In the process of creating compressed air, the high pressure condenses water vapor in the air into a liquid condensate. This condensate must be removed to prevent any risk to the system such as:
Corrosion of the contact surfaces of pipes or equipment using compressed air in the workshop
Water causes a decrease in the quality of compressed air, which in turns affects product quality
Lubricant losses due to water mixed in compressed air, increasing machine wear and tear
Reduced efficiency leads to increased compressor operating hours, increased energy costs and reduced machine life
Because of this, an efficient compressed air system must be equipped with water discharge valves in compressors, tanks and drying equipment.
Basic Compressed Air System Schematic
There are three types of drain valves commonly found in factories:
Manual Tank Drainage
Timer Solenoid Drainage Valves
Float Drainage Valves
1) Manual tank drainage
Devices in your compressor system are often equipped with manual flushing traps. This manual water trap is usually located at the lowest position of the air tank. Due to the process of creating compressed air, water condenses and lies at the bottom of the compressed air tank. Dirt from the environment and air is also introduced into the compressed air system, which can affect the quality of your product.
To prevent water and dirt from accumulating inside the air tank, this manual drain valve must be opened regularly to allow the system to function normally. This is especially important for large industrial compressed air systems, where large air compressors can have several liters of water accumulation a day.
Manual drainage valve under the receiver
These valves usually come inbuilt with the system, however users face the following problems:
There is no way to track the amount of water accumulated in the system, as it depends on the amount of moisture in the air and the actual operation schedule of the compressor.
When manually draining, air wastage is likely due to the unknown duration of time required for draining. This can result in a loss of power for product application
Draining schedule is often overlooked in lieu of other work
2) Timer Solenoid Drainage Valves
Timer Solenoid Drainage Valves
This type of drain is seen commonly because manual flushing is often neglected daily. These devices typically include a 2-port valve and timer. The timer helps to automatically flush water at regular intervals and regulates discharge times. This device can be connected and the control system makes it easy to observe.
The automatic timer drain must be monitored and calibrated carefully to prevent over discharge. A timer set to drain too frequently will result in air loss when there is insufficient condensate build up. This wastes precious air that has been compressed to use for work, increasing your costs and reducing efficiency of your compressed air system. If the timer is not calibrated to discharge too slowly, water and dirt will accumulate in the system and affect your air and product quality.
Automatic timer drains are also sensitive to dirt and have a short lifespan. When dirt starts to accumulate, they are easily spoilt, require frequent maintenance and are recommended for annual replacement.
3) Float Drains
Float Drain
This drain is seen commonly in many of the factories in Ho Chi Minh. The reason for their popularity is the low investment cost of about 2 - 3 million VND per unit.
These valves can be equipped in all positions in the compressed air room such as: air compressor, under filter equipment, in drying equipment and in the receiver tanks.As condensate accumulates in the drain, the float rises up and exposes the drain orifice, allowing for condensate to drain through system pressure and gravity.
The simple operating principles coupled with low investment costs make this an attractive option for condensate drain. However, float drains are limited as follows:
Sensitive to oil and dirt in the condensate, the drain orifices are prone to clogging leading to condensate accumulation
Being mechanically operated, there is no display to notify the status of operation in the above cases such as clogs or stuck floats
The float can get stuck due to dirt and dust buildup, resulting in compressed air loss
Electronic Level-Controlled Drains
Ho Chi Minh City has a changing climate which will affect the water accumulation. Wetter months during rainy seasons see increased humidity of the air which increases the amount of condensate produced by the compressor, while less condensate is produced during drier periods. Therefore, using the above drains requires calibration and maintenance throughout the year.
Nowadays, modern factories have gradually started to use electronic level-controlled drains with capacitive sensors, which signal the valve when to open or close. This removes any possibility of compressed air loss as the valve is activated only when condensate reaches a preset level. They can also come with alarms for external monitoring of pressure drops or clogged drains.
Using the capacitive sensor means that the condensate is monitored constantly and is only drained when sufficient condensate accumulates. This gives the user the best of both worlds, optimized air compressor efficiency and worry-free operation.
BEKOMAT, an electronic level-controlled drain
BEKOMAT from Beko Technologies have been used in the world with more than 1,500,000 units sold. Many compressor manufacturers recommend the BEKOMAT as it is the safest and most economical condensate drain available. The wide range of BEKOMAT also means that it can cater for any type of compressor set up.
Below is a short video on how the BEKOMAT functions.
Mc-Cast Vietnam Engineering Co., Ltd is the authorized dealer of BEKO products in Ho Chi Minh. We guarantee product quality at effective costs. Contact us today to find out how Bekomat can help improve your compressed air system.