Correctly Sizing your Refrigerated Air Dryer is critical if you need

dry air.

Refrigerated air dryers are the most popular choice in removing condensate (water)
from a compressed air system. Removing water from a compressed air system is
crucial in the majority of applications as water can cause instrument/tool damage,
product spoilage, pipe corrosion and higher maintenance costs.

The type of air dryer selected depends on the level of moisture required to be removed
from the compressed air for each specific application. Selecting the right dryer is
critical. However, the first step in condensate removal is the installation of an
effective aftercooler and condensate separator. An aftercooler will not only remove
approximately 65-75% of the moisture from compressed air it also lowers the
temperature such that it is cool enough the dryer select. A coalescing filter prior to the
dryer will remove contaminants which is crucial as an air dryer needs to be free from
contaminants to be effective.

An aftercooler will cool compressed air to approximately 10°C above ambient

temperature whilst a correctly sized refrigerated air dryer will reduce the temperature
to between 1°C &4°C removing approximately 95% of the moisture contained in
compressed air. At 95% condensate removal, most systems will not see any liquid
downstream of a correctly sized refrigerated air dryer.

If a refrigerated air dryer is not sized correctly for a particular system then issues such
as overheating, decreased efficiency and shut-down are common leading to moisture
in your system and the dryer rendered ineffective.

To determine the correctly sized dryer for your application there are 5 variables that
must be considered including:

1) Flow Rate (Free Air Delivery (FAD))

The flow rate is determined by the FAD of your air compressor(s) to determine the
minimum flow the refrigerated air dryer needs to be able to process. For example an 8
bar, 75kW KHE Series Rotary Screw Compressor has a FAD of 14.18m³/min.

2) Operating Pressure

Refrigerated air dryers are usually specified at a 7 bar operating pressure. Therefore a
compressor operating at 8 bar would require a correction factor to be applied. The
correction factor table below indicates that for 8 bar operating pressure the dryer has a
capacity of 1.06 times that of its capacity at 7 bar. .

bar 5 6 7 8 9 10
Correction 0.85 0.93 1 1.06 1.11 1.15
Factor
3) Maximum Ambient Temperature

The maximum ambient temperature of the environment the refrigerated dryer will be
located must be considered in the calculation. It is important in Australia that dryers
are selected to handle the ambient temperatures that we typically encounter during our
summer months. An undersized dryer not selected to handle these temperatures may
shut down and fail. Always check when purchasing an air dryer that it is rated to
handle our ambient temperatures as some European models are designed for only
25°C conditions. A Southern Cross air dryers are always selected for a minimum
ambient of 35°C. A correction factor would be applied for dryers operating at
different capacities.

°C 25 30 35 40 42 45
Correction 1.11 1.07 1 0.85 0.75 0.66
Factor

4) Maximum Inlet Air Temperature

The inlet air temperature refers to the temperature of the compressed air as it enters
the dryer. An effective aftercooler will reduce the temperature of the compressed air
to around 10°C above ambient. An air dryer selected for an ambient temperature of
35°C will typically experience an inlet temperature of 45°C. If the inlet air
temperature is above 45°C temperature another correction factor must be applied. .

°C 30 35 40 45 50 55
Correction 1.43 1.30 1.20 1 0.87 0.68
Factor

5) Pressure Dew Point

The pressure dew point is the point at which water vapour turns to liquid. A correctly
sized dryer will lower the pressure dewpoint such that moisture is turned to liquid
which can be easily removed. As a standard in Australia most refrigerated air dryers
are selected to achieve a pressure dew pint of 3°C. In our example we will select our
dryer at the nominated pressure dew point of 3°C. Once again, if a higher pressure
dewpoint is OK, the dryer capacity can be adjusted.

°C 3 5 7 9 10
Correction 1 1.09 1.18 1.30 1.33
Factor
To complete the calculation and get the ‘actual flow rate’ required by a refrigerated
air dryer to suit our compressed air system we perform the calculation as follows:

FAD x Correction Factor (Working Pressure) x Correction Factor (Ambient

Temperature) x Correction Factor (Inlet Temperature) x Correction Factor (Pressure
Dew Point) = Actual Flow Rate of Dryer Required.

So the actual calculation would be:

14.18 x 1.06 x 1 x 1 x 1 = 15.03 m³/min.

This calculation means when selecting a refrigerated air dryer to suite our 75kW
compressed air system the dryer needs to be able to process at least 15.03 m³/min of
air flow to operate at full efficiency. So when selecting a model we would select the
correct model designed to handle 15.03 m³/min or more to ensure a reliable source of
dry compressed air.

If you would like more information on selecting and sizing a suitable refrigerated air
dryer for your application don’t hesitate to contact us on 1300 098 901 or simply
complete the ‘Enquiry Form’ on this page.