What is the starting sequence of the air compressor cooling dryer?
As the core equipment of the compressed air processing system, air compressor, cold dryer, and dry dryer must strictly follow the process logic to ensure stable operation of the system and air quality. Verified by industry practice, the standard operating process is as follows:
1. Starting sequence
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Start the cold dryer first
As air pretreatment equipment, it needs to be operated in advance to establish a low-temperature environment. Its refrigeration system requires a 3-5 minute pre-cooling cycle to reduce the evaporator temperature to the dew point range of 2-10℃, creating conditions for subsequent water removal operations. -
Turn on the air compressor after the cold drying machine is running stably
As an air source equipment, the air compressor needs to be started after the cold dryer completes pre-cooling. It is recommended to keep the exhaust pressure within the range of 0.6-0.8MPa when loading the air compressor to avoid pressure fluctuations causing impact on the back-end equipment. -
Activate the dryer after the pressure reaches the standard
Only when the compressed air pressure is stable and the outlet temperature of the cold dryer is ≤5℃ can the dry dryer be started. The switching period of the adsorption tower should match the exhaust volume of the air compressor to ensure that the regeneration air consumption is ≤15% of the rated processing capacity.
2. Shutdown sequence
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Unload the air compressor first
Press the “Uninstall” button on the control panel to put the unit into no-load operation. Wait until the pressure of the air storage tank drops below 0.2MPa before shutting down to avoid emulsification of the lubricating oil caused by shutdown under pressure. -
Shut down the dryer after the system is relieved
Observe the pressure gauge on the control panel of the dryer, and then cut off the power supply after confirming that the intake pressure has returned to zero to prevent the adsorbent from being suddenly exposed under pressure and causing pulverization. -
Finally, stop using the cold drying machine
The cold dryer needs to be stopped for 10-15 minutes, and the residual cold capacity is used to continue drying the residual air in the pipeline to avoid freezing inside the evaporator.
3. Operation points
- Special requirements for first start: When restarting after a long shutdown, the cold dryer needs to be powered on in advance to preheat and defrost, and the air compressor should perform 3-5 inching cycles to establish an oil film.
- Operation monitoring indicators: The outlet temperature of the cold drying machine should be ≤10℃, the dew point temperature of the dry dryer should be ≤-40℃, and the exhaust temperature of the air compressor should be controlled within the range of 75-95℃.
- Maintenance cycle recommendations: The condenser of the cold dryer is cleaned once a month, the adsorbent of the dry dryer is replaced every two years, and the oil core of the air compressor needs to be replaced after a total of 2000 hours.
Following this operating specification can effectively reduce equipment failure rates, extend the service life of the adsorbent, and at the same time ensure that the quality of compressed air meets the requirements of ISO 8573-1 standard, providing stable air supply guarantee for the production system.
