air compressor, the temperature rises due to the compression of the air, and the water vapor in the air will condense into liquid water. If the water is not effectively treated, it will adversely affect the operation of the system and subsequent gas equipment. The following professional solutions are provided from three dimensions: technical principle, equipment selection and maintenance management:

formation Mechanism and Influence of 1. Moisture

1. cause

• compression process: When the air is compressed, the temperature rises and the relative humidity decreases, but the temperature drops after the shutdown, causing water vapor to condense
• environmental factors: For every 10% increase in ambient humidity, the water content of compressed air will increase by about 0.8 g/m & sup3;
• system defect: not equipped with effective post-processing equipment or improper equipment selection

2. hazard Analysis

• pipeline corrosion: moisture and oil in compressed air mix to form acidic substances, corrosion of the inner wall of the pipeline
• equipment damage: moisture enters the pneumatic element, causing the valve core to jam and the seal aging to accelerate.
• Product quality: In spraying, electronic manufacturing and other scenes, moisture will cause coating blistering and short circuit

2. after-treatment equipment selection guide

1. freeze dryer (cold dryer)

• working principle: The compressed air is cooled to 3-5 ℃ through the refrigeration system, so that the moisture is condensed and discharged
• applicable scenarios: conventional industrial gas, pressure dew point requirements ≥ +3 ℃
• key points of selection: the processing capacity should be greater than 120 of the air compressor exhaust volume, and the automatic drainage device should be equipped.

2. Adsorption dryer (suction dryer)

• working principle: Activated alumina or molecular sieve is used to adsorb moisture, which can achieve -40 ℃ to -70 ℃ pressure dew point
• applicable scenarios: precision manufacturing, food and medicine and other scenarios with strict requirements on dew point
• selection points: according to the regeneration mode (no heat/micro heat/heating) selection, no heat regeneration is suitable for intermittent gas conditions

3. precision filter

• filtration grade: equipped with three-stage filtration system (C-stage pre-filtration, T-stage fine filtration, A- stage oil removal filtration)
• filter element selection: according to the particle size selection, 5 μm/1 μm/0.01 μm classification filtration
• maintenance points: replace the filter element every 2000 hours, and record the differential pressure change curve

3. system optimization and maintenance management

1. drainage system design

• pipeline slope: the main pipeline shall maintain a slope ≥ 1%, and water collection bags shall be set every 30 meters.
• Drainage device: equipped with electronic drain valve, regular automatic drainage, to avoid manual drainage is not timely
• winter protection: in the environment below 0 ℃, the drainage pipeline shall be equipped with electric heating belt and thermal insulation layer.

2. intelligent monitoring system

• dew point monitoring: on-line dew point meter is installed at the key station to monitor the pressure dew point in real time.
• Flow control: equipped with proportional control valve to automatically adjust the load of the dryer according to the air consumption
• alarm system: set alarm thresholds such as dew point overrun and filter element blockage, and link MES system

3. periodic Maintenance Procedures

• cold dryer maintenance: monthly cleaning condenser, annual replacement of refrigerant, detection of evaporation pressure
• maintenance of suction dryer: detect the temperature of regeneration tower every quarter, replace the adsorbent every year, and check the muffler
• filter maintenance: establish a filter element replacement account, record the replacement time, pressure difference and processing capacity.

4. special scene processing scheme

1. high humidity environment

• configure pre-cooler to reduce the intake air temperature by 5-10 ℃
• adopt twin-tower dryers running in parallel, alternate adsorption regeneration
• increase the activated carbon adsorption layer, remove odor and organic matter

2. intermittent gas condition

• configuration of air storage tank and dryer linkage control system
• set the pressure holding mode to maintain the low-pressure operation of the dryer during shutdown.
• Installation of bypass pipe, short-term use of gas can bypass the drying system

it is suggested that the enterprise should establish the compressed air quality management system (CAQMS) and bring the air supply system into the scope of process validation. For new construction or renovation projects, CFD fluid simulation analysis should be carried out to optimize the pipe network layout. At the time of system acceptance, the tracking verification of 3 complete production batches shall be completed to ensure the process qualification rate ≥ 99.95. Conduct regular gas supply system audits and recommend a comprehensive energy efficiency assessment every two years to continuously optimize operating parameters.