Design World

  • Home
  • Articles
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
  • 3D CAD Models
    • PARTsolutions
    • TraceParts
  • Leadership
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • 2020 LEAP Awards
  • Resources
    • DIGITAL ISSUES
      • EE World Digital Issues
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • 2020 LEAP Awards
    • MC² Motion Control Classroom
    • Motion Design Guide Library
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
  • Women in Engineering
  • Ebooks / Tech Tips
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • COVID-19

Can water damage my compressed air system?

By Paul Heney | May 31, 2016

Share

marshall3In a previous post, we discovered that air compressors will produce significant amounts of water, which is squeezed from the ambient air the compressor ingests through its intake. This water, if left in the system, can damage the air compressor and components connected to your compressed air system and possibly contaminate your product. Piping will rust, this rust will mix with the compressor oil and the dirt particles that are introduced into the system through the inlet of the compressor. This mixture forms a sticky mess that can clog pneumatic circuitry and stain or pit finely finished surfaces. In addition to this, because a compressed air system is an oxygen rich environment, microbes can start to grow within the piping, feeding off organic materials. If you have ever been sprayed with the wet discharge of a compressed air filter drain, this is the reason the condensate often smells like an old gym sock.

To attempt to minimize the amount of water that gets into system piping, most air compressors will have a water separator and trap of some kind. This trap is located right after the compressor aftercooler—a heat exchanger designed to cool the flow of compressed air that exits the compressor discharge. The trap will have some method of drainage to remove the water. The operation of this drain is the first thing to check if you are having moisture problems. A dry drain means trouble.

A failed drain will allow large amounts of water to enter the compressed air system. If there are no additional ways to trap this moisture and deal with it, then problems will occur. The first and best line of defense is to have a storage receiver in line just after the air compressors, to allow a place for the compressed air to cool and free water to settle; any captured water can be removed from an additional drain on the bottom of the receiver.

Compressed air piping practices are important to prevent water from ending up in production machinery. The piping should be sloped away from the compressor slightly. This way, any free water that condenses out of the stream of air as it cools will flow down to the lowest spot, where a drain should be located. Connection points feeding the production machines should be located on the top of the main distribution piping, so as not to allow water to drain down into critical locations.

Of course, having properly sized air dryers on your system will prevent any free water from forming in your piping. However, the piping design should be such that it minimizes any trouble that might be caused it the dryer fails for a significant period of time or is accidentally turned off.

Some other things to consider with regard to water in the compressed air system:

• Compressor connections should enter into the top of the compressor room piping header, the water produced by one compressor in a multiple compressor system can end up in the discharge piping of another compressor, filling it up completely. When the compressor needs to start, the water hammer can damage downstream filters, dryers, or the compressor itself.
• The water produced by air compressors is contaminated with dirt and compressor oil, it should be disposed of correctly so as not to pollute the environment.
• Free water, if allowed to enter desiccant style air dryers, will damage the desiccant.
• Water will rust piping and receiver tanks; drains must be working. The weight of a full receiver tank due to a drain failure can damage tank mounting in some extreme cases. Tanks must be inspected regularly to ensure the rust pitting has not created a safety hazard.
• Expanding ice can plug and crack pipes if wet air is directed outdoors in freezing conditions.
• Water, which is present in the lubricant, can damage the inside of lubricated screw air compressors if the compressors are not allowed to come up to operating temperature—this can happen in the case of oversized compressors.
• Water is a universal solvent, it will wash away beneficial lubricant in air compressors and in compressed air powered tools, causing early machine failure or excessive wear.

 

Pneumatic Tips

About Paul Heney

Paul J. Heney, the VP, Editorial Director for Design World magazine, has a BS in Engineering Science & Mechanics and minors in Technical Communications and Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech. He has written about fluid power, aerospace, robotics, medical, green engineering, and general manufacturing topics for nearly 25 years. He has won numerous regional and national awards for his writing from the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

MOTION DESIGN GUIDES

“motion

“motion

“motion

“motion

“motion

Enews Sign Up

Motion Control Classroom

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Drilling Rig OEM Benefits from a PLC with Edge Computing Technology: IIoT Case Study
  • #1 Reason for Retaining Ring Failure & How to Overcome It
  • Motion controllers: design from scratch or buy ready-made?
  • 4 Key Trends in Machine Engineering
  • Configuration Management: Configuration Integrity IS A Core Driver for Business Success
  • How to Choose a Linear Actuator
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Tweets by @DesignWorld
Design World
  • Advertising
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Engineering White Papers
  • LEAP Awards

Copyright © 2021 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Articles
    • 3D CAD
    • Electronics • electrical
    • Fastening & Joining
    • Factory automation
    • Linear Motion
    • Motion Control
    • Test & Measurement
    • Sensors
  • 3D CAD Models
    • PARTsolutions
    • TraceParts
  • Leadership
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • 2020 LEAP Awards
  • Resources
    • DIGITAL ISSUES
      • EE World Digital Issues
    • Future of Design Engineering
    • 2020 LEAP Awards
    • MC² Motion Control Classroom
    • Motion Design Guide Library
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
  • Women in Engineering
  • Ebooks / Tech Tips
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • COVID-19