Desiccant drying, not refrigeration
The OAD series is a twin-tower adsorption dryer. Instead of cooling the air to condense water out, it passes the air through a desiccant bed that adsorbs moisture, while the second tower regenerates. That is what allows a pressure dew point far below what a refrigerated dryer can reach, and it is the reason this family exists alongside the OFD range rather than replacing it.
| Parameter | Range |
|---|---|
| Models | OAD-1 to OAD-50 |
| Rated flow | 1.2 to 55 m3/min |
| Working pressure | 2 to 10 bar standard |
| Max ambient temperature | 45 degrees C |
| Air connection | DN25 to DN100 |
| Unit weight | approximately 105 kg to 2,000 kg |
When an adsorption dryer is the right answer
- Pipework that runs outdoors or through unheated space, where a 2 to 10 degrees C dew point is simply not low enough.
- Processes sensitive to moisture: instrument air, painting, powder coating, laser cutting assist gas, electronics and pharmaceutical handling.
- Plants that stop over weekends and restart into cold lines, where residual moisture condenses on startup.
The cost trade-off
Adsorption drying costs more to buy and more to run than refrigeration, because a fraction of the dried air, or a heater, is spent on regeneration. The engineering question is not which technology is better in general, but whether the process can tolerate occasional condensate. If it can, a refrigerated dryer plus a proper filter chain is the cheaper answer. If it cannot, the desiccant unit is not an upgrade, it is a requirement.
Sizing notes
Adsorption dryer capacity is quoted at a reference inlet temperature and pressure, and the correction for a hot compressor room is steeper than for a refrigerated unit. Decide the required dew point first, then the flow, then confirm the inlet conditions the dryer will actually see. Pressures of 16, 20 and 30 bar are available as custom builds.
Tell us your working pressure, required flow and site voltage, and we will match a configuration. Send an enquiry.