6
6. PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
6.1 INTRODUCTION
ZEKS HEATSINK™ dryers remove moisture from compressed air by cooling the air
temperature to between 36° and 40°F (2 and 4°C). This causes vapors to condense
into liquid droplets which can then be easily removed from the air. The major
systems of the dryer which contribute to its operation are the Air System, the Moisture
Removal System, the Refrigeration System, the Thermal Mass Circulating System
and the Controls. The following paragraphs describe each of the systems in greater
detail.
6.2 AIR SYSTEM
The air system consists of the dryer components which are in contact with the
compressed air. Referring to Figure 1 and following the bold “
AIR FLOW,” hot saturated
air from the compressor enters the precooler/reheater where the air temperature is
reduced prior to entering the chiller by the cool air exiting the air/moisture separator.
This precooling allows for the use of a smaller refrigeration system. The air then
goes into the chiller section where it is further cooled to the desired dew point by a
thermal mass fluid. The temperature of the thermal mass fluid is maintained by the
refrigeration circuit and controls. The air continues to the separator where moisture is
removed, thereby, allowing the cool, dry air to return to the precooler/reheater to be
heated by the incoming moist hot air. The air exiting the “reheater” portion of the
dryer should be approximately 15°- 20°F lower than the inlet air temperature based
on standard conditions at full rated flow.
FIGURE 1
FLOW DIAGRAM
DRAWING 500161
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