IntegratingPermaPures

GasSampleDryingSystem
IntoyourEquipment

ApplicationHandbook

PermaPureLLC
8ExecutiveDr.
TomsRiver,NJ08755
Tel.7322440010
Fax7322448140
www.permapure.com

8ExecutiveDrive
TomsRiver,NJ08755
Tel.17322440010
www.permapure.com

IntroductionIntegratingPermaPuresGasSampleDryerintoYourAnalyzer
Thisapplicationhandbookwasdevelopedtomakeiteasierforourcustomerstogetoptimal
performanceoftheirSampleGasDryerintheiranalyzersystem.Sincemostofyoureadingthis
guidedonotnormallygetinvolvedwithpneumaticsystems,wefeltitimportanttomakethis
simpletounderstand.Afteralotoftestingpluslearningtipsandtricksfromourcustomers
whohavesuccessfullydeployedourproductswehavecreatedareferencemanualthatwill
helpgetyoustarted.
PermaPuredryersoperatebytransferringmoisturefromthesamplegasstreamtoacounter
flowingpurgegasstream,muchlikeashellandtubeheatexchangertransfersheat.Water
moleculestravelthroughtheNafiontubewallinitschemicalstructure,evaporatingintothe
purgegasstream.Thedifferentialinwatervaporpressurebetweenthetwogasstreamsdrives
thereaction,quicklyremovingthehumidityfrom(andthusdrying)thesamplegas.Thereare
twoimportantquestionsdesignengineersandusersoftheseproductsfacewhendeploying
theseproducts:
1) HowdoIconnectorgeneratethepurgegaswithamoisturelevellowenoughtodrythe
sampleeffectively,and
2) HowdoImeasuretheeffectivenessofmysetupandoptimizeitsperformance?

DefinitionsGettingtoKnowYourTestSetUp
Wellbeginwithabasiclistoftheelementsshowninourflowdiagramsandexplaintheway
theyareusedinthem.
1. SampleGasDryerThedryerisshownatthecenterofthediagram,andcanrepresent
anyMD,PDorMD700dryerwemake,astheyallsharethesameoperatingprinciple.
2. SampleGasFlowInthediagram,thesamplegasflowsfromlefttorightthroughthe
centerofthedryerfromtheWetSample/FeedInlettotheDryGasSampleOutlet.
3. PurgeGasFlowThepurgegasflowsoppositetothesamplegas,fromrighttoleft,
throughthepurgegasinlettothepurgegasexhaustandoverthedryertube(s)located
withintheshellofthedryer.
4. DP(MoistureSensors)LabeledDPforDewPoint,twosensorsareplacedinthe
samplegasflow,onebeforethedryerentranceandoneafterthedryerexit.Theseare
requiredtomeasurethedryingperformanceofthesystem.

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5. VacuumPumpAVacuumpumpisinstalledattheexitofthepurgegasflowtopulla
vacuumoverthedryertubesanddrivethedifferentialinwatervaporpressure.
6. VacuumGageAgageisplacedbetweenthepurgeoutletandvacuumpumpto
measurethevacuumplacedovertheNafiontubes.
7. NeedleValveasFlowRestrictorANeedlevalveisusedasavariableflowrestrictorat
thepurgegasentranceinordertoadjustthepurgeflowandtherebythevacuumpulled
bythepump.Withoutaflowrestrictionforcingthepumptopullagreatervacuumthe
dryerperformancewillnotimprove.Inproductionproducts,thisrestrictorcanbe
replacedwithacapillaryofaknownsizeforafixed,repeatableresult.
8. FlowMetersFlowmetersareplacedbeforetheentranceofthedryertomeasure
samplegasflowandbeforetheentranceofthepurgegasbutaftertheneedlevalve
tomeasurepurgegasflow.

TwoBasicChoices
PermaPuredryersrequireapurgegaswithapartialwatervaporpressurethatissignificantly
lowerthanthesamplegasbeinganalyzed.Thiscanbeprovidedbyeithersupplyingthedryer
withairthatalreadyhasthemoistureremovedfromitordevelopingavacuumpumpbased
subsystemthatgeneratesthedrypurgegasonthefly.

Choice#1ExternalSupplyofDryAir
Manycustomersuseourdryerswithexternalsourcesofdriedair.Thereareanumberof
options
A) InstrumentQualityCompressedAirDriedcompressedorInstrumentAiristypically
foundatmostindustrialplantsandinmanylabsandservesasanexcellentpurgegas.
Thedewpointofthispurgegasistypicallyaround40C.Althoughtheairmightalready
befreeoflubricatingoilanddirt,theairmustbefilteredtoeliminatedirtand
hydrocarbonsbeingsuckedintothedryerpurgeinletanddepositedontheoutsideof
theNafiontubes.Overtimethiscontaminationwillreducetheperformanceofthedryer
byblockingitswatertransferpathways.Mostofourperformancecurveshavebeen
madefromtestdatausinginstrumentairasthepurgegas.

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B) StandardQualityCompressedAirStandardqualitycompressedairwhichisnotdried
andmaycarryanoilmistisoftenavailablebutcautionmustbeadvisedasdirtandoil
intheairwillcollectonthedryertubesandcancauseittoloseperformanceovertime.
C) LocalAirCompressorAnaircompressorwithanultralowdewpointratingmaybe
deployedlocallyinananalyzerstationtoprovidecleananddrypurgegas.
D) NitrogenorotherCylindergasUsingultradrycylindergaswithatypicaldewpointof
60or70Ccanyieldevenlowerresultsthanshownonourperformancecurves.Often
usedforlabapplications,thismethodmightnotbecosteffectiveforcontinuousorhigh
flowapplications.
Note:Werecommendstartingyourperformancetestswithapurgegasflowat2xofthe
samplegasflow.Adjustthepurgegasflowbasedontargetperformancerequiredyou
mightfindyoucanstillgetgoodperformancewithaflowaslowas0.5xinyourapplication.
BecauseusingoptionsCandDaremuchmoreexpensive,reducingtheflowcanlowercosts
whilestillprovidingeffectiveperformance.
Caution:Makesurethepurgegaspressureneverexceedsthesamplegaspressure.
Otherwise,thetubingmaycollapseandrestrictthesamplegasflow.

Figure1DryerSetUpwithInstrumentAir

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Choice#2PurgeGasunderVacuumwithRecycledSampleGasorAtmosphericAir
MostofourOEMsuseourdryerswiththepurgeunderavacuumtodrivethedifferentialin
watervaporpressureacrossthemembrane,fortwomainreasons.First,noexternalsourceof
dry,cleanairisrequired.Second,whensetupwiththerightvacuumpump,itisaverycost
effectiveandreliablesolution.Hereitmustbeemphasizedthateverycombinationofflowrate,
dryerandvacuumpumpwillhaveitsownuniqueperformancecharacteristics.Youwillneedto
setupatestsystemwiththecomponentsshownbelowtoproperlydialintheoptimal
performance.TherearethreewaysyoucansetupPermaPureDryerstoworkundervacuum:

A) TheAtmosphericVacuumMethod
WiththeAtmosphericVacuumMethod,avacuumispulledthroughthepurgegaspathby
installingthevacuumpumpaheadofthepurgegasoutletandaflowrestriction(aneedlevalve
orcapillarytube)beforethepurgegasinlet.Formaximumperformance,thehighestpossible
vacuumlevelshouldbeachieved.Thisisdonebycontinuallyrestrictingtheflowofthepurge
glassbyclosingtheneedlevalvewhilewatchingthemoisturelevelattheDPSensorlocatedat
thesamplegasoutlet.Thesweetspotoroptimalperformanceoccurswhenthevacuumisat
itshighestpoint(lowestpressure)andtheflowrateisstillhighenoughtosweepthewater
vaporaway.SeeFigure3foradiagramofvacuumlevelandflowrateanditseffectondrying
performance.
Advantages:Noexternalairsourceisneeded
Disadvantages:Thedryingperformancewillbedependentuponthemoisturelevelofthe
atmosphericair.Theeffectoftheambientmoisturelevelisless,however,asthevacuumlevel
increases.
Notes:Theairmustbefilteredtoeliminatedirtandhydrocarbonsintheambientairfrombeing
suckedintothedryerpurgeinletanddepositedontheoutsideoftheNafiontubes.Overtime
thiscontaminationwillreducetheperformanceofthedryerbyblockingitswatertransfer
pathways.

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Figure2DryerSetUpwiththeAtmosphericVacuumMethod

Figure3:OptimumPerformancePointforDryersWorkingUnderVacuum

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B) TheRecycledSampleGas(Reflux)Method
TheRecycledSampleGas(Reflux)MethodissimilartotheAtmosphericVacuumMethod,
exceptthatthefullamountofthesamplegasisroutedbacktothedryerasthepurgegasafter
itleavestheanalyzer.Thepurgegaspath(shellsideofthedryer)iskeptundervacuumby
installingthevacuumpumpatthepurgegasoutletandaflowrestriction(aneedlevalveor
capillarytube)beforethepurgegasinlet.Formaximumperformance,thehighestpossible
vacuumlevelshouldbeachieved.Thisisdonebycontinuallyrestrictingtheflowofthepurge
glassbyclosingtheneedlevalvewhilewatchingthemoisturelevelattheDPSensorlocatedat
thesamplegasoutlet.Thesweetspotoroptimalperformanceoccurswhenthevacuumisat
itshighestpointandtheflowrateisstillhighenoughtosweepthewatervaporaway.See
Figure3foradiagramofvacuumlevelandflowrateanditseffectondryingperformance.
Advantages:Noexternalairsourceisneededthecontinuousrefluxoperationprovidesa
stableandconsistentdryingperformance
Notes:Makesurethesamplegasiscleanenoughtobeusedasthepurgegas.Ifcorrosive,the
materialsusedforthegasflowmustbechemicallycompatiblewiththesamplegas.

Figure4:DryerSetUpwithRecycledSampleGas(Reflux)Method

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C) TheSplitSample(Reflux)Method
ThesplitsamplemethodissimilartotheRefluxMethodpreviouslydescribedexceptthatit
channelsaportionofthesamplegasthroughtheNafiontubingservingasthepurgegasbefore
theanalyzer.Choosethesplitsamplemethodifitisnotpossibleorpracticaltoroutethe
analyzerexhaustbacktothegasdryer.Asimilarsetupwiththevacuumpumpandflow
restrictionasalreadydescribedwillneedtobecreated.Thedryermustbeupsizedforthe
increasedflowrateaddingtheportionusedforthepurgegastothesamplegasflowrate
requiredfortheanalyzer.Additionally,therightpurgegasamountwillneedtobeselectedto
provideoptimumdryingperformance.Thiscanbebetween30%and100%oftheanalyzer
sampleflow,dependingonthelevelofvacuumbeingapplied.Tofindthatbestperformance
point,startwith100%ofthesamplegasflowrequiredbytheanalyzerandincreasethelevelof
vacuumaccordingtothemethoddescribedintheRecycledSampleGas(Reflux)Methodtofind
theoptimalperformancepointforthatpurgegasflowrate.Reducethepurgegasflowin10%
incrementsandrepeattheprocessuntilthebestperformancepointisfound.Theperformance
ofyourdryingsystemisincreasedbyreducingthesplitsamplepercentagebecausetheoverall
flowthroughthedryerisdecreased.Wehaveseenoptimalpurgegaspercentagesaslowas
30%inourtesting,dependingonthedryerandflowrate.Yourresultswillvary.
Asanillustration,letssaythatwefindthat30%ofthesamplegasflowissufficientforuseas
thepurgegas.Ananalyzerrequiringa10LPMsamplestreamwouldbesplitinto10LPMtothe
analyzerand3LPMtothepurgeflowforatotalof13LPM.
Advantages:Noexternalairsourceisneededthecontinuousrefluxoperationprovidesa
stableandconsistentdryingperformance
Disadvantages:Thedryermustbeupsizedtoaccommodateinincreasedflowrateofthe
sampleandpurgegas.Someexperimentationisrequiredtofindtheoptimumperformance
point.
Notes:Makesurethesamplegasiscleanenoughtobeusedasthepurgegas.Ifcorrosive,the
materialsusedforthegasflowmustbechemicallycompatiblewiththesamplegas.

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Figure5:DryerSetUpwithSplitSampleGasMethod
CombinationDryerMethodsInordertogettotargetdrynesslevelslowerthanwhatthe
Nafionbasedproductsallow,acombinationofdryersisoftenused.TheNafionbaseddryercan
beusedasthefirststage,removingupto95%ofthemoistureinthegasstream.Thissetup
effectivelyextendstheservicelifeofthesecondarystage(desiccantorcryotrap),greatly
reducingcostsandextendingequipmentserviceintervals.

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