How to deal with the water of the air compressor

Comprehensive Scheme for Moisture Treatment of Air Compressor

during the operation of the air compressor, condensed water will be generated due to air compression and temperature changes. If it is not properly handled, it may cause pipeline corrosion, equipment wear and equipment pollution at the gas end. The following from the water generation mechanism, treatment technology and maintenance management of three aspects, to provide a scientific water treatment program:

formation Mechanism and Influence of 1. Moisture

1. physical condensation process
   when the air is compressed, the temperature increases and the water vapor saturation increases; when the compressed air is cooled by the after-cooler, the water vapor is supersaturated and condensed to form liquid water. For example, at an ambient temperature of 35°C, each cubic meter of air contains about 30 grams of water vapor. After compression and cooling, the amount of water precipitation can reach 80% of the original water content.

2. Potential Hazards

   • piping system: Water and compressed air in the oil, dust to form an acidic mixture, corrosion of the inner wall of the pipeline.
   • Equipment parts solenoid valve, cylinder and other precision components are easy to fail after entering water, resulting in control failure or action sticking.
   • Gas terminal: In spraying, packaging and other processes, moisture will damage the adhesion of the coating or cause deformation of the packaging material.

Core Technology of 2. Moisture Treatment

1. gas-water separation device
   • centrifugal separator: The centrifugal force generated by the rotating airflow is used to throw the dense water droplets to the wall and discharge them. It is suitable for large flow conditions and the separation efficiency is more than 90%.
   • baffle separator: The airflow direction is changed by the multi-layer baffle plate, so that the water droplets will settle after hitting the baffle plate. The structure is simple but needs to be cleaned regularly.
2. Selection of drying equipment
   • freeze dryer: The compressed air is cooled to 3-5 ℃ through the refrigeration system, so that the water vapor is condensed into liquid water and discharged. It is suitable for general industrial scenarios, and the pressure dew point can reach 2-10 ℃.
   • adsorption dryer using activated alumina or molecular sieve to adsorb residual moisture, the pressure dew point can be reduced to below -40 ℃ to meet the needs of high purity gas such as electronics and medicine.
3. Intelligent drainage system
   • electronic drain valve automatic opening and closing by the liquid level sensor, compared with the float type drain valve, can reduce the loss of compressed air by more than 30%.
   • Timed discharge device: Automatic drainage according to preset time intervals, suitable for scenes with stable gas consumption, avoiding manual operation omissions.

3. maintenance management specification

1. daily inspection points
   • check whether the drain valve is normally opened and closed every day to avoid backflow of accumulated water due to blockage.
   • Observe the pressure difference before and after the dryer every week, and replace the filter element or adsorbent if it exceeds 0.1MPa.
   • Drain the condensate at the bottom of the gas tank every month and check the integrity of the anti-corrosion coating of the tank body.
2. water quality monitoring method
   • use a portable dew point meter to regularly check the dew point temperature of the compressed air to ensure compliance with ISO 8573-1.
   • Test the pH value of the condensed water by pH test paper. If the pH value is less than 6, the pipeline anti-corrosion measures shall be strengthened.
3. Seasonal maintenance focus
   • plum rains season: Shorten the replacement cycle of the dryer adsorbent to prevent the dew point from rising due to incomplete regeneration.
   • low temperature in winter check the electric heat tracing system of the pipeline to prevent the condensed water from freezing and blocking the gas path.

4. scheme selection suggestion

1. basic configuration suitable for general mechanical processing, warehousing and logistics and other scenarios, it is recommended to configure the centrifugal separator + freeze dryer + electronic drain valve combination, equipment investment recovery period of about 1-2 years.
2. Upgrade Scheme for food packaging, precision manufacturing and other industries with high air quality requirements, it is recommended to use adsorption dryer + intelligent drainage system, which can reduce the equipment failure rate by more than 40%.

Through the scientific water treatment scheme, the reliability of the air compressor system can be significantly improved, the service life of the equipment can be extended, and the quality of the gas terminal product can be guaranteed. Enterprises should choose the adaptation technology according to the actual working conditions, and establish a standardized maintenance process to realize the long-term stable operation of the compressed air system.