Location of receiver?

Location of receiver;

What is the proper location of receiver, before or after the air dryer?

Ken from Houston posed this question:

Our "engineer" has had our compressed air system reworked so that the air from the compressor goes to the air dryer first, then to the receiver, then to the plant.

The pipe to the receiver is then tee'd off the pipe to the plant.

Originally it went to the receiver first, then to the dryer, then to the plant.

The air does not flow through the receiver, it acts more like a storage tank with only one pipe to it instead of in and out seperate piping.

Old schoolers do not think this is the way to do it.

Comments?

If you think about it, the reservoir's (receiver's) job is to store compressed air ready to use if the compressor can't keep up with the shop demand.

As the pressure in the shop lines begins to drop when the compressor can't keep up, compressed air is automatically bled into the lines from the receiver, as compressed air will always flow from higher pressure to lower pressure areas.

It's when the compressed air pressure throughout the whole system, including the air tank, falls to the compressor kick in point that the compressor will start, and raise the air pressure throughout the air mains and lines, and the receiver.

When the system air pressure reaches the compressor cut out point, the compressor will stop compressing air.

So, it doesn't really matter to the system where, in the grand scheme of things, the receiver is positioned.

Your engineer has determined (I think) that's it's better for your plant to store compressed air that's already been dried, so it's ready to use right away, without having to go through the plant dryer first.

Others will put the receiver before the dryer.

Often, if the receiver is installed before the dryer, and assuming that compressed air in the tank has the opportunity to sit awhile before being pulled downstream, then air that's stored there will be cooled by natural heat loss, with water loss in the receiver and cooler air entering the dryer being the result. That's better for the dryer efficiency.

I don't know if that provides a benefit in your case though. Your demand may be so high that the only time air in the receiver might have time to cool is between shifts.

Regardless, I'd still have an auto drain cycling periodically on the receiver drain to ensure that if there's any condensation in that tank it gets bled out regularly.

There you go, as you asked for...my comments. ;-)

Bill







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