Compressed air treatment package
The aftercooler, separator, filters and dryer that turn hot wet compressor discharge into air a valve or a paint gun can use. Bought to a dew point and a residual oil figure, not to a pipe size.
Features
- Pressure dew point is the specification: refrigerant dryers reach about +3 °C, desiccant dryers reach −20 °C to −70 °C for outdoor or freezing lines.
- Filters are rated by particle size in µm and residual oil in mg/m³, and the two are separate ratings on the same housing.
- Every filter costs pressure, typically 0.1 to 0.3 bar when clean and more as it loads, and that loss is paid for in compressor energy.
- Elements are changed on differential pressure, not on a calendar, so a gauge or indicator across each filter is essential.
- Condensate is oily and cannot go to a surface drain; an oil-water separator is part of the package, not an option.
- Desiccant dryers consume purge air, commonly 10 to 15 % of throughput, which has to be added to the compressor sizing.
Specifications
| Figure | Typical range | Unit | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rated throughput | 1.0 - 30.0 | m³/min | Must match or exceed compressor delivery. |
| Pressure dew point | +3 / −20 / −40 | °C | Decides whether lines freeze or valves corrode. |
| Residual oil content | 0.01 - 0.1 | mg/m³ | Governs suitability for painting and blasting. |
| Particle filtration | 1.0 / 0.01 | µm | Protects downstream valves and instruments. |
| Pressure loss across package | 0.2 - 0.6 | bar | Paid for permanently in compressor energy. |
| Purge air consumption | 10 - 15 | % | Must be added to the compressor sizing. |