Regenerative Desiccant Compressors – The Basics

Have you ever come across that small sachet of silica gel they place in medicine containers? Or have you ever put your SmartPhone in dried rice after you accidentally dropped your phone in water? Both these items are what we call desiccants.

Desiccants are substances that absorb moisture and acts as a drying agent. Regenerative desiccant compressors use a desiccant to absorb and adsorb steam in the airflow.

The regenerative compressor is built with identical towers that have dual functions. The first tower draws out the air from the compressor and dries it out. The second tower restores the desiccant after the pressure in the tower is at an acceptable level.

Read on to learn the basics of this topic.

Non-Heating Dryers

These dryers don’t make use of any heaters, whether internal or external. The regenerative course happens with the help of stretched out compressed air or purged air.

Heated Dryers

The heated dryers make use of an internal or external heater, to heat up the purged air. The demand for purge air is less with these dryers then with the non-heating dryers. If internal heaters are used, the steam is utilized which is rooted in the desiccant base to decrease the amount of purge air required.

Benefits of Regenerative Desiccant Dryers

Let’s explore the benefits of using a regenerative desiccant dryer:

It can successfully reach lower dew points without icing overThe costs are fairly reasonable taking into account the low dew points attainedThe non-heating type can be constructed to hold compressed air and can be used in remote areas

Drawbacks of Regenerative Desiccant Dryers:

The costs with initial set up can be comparatively highReplacing the desiccant is expensive and needs to be done within a three to five year periodDue to the delicacy of the desiccant fabrication, oil aerosols can render it ineffective unless pre-filtering was done satisfactorilyThe system requires only purge air to function optimally which can be problematic to obtain at times

Final Thoughts

Whichever regenerative desiccant dryer you decide to use, we can help you select the one that is perfect for your environment. We have a team of experts ready to help with all your air compressor needs.

CDA Systems has earned its reputation as the industry leader, delivering the highest quality equipment with unmatched customer satisfaction. Contact us today for a quote at 925.667.3400/sales@cdasystems.com.