Desiccant dryers are used for drying air in storage tanks or pneumatic systems and are beneficial in the drying of hygroscopic (water-absorbing) resins. These dryers remove water from the air by passing it through a desiccant that absorbs moisture.
Features
Desiccant dryers consist mainly of two cylinders containing desiccant, connected by a valve system.
Operation
When the desiccant in the first cylinder is saturated, the air flow can be switched to the cylinder containing the dried desiccant.
Dessicant Types
Common desiccants are silica gel (an oxide of silica), alumina (aluminum oxide) and calcium sulfate (the anhydrous form of gypsum).
Types of Dryers
While manual desiccant dryers exist, many dryers are regenerative desiccant dryers, as noted in the Plant Services magazine article, "The Economics of Operating Regenerative Desiccant Dryers," by Noel Corral and Andrew Sheaffer.
Most Expensive
Heatless regenerative desiccant dryers run a portion of dried compressed air through the previously utilized cylinder to extract moisture from its desiccant.
Least Expensive
Heated purge regenerative desiccant air dryers use less air than the heatless variety in addition to heat, which helps the air carry away more water as it passes through the saturated desiccant.
Best Compromise
Heated blower purge regenerative desiccant air dryers use air from outside the dryer that is heated and sent through the water-saturated desiccant for drying.
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