Value of Compressor Aftercooler

[N_Jay]

I need to replace the short piece of copper tubing that connects my 2-stage compressor pump (Old Rol-Air/Chinook K28) to the check valve and tank.

I was wondering what the value of using a 10 or 20 foot coil instead of a direct run to make an aftercooler of sorts.

If I do this should I put in some type of water trap to keep any condensate out of the tank?

The compressor is a 5HP 2-stage and a 60 gallon tank used for general purpose work. Some of everything not much of anything and probably no painting.

Thoughts?

 

[matt_i]

Ideally if you could orient it like the coil spring on a vehicle you won't have any entrapment issues.

I would plan on careful support, due to the work-hardening characteristic of copper. At the same time, the copper will thermally expand along the axis of the tube so it will need some freedom to do so.

Last point is that it will work even better if some kind of forced airflow can be initiated by the pressure switch "calling for air".

Relative to "value" its probably not a tremendous step forward. The volume stored in a large tank should mitigate temp pretty well in my opinion.

 

[shoot summ]

I need to replace the short piece of copper tubing that connects my 2-stage compressor pump (Old Rol-Air/Chinook K28) to the check valve and tank.

I was wondering what the value of using a 10 or 20 foot coil instead of a direct run to make an aftercooler of sorts.

If I do this should I put in some type of water trap to keep any condensate out of the tank?

The compressor is a 5HP 2-stage and a 60 gallon tank used for general purpose work. Some of everything not much of anything and probably no painting.

Thoughts?

I made a small aftercooler out of rigid copper pipe, mounted it outside the belt guard so the air is pulled over it when the compressor is running. Temp difference from the top of the grid, to the bottom is significant. I put a drop leg and a drain valve where it goes into the tank. There is always a LOT of water that comes out of that drop leg.

 

[Schurkey]

Thanks for the idea. You've got me thinking I should do something similar.

 

[C lectric]

If you run the compressor for long periods of time then water will make its way out of the receiver, into the lines and your air tools. Believe it or not the tank itself will warm up.

Aim a fan at the tank to carry off some of that heat.

Build an aftercooler, they do work. Best is water cooled but that is usually not practical for small setups.

A lot of the same benefit can be had by building one with dual paths of small diam copper tubing. One of the tricks is to slow the air travel down. Fast moving air will carry water a long ways. Slow that air down and the water drop out and will plate out on the tubing and can then be collected. Slow moving air will also cool better than fast moving air. A vertical rise also helps stopping water travel.

I built a small one of 3/4 copper tubing. Freebees or a wrecking yard.
The inlet hose is 3/8 id. Two vertical runs separated by a bottom cross tube, a top cross tube and a middle cross tube. The bottom cross is where the water is collected to a drain valve, the centre cross is the compressed air entry, the top is the air outlet.

It's not large, depending upon the twinned very much larger copper pipe to slow and split the air travel and the drop for the water before the air can rise to the upper cross tube. The thing is mounted vertically on a bracket and simply set on the floor. I can aim a fan at it to cool it. So far it has worked well. Certainly a lot better than the one I didn't have before.

I don't paint but I have run my grinders long enough many times that water carry through was a problem. My unit is relatively small, a 3hp motor/ 20 gal receiver but even a large tank can have water vapour escape causing trouble downstream.
Just another idea.

 

[N_Jay]

What I was thinking is a simple coil of copper (Horizontal coil, spiraling down with the tail looped up prior to turning down to enter the tank.) with a "T" connection for a drain leg at the low point.

The drain was going to get T-ed in to the tank drain before I realized that would bypass the check valve.
I am trying to think of another way to easily make an automatic drain without needing to buy two automatic drains.

My two goals are; 1) To reduce the moisture load the tank receives, and 2) to shed some heat to help the compressor efficiency.

 

[sberry]

I need to replace the short piece of copper tubing that connects my 2-stage compressor pump (Old Rol-Air/Chinook K28) to the check valve and tank.

I was wondering what the value of using a 10 or 20 foot coil instead of a direct run to make an aftercooler of sorts.

If I do this should I put in some type of water trap to keep any condensate out of the tank?

The compressor is a 5HP 2-stage and a 60 gallon tank used for general purpose work. Some of everything not much of anything and probably no painting.

Thoughts?

Fix it, use it, see if you really need to fugg with it and every idea from the internet we can find. Out a ball valve on the bottom to whiz a little water out once in a while. I don't have all that stuff and paint.