Particulates: Particulates in compressed air are small pieces of material like dust, dirt, and/or pollen, as well as loose metal pieces. Depending on the sensitivity of your application and or process, contact with particles can be damaging to the end product. They can also cause delays in production and quality control issues, as well as unsatisfied customers.
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Aerosols: Aerosols consist of small droplets of liquid found within a compressed air system, especially in oil-injected machines. Aerosols are created from lubricant. Therefore, oil used in the compressor can be harmful to both products and people if not treated properly.
Vapors: In a compressed air system, vapors consist of lubricants as well as any other liquid that has converted to a gas. Such vapors require a special carbon activated filter in order to be removed from the system.
Now that we have a better understanding of the contaminants above, let us take a look at what types of filtration methods are used.
There are three main mechanisms utilized in dry particulate filters to remove solid particles from compressed air. These three forces contribute to the overall efficiency of the filter.
Inertial Impaction: Inertial impaction is a process where particles that are too heavy to flow with the compressed air stream get trapped in the fiber media of compressed air. The larger the particles are, the easier it will be to separate them.
Interception: Smaller particles can follow the air stream. However, if the diameter of a particle is larger than the gap of the filter media, it will get caught by the filter media. This makes it easier to eliminate larger particles than smaller ones.
Diffusion: Diffusion happens when small particles move erratically throughout the surface, instead of following the compressed air stream. This irregular movement path is caused by the particles colliding with other gas particles, an occurrence called Brownian movement. Since the particles have a free-range of motion, it is more likely that they become intercepted and removed by the filter media. Through diffusion, separation of smaller particles is easier than separating larger ones.
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Two types of filters are used to remove aerosols and vapor. Coalescing filters are utilized to remove liquids as well as some particulates, while vapor filters use adsorption to remove vapors from compressed air.
Coalescing: Coalescing filters are used to remove aerosols and particulates, but are not effective in the removal of vapors. 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: Adsorption is a chemical process used to remove gaseous lubricants or vapors. This process involves vapors bonding with the surface of the media (adsorbent). Activated charcoal filters are commonly used since they attract oil vapor.
As the oil vapor covers the surface of the activated charcoal over time, it is essential to change the filter before it becomes saturated. If not, this would lead to a breakthrough of the oil into the air system.
It is also necessary to use a dust filter after the activated charcoal filter. This is because small charcoal particles could break out and enter the air stream.
To assess the potential damage oil can cause to your compressed air system, it's important to understand your equipment and basic industry requirements. If your industry has strict health codes and or your equipment is sensitive to oil / vapor exposure, it is crucial to use proper filtration.
Let’s take a closer look at lubricants and understand the effects they can have on your end product. Similar to particulates,lubricants can enter your compressed air system from ambient air as well as from the compressor itself. Facility operations, like a motor exhaust, release hydrocarbons like oil aerosols into the ambient air, which can compromise air quality and cause equipment failure.
Oil injected air compressors will also release lubricants into the compressed air system, resulting in increased operational and maintenance costs. Industries such as electronics and semiconductor are especially exposed to lubricant contamination, which can result in product loss, missed deadlines and unsatisfied customers.
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I'm currently in a bit of a bind with my air compressor at home. Recently while trying some media blasting I had finally given up due to moisture issues with my compressor. It gets quite humid here in Minnesota which definitely exacerbates the problem. I've come to the conclusion it's time to address this before I begin paint and bodywork on my RX7. I have a 16CFM 80 gallon Compressor, which has quick disconnects to a short 3/8 whip to my regulator. To avoid this bottleneck it would be necessary to plumb with 3/4 (if I'm understanding the attached resources correctly), though seeing as it's just a home workshop I believe 1/2 should be sufficient for even painting while keeping costs down. My original intention was to use a 1/2 oil cooler off of the output, to a short copper section with a drip leg, then off to my filter setup.
I've been trying here and there for a week and a half trying to find a solution to this problem, though the hardware is holding me back. I ordered in a Hayden just to find the cooler not to my likings - too large, poor mounting system. Junkyard stuff is out of the question since it will be saturated with oil and have fittings that will cause restriction and to my understandings, pressure drop. I've been contemplating building a small box to house a 1/2 copper coil.
As for filters and regulators I'm lost. I have no idea which brands are quality or which are garbage. At the moment I've been considering two options- Pneumatic Plus 1/2 filter/separator/regulator set on amazon, and a setup consisting of separate parts: cheap home center 1/2 regulator, motorguard air filter, SMC water separator, and devilbiss dessicant drier worst case scenario.
It's time I get this wrapped up so I can continue on my projects as I'd much rather do. What has everyone else here done to alleviate this problem?
http://docs.engineeringtoolbox.com/documents//compressed-air-pipeline-capacity.png
attached chart by engineering toolbox.
http://www.industrialaircompressors.../how_to_determine_Pipe-Size_chart_2-18-11.pdf
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compressed-air-pipeline-capacity.jpg
The math is different but propane regulation demonstrates this. A very tiny line feeds the regulator from tank pressure where it is reduced to 10# or so, then a 3/8 line may transport it to the house to the next regulator where t is reduced to a pound or so and then the piping from there is 3/4 to the appliances.
The piping actually goes from smaller to bigger rather than bigger to smaller while carrying the same gas. When the pressure is reduced the pipe size needs to increase to deliver the same amount.
The pipe size becomes relevant if it is undersized, same for voltage drop in a wire and very similar. At a high load, say 40A a 12 wire would have 12 v loss, a 10 3v and an 8 maybe 2, the difference between the a and 10 is marginal and irrelevant but is a huge leap from the 12 where the load is exceeding the capacity of the wire. The tools you are using for air are limited, say 20 cfm, way under the capacity and loss in a 1/2 pipe may be as little as a pound or 2 depending on distance ahead of the regulator, if the load was doubled to 40 then it would be significantly more relevant.
I use the box store regs on a couple of circuits, I like the 3/8 plumbing on them and the 1/4 ports for gages or to tap additional equipment. I have one where the larger ports are for feed thru to a hose reel but one of the 1/4 is used to feed the plasma cutter. The hose reel has 20 cfm tools plugged in to it, the cutter uses 6, a "bottleneck" is not a factor at 6 and larger piping wont help it work any better.
This pic is of a broken reg bowl but one can see the plumbing.
You are not cully understanding this, the end result is a 3/8 hose. a 3/4 is not needed to reduce the bottleneck. In fact a 3/8 before the reg will provide more air than it can after.
The larger pipe is required for larger circuits, it does help with air cooling and reducing velocity but is also to reduce transportation losses on longer circuits, not a real factor in home garages.
I have a couple of 100 ft circuits, all of it terminates or reduces to 1/2 once it leaves the manifold.
I use the box store regs on a couple of circuits, I like the 3/8 plumbing on them and the 1/4 ports for gages or to tap additional equipment. I have one where the larger ports are for feed thru to a hose reel but one of the 1/4 is used to feed the plasma cutter. The hose reel has 20 cfm tools plugged in to it, the cutter uses 6, a "bottleneck" is not a factor at 6 and larger piping wont help it work any better.
This pic is of a broken reg bowl but one can see the plumbing.
What I'm taking from this is that a 3/8 whip (with 1/4 fittings) will be plenty between what I'm using as a condenser and the 1/2 regulator setup. This will go up about 7 feet to the top of the wall, and have one dead end run down a 32 foot wall, and another dead end run down a 28 foot wall- all plumbed with 1/2 copper. On output side it's back down to a 3/8 hose reel to feed everything from half inch impact guns, die grinders, HVLP guns, and a siphon media blaster. I'm not understanding if the 3/8 hose is enough to feed the HVLP guns and media blaster for extended use. Do you have any more readups or resources so I can do some further reading on the subject?
A too big for 16cfm? if anything a bit under sized, a would be more appropriate. Just about anything you get/make will require effort to mount, not everything mounts with Velcro.
Have you seen a in person? The mounting system is awful- its a malleable block you run a machine screw through with a T Nut on the other end- as you tighten everything it squishes the block in place to hold the cooler in place... barely. The is said to flow 1.5-12gpm. Not sure how you'd convert that over to CFM. This would surely be a better option than the K trans cooler I picked up from a junkyard with 3/8 lines, no?
Fabricating mounts doesn't bother me, not sure why you felt the need to throw stones. If you have any suggestions feel free.
No matter what you do, get one of those disposable desssicant dryers if you are going to paint.
Keep in mind if your relative humidity is above about 40%, your compressed air will be at 100% humidity even when cooled back to room temperature.
In the past I used a devilbiss dessicant snake. It did nothing simply because the air was never cooled down after the compressor. What would you suggest for a complete filtration setup? separator, filter, dessicant in that order? What brands?
"No matter what you do, get one of those disposable desssicant dryers if you are going to paint."
Not disagreeing, just to point out you really can not rely
only on a desiccant filter in a humid region, they will be overwhelmed quickly as they can not handle the amount of water drop out. My aftercooler ( hayden ) can produce quarts of water on a very humid day in the summer, an affordable desiccant drier can not absorb that much.
To finish off after a cooler, a water separator, not a water catch, not plastic, not too big or small, auto drain such as a Parker 3/4" inline water separator filter, units should be all metal, especially the bowel. If you get small units they are restrictive, the internal filters are very small, air is forced through them too fast, not enough metal to dissipate heat.....
Ebay seems to have better deals on compressor filters/regulators the a few months back, much better prices then Internet retailers. Wilkerson, Parker , Norgren, Devilbiss, Dixon, SMC, Binks, Watts, are top end, avoid Chinese/no name products.
This is an older model unit, much better made then the newest models
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Parker-Comp...?hash=item1a:g:HCYAAOSw9~5ZV~UU
http://ph.parker.com/us//en/-series-compressed-air-filters/n-0a1-bx
Regulator such as below...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PARKER-07R3...&hash=item25dad2e380:g:g~MAAOSwFqNZXT4R
Then a desiccant filter
"Have you seen a in person? " Yes I have, I have installed 10 haydens and units , and yes they are a pain to mount. Most I make a channel frame out of steel angle iron to mount to compressor pulley guards. An yes a is surely a better option than" the K trans cooler I picked up from a junkyard with 3/8 lines"
http://s852.photobucket.com/user/pcmeiners/media/DSC_.jpg.html?o=67
http://s852.photobucket.com/user/pcmeiners/media/DSC_-1.jpg.html?o=65
Actually it is not plumbed between the compressor and tank. This is an Intercooler setup, this is cooling the air between the 1st and 2nd stage, which lowers compressor temperature and increases overall efficiency by >15%. As an aftercooler, it would look exactly the same using a cooler.
Just spitballing - why not use two of them - one as an intercooler, than a second as an aftercooler?
On a technicality, cooler air is denser so it will run tools more efficiently. I would always plumb it so the air cools before going into the tank, therefore the tank would be storing air with more potential energy.
Now if you use a refrigerated dryer, you would save money, as the dryers have limited ability to precool the air, as their pre cooling coils are generally small. You could over size the refrigerated unit, but that is extra cash you need not spend.
I just acquired a Deltech HGE-75 refrigerator dryer, which has a capacity more than double my compressor, so I'm thinking/hoping that it's adequately over-sized.
In addition, I just picked up a couple of RapidAir MaxLine kits, so I'm trying to determine how I'm going to plumb everything.
"Just spitballing - why not use two of them - one as an intercooler, than a second as an aftercooler?"
The setup shown was before I add the after cooler. I picked up a few /s off Ebay when they were cheap, paid about $30-40 each years back, so the compressor setup was cheap. At this point the Hayden coolers are expensive, mounting them can be too much work, I would not do another with an Intercooler.
With the Deltech HGE-75 refrigerator dryer you have a 3/4" input/output system ( non restrictive, little if any pressure drop). According to their PDF on the unit, the max input temperature should be 120° F, so if you were using the compressor continuously (or close to it) your input would be well over 120° after short time of use. Basically the engineering of the unit ( or just about any refrig dryer) calls for the use of an aftercooler on the compressor to bring the input temperature down to 120° or less.
Could you use it without an aftercooler ? Yes I am sure you could, though the moisture might go up with hot air from the compressor, and it would cost more in electric cost. As to the amount of moisture going up, (which might affect painting or sand blasting), hard to tell, the major factor is your unit is well over sized; odds are the Deltech can handle it without a compressor aftercooler. Call the company, if you can get hold of an engineer, I am sure others have asked the same question.
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