What Impacts Does Ambient Temperature Have on the Operation of Refrigerated Air Dryers?

High ambient temperature creates unfavorable conditions for heat dissipation of the refrigeration system inside refrigerated air dryers.

 When the ambient temperature exceeds the normal refrigerant condensing temperature, the refrigerant condensing pressure rises accordingly. 

This reduces the cooling capacity of the compressor and ultimately leads to an increase in the pressure dew point of compressed air.

Generally speaking, a lower ambient temperature is beneficial to the operation of refrigerated air dryers. However, under excessively low ambient temperatures (e.g., 

below 0°C), even if the temperature of compressed air entering the dryer remains relatively high, the compressed air dew point will not change significantly. Nevertheless, 

condensate discharged via the automatic drainer is highly likely to freeze at the drain outlet, and this risk must be avoided. In addition, after shutdown, 

condensate accumulated inside the dryer’s evaporator or the water storage cup of the automatic drainer may freeze. Cooling water retained in the condenser can also freeze. 

All of these conditions will cause damage to related components of the refrigerated air dryer.

Users need to be particularly reminded: When the ambient temperature drops below 2°C, the compressed air pipeline itself functions like a well-operating refrigerated air dryer. 

Special attention should be paid to handling condensate generated inside the pipeline. For this reason, many manufacturers clearly specify in the operation manuals of refrigerated air 

dryers that the dryers shall not be operated when the air temperature is lower than 2°C.