ACA Series Heat Exchangers

ACA Series Compressed Air Aftercoolers

Getting the Moisture Out Before the Dryer Sees It

Compression heats air and concentrates the moisture in it. An aftercooler drops the temperature so that moisture condenses out where it can be separated and drained, rather than travelling downstream into the dryer, the receiver, the distribution piping and eventually the tools.

Approach temperature decides how much water you remove. The colder the air leaves the aftercooler, the more moisture drops out. Every degree of approach the exchanger consumes is moisture the dryer has to handle instead, and dryer capacity is considerably more expensive than aftercooler surface.

A separator is part of the system. The aftercooler condenses the moisture; something downstream has to collect and drain it. An aftercooler without an effective separator and trap simply moves liquid water into the distribution system in slugs, which is worse than not cooling at all.

Single pass on the air side. Compressed air has pressure drop that was paid for at the compressor, and every psi lost across the aftercooler is energy wasted for the life of the installation. The single-pass arrangement in the ACA range keeps that loss to a minimum.

Cooling water quality matters more than people expect. Aftercoolers frequently run on whatever water is available, and the tube side fouls accordingly. A removable-bundle arrangement and access for cleaning are worth having on a unit that will see untreated water.