Why you need a good air filter
Clean air that is free from impurities is always in demand. Not only for homes and offices but also industrial and manufacturing uses as well.
When running air compressors it’s important to remove impurities because the combined effect of dirt, dust, oil and water results in increased wear and tear on mechanical parts. Not only that but certain industrial and manufacturing processes can only work with the highest possible purity of compressed air.
It’s been estimated that poorly maintained air compressor systems are responsible for some $3.2 billion in excess utility costs and inefficiencies worldwide annually.
Dust and other small solid materials present in the air are called particulates. Particulates will mostly damage end points on an air compression system. For example, a woodworking workshop or carpentry store produces plenty of sawdust, with smaller particulates posing a threat to the compression system. Compressors with a high volume of particulates will also require more lubrication, which is not only costly, but can lead to over-lubrication of the compressor system.
Lubrication is necessary but applying too much or too little lubrication can damage your system. And then there’s the fact that lubricant contamination is a serious concern for air compressors used in food production and food sciences, as well as other chemical based industries where purity of chemical process is paramount.
Air compressors produce hot air which also holds high levels of moisture. And as the air moves away from the compressor it begins to cool and moisture builds up. Moisture can lead to rust on the piping which will damage your system and eventually lead to failure. Even without the rust, moisture affects the efficiency of your air compressor system, making it more expensive to run.
All of this is solved by connecting proper air filters to the compressed air system.
How air filters Work
Simply put, air filters are systems that allow the compressed air source to pass through materials and catalysts. These materials and catalysts are what remove particles and liquid impurities, and the cleaned air is delivered.
For both larger and smaller dry particulates Air filters rely on different filtration principles - Inertial Impaction, Interception and Diffusion.
Inertial impaction is the process where particles that are too heavy to flow with the compressed air stream get trapped in the filter material. Interception is the process where the particulates that are too large to pass through the porous holes in the filter material get left behind. And Diffusion is the process where the filter material disrupts the movement of particulates in the compressed air causing them to slow down long enough to get trapped or stopped by the filter material.
For removing aerosols and vapors air filters rely on the techniques of Coalescing Filtration and Adsorption.
The coalescing process consists of bringing small droplets of liquid together in order to form large droplets. As the droplets increase in size, they fall from the filter into a moisture trap, resulting in a cleaner and dryer compressed air stream. Adsorption is the process where vapors bonding to the surface of an adsorbent material. For example activated charcoal is highly adsorbent to oil vapor.
These materials and catalysts in the air filter have to be replaced periodically because they retain all the impurities that have been cleaned out from the compressed air stream.
We saw an opportunity here to apply our R&D efforts toward creating energy and cost savings through Air Filters because it would help our customers lower this fixed cost.
Conclusion
Since 1998, our dedicated filtration team has been responsible for in-house development of cutting-edge filtration solutions. This results in expert know-how of filtration mechanisms, state-of-the-art test facilities and breakthrough innovations. For many years, our filtration team has cooperated closely with the University of Karlsruhe, a leading institute in research of filtration mechanisms.
What we’ve designed is a range of Air Filters that offer these benefits:
- A 40% lower pressure drop than the conventional filter combination results in 40% higher energy efficiency.
- High-performance stainless steel cores, double O-rings, epoxy sealed caps, and anti-corrosive coated filter housing.
- Optimal design and filter media to allow for low pressure losses.
- Monitoring of energy use with differential pressure indication.
- Easy maintenance with external ribs on the threaded housing, or a rotating bottom cover for the welded housings, and push-on elements.
