ISSN 1068-798X, Russian Engineering Research, 2007, Vol. 27, No. 10, pp. 729–733. © Allerton Press, Inc.
, 2007.
Original Russian Text © V.V. Burenin, 2007, published in STIN, 2007, No. 7, pp. 36–40.
Drying Air for Pneumatic Drives and Automatic Systems
in Machine Tools
V. V. Burenin
Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy
DOI: 10.3103/S1068798X0710019X
Reliable and prolonged operation of machine tools,
automatic lines, industrial robots, and other machines
equipped with pneumatic drives and automatic systems
depends critically on thorough preparation of the air,
including drying and the removal of contaminants [1].
The contaminants and moisture present in com-
pressed air have negative physical, chemical, and elec-
trical impacts on pneumatic systems, with reduction in
working life by a factor of 4–5 or, in some cases, even
20. Fracture of pneumatic equipment for this reason
accounts for 80% of all failures of such equipment [2].
Solid particles present in compressed air damage the
precise matched surfaces of slide valves, connecting
rods, and pistons.
In pneumatic power systems and automatic systems,
no moisture may be present in the air. The dew point of
the compressed air must be such that condensation of
water vapor from the air is impossible within the work-
ing temperature and pressure range. Note that, in the
expansion of compressed air, considerable temperature
drop is possible. Therefore, the expected variation in
the parameters (temperature, pressure, etc.) of the
pneumatic drives and automatic systems must be taken
into account in deciding how much to dry the air.
The following methods are used to dry air: cooling;
compression and subsequent cooling; absorption by
means of hygroscopic solutions; and adsorption by
porous solids.
Absorption and adsorption are particular cases of
the same process: sorption, which is the transfer of
materials in one phase to another—usually denser—
phase. Absorption is a physicochemical process occur-
ring over the whole volume of the absorber; adsorption
is a surface process.
Absorptive and adsorptive drying of air involves
special sorbents capable of capturing and retaining
water vapor from the air. Sorbents of three types are
used in air driers: solid sorbents, i.e., adsorbents, which
do not change their physical and chemical structure on
taking up water vapor (silica gel, alumina gel, etc.);
solid–liquid sorbents, which pass from the solid state to
the liquid state on taking up water (calcium chloride,
729
lithium chloride, etc.); and liquid sorbents, i.e., absor-
bents (solutions of calcium chloride, lithium chloride,
lithium bromide, diethylene glycol, etc.).
The fundamental principle of drying by cooling is
that the quantity of moisture present in air declines
sharply as the temperature drops. This is because the air
becomes saturated on cooling, and some of the mois-
ture—equal to the difference between the actual con-
tent in the air and the content corresponding to satura-
tion at the temperature and pressure attained after cool-
ing—is precipitated as water.
Deep drying of air calls for cooling to low (negative
in the Celsius scale) temperature, i.e., freezing. The
energy expenditures in freezing moisture from air are
considerable, and therefore this method should only be
used when the technology already involves air cooling
or when an inexpensive cold source is available.
The fundamental principle of drying by compres-
sion and subsequent cooling is that the moisture con-
tent of saturated air at constant temperature declines on
increasing the pressure. Hence, the ability of com-
pressed air to retain water vapor decreases with
decrease in temperature and increase in pressure.
Its relative moisture content increases and, after satura-
tion, the excess vapor condenses. The temperature at
which this occurs is the dew point. At higher tempera-
tures and the same pressure, water vapor does not con-
dense. Therefore, the dew point of compressed air is
often used as a measure of its content of water vapor.
In any compressor, the air is dried by compression
and subsequent cooling in heat exchangers (cooling
units), followed by separation of the liquid. This simpli-
fies the final drying, since the air emerging from the
compressor contains significantly less moisture than
atmospheric air.
The use of coalescent filter–drier units in air-prepa-
ration systems is an important factor in extending the
working life of pneumatic equipment [2]. Filter–drier
units combine the benefits of highly efficient filters and
moisture-removal systems. They reliably remove con-
taminant particles as small as 0.01 µm from com-
pressed air, and the coalescence of water droplets in
730 BURENIN
1 Disadvantages of this method include the relatively
2 high hydraulic drag due to passage of air through a
6 3
4
5 elsewhere.
Fig. 1. Device for drying air by freezing.
compressed air permits practically complete removal of
water from pneumatic lines, even with significant fluc-
tuations in air flow rate. Coalescent filter–drier units are
equipped with systems for semiautomatic and auto-
matic condensate runoff.
The fundamental principle of drying air by means of
liquid absorbents (aqueous solutions of salts) is the
physical finding that, at any temperature, the partial
pressure of water vapor above the surface of an aqueous
solution of salts is lower than that above the surface of
water. This property depends on the type of dissolved
material, its concentration, and the degree of dissocia-
tion of the molecules.
The concentration of the solution declines on drying
air (on account of the water taken from the air), and
hence it must be replenished. To this end, salts are
added to the solution as it is diluted by absorbed mois-
ture, with simultaneous removal of excess solution
from the system.
Since some absorbents react chemically with water
vapor and their reuse calls for special processing, this
method of drying is of limited applicability. Moreover,
very dry air cannot be obtained by absorption.
The mechanism by which air is dried on passing
through an adsorbent layer is as follows. We know [3]
that, if a wetting liquid partially fills a capillary chan-
nel, the liquid meniscus in the capillary will be con-
cave. The partial pressure of the vapor above the menis-
cus will be lower than above a plane liquid surface.
As a result of the pressure difference, water vapor is
transferred from the surrounding air to the capillary
channel, where it undergoes phase transition (from
vapor to liquid).
The adsorption method, which is the main method
of air drying for pneumatic drives and automatic sys-
tems, has the following benefits: it ensures a high
degree of drying of air, characterized by a very low dew
point; the degree of drying is insensitive to change in air
RUSSIAN ENGINEERING RESEARCH
temperature, pressure, and flow rate (within certain lim-
its); the drying modules are simple in design, easy to
use, and very reliable; and there is practically no corro-
sion of the materials from which the adsorption equip-
ment is made.
layer of granulated adsorbent; and the crushing of the
adsorbent and subsequent release of dust particles from
the equipment.
In recent years, new air-drying systems with
improved properties have been designed, in Russia and
A convenient device for air drying by freezing (Fig. 1)
may be included in any air line [4]. Compressed air is
supplied in small-diameter pipe 6. On passing through
choke valve 5 on the right side of the unit, the air is
reduced and cooled; the water present in the air is
deposited as snow and ice particles.
As the air continues to move along pipe 6, it passes
through filtering frames 4 and 2 on the right side of
housing 3, which takes the form of a large-diameter
pipe. The snow and ice particles in the air are deposited
on the surface of these frames, which are made of arti-
ficial fur. Since the fibers of the fur oscillate under the
action of the air flux, there is no risk that a continuous
crust of ice will clog the surface of the frames. After
passing through the frames, the dry air leaves through
pipe 1.
Over time, the frames on the right side of the hous-
ing are filled with snow and ice particles, and the drag
on the air increases. When the pressure difference at the
frames reaches a certain value, a special sensor is trig-
gered, and the control system switches operation from
the right choke valve to the valve on the left side. At the
same time, the right electric heater is switched on, and
the snow and ice that have accumulated on the right
side of the device melt; the water formed is removed in
a special pipe. The right and left sides of the device
operate alternately: one freezes the moisture while the
other is defrosting.
Flair (Germany), the world’s largest manufacturer
of equipment to prepare compressed-air for pneumatic
systems, has developed the new Smard air driers based
on cooling; five types are available, with flow rates of
21–108 m3/h [5]. The driers are easy to use, reliable,
and durable.
A drier patented by Linde (Germany) is capable of
prolonged continuous operation [6]. Two water-cooling
loops operate alternately in this unit. While moisture is
frozen from air in one loop, the ice accumulated in the
heat exchanger thaws in the other loop and the water is
removed.
An absorptive unit for drying air and removing toxic
pollutants was described in [7]. It is characterized by
Vol. 27 No. 10 2007
 DRYING AIR FOR PNEUMATIC DRIVES AND AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS 731

reduced energy consumption and a small quantity of 5 6

absorbent that constantly circulates. The wet, polluted 7 8
air is sent to input separator 1 (Fig. 2) for preliminary
removal of mechanical impurities and water drops,
which are sent to tank 11.
Then the air flux is dried in mass-transfer section 2 1 2 3 4
at the lower end of pipe 5, and the partially dried and 9
purified air passes through double whirlpool unit 3,
where it is turbulized, and drop collector 4, where the
liquid absorbent captured by the air is removed. The air
is then sent to mass-transfer section 6 at the upper end
10
of pipe 5 for final drying and purification. 11
From the regeneration unit (not shown in Fig. 2), the
Fig. 2. Absorption unit for drying air.
absorbent is pumped through pipe 7 to section 6 and
then flows back to section 2 along pipe 9, after which it
is again sent for regeneration in pipe 10. After final dry-
ing and removal of gaseous impurities, the air flux is
sent from section 6 to output separative filter module 8 5
8 9 10
and then to the customer. 4
6 7
Energy consumption in air drying is reduced by the
unit in [8]. The absorbent in this case is an aqueous 3
solution of lithium chloride. This solution moves in the
opposite direction to the air and is then sent to a regen-
eration system. The unit is capable of supplying up to 11
900 m3/h of conditioned (dried) air. 12
Adsorptive air driers with a mobile or immobile 2
adsorbent bed may be of very different structure [9, 10].
An adsorptive unit of increased reliability and ease
of manufacture was proposed in [11]. In this unit, mois- 1 14 13
ture is removed from compressed air by means of a
highly porous adsorbent. Besides the adsorption mod- Fig. 3. Unit for adsorptive drying of air.
ules on the right 9 and left 3 sides (Fig. 3), this unit
includes a control module (10); a two-position five-
throw pneumatic distributor switch 2; two-position,
two-throw pneumatic valves that are normally closed
13 and normally open 1; chokes 6, 7, and 12; and 9
inverse valves 4 and 8.
B
Compressed air is sent through pipe 14 to distributor
2 and then adsorption module 9, where it is dried. Most 8
of the dried air is sent through inverse valve 8 and choke 7
7 to the customer along pipeline 5. Around 20%, after
passing through choke 6, reaches adsorption module 3
for regeneration of the adsorbent and then through dis- 6
tributor 2 and valve 1, for release to the atmosphere.
5
After a specified operating interval of adsorption
module 9, a switching signal is sent from control mod- 4
ule 10 through control line 11 to distributor 2 and valves 3
1 and 13. As a result, air is dried in adsorption module
3, and the adsorbent is regenerated in adsorption unit 9. 2
The distributor is switched by means of choke 12; as a 1
result, on switching, pressure pulsations of the dried air A
on leaving the unit are prevented. When a new control
signal is sent from module 10, the cycle is repeated.
A Honda Giken Kogyo K.K. (Japan) adsorption unit
ensures high-quality air drying [12]. It takes the form of Fig. 4. Adsorption unit for drying air.

RUSSIAN ENGINEERING RESEARCH Vol. 27 No. 10 2007

732
10
11
9 15
13
8 16
18
19
7
6
5 21
20
4 Automatic control of adsorptive air drying reduces
22
3 2 1
Fig. 5. Basic pneumatic system for an automated adsorptive
air-drying unit.
a cylinder 8 (Fig. 4) with an oval bottom 1 and a lid 9.
Moisture is removed from the air by means of highly
porous adsorbent 4, which is in the cylinder between
plates 2 and 6; these plates which contain holes (not
shown in Fig. 4) and filters 3 and 5.
The air to be dried is sent to through central pipe 7,
which has an oblique aperture A at its lower end. The
dried air leaves the cylinder through aperture B in lid 9.
After the drying cycle, the adsorbent is regenerated by
heating in hot air. To this end, air from a special heater
is sent to the adsorption unit through aperture B.
Automatic control of the adsorptive drying of air is
possible by the following method [13]: the desorption
parameters of the adsorbent in one adsorption module
are determined and regulated as a function of the
parameters of moisture adsorption from the com-
pressed air sent to the other adsorption module. Then,
on the basis of the desorption parameters of the adsor-
bent in the second adsorption module, the parameters
of moisture absorption from the compressed air sent to
the first adsorption module are regulated; and so on.
In the corresponding system (Fig. 5), compressed
air is sent through pipeline 4 to adsorption module 8,
where it is dried on passing through a bed of granulated
adsorbent 7, and then sent to the customer through
pipeline 10.
Compressed air for the regeneration of adsorbent 19
in adsorption module 16 is sent through pipeline 12 to
valve 15 and electric heater 14 and then through pipe-
line 11 to adsorption module 16. The treated air is then
released to the atmosphere through pipeline 5, which
includes muffler 9.
BURENIN
Data on the flow rate, pressure, and temperature of
the compressed air entering the system is sent from sen-
12 sors 1, 2, and 3 to microprocessor 21, which also
receives data on the compressed-air parameters at dif-
14
ferent points of the system from sensors 6, 13, 17, 20,
17 and 22. On the basis of the corresponding algorithms,
microprocessor 21 calculates the duration of the
adsorption stages, the flow rate and temperature of the
regenerating gas, the heating time of the adsorbent in
desorption, and so on. From the results, the correspond-
ing commands are generated and sent to control unit 18,
electric heater 14, and valve 15. Then the whole process
is repeated.
the energy consumption and increases the reliability of
the drying system.
Seibu Giken (Japan) has developed an adsorption
unit for effective drying of air and the removal of car-
bon dioxide and impurities [14]. The cylindrical hous-
ing of this unit is divided into two parts, which contain
granules of a special adsorbent. There are two windows
on each side of the housing: one accounts for 75% of
the total window area, and the other for 25%.
Air sent to one part of the adsorption unit is cooled
in a heat exchanger and passes through the larger win-
dow to the adsorbent bed, where moisture and gaseous
impurities are removed; then the dry air passes through
the smaller window and is sent to the customer. Simul-
taneously, in the other part of the adsorption unit, the
adsorbent is regenerated. To this end, atmospheric air is
sent through a filter and heater and then to the adsorbent
bed, from which it removes moisture, carbon dioxide,
and the accumulated impurities. This air is then
released to the atmosphere.
MHB Filtration (Germany) has developed a new
adsorptive filter material for high-quality drying of air
and the removal of toxic gaseous impurities [15]. The
material consists of two layers applied to a base: one
layer consists of impregnated activated coal, and the
other of an ion exchanger. The second layer accounts
for 75% of the total thickness of both layers. The acti-
vated coal is impregnated with alkalis, acids, or metal
salts (for example, copper salts). The ion-exchange
layer is based on styrene with amine groups or a mate-
rial with sulfonic-acid and carboxyl groups.
Analysis of the literature and patents secured by the
world’s leading manufacturers of air-drying systems
shows that improvements in such systems focus on
operational convenience, lower energy consumption,
greater reliability and durability, and reduced manufac-
turing costs.
RUSSIAN ENGINEERING RESEARCH Vol. 27 No. 10 2007
 DRYING AIR FOR PNEUMATIC DRIVES AND AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS 733

REFERENCES 7. Russian Patent 2091139.

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RUSSIAN ENGINEERING RESEARCH Vol. 27 No. 10 2007