I have (3) YH clone air compressors, and have played with a number of means to remove water. The material suggested appears to look like this: https://www.amazon.ca/HFS-Molecular-Sie ... 840&sr=8-1
I quit using this material because of the amount of dust produced due to the agitation/rubbing of the beads, due to the pulsations of the compressor's air intake. Attempts to filter the dust from the intake were less than desired when using various small fuel filters so I rejected the use of this material. IDK if a hand pump would be less of a problem.
I use this type of material (not this exact product since just grabbed the first link I saw), in an AliExpress housing. It appears to remove significant amounts of water when inline with the compressor's intake. I compared the relative humidity of the compressed air with, versus without the intake desiccant. https://www.amazon.ca/Premium-Indicatin ... 260&sr=8-5
The blue beads appear to capture water and dry out, gauged by color and weight change.
Some of my notes, FWIW:
All tests venting from whip hose by way of original little blue filter vented into plastic bag with UNIT-T UT333 Humidity Meter
Initial compressor run without desiccant:
57.9% RH 23.6C venting from whip hose by way of original little blue filter
Test connected to #1 compressor inlet:
Ambient 68.8% RH 20.9 C
Desiccant connected – 54.8% RH 25 C
Desiccant disconnected – 53.5% RH 25.2 C
Desiccant reconnected 52.5% RH 25.8C
Venting air from air bottle, air was compressed w/o desiccant 10.9% RH 22.4C
After drying desiccant (turned from pink to dark blue: 225 F 45 minutes in toaster oven)
Ambient 65.5% RH @ 22.2C (Dewpoint 15.43C) 10.98 g H2O/kg air
With dried desiccant 46.3% RH @ 25.8C (Dewpoint 13.41C) 9.72 g H2O/kg air
Disconnected (direct air inlet) 51.9% RH @ 26.1C (Dewpoint 15.45C) 11.1 g H2O/kg air
I hypothesize that the higher humidity between the initial (Ambient) run and the (Disconnected) final run was because of my breathing, the evaporation from the cooling water bucket, and evaporation from the wet cooling wrap on the intercooler piping.
**There was some discoloration/pink to the desiccant at the inlet. There was no apparent liquid water in the little blue filter’s foam pad. Calculated water removal was (only) 1.38 g H2O/kg air. (1.38 CC)
1.38 cc H2O x 20 drops/cc = 27.6 drops of water, which isn’t “only”. It just goes to show that one shouldn’t form conclusions before the final calculation.
If that desiccant is removing 27.6 drops of water in a 6.145 liter SCBA tank fill from 3800 – 4500 PSI, I’m encouraged. I had only recovered 7-10 drops of water from the little blue filter's foam pad, prior to using this desiccant.
Sept 26, 2021
Dried desiccant to dark blue from some pink beads
Desiccant cylinder (dry) 420.7 g
79.9% RH 0.2C garage near water bucket
62.5% RH 23C away from compressor. Water content 11.01 g/kg Air (1147 cc 0.09706 kg x 11.01 g/kg = 1.0686 g = 21 drops
Filled 68/4500 Guerrilla bottle from 500 – 1500 PSI
Following fill, filter foam pad was completely dry
Venting into plastic bag = 10.2% RH @21.5C 1.64 g/kg
Desiccant cylinder 422.8 g = 2.8 g water in desiccant = 56 drops of water.
Water in 1000 PSI 68 cu inch (1147 cc) air @ 10.2 RH = 0.1591784 g = 3 drops
Check on calculations: Water in should equal water in desiccant plus water in compressed air.
Water in = 21 drops (1.0686 g)
Water in compressed air = 3 drops (0.1591784 g)
Total water = 21 drops (1.0686 g) + 3 drops (0.1591784 g) = 24 drops (1.2277784 g)
**Desiccant 56 drops does not equal Total water @ 24 drops???? I noticed a small amount of water venting from LP & HP blocks but not enough to account for difference.
I've found that various drying strategies appear not to be as effective as many appear to claim. Has anyone actually done any measurements, such as comparing RH, weighing the desiccant &/or filter do determine the amount of water captured, or other means to actually verify what they claim is happening?
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