Tag: water

Air – What Is It?

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Air… We all breathe it, we live in it, we even compress it to use it as a utility.  What is it though?  Well, read through the next to learn some valuable points that aren’t easy to see with your eyes, just like air molecules.

Air – It surrounds us – (Yosuke,1)
  1. Air is mostly a gas.
    • Comprised of roughly 78% Nitrogen and 21% Oxygen.  Air also contains a lot of other gases in minute amounts.  Those gases include carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen.
  2. Air is more than just gas.
    • While the vast majority is gas, air also holds lots of microscopic particulate.
    • These range from pollen, soot, dust, salt, and debris.
    • All of these items that are not Nitrogen or Oxygen contribute to pollution.
  3. Not all the Carbon Dioxide in the air is bad.
    • Carbon Dioxide as mentioned above is what humans and most animals exhale when they breathe.  This gas is taken in by plants and vegetation to convert their off gas which is oxygen.
    • Think back to elementary school now.   Remember photosynthesis?
      • If you don’t remember that, maybe you remember Billy Madison, “Chlorophyll, more like Bore-a-fil.”
    • Carbon dioxide is however one of the leading causes of global warming.

      Moisture In The Air – (Grant)2
  4. Air holds water.
    • That’s right, high quality H2O gets suspended within the air molecules causing humidity.  This humidity ultimately reaches a point where the air can simply not hold anymore and it starts to rain.  The lack of humidity in the air leads to static, while lots of moisture in the air when it gets compressed causes moisture in compressed air systems.
  5. Air changes relative to altitude.
    • Air all pushes down on the Earth’s surface.  This is known as atmospheric pressure.
    • The closer you are to sea level the higher the level of pressure because the air molecules are more densely placed.
    • The higher you are from sea level the lower the density of air molecules.  This causes the pressure to be less.  This is also why people say the air is getting a little thin.

Hopefully this helps to better explain what air is and give some insight into the gas that is being compressed by an air compressor and then turned into a working utility within a production environment.  If you would like to discuss how any of these items effects the compressed air quality within a facility please reach out to any Application Engineer at EXAIR.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

1 – Air – Creative Commons – Tsurutea Yosuke – https://www.flickr.com/photos/tsurutayosuke/47732716442/in/photolist-2fHYDBG-dd5e5z-5snidD-oaU8fm-68kqiz-8sMG3P-fnqYx7-9bkTrx-5P2BDv-6R75dG-9vi5xL-5yADR-8EAFci-9NQvER-8sMGoR-4Uybwo-9bNqfB-6N9qf8-6LZyG-7MF4aZ-dehz3-5h1wXk-6uJWNq-7eQCUU-6qoUm6-8sQHxo-uqDdE-6NDHW3-8sQMDQ-7wyCsV-dd5io5-5yAwX-ZmCdh2-BMZCW-agSno-bQ8UFK-6d8Pkz-ars544-novykD-3PF1FT-W13jE9-3GSRLj-7r9Msu-6yn1Ne-32iJKf-7CPqWv-8qhcn-4Eicvh-LLgb4-54ixko

2 – DSC_0750 – Creative Commons – David Grant – https://www.flickr.com/photos/zub/24340293/in/photolist-39Kwe-2cZxjuw-6ywctR-26b7Z2F-84vqJN-bpjRN3-6aDzQR-i84BUr-xbu1Us-fxyvn-5UPDBh-VDz7nD-8Be4fP-a6MVGC-nP4end-PA5nb9-3ddwtq-nRF2yr-j4XPzo-cd5CvJ-eoGFTQ-rYNapy-pKAJpQ-pVrbq6-21hFhHB-n8hpva-7uMwPs-4EZ9ok-jGahK-foR798-JP9rcG-cMRjhu-i74Qo-2d1nE-7nXj3e-9tMib1-6JrXP-9tMdnd-4o5ZCx-6uk2LG-9Gt8K4-5xksdV-9tJgMa-9tMh8b-kkZNy5-c8oM8C-8reqky-4KXe87-aFt7kn-MNNDwU

About Compressed Air Dryers – What Are They and Why Use Them

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All atmospheric air contains some amount of water vapor.  When air is then cooled to saturation point, the vapor will begin to condense into liquid water. The saturation point is the condition where the the air can hold no more water vapor. The temperature at which this occurs is knows as the dew point.

When ambient air is compressed, heat is generated and the air becomes warmer. In industrial compressed air systems, the air is then routed to an aftercooler, and condensation  begins to take place. To remove the condensation, the air then goes into separator which traps the liquid water. The air leaving the aftercooler is typically saturated at the temperature of the discharge, and any additional cooling that occurs as the air is piped further downstream will cause more liquid to condense out of the air. To address this condensation, compressed air dryers are used.

It is important to dry the air and prevent condensation in the air. Many usages of the compressed air are impacted by liquid water being present. Rust and corrosion can occur in the compressed air piping, leading to scale and contamination at point -of -use processes. Processes such as drying operations and painting would see lower quality if water was deposited onto the parts.

dryers.png

There are many types of dryers – (see recent blogs for more information)

  • Refrigerant Dryer – most commonly used type, air is cooled in an air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger.
  • Regenerative-Desiccant Type – use a porous desiccant that adsorbs (adsorb means the moisture adheres to the desiccant, the desiccant does not change, and the moisture can then be driven off during a regeneration process).
  • Deliquescent Type – use a hygroscopic desiccant medium that absorbs (as opposed to adsorbs) moisture. The desiccant is dissolved into the liquid that is drawn out. Desiccant is used up, and needs to be replaced periodically.
  • Heat of Compression Type – are regenerative desiccant dryers that use the heat generated during compression to accomplish the desiccant regeneration.
  • Membrane Type– use special membranes that allow the water vapor to pass through faster than the dry air, reducing the amount water vapor in air stream.

The air should not be dried any more than is needed for the most stringent application, to reduce the costs associated with the drying process. A pressure dew point of 35°F to 38°F (1.7°C to 3.3°C) often is adequate for many industrial applications.  Lower dew points result in higher operating costs.

If you have questions about compressed air systems and dryers or any of the 15 different EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Product lines, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or any of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer
Send me an email
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Atomizing Nozzles – No Drip Deflected Flat Fan and 360° Hollow Circular

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EXAIR manufactures three types of Atomizing Nozzles – Internal Mix, External Mix, and Siphon Fed.  Within the Internal Mix family, there are two specialty nozzles, the Deflected Flat Fan and the 360° Hollow Circular patterns.

Internal Mix nozzles are for pressure fed applications not requiring independent air and liquid control.

The model AD2010SS is the No Drip version of the Deflected Flat Fan and is shown below. Our patented No Drip design prevents unwanted post spray drips from wasting expensive fluids or ruining product finishes. The benefit to this design is that no secondary compressed air line is necessary to activate the on/off valve for the liquid, which is the case for competitive nozzles.

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Model AD2010SS – No Drip Internal Mix Deflected Flat Atomizing Nozzle

The Deflected Flat Fan patterned nozzle is designed for applications where space is a limited.  The spray pattern is at a right angle to the orientation of the nozzle, allowing the spray to be placed precisely where it is needed in tight quarters.  They are ideal for coating the insides of enclosures and ductwork.

NoDripIMDF

The model AT2010SS is the No Drip version of the 360° Hollow Circular and is shown below.

AT2010SS
AT2010SS – No Drip Internal Mix 360° Hollow Circular Atomizing Nozzle

The 360° Hollow Circular patterned nozzle is designed for applications where the spray pattern is to be orientated away form the nozzle in all directions.  They are ideal where a smooth and even coating is needed on the internal surface of a pipe or duct.  They are also good for processed where a mist is needed over a large area, including dust suppression, humidification, and cooling.

NoDripIM360HC-Pattern

The No Drip feature is a patented† design that has the added benefit of positively stopping the liquid flow when the compressed air is shut off. Post spray liquid flow can cause quality issues from unwanted drips on painted or coated surfaces.  Also, the No Drip feature helps to conserve and save on liquid use, reducing costs of expensive coatings or chemicals.

When the compressed air supply is shut off, the No Drip nozzle positively seals off the flow of liquid, eliminating over spray and drips. The design allows for just one compressed air line, there is no need for an additional to control the No Drip mechanism.

If you have questions about Atomizing Spray Nozzles, or would like to talk about any of the EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Products, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or any of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

Send me an email
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† Patent #9156045

 

No Drip Internal Mix Atomizing Nozzles

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Eliminate drips to conserve valuable liquids and improve product finishes!  EXAIR’s patented No Drip Atomizing Nozzle provides the same great performance as the the standard atomizing nozzles with the added benefit of positive liquid flow stoppage when the compressed air is shut off.

The No Drip option eliminates the occurrence of post spray liquid flow that results in unwanted drips that can mar a finish on painted or coated surfaces.  Also, excess liquid loss is minimized saving on expensive materials like chemicals or coatings.  When the compressed air is shut-off, the No Drip nozzle positively seals off the flow, eliminating the chance for a drip or lost liquid. Only one compressed air line is needed, as the line to combine and atomize the liquid also provides the no drip operation and control.

The No Drip Atomizing Nozzles are available in (3) types – Internal Mix, External Mix, and Siphon Fed.

The Internal Mix type operates under the principle that the air and liquid come together and mix ‘internal’ to the nozzle.  This type provides the finest atomization and smallest droplet size. The Internal Mix type of nozzle can be used with liquids up to 300 cP in viscosity.  Both the air and liquid sides are pressure fed.  The No drip Internal Mix Atomizing Nozzles are best for pressure fed applications not requiring independent air and liquid control.

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A No Drip Internal Mix Flat Fan Nozzle applying anti-corrosion fluid to stamped parts

The No Drip Atomizing Nozzles are available in (3) sizes – 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 NPT – to provide a wide range of flow rates and pattern sizes.  The No Drip feature does not impact the flow rates compared to the standard models.  Minimum air pressure operation is 30 PSIG for the 1/4 and 1/2 NPT, and just 20 PSIG for the 1/8 NPT models.

Like the standard Internal Mix Atomizing  Nozzles, spray patterns include narrow and wide angle round, flat fan, deflected flat fan and a 360° hollow circular pattern offering a wide selection to best meet the application needs.

Operation at up to 180 spray cycles per minute is possible.  Air and Liquid Caps can be switched out to change the pattern and flow rates.

Typical Applications

  • Painting
  • Coating
  • Rinsing
  • Cooling
  • Quenching
  • Wetting
  • Humidification
  • Dust Control

Advantages

  • No post spray drip
  • Adjustable
  • Easily used with EFC
  • Minimizes air and liquid consumption
  • All stainless steel construction
  • Fine atomization
  • Interchangeable liquid and air caps
  • Compact

If you need an Atomizing Spray Nozzle or any of the EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Products, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or one of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

Send me an email
Find us on the Web 
Like us on Facebook
Twitter: @EXAIR_BB