Which Dryer is the Most Energy Efficient?

March 5, 2019

Pneumatech's refrigerated and desiccant dryers are used in hundreds of different applications around the world. From food factories, to automotive shops, to textiles, our dryers provide clean, dry compressed air for many different products. If you are shopping our dryers to help reduce your energy costs, you may be asking, "Which dryer is the most energy efficient?" All of our dryers help save on energy costs, but depending on your dew point needs, there are 2 models in particular that will help boost your savings.

+ 40° F Dewpoint

If you don't have very low dewpoint requirements, you will most likely need a refrigerated dryer. Refrigerated air dryers use the same cooling principal as typical air conditioning units. Using the refrigeration system and passing compressed air through a heat exhanger, the air is cooled to approximately 40° F. As the air cools, water droplets begin to form in the air due to condensation much like the water droplets that form on the outside of a cold drink. The moisture laden air then undergoes a mechanical separation process where the liquid or “condensate” is separated from the air stream. The air is then rewarmed using the incoming air which lowers the relative humidity of the air and traps any remaining moisture in a vapor form. Pneumatech's AC Series - Cycling Dryers are the most energy-efficient in the refrigerated range. These dryers use a Cycle Saver algorithm that starts and stops the dryer to save energy while keeping the relative humidity of the compressed air below 50% to prevent the formation of liquid water. No-air-loss drains are also used on the AC Series to save you money by preventing the loss of valuable compressed air associated with other types of drains.

- 40° F Dewpoint

If you have very low dew point requirements, you will need a desiccant dryer. A desiccant or adsorption dryer uses desiccant material to adsob and remove the humidity from compressed air. With this method, a pressure dew point as low as -70°C/-100 °F can be reached. A desiccant dryer should be used when the ambient temperature goes below freezing point, to avoid ice forming in pipes and applications. Pneumatech's PE Series - Externally Heated Desiccant Dryers are the most energy-efficient in the desiccant dryer range, especially when equipped with Pulse Purge Regeneration (PPR). PPR is a Patented Pneumatech control scheme that works by disrupting the continuous purge flow that a standard externally heated dryer would have. With PPR, a dryer will purge at the same rate it normally does, but only for a small portion of the cycle. In the PPR cycle, the purge flow switches between being pressurized with heated, dry air and depressurization. While the desiccant tower is pressurized, compressed air is not being used for purge, resulting in large energy savings. The PE Series also has a thermostatically controlled, low-wattage heating element to further reduce your energy costs.

All of Pneumatech's refrigerated and desiccant dryer lines are tested and designed to save on energy-costs and to contribute to an eco-friendly environment. If you are drastically trying to reduce your energy costs, going with the AC Series for refrigerated dryers and the PE Series for desiccant dryers, will save your facility thousands a year in energy-costs and add to your bottom line.

Browse Pneumatech's Refrigerated Dryers HERE.

Browse Pneumatech's Desiccant Dryers HERE.