At a glance
- Type
- Refrigerated dryer
- Job
- Moisture control
- Select by
- Flow, pressure and site conditions
- Not the same as
- DryTech desiccant
Overview
ChillDry CD is a refrigerated compressed air dryer. It cools the air so water vapour condenses and can be drained, which suits general plant air that does not need a desiccant dew point.
Model range
ChillDry CD covers 55 models across five sub-families. Choose the size based on compressed-air flow, operating pressure, and ambient conditions.
What it does
Refrigerated drying
- Method
- Cool, condense, drain
- Typical dew point
- +3°C (ISO 8573-1 Class 4)
- Not for
- Desiccant-level dew point
Sub-families
Five groups
- Standard
- F (air-cooled) / W (water-cooled)
- High-temp inlet
- FT (air-cooled) / WT (water-cooled)
- Large flow
- WTL (water-cooled, capacity per datasheet)
How to choose
By flow and site
- Start with
- Inlet flow, pressure and temperature
- Then check
- Ambient conditions and cooling medium
- Before a quote
- Confirm the ChillDry model and connections
Technology
Technology Platform Principle
ChillDry CD is a refrigerated compressed air dryer. Wet compressed air enters the dryer and passes through a refrigerant-cycle heat exchanger that cools it to approximately +3°C pressure dew point. At this temperature, water vapour condenses into liquid water, which is separated and drained.
Five Sub-Families
ChillDry CD covers 55 models divided into five groups, each matched to a different combination of cooling method and inlet condition:
Performance Boundaries
The actual dew point of a refrigerated dryer is affected by three variables:
More technical detail
Technology Platform Principle
The dew point lower limit of refrigerated dryers is constrained by the freezing point — evaporation temperature cannot drop below 0°C, otherwise condensed water freezes and blocks the heat exchanger. The typical pressure dew point range is +3°C to +10°C: +3°C corresponds to ISO 8573-1 water vapour Class 4, +7°C to Class 5 and +10°C to Class 6. If the process requires lower dew points (−20°C and below), a desiccant dryer is needed (SIND DryTech DT series).
Five Sub-Families
- F family (air-cooled, standard inlet) — 16 models, CD-10F to CD-800F. Standard duty, inlet temperature within standard limits. The basic starting point for most selections.
- W family (water-cooled, standard inlet) — 9 models, CD-120W to CD-800W. For plant rooms with poor ventilation, high ambient temperature, or insufficient cooling air. Water-cooled starts from 120 m³/min — smaller flow rates are adequately served by air-cooled.
- FT family (air-cooled, high-temperature inlet) — 16 models, same flow steps as F. Used when compressor discharge temperature exceeds standard inlet limits. Requires larger heat exchanger area.
- WT family (water-cooled, high-temperature inlet) — 9 models, same flow steps as W. Water-cooled plus high-temperature inlet for the most demanding conditions.
- WTL family (large water-cooled) — 5 models, CD-110WTL to CD-210WTL. A separate sub-family. The numbers in model codes do not represent m³/min flow — capacity is model-specific.
Performance Boundaries
Nameplate flow is a nominal value, not the corrected actual value. Selection must apply correction factors for actual inlet temperature, pressure, and cooling conditions.
- Inlet temperature — higher temperature means more moisture (approximately doubles per 10°C rise). The same dryer performs worse at higher inlet temperatures.
- Inlet pressure — higher pressure means less moisture (water vapour partial pressure is compressed). The same dryer performs better at higher pressure.
- Ambient / cooling medium temperature — affects condensation temperature and heat rejection efficiency. Air-cooled models in hot plant rooms see reduced cooling capacity.
Selection Logic
- Determine required pressure dew point. If the +3°C range is acceptable, refrigerated is the category first choice.
- Confirm inlet temperature is within standard limits. If yes, select F or W; if exceeded, select FT or WT.
- Confirm cooling method. Well-ventilated plant rooms → F (air-cooled); enclosed, hot, or dusty rooms → W (water-cooled).
- Select model by actual flow, not compressor nameplate flow. Flow steps are uneven — do not interpolate between models.
- WTL family requires separate capacity confirmation — do not infer capacity from the model number.
Selection & quote checklist
- Set inlet flow and pressure
- Check compressor discharge temperature
- Air-cooled or water-cooled
- Lock the dryer size
Applications
Case A: General Manufacturing Plant
A metalworking shop uses pneumatic tools and cylinders.
Case B: High-Temperature Environment
A cement plant’s screw compressor discharge temperature reaches 45°C+, exceeding standard inlet limits.
Case C: Enclosed Plant Room
Poor ventilation, summer ambient exceeds 40°C. Air-cooled condensation temperature rises and cooling efficiency drops.
More application detail
Case D: Large Centralised Treatment
A large plant requires 400–800 m³/min of dry air. Large-flow models CD-400F through CD-800F or corresponding water-cooled versions are selected. The WTL family covers even larger flows, but capacity is model-specific.
Ownership & service
Energy, maintenance and service
Total Cost of Ownership
The operating cost of a refrigerated dryer is mainly electricity (refrigeration compressor plus fan or water pump). Compared to no drying, the dryer adds electricity cost. Compared to desiccant drying, refrigerated electricity is far lower than the energy needed for desiccant regeneration.
Annual running cost = Dryer input power (kW) × Annual operating hours × Electricity price.
Pressure drop is also a running cost: the greater the pressure drop across the dryer, the more the upstream compressor must raise discharge pressure to compensate, increasing electricity consumption.
The cost of not drying — pipe corrosion, pneumatic component damage, product contamination, and freeze-related faults — typically far exceeds dryer running costs. This is why refrigerated dryers are standard equipment in industrial compressed air systems.
Maintenance Cost Structure
Specific maintenance intervals are per the random manual. The ranges above are category-general reference.
| Item | Typical interval | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Condenser cleaning | 3–6 months | Air-cooled: fin dust reduces heat rejection. Water-cooled: tube scaling reduces heat transfer. |
| Refrigerant check | Annual | Refrigerant leak reduces cooling capacity. |
| Auto-drain check | Monthly | Blocked drain lets condensate re-enter the air stream. |
| Air filter | 1,000–2,000 h | If fitted with inlet filter. |
Service Support
SIND provides remote technical support (working-day response), spare parts supply by full SIND model number (including suffix — F and FT family parts are not assumed interchangeable), and commissioning with operator training. Specific service terms vary by region — confirm with the local authorised service provider or SIND commercial representative.
Reference data
Full specification and reference tables
| Industry | Typical dew point | Recommended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General manufacturing | +3°C | F / W | Standard duty, prevent pipe corrosion and freezing |
| Automotive painting | +3°C (refrigerated) or ≤−20°C (add DryTech) | F / WT | Dry air prevents paint surface defects; higher quality may need desiccant |
| Food processing | +3°C | F / FT | Packaging and filling; requires oil-removal filtration |
| Textile | +3°C | F / W | Air-jet looms; unstable dew point causes yarn breakage |
| Electronics | +3°C to −40°C | F + downstream desiccant | Clean room supply typically requires multi-stage treatment |
| Pharmaceutical | −40°C and below | Not applicable | Refrigerated cannot achieve this; need DryTech DT desiccant |
