lonesouth
Well-known member
Anyone plumbed the compressor intake into their AC ducts to provide dryer air to the compressor as a means to get dryer compressed air?
Pre-drying Compressor Intake Air
- Thread starter lonesouth
- Start date
crewchief888
Well-known member
i would think that would cause even more condensation....
the cooler air intake vs the heat generated by the air being compressed...
i'm probably wrong...
i usually am, just ask my wife
the cooler air intake vs the heat generated by the air being compressed...
i'm probably wrong...
i usually am, just ask my wife
Worsedog
Well-known member
i would think that would cause even more condensation....
the cooler air intake vs the heat generated by the air being compressed...
i'm probably wrong...
i usually am, just ask my wife
I think the cooler air would contain less moisture, as that is the point behind the refrigerated air dryers. It might also be more efficient to compress the denser cool air.
But I might be wrong as well. As I'm not married, maybe your wife can answer that as well as on your side too.
pcmeiners
Well-known member
"It might also be more efficient to compress the denser cool air."
Yes it does increase efficiency of the compressor, it would lower the compressor temp slightly, and compressing water vapor takes energy. Overall figuring in the A/C cost, not much if any efficiency would be gained.
"i would think that would cause even more condensation"
Since the air has already passed throw the AC coil, the water vapor entering the compressor is less to start off, but still has a decent amount of water vapor as an AC coil does not bring the air to a temperature below freezing which would remove almost all the vapor.
Now if you had a decent sized after cooler, feed with A/C air this would be more efficient than feeding the A/C air to the compressor intake, as water will drop out more easily out of higher pressure compressor exhaust; high pressure air can hold less water vapor than low pressure air. As is, normal air flow through a sufficient sized after cooler removes approx. 2/3 of the moisture.
Concept is good, as some users switch their compressor intake from inside the garage to outside air in the winter months.
Yes it does increase efficiency of the compressor, it would lower the compressor temp slightly, and compressing water vapor takes energy. Overall figuring in the A/C cost, not much if any efficiency would be gained.
"i would think that would cause even more condensation"
Since the air has already passed throw the AC coil, the water vapor entering the compressor is less to start off, but still has a decent amount of water vapor as an AC coil does not bring the air to a temperature below freezing which would remove almost all the vapor.
Now if you had a decent sized after cooler, feed with A/C air this would be more efficient than feeding the A/C air to the compressor intake, as water will drop out more easily out of higher pressure compressor exhaust; high pressure air can hold less water vapor than low pressure air. As is, normal air flow through a sufficient sized after cooler removes approx. 2/3 of the moisture.
Concept is good, as some users switch their compressor intake from inside the garage to outside air in the winter months.
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Hounddog
Well-known member
My take on using the AC air....the positive effect (lower humidity) using a cooled air supply is lost as the compressors process of compressing the air generates a lot of heat...try putting a finger on the supply from the compressor to the tank, you'll understand. The generation of moisture will continue and may even be more so as you introduce cooler air to heating process. If moisture is your concern...your level of concern will probably dictate how far your willing to go in minimizing it...do a search for "compressor air exchangers" You Tube also have DIY videos on them. While exchangers are on the outlet side of the compressor and before the tank...to effect the supply air before it enters the 'breather' you'd have to craft a chamber that would actually heat the supply air...minimizing the temperature difference between the 'supply air and the compressed heated air'.. My .02
sberry
Banned
How could lower humidity air entering it hurt?
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
No one said it would hurt, just that it isn't worth it.
Nor'Easter
Well-known member
No matter the temp of the entering air you are still putting the same amount of work into the air, which will cause it to warm up. You'll still need post-treatment. Will it be less than if you were only using post? Maybe. Worth it? Doesn't seem so.
James-W
Well-known member
I agree with "sberry" on this one. The opening poster doesn't seem to care about cost or efficiency, he just wants to get dryer compressed air. Using air-conditioned air for the compressor air intake may not be a great solution and it may or may not help the situation, but I really don't see how it could hurt anything.
pcmeiners
Well-known member
You have absolutely no knowledge of compressed air and it's relationship to moisture and temperature.
"compressors process of compressing the air generates a lot of heat..." This the only fact in your statement.
moisture in air calculator.....
play with the ambient temperature slider
http://www.cagi.org/files/Water_in_Air_Calculator_-_Version_3(2).xls
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m32825
Well-known member
I like the idea of using an AC unit and moisture, but a little differently: take the unit apart and run the compressed air through the condenser coil submerged in a bucket of water! 
-- Carl
-- Carl
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
You do realize in order for your idea to be instituted it will require you to run your HVAC constantly when your air compressor is running...
Tommy
Tommy
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Hounddog
Well-known member
pcmeiners: As your mother used to say, "don't be ugly"
"You have absolutely no knowledge of compressed air and it's relationship to moisture and temperature."......you got me there.
Love you!
"You have absolutely no knowledge of compressed air and it's relationship to moisture and temperature."......you got me there.
Love you!
pcmeiners
Well-known member
Not trying to be ugly. If poster do not have knowledge/facts, please do not post. It messes up the threads as the OP/others do not know what information is true after a while. Then other posters have to provide correction, time consuming and waste of time.
rlitman
Well-known member
It won't. It also won't hurt that you're pre-filtering the air to some degree (assuming the A/C is running, and you're not pulling in air in reverse from the registers).
But it will also pipe the compressor noise throughout your conditioned house. The intake can be pretty loud, and for that reason, I'd suggest not trying this.