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If compressed air is contaminated and comes into contact with the final product, the quality of these pruducts might be compromised. In this article we will explain how to easily remove these contaminants from your compressor system.
The compressed air from the compressor is hot after compression, often at a temperature between 70–200°C. An aftercooler is used to lower this temperature, which in turn also reduces the water content. Today, this equipment is frequently included as standard equipment for a compressor installation. The aftercooler should always be placed directly after the compressor. The heat exchanger cools the hot air and then routes most of the condensation water, which would otherwise flow into the system, as quickly as possible. The aftercooler can be either water- or air-cooled and is generally fitted with a water separator featuring automatic drainage.
Most compressor installations are fitted with an aftercooler as well as a water separator, in order to separate as much condensation water as possible from the compressed air. With the right choice and sizing of the water separator, an efficiency of 80-90% can be achieved. The remaining water flows with the compressed air as water mist into the air receiver.
Oil in the form of droplets is separated partly in an aftercooler, condensation separator or a condensation tap and flows through the system with the condensation water. This oil/water emulsion is classed from an environmental point of view as waste oil and must not be drained off into the sewage system or directly into nature. New and more stringent laws are continuously being introduced with regard to the handling of environmentally hazardous waste. The condensation drainage, as well as its collection, is complex and expensive. An easy and cost-effective solution to this problem involves installing an oil/water separator, for example, with a diaphragm filter to produce clean drainage water and to drain the oil off into a special receiver.
Medical air filtration consists of several purifying stages to treat compressed air so that the result is extremely clean. By using a water separator and two coalescing filters, contaminants like water, particles and oil droplets are eliminated from the air before it goes into the cold regenerative adsorption dryer. This dryer lowers the dew point to –40°C, which is the temperature required to qualify for medical use.
After going through the adsorption dryer, the air passes through an extra filtration stage, whose function is twofold. Activated carbon reduces hydrocarbons such as oil vapor and smells to harmless levels, and a catalyst converts excessive concentrations of carbon oxide into carbon dioxide. In this filtration stage, sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide contaminants are also reduced to an absolute minimum. In the final stage, a particle filter eliminates dust particles that may have been introduced into the air by the dryer or the extra filtration unit. The requirements for the medical market differ for each country, and are governed by local legislation.
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A number of decisions must be made when installing a compressed air system for it to provide the right air quality, since compressed air can contain some harmful contaminants like water vapor and oil.
With an inline compressor filter, you can remove unwanted and harmful substances out of the air. Learn more here.
A number of decisions must be made when installing a compressed air system for it to suit different needs and provide the right air quality.
