• Link to Facebook
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • 1-800-264-1247
Pioneer Air Systems
  • Products
        • Instrument & Breathing Air Dryers
          • Deliquescent Dryers
          • Refrigerant Dryers & Chillers
          • Regenerative Dryers
          • High Pressure Dryer
          • Compressor & Dryer Package
        • Filters
          • Coalescing
          • Filtration Packages
          • Monitored Oil-Free Air
          • Kleen-Water
        • Gas Purification
          • CO2 Dryers
          • Hydrogen Dryers
        • Desiccants
          • Silica Gel
          • Activated Carbon
          • Activated Alumina
          • Color Change
          • Deliquescent
          • Molecular Sieve
        • Air and Gas Accessories
          • Automatic Non Clogging Drains
          • Centrifugal Separators
          • Chillers
          • Dew Point Analyzers
          • Visual Moisture Indicators
        • Biogas Purification
          • Novel R
          • Patented Deep Chill R
  • Onsite Services
  • Applications
    • Carbon Capture & Sequestration
    • Green Hydrogen Fuel Industry
    • Landfills
    • Wastewater
    • Oil and Gas Applications
    • Industrial Air and Gas Compressors
    • Bitcoin Mining
    • Anaerobic Digesters
  • About
    • Blog
  • Contact
  • Menu Menu

What Is a Refrigerant Dryer, and How Does It Work

Compressed air systems need dry air to maintain operations, and a refrigerant air dryer is one of the most effective tools for maintaining it. Learn more about how they work and the advantages they provide

What Is a Refrigerant Air Dryer?

A refrigerant air dryer is a specialized device that eliminates moisture from compressed air. Compressed air always contains water, as external moisture is drawn in when the compressor takes in air. To safeguard your equipment, it is crucial to have a compressed air dryer installed to avoid any potential harm.

How Does a Refrigerant Air Dryer System Work?

Refrigerant air dryers use a refrigeration system to cool the compressed air, causing the moisture in the air to condense into liquid form. This liquid is then removed from the air stream and drained away in the following steps:

  • Step 1: Intake of Moist Air

    The process begins when moist air enters the air inlet of the refrigerant air dryer. This air consists of water vapor, dust particles, and other contaminants that must be eliminated for effective operation.

  • Step 2: Cooling and Condensation

    The incoming air is now directed into a heat exchanger, which is cooled down. This cooling process uses a refrigeration gas to reduce the temperature of the air. As the air cools, its moisture content condenses into liquid water droplets.

  • Step 3: Moisture Separation

    The condensed water droplets are then separated from the air through a moisture separator or separator filter. This component effectively removes the bulk of the liquid water, leaving only small water particles suspended in the air.

  • Step 4: Pre-Cooling

    After moisture separation, the partially dried air undergoes pre-cooling to further reduce its temperature. This second cooling stage helps maximize water condensation and enhances the efficiency of the subsequent drying process.

  • Step 5: Expansion and Supercooling

    The pre-cooled air enters an expansion valve, which experiences a sudden pressure drop, causing a rapid cooling effect. This expansion and supercooling step significantly lowers the air temperature, leading to further condensation and water removal.

  • Step 6: Moisture Elimination

    The supercooled air is then passed through an evaporator, where it encounters a series of cold, finned tubes containing the refrigerant. As the air passes over these evaporator coils, any remaining moisture condenses into water droplets and is drained out of the system through a drain trap.

  • Step 7: Reheating and Final Drying

    A reheater is employed to bring the temperature of the air back to its desired level and prevent cold air from entering the downstream system. The reheater warms the air by transferring heat from the compressed air system, ensuring the output is dry, clean, and at an optimal temperature for usage.

  • Step 8: Distribution of Dry Air

    The treated and dried air leaves the refrigerant air dryer through the outlet and is ready for distribution to various applications, such as pneumatic tools, instrumentation, or machinery. The dry air provided by the refrigerant air dryer helps to improve the efficiency and extend the lifespan of downstream equipment.

Advantages of Refrigerant Air Dryers

Companies install refrigerant air dryers into their compressed air systems because they offer the following advantages:

Increased Energy Efficiency

Refrigerant air dryers are designed to operate at low temperatures, which helps reduce energy consumption. They use the refrigeration cycle to cool and condense the moisture in the air, making them more energy efficient compared to other types of air dryers.

Improved Air Quality

Refrigerant dryers prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, and other contaminants by removing moisture from the compressed air. This helps improve the overall air quality and reduces the risk of corrosion in the compressed air system.

Extended Equipment Lifespan

Moisture in compressed air can cause corrosion and damage to equipment and tools. Refrigerant air dryers help protect the compressed air system components and extend their lifespan by removing the moisture.

Reduced Maintenance and Downtime

The absence of moisture in the compressed air system reduces the need for maintenance and repairs. By preventing moisture-related issues such as clogs, corrosion, and freezing, refrigerant air dryers help minimize downtime and increase productivity.

Maintained Dew Point

Refrigerant air dryers can maintain a consistent dew point, ensuring the compressed air is dry and moisture-free. This is especially important in applications that require specific dew point levels, such as pharmaceutical, food, and electronics industries.

Reduced Costs

Refrigerant air dryers offer a cost-effective solution for removing moisture from compressed air. They are relatively affordable compared to other types of dryers, and their energy efficiency helps reduce operating costs in the long run.

Pioneer Air Systems has experience providing industry-leading refrigerant air dryer products for companies across multiple industries. Learn more about the markets we work with.

Industries We Serve

Source Your Refrigerant Air Dryer From Pioneer

Pioneer Air is a leading provider of innovative refrigerated compressed air dryer designs, catering to both non-cycling and cycling systems. These dryers effectively eliminate water vapor from the compressed air by utilizing state-of-the-art air-to-air and air-to-refrigerant heat exchangers, resulting in condensation. This technological process has made refrigerated compressed air dryers an indispensable solution in various industries, particularly manufacturing and service sectors. By significantly reducing the dew point, these dryers enable the reliable operation of pneumatic tools and other applications that demand moisture-free air for optimal performance.

Pioneer Air Systems: Offering Refrigerated Compressed Air Dryers and More

Since 1980, Pioneer Air Systems has been supplying high-quality air and gas drying systems for businesses across multiple industries. Our commitment to compressed air treatment projects, no matter how large or small, allows us to set ourselves apart from the competition. Along with our refrigerant air dryers, we also offer:

  • Filters
  • Gas purifications
  • Desiccants
  • And more

Contact us today to learn more about our industry-leading purification systems.

Share This Post

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail

Related Postings

Choosing Replacement Desiccant Air Dryers- Pitfalls to Avoid

Choosing Replacement Desiccant Air Dryers: Pitfalls to Avoid

May 9, 2024
Read more
https://pioneerair.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Choosing-Replacement-Desiccant-Air-Dryers-Pitfalls-to-Avoid.jpg 1250 2000 Abstrakt Marketing /wp-content/uploads/2022/05/pioneer_air_systems_logo.png Abstrakt Marketing2024-05-09 20:47:392025-05-22 20:31:32Choosing Replacement Desiccant Air Dryers: Pitfalls to Avoid
A Guide to Desiccant Types, Applications, and Lifespans

A Guide to Desiccant Types, Applications, and Lifespans

May 9, 2024
Read more
https://pioneerair.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/A-Guide-to-Desiccant-Types-Applications-and-Lifespans.jpg 1250 2000 Abstrakt Marketing /wp-content/uploads/2022/05/pioneer_air_systems_logo.png Abstrakt Marketing2024-05-09 20:39:292025-05-22 20:31:33A Guide to Desiccant Types, Applications, and Lifespans
Professional inspecting industrial gas system

Maintenance 101: Keeping Your Gas Hydrogen Dryer System in Peak Condition

March 4, 2024
Read more
https://pioneerair.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Professional-inspecting-industrial-gas-system.jpg 1250 2000 Abstrakt Marketing /wp-content/uploads/2022/05/pioneer_air_systems_logo.png Abstrakt Marketing2024-03-04 14:44:192025-05-22 20:31:33Maintenance 101: Keeping Your Gas Hydrogen Dryer System in Peak Condition

Applications

Carbon Capture and Sequestration

Green Hydrogen Fuel Industry

Landfills

Waste Water

Products

Instrument Air Dryers

Biogas Purification

Gas Purification

Filters

Desiccants

Air and Gas Accessories

Contact

8445 Freeport Pkwy.
Suite 175 Irving, TX 75063

1-800-264-1247

Website by Abstrakt Marketing Group © 2023
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
Link to: The Benefits of Breathing Compressed Air Systems Link to: The Benefits of Breathing Compressed Air Systems The Benefits of Breathing Compressed Air Systemscompressed air system Link to: Benefits of Desiccant Dryers for Your Industrial Operations Link to: Benefits of Desiccant Dryers for Your Industrial Operations Benefits of Desiccant Dryers for Your Industrial Operations
Scroll to top Scroll to top Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

AcceptLearn more

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Accept settingsHide notification only