John Brooks Company recommends heatless dryer to help steel manufacturer

A steel producer solved moisture issues with a new heatless dryer.

For decades, businesses have solved problems with products from John Brooks Company Limited, resulting in many customer success stories. For example, a hot-rolled steel manufacturer was having issues with moisture in its air lines, resulting in premature maintenance needs and instrument failure. Here is how John Brooks Company helped the customer combat this moisture problem with an energy-efficient heatless dryer – leading to better operational efficiency and lower maintenance expenses.

Varying compressed-air dew point

The moisture in the air lines was caused by a compressed-air dew point that changed between summer and winter. So the steel company contacted a John Brooks Company application specialist and requested a solution that included an energy-efficient heatless dryer. After evaluating the existing design, the expert determined that the current dryer was inappropriate for summer. In a seminar to the steel company, the application specialist described the limits of the existing dryer and the estimated costs of alternatives.

The John Brooks Company expert recommended a 2500CHA heatless dryer, a unit within the budget. The dryer had upgrade potential to Heat Reactivated and a Pre and After filter, as well as a 15 per cent compressed-air purge rate (backwash), high design reliability, and long desiccant life design. The advanced dryer controls monitored the moisture load to maximize purge loss, and the user could modify the technology to Heat Reactivated to eliminate purge and avoid the need for extra compressors.

This heatless dryer operated by letting in compressed saturated air and letting out dew-point air with a temperature of -40 degrees Celsius. This dew-point purge at 100 pounds per square inch (psi), expanded to zero psi, converted to a dew point at -56 degrees Celsius. This dew-point purge air was dryer than the moisture content on the desiccant, resulting in desiccant regeneration.

The customer installed the new dryer, and the moisture issue was immediately resolved. While every plant has different application needs and use demands, choosing the right dryer has a substantial effect on efficiency and energy savings.

To learn more about this case story and others, visit the website.

For more information, contact John Brooks Company.

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