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  • Aftercoolers for Air Compressors

Aftercoolers are heat exchangers for cooling the discharge from a compressor. They use either air or water and are an effective means of removing moisture from compressed air. Aftercoolers control the amount of water vapor in a compressed air system by condensing the water vapor into liquid form. In a distribution or process manufacturing system, liquid water can cause significant damage to the equipment that uses compressed air. An aftercooler is necessary to ensure the proper functionality of pneumatic or air handling devices that are a part of process manufacturing systems.

Aftercoolers can use either air-cooled or water-cooled mechanisms. A compressor aftercooler may be a stand-alone unit located downstream of the compressor, or may be integrated into the compressor itself. Water-cooled aftercoolers or heat exchangers are fitted into a pipeline and use a moisture separator and drain valve to extract the water from the compressed air moving through the pipe. The moisture separator uses centrifugal force to separate out the moisture and solids from the compressed air and they exit the system through a drain. An air-cooled heat exchanger uses ambient air to cool hot compressed air. An air-cooled heat exchanger uses a motor-driven fan to force the ambient air over the cooler, removing the heat from the compressed air.

Van Air Aftercoolers
Van Air Aftercoolers