I had an idea on how to make a low budget compressed air refrigerator but I'm not sure that I totally understand how it works and if the parts I was considering using would handle the task.
I have an old refrigerator in my garage that I keep drinks and other stuff in. What I was considering doing was plumbing in an air inlet and outlet into the side of the refrigerator and on the inside soldering several oil coolers in series that sat in the bottom of the fridge. Thereby running my compressed air through the oil coolers before it reaches whatever I'm working on. But I have a few questions from those more knowledgeable than I. Would this help to reduce moisture in my lines? Could the oil coolers withstand the psi? Since an oil cooler isn't used in a pressurized system in its normal function, would say a turbo intercooler handle the task better. Or possibly an old a/c condenser from a house unit small enough to fit in the fridge.
I realize this is about as ******* as it gets but I need a cheap way to cool this air, and spending $500 when I could spend $50 is not in the economics right now. What do you guys think?
In theory it would work, those oil coolers should handle a buck and half psi no problem. However I am sure your fridge is WAY too small a cooler to cool the large amount of air (and especially water) going thru a compressed air system. A dedicated air cooler will use much more power to cool a given air stream than a home refrigerator can supply. Think about it - you are not only cooling air which admittedly isn't a big heat load. However you are also condensing 'steam' by converting water vapor to liquid. This phase change operation consumes more heat/# than for any other element or compound known.
Unless you need REALLY dry air then one or two of those coolers with a fan mounted behind them should do the trick, at least for painting or sandblasting. The trick would be to run the air through this cooler as soon as it leaves the compressor then through a properly plumbed pipe system with a good water separator at the discharge end.
I don't use huge volumes of air very often. The main reason I would like to do something else is due to the fact that I have two good quality driers and my bead blaster clogs after 3 minutes of use and I get condensation bubbling out of the fittings. I drain the tank after every use and have a copper line that I run around the room with drops and watertraps. I shut off the sections of tubing that I'm not using when I am working with air. What gives? Maybe its just the constant humidity where I live.
Use the frig. to make ice. Then put the oil coolers all piped together and all the ice cubes in a tub, that will give you about 4-5 hours of dry air. when finished start making ice again.
We painted a car one afternoon by using that method, 50 lb ice, tub, and last the water trap. I still have the copper coil saving it for the next time.
Right before I retired I spec'd out a refrigerated air dryer for our instrumentation shop. I bought a packaged unit from Graingers for about $500. I was really surprised at how well it worked and how much water it removed from previously thought dry air.
3-in-1 air dryer system features modes for pre-refrigeration, evaporation, air and moisture separation modes to remove up to 90% of the moisture from your compressed air lines.
Accommodates compressors up to 21.6 CFM, 140 PSI max
Lowers the dew point to 36°F
Recommended operating pressure: 100 PSI. Not for medical use. Operates between 35.6°-140°F. Uses R-134A refrigerant. 115 V input; Air inlet: 1/2"-14 NPT
Weight: 73 lbs.
I had an idea on how to make a low budget compressed air refrigerator but I'm not sure that I totally understand how it works and if the parts I was considering using would handle the task./QUOTE]
I think The terms used were "low budget" and not spend $500.
Please excuse my ignorance, but how exactly is the water extracted from the line after cooling. I understand that cooler air carries less humidity, but if the air enters the cooler warm does cooling it does it change from liquid form to a vapor or is there another mechanical means of extraction. My assumption is that air hose length would be rather critical to the effectivness. I don't really care for any HF tool over $20 based sheerly on investment/benefit/risk. Especially with the amount of mving parts contained in their air cooler.
Basically the warmer the air the more moisture will remain in vapor form and in vapor form it will simply pass right through most separators only to condense in the hose and as the air exits the hose and expands inside whatever tool is being used at the time. The trick is to have as much water vapor as possible condense into liquid form before entering the separator so that it can be extracted instead of simply passing through as a vapor, this is why mounting the separator close to the tank renders it almost useless. Most mechanical separators work by centrifugal force from spinning the air by having it flow across vanes which causes the liquid water to be collected in the reservoir where it can be drained later. A properly plumbed piping system will also have a long vertical drop with the air to the separator taken off about 18" or so from the bottom, this 18" under the take off point will act to collect water that condenses on the sides of the pipe and drains down but it also removes water droplets that are still suspended in the moving air. This occurs because of the laws of physics that dictate that moving mass (in this case the water) will resist making a sharp turn thus as the air/water travels downward through the pipe the much lighter air will exit at the lower resistance at the take off point while the heavier water will tend, because of inertia, to continue on in a straight line into the collection reservoir which is the bottom 18" of the vertical pipe. What all this means is that water vapor is extremely hard to deal with while liquid water is fairly easily removed so it is very important to condense as much water vapor as possible BEFORE any device intended to remove it.
Wow, thanks oldred, that helps me understand a lot. Just promise me there is not going to be a test tomorrow. Ok, if I understand correctly, I would idealy put a seperator as close as possible to this hypothetical refrigerated air drier. Then, have another that the cooled air passes through, since cooler air carries more liquid form water than it would after its had a chance to get warm again in the air hose.
Actually if the separator is located at the exit point of the cooling device that should be sufficient however another separator located at the end of the plumbing before the air enters the hose is not a bad idea, usually not necessary but it certainly can't hurt. This of course is assuming you will even have a plumbing system after the cooler, and if the cooler does it's job the added plumbing may not even be necessary.
I have been using that HF dryer on the output of a industrial 5 hp compressor[IOW not a HF or sears 5 HP] for 5 years with dry air and no worries. For the delivered price it is hard to beat.
The hotter you run your compressor the more water you get, so when you beat the snot out of a small compressor, you get a lot of water.
SLope your lines back to the compressor
The oil coolers with a fan will work until the air gets hot enough to hold water again.
I always thought the amount of water from a compressor was due to the out side relative humidity, high humidty more water, lo humidty less water, did not know compressors made water.
The total amount of water is of course directly related to humidity however for practical purposes the hotter the compressor runs the more water you will have to deal with in the air line. When the compressor is running cooler the water will tend to collect in the compressor tank but the hotter it gets the more water that will be carried into the lines as water vapor. In a sense both of you guys are right.
It does not matter as log as you get the temperture below the dew point and condense the vapor into water. Then have a good water trap at the discharge of the air drier. It is amazing how much water will condense during a very humid day. The trap will remove the condensate and you will have dry air.
It does not matter as log as you get the temperture below the dew point and condense the vapor into water. Then have a good water trap at the discharge of the air drier. It is amazing how much water will condense during a very humid day. The trap will remove the condensate and you will have dry air.
True, that's the way it works but a tank full of heated air will pass more water vapor into the lines than a tank full of cold air. When the air is cooler in the tank more of the moisture will wind up being drained from the tank at the end of the day while overheated air from an overworked compressor will pass more of the water vapor out of the tank and into the air lines, the hotter the air the more vapor it will contain. In the end the total amount of water collected will theoretically remain the same it is just a matter of where it will end up, in the tank or in the water separator.
If you pass all the compressed air through a air drier then it matters not if you tank is hot or cold. The tank will stay "cold" only so long till the hot air from the compressor heats it up. If the water condense's and drops out in the tank so much the better, after that into a dryer and water trap, and you have dry air.
I've worked with large air systems for over thirty years and we always removed moisture before sending it out to the system, we had no tanks.
I think you may be missing what I am saying, the more vapor that enters the line the more water you have to deal with, water leaving the tank is considered water produced and water that remains in the tank is of little to no concern. So like Kgus said the hotter the compressor runs the more water it will produce, for practical purposes anyway, in the lines to be collected by the separator. If the air is properly cooled prior to the separator then that moisture will be removed and tank/air temperature will not matter but that is all too often the problem. When using a refrigerated dryer the temperature of the incoming air is usually of little concern unless the system is being overwhelmed by the volume of air flow but for most installations, especially the home type like most of the people here will be dealing with, the temperature of the air leaving the tank can be very important due to the fact it may not have the opportunity to cool properly before entering the separator. A lot of people here have experienced what I am (and Kgus) talking about, their system seems to be moisture free until the compressor is under a heavy demand and then water problems appear. This is due to insufficient cooling, for the most part, between the tank and separator and even when the system works properly more water is collected in the separator than when the compressor is under less load and running cooler, of course the difference will be contained in the tank.
BTW, like you I too have been selling and installing/servicing compressors and air systems since 1971 so I do understand what you are saying it is just that it seems we may be talking about two different things.
Hello, I've been following this forum and have some questions. I'm working on a Quincy 230 air compressor maybe 8-10 CFM. It will have a 220 volt 5hp single phase motor. I want to mount a large finned cooler next to the flywheel then send the air through at least 30 ft of black pipe. At the end of the run install a down drop to a water/moisture/ pressure gauge set up. I'll post pictures after dinner thanks, Shawn http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee137/3CL1/QUINCY009.jpghttp://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee137/3CL1/QUINCY006.jpg
Man, that tank looks a time bomb. I hope you get it checked before you try to use it. There is a whole thread on here about tank explosions. It's unlikely, but I would consider that tank to put you in the upper percentile of "those who have crazy stuff happen to them" rankings. ain:
Yes the tank looks bad, I've looked inside it and no I won't take a chance. I'll pair up the pump and motor on the platform and run the air to a new tank. Not the most cost effective move but will see. Thanks Shawn
I don't know if I would say that, it sounds like it may be a very cost effective move if the pump is in good shape. Those old pumps are are really tough and worth rebuilding if they are worn and if already in good shape they are definitly worth spending the cost of a new tank. My old Quincy pump is almost 40 years old and although I do have a certain sentimental attachment to it the thing still sees duty providing the air for my shop. I have it mounted remotely from the tank and removing the pump/motor vibration from the tank is a real plus for tank life if you have the room to spare. Sounds like a good plan to me!
I have eight industrial compressors the Quincy being the smallest. One 120 gallon tank will be a smoker/BBQ combo. Some of my tanks "look" very good on the inside but the unknown worries me. I guess I don't take the chances I once did. Thanks Shawn
Working on air brake systems over here in Afghanistan for the military I have come up with an idea I am going to try once I get back home. Trucks that use air brake systems have an "air drier" on the vehicle. Air gets routed thru the drier and a desicant material then to the storage tank. when the pressure gets to a set point, typically 125 psi, it "pops off" the supply pressure thru the air drier, removing the moisture that was collected. That is the big air blast that you might hear when a truck is running.
My idea is to mount this at my compressor and us it as the drier for my air system. Any thoughts? Aaron
Having added 30 ft of air hose before the moisture trap made a huge difference in my shop. The dissicant will work great just allow the air to travel through lines(20-30ft i've read) so it can cool first. 930
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