Article citation info:

Matusiak K., Goliwąs D., Kaluba M. Adsorption dryer for use in railways. Rail Vehicles/Pojazdy Szynowe. 2022, 1-2, 77-85.
https://doi.org/10.53502/RAIL-152486

Rail Vehicles/Pojazdy Szynowe

www.railvehicles.eu

Adsorption dryer for use in railways

Kacper Matusiak * , Damian Goliwąs , Marian Kaluba

Łukasiewicz Research Network – Poznan Institute of Technology, Poznan, Poland

ARTICLE INFO Pneumatic brake, which use compressed air as a working medium, is the main brake of
rail vehicles. The equipment used in the braking system requires sufficiently clean, without
Received: 28 April 2022 water vapour medium to work properly. Removing water vapour from the air prevents
Revised: 27 July 2022 condensation and ice formation during winter, which guarantees correct brake operation.
Accepted: 28 July 2022 For this purpose, adsorption dryers are used in the railways to ensure the required
Available online: 31 July 2022
pressure dew point value. This article includes an overview of available compressed air
KEYWORDS drying methods, the results of calculations and bench test of the dryer prototype developed
at the Institute. Assumptions and requirements for the device intended for use in railways
adsorption dryer are based on European standards and UIC cards.
compressed air dryer
railway pneumatic brake system
brake system This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

1. Introduction appropriate purity class for compressed air, water

should be removed from the working medium imme-
Due to the railway industry development and in- diately after the compressor. Compressed air dryers,
crease speed of the railway vehicles, the safety re- filters, separators and cyclone separators are used to
quirements are more stringent for them. Bearing this separate water from the compressed air [6].
in mind, it is quite obvious that the overall objectives
must be searching new solutions and achieving better 2. Literature review
parameters.
Compressed air is working medium necessary for Adsorption dryers are subject of the contemporary
the proper working of railway vehicle. Unit of com- studies and are being still intensively improved.
pressed air generation and treatment supplies systems In 1979, Litchfield et al. [10] developed an analyti-
such as: pneumatic brake, self-levelling air suspen- cal model for freeze dryer that included both sublima-
sion, toilet, pantograph lifting, door opener, sandbox- tion and adsorption. Moreover, numerical experiments
es, sirens. The role of the pneumatic brake is of ut- were carried out by the authors and the results were
most importance. The brake system is one of the criti- compared with the experimental data. Compressed air
cal components in ensuring the safety and reliability systems with adsorption dryers used in rail vehicles
of the railway vehicle. were described by Schaumann and Stanley [18] in
The right compressed air purity is key to safe, eco- 2008. In this article the results from experimental
nomic and reliable pneumatic system. It is also re- researches were published. In 2008, Djaeni et al. [5]
quired to provide the right amount of compressed air, presented the results of numerical calculations of mul-
considering changing work environment. tistage adsorption dryer. The authors considered the
Three primary contaminant types as prevalent in profiles of water and vapour in the dryer and also its
a compressed air system can be identified: particles, thermal efficiency. An automatic regenerative adsorp-
water (liquid and vapour), oil. Removal of water con- tion aerosol dryer was presented by Tuch et al. [21] in
tamination is singularly important for proper operation 2009. The authors conducted experiments to optimize
of the vehicle. Insufficiently dried compressed air can the efficiency of particle transmission. This adsorption
shorten the useful life of a vehicle. In order to ensure dryer has found its application in monitoring networks

* Corresponding author: [email protected] (K. Matusiak) 77

Adsorption dryer for use in railways

where the aerosol is dried below 50% r.H. Drying pressed air dryers on the market, depending on the
methods in railway were considered by Ripol- mechanism they use to eliminate water. Current com-
Saragosi [15] in 2010. The author presented the most pressed air dryer types include the following:
reliable way of drying compressed air. In 2000, 1. refrigeration with separation (refrigerant dryer),
Mobley published a 12-chapter book [11] in which 2. overcompression,
author considered the basics and problems of hydrau- 3. air flows through membranes (membrane dryer),
lics and pneumatics. Chapter 15 of this book is devot- 4. adsorption (adsorption dryer),
ed to air dryers. In 2011, Atuonwu et al. [2] developed 5. absorption (absorption dryer).
a methodology for designing an energy-efficient ad- Each of these dryer types will be discussed in some
sorption dryer. The author compared a conventional detail.
dryer with an adsorption dryer designed in accordance 3.1. Refrigerant dryer
with the developed methodology. It turned out that the
energy consumption of the adsorption dryer decreased Refrigerant drying means that compressed air tem-
by 55%. In 2011, these authors [3] presented a proce- perature is lowered below the dew point temperature.
dure for optimizing a low-temperature adsorption As a result of the cooling process, water vapour in
dryer. Research on saving energy from the adsorption compressed air is condensed and then separated. Wa-
dryer was conducted by Kang et al. [7] in 2016. The ter in the form of condensate is stored in reservoirs
authors considered an adsorption dryer, which was from which it is removed into the ambience. Refriger-
used in a process of air purification in a one company’ ant dryers consist of two heat exchangers: an air-to-air
room production. Based on experimental data, re- and an air-to-Freon.
searchers searched for the optimal operating condi- Refrigerant dryer includes two heat exchangers.
tions for the adsorption dryer. In 2019, Ripo-Saragosi Compressed air flows through air-to-air heat exchang-
et al. [16] considered the main problem of compressed er, which is designed to cool the warm air coming
air systems- water freezing. The authors focused on from the compressor using of the cooled dried air.
the potential dangers of frozen water in railway air Cooling the warm air separates the condensate from
braking systems. In this article intelligent adsorption vapour. Separated water is stored in reservoirs. And
dryer was proposed in the aim to solve the problem of them compressed air flows through the air-to-Freon
water freezing. In the same year Zhang et al. [23] heat exchanger, where it is cooled again (precipitating
presented the technology of automatic identification water again). In the next stage compressed air temper-
of a regenerative adsorption dryer. The technology ature in air-to-air heat exchanger is increased using
proposed by authors analyzes the time curve of regen- warm air from the compressor. Increasing temperature
eration process, thanks to which the detection of the of compressed air to a room temperature prevents re-
problem is very fast. Numerical studies of the drying condensation of the dried working medium in the
and regeneration process of the air dryer adsorbent pneumatic system [1].
were made by Kozlov et al. [9] in 2020. The author
conducted research on an exemplary scheme of an air
dryer with separate processes of drying and adsorption.
The results showed that such an air dryer provides
a stable dew point. A double tower dryer for applica-
tion in railway, pneumatic braking systems were con-
sidered by Xu et al. [4] in 2021. The authors presented
the designed dryer and emphasized that its use in rail
vehicles most effectively removes moisture from com-
pressed air. In 2022, Sureshkannan et al. [19] devel-
oped a design procedure of adsorption dryer with
a heatless regeneration mode. The proposed dryers can
be used in applications requiring a dew point from –40
to –70°C and in which air pressure ranges from 5 bar, Fig. 1. Operational principle of a refrigerant dryer [1]: A – incoming
compressed air, B – air/air heat exchanger, C – air/coolant heat exchanger,
and inlet pressure temperature from 25 to 45°C. D – water separator E – dry compressed air, F – compressor, G – conden-
ser, H – expansion valve
3. Solutions overview
Advantages:
In this article the author focuses on machine de- 1. the cheapest method of removing water from com-
signed to remove the humidity content of compressed pressed air,
air – compressed air dryer. There are many of com-  simple design,

78 RAIL VEHICLES/POJAZDY SZYNOWE 1-2, 2022

 Adsorption dryer for use in railways

 low pressure loss.

Disadvantages:
 limited dew point capability (up to 0°C),
 an increase in the ambient or compressed air tem-
perature results in drop in performance of a device.
3.2. Overcompression Fig. 3. Operational principle of a membrane dryer [1]
Compressed air drying using of overcompression
consists in compressing working medium to a pressure Advantages:
higher than the operating pressure required in the  dew point temperature up to –40°C,
pneumatic system. As a result of air compression, water  requires no external power source,
vapour concentration increases. Then, after cooling the  simple design and high reliability,
compressed air, it is saturated and condensed. In the  resistance to high and continuous pressure.
next stage, the air expands to working pressure required Disadvantages:
for proper system operation. In this way achieving  low efficiency,
a lower pressure dew point temperature [22].  loss of efficiency due to the consumption of 10–
15% of the regeneration air,
 low resistance to sudden changes in pressure,
 highly sensitive to oils and aerosols.
3.4. Absorption dryer
Absorption drying is a chemical method of separat-
ing water from compressed air. Water is removed by
Fig. 2. Operational principle of an overcompression [22] passing air through a reservoir filled with absorbent
and as a result the water vapour is bound with the
Advantages: desiccant. The most commonly used substances re-
 the simplest method of drying compressed air. sponsible for the process of binding water from com-
Disadvantages: pressed air are sodium chloride and sulfuric acid.
 low efficiency, Compressed air is supplied to the reservoir filled
 low flow rate, with absorbent, in which the process of chemical
 expensive method. binding of water molecules with the absorbent takes
place. After flowing through absorbent, the dried air
3.3. Membrane dryer rises to the top of the reservoir and then flows through
In the membrane dryer, the process of drying the the outlet to further devices of the pneumatic system.
compressed air is handled by a membrane cartridge. The water-saturated absorbent is regenerated. In the
Cartridge consists of thousands of polymer tubes. second reservoir, absorbent is heated, so that the water
Membranes ensure proper water vapour permeability, contained in it is evaporated and flows into the atmos-
as a result of which water from the compressed air phere. The regenerated, unsaturated absorbent is di-
stays at the inside of the tubes. rected back to the drying reservoir [1].
In a membrane dryer wet air flows through the mid- Advantages:
dle of the dryer case, in which there is membrane car-  constant efficiency regardless of the temperature,
tridge. Drying is caused by the counter flow of wet  simple operation and design.
compressed air and regenerative air (10–15% of all Disadvantages:
dried compressed air). The regeneration air is expanded  low efficiency,
to the atmospheric pressure, which reduces its humidi-  high value of a pressure dew point of the dried air,
ty. During the drying process, water vapour molecules  require frequent replacement of the adsorbent ma-
pass through the walls and then are condensed on the terial.
outer surface with the fiber. Due to the humidity differ-
3.5. Adsorption dryer
ence between dry compressed air and the regeneration
air, the condensed water diffuses into the regeneration Adsorption drying involves the removal of water
air. The dried air of the required quality feeds the from the compressed air on the surface of the desic-
pneumatic system and a small amount of it is directed cant material – the adsorbent. Adsorption can be di-
to the membrane insert as regeneration air [1, 6]. vided into physical adsorption and chemical adsorp-
tion. Chemical adsorption is related to ionic or cova-

RAIL VEHICLES/POJAZDY SZYNOWE 1-2, 2022 79

Adsorption dryer for use in railways

lent bonds, while physical adsorption is related to the  in accordance with UIC 612-2, the operating pres-
forces of intermolecular attraction. Physical adsorp- sure should be between 8 and 10 bar,
tion (in which moisture migrating to the driest medi-  correct operation with variable humidity level (0–
um possible) is used in adsorption dryers. The adsor- 100%),
bent is highly porous material with a large specific  correct operation with temperature ranging from
surface area. A significant specific surface allows –25°C to +45°C – for the T3 zone,
water vapour to accumulate on its surface.  high dust and dirt resistant in the working envi-
The adsorption dryer has two columns filled with ronment,
the adsorbent, which operate alternately: drying and  significant vibrations resistance,
regenerating. Depending on the work cycle to one of  proper maintenance susceptibility,
the columns is incoming compressed air. The second  protection against water freezing in the dryer.
column regenerated adsorbent at the same time. In the
drying column, the adsorbent collects the humidity 5. Construction of adsorption dryer
contained in the flowing compressed air. Dried and
purified compressed air leaves the dryer column. Part The prototype of the adsorption dryer made by the
of the dried compressed air is directed to the regenera- Rail Vehicles Institute "TABOR" consists of three
tion column. In the regeneration column dried air is basic elements: inlet control valve covers (item 1),
decompressed, so that the medium absorbs the water outlet covers (item 2) and columns (item 3). It is
contained in the adsorbent. After flowing through the a cold-regenerated compressed air adsorption dryer.
regeneration column, the wet air is directed to the at-
mosphere. A cyclic process change is implemented
after adsorbent saturation in the drying column and ad-
sorbent regeneration in the regeneration column [1, 6].
Depending on the adsorbent regeneration method,
there are four different types of adsorption dryers:
 cold-regenerated adsorption dryers,
 heat regenerated adsorption dryers,
 blower regenerated dryers,
 heat of compression dryers.
Advantages:
 very low pressure dew point,
 slight pressure drops,
 no thermal influence on the environment,
 reliability. Fig. 4. Construction of the adsorption dryer
Disadvantages:
 unstable dew point value, The purpose of the inlet control valve cover as-
 require regular adsorbent replacement, sembly (item 1) is to direct and control the flow of
 drop in efficiency due to the intake of regenerative compressed air through the valves. Depending on the
air, drying cycle of the dryer, the stream is distributed to
 sensitivity of the adsorbent to contamination from the appropriate columns for the drying or regeneration
oil aerosols. task. The purpose of the outlet cover assembly (item
2) is to direct a portion of the dried compressed air
4. Requirements (approx. 10–15%) into the regeneration column and
exhaust the remaining dried compressed air to other
Adsorption dryers are mainly used in traction vehi- devices of the pneumatic system. Columns (item 3)
cles because of very low pressure dew point achieved are filled with adsorbent. Depending on the cycle car-
and the low pressure drops. Currently, membrane ried out, in the drying column, the air flowing through
dryers are also increasingly used, mainly due to their the drying material is dried, while in the regeneration
small size and the lack of an external energy source. column, water condensed on the surface of the adsor-
The dryer used in traction vehicles should meet the bent is removed. The dryer has heating elements
following requirements [8, 12–14, 20]: which protect against water freezing in plate ducts.
 in accordance with ISO 8573-1 the dew point The adsorbent selected for the dryer is a nanopo-
should be lower than –40°C, rous molecular sieve which belongs to the group of
aluminosilicate materials (zeolites). The high adsorp-

80 RAIL VEHICLES/POJAZDY SZYNOWE 1-2, 2022

 Adsorption dryer for use in railways

tion capacity of the desiccant material allows it to 7. Methodology of calculations

achieve a pressure dew point down to –80°C. The
advantage of zeolites is a wide range of application To determine the required adsorption capacity of
temperatures, high abrasion resistance and low air the dryer, it is necessary to calculate the mass flow
flow resistance. rate of water vapor remaining in the compressed air
after pre-drying in the cooler. For this purpose, a cal-
6. Working principle culation methodology is proposed to check ensure this
requirement.
The pre-dried air reaches the valve assembly of the In subsection 7.2 “Assessment of the required ad-
inlet control plates, which, depending on the current sorption capacity” calculations were carried out ac-
cycle of operation, directs the medium to the appro- cording to methodology.
priate column. The desiccant collects the water con-
Properties of atmospheric air
tained in the compressed air flowing through the col-
umn. Then the dried air leaves the drying column. The Before proceeding with calculations, it is necessary
non-return valves built in the set of outlet covers en- to determine the conditions in which the adsorption
sure the flow of dry air to the outlet and prevent the capacity of the dryer will be tested. For this purpose, it
flow of regeneration air to further elements of the is necessary to determine the values of the following
pneumatic system. The dryer prototype designed by parameters:
the Railway Vehicle Institute "TABOR" uses pre-  atmospheric air pressure p1 expressed in hPa,
dried compressed air (approx. 10–15%) in the regen-  atmospheric air temperature T1 expressed in °C,
eration process. The regeneration air expands in the  relative atmospheric air humidity φ1 expressed in %,
regeneration column, increasing its ability to accumu- m3
 compressor capacity Vṡ expressed in .
late water vapour. Then, as it rapidly flows through h
the adsorption bed, it binds water and push it into the Based on the Enthalpy–entropy chart (Mollier dia-
atmosphere. At the end of work cycle, each column gram) and the values of the parameters of atmospheric
switches tasks. air pressure p1 , atmospheric air temperature T1 , rela-
tive atmospheric air humidity φ1 should be deter-
mined:
 humidity content in atmospheric air x1 expressed
g
in kg,
kg
 atmospheric air density ρ1 expressed in m3 .
The next stage is to calculate the mass flow rate of
atmospheric air intake by a compressor ṁ p expressed
kg
in h
, which is calculated as follows:
Fig. 5. Adsorption dryer IPS "TABOR" ṁ p = Vṡ ∙ ρ1 (1)

where Vṡ is compressor capacity and ρ1 is atmospher-

ic air density.
The next stage is to determine the amount of water
vapor in the intake atmospheric air. For this purpose,
it is necessary to calculate the mass flow rate of water
vapor in the intake atmospheric air mH2 O(p)
̇ expressed
kg
in h
:
mH2 O(p)
̇ = x1 ∙ ṁp (2)
where x1 is humidity content in atmospheric air and
ṁ p is mass flow rate of atmospheric air intake by
a compressor.
Properties of the compressed air after the cooler
Next, it is necessary to determine the values of the
Fig. 6. Pneumatic diagram of the developed adsorption dryer: 1 – dryer
column, 2 – electro-pneumatic valve, 3 – non-return valve, 4 – nozzle, 5 – properties of the humid compressed air after the cool-
noise damper, 6 – heating element

RAIL VEHICLES/POJAZDY SZYNOWE 1-2, 2022 81

Adsorption dryer for use in railways

er (directly behind the dryer). For this purpose, it is The mass of the adsorbent in vessel is calculated as
necessary to determine: follows:
 compressed air pressure p2 expressed in hPa, mH2 O(k) = V0 ∙ ρa ∙ VH2O(k) (6)
 compressed air temperature T2 expressed in °C,
 relative compressed air humidity φ2 expressed in %, A single drying cycle takes about 4 min. The max-
Based on the Enthalpy–entropy chart (Mollier dia- imum adsorption capacity of the dryer mH2 O(k)
̇ can be
gram) and the values of the parameters of compressed calculated. It is determined by mass flow rate and
kg
air pressure p2 , compressed air temperature T2 , rela- expressed in h :
tive compressed air humidity φ2 should be deter-
mH2 O(k)
mined: mH2 O(k)
̇ =
4 min
(7)
g
 humidity content in compressed air x2 expressed in kg.
where mH2 O(k) is mass of the adsorbent in vessel.
Water vapor in compressed humid air Required adsorption capacity of the dryer
Compression of air by the compressor raises the In the order to check whether the purity of the
temperature of the compressed air and lowers the rela- compressed air is sufficient, the condition according
tive humidity of the air. In the cooler, the temperature to which the value of the maximum adsorption capaci-
of the compressed air is lowered and condensate is ty of the dryer mH2 O(k)
̇ is greater than the value of the
condensed.
condensed mass flow water vapor remaining in com-
In the first step, determine the amount of con-
pressed humid air mH2 O(p1) must be met:
densed water behind the cooler. Determine the differ-
ence ∆x of the humidity content in atmospheric air x1 mH2 O(k)
̇ > mH2 O(p1)
̇ (8)
and humidity content in compressed air x2 expressed
g Fulfillment of the above condition indicates correct
in kg: operation of the dryer.
∆x = x1 − x2 (3)
8. Research and simulations
Then calculate the mass flow rate of condensed
kg Tests and calculations were carried out to verify
water behind the cooler mH2 O(1) expressed in h :
the correctness of the structure of prototype.
mH2 O(1)
̇ = ∆x ∙ ṁ p (4)
where ∆x is difference of the humidity content in at-
mospheric air x1 and humidity content in compressed
air x2 and ṁ p is mass flow rate of atmospheric air
intake by a compressor.
Water vapor remaining in compressed humid air
mH2 O(p1)
̇ is calculated as the difference mass flow
rate of water vapor in the intake atmospheric air
mH2 O(p)
̇ and mass flow rate of condensed water be-
hind the cooler mH2 O(1) :
mH2 O(p1)
̇ = mH2 O(p)
̇ − mH2 O(1)
̇ (5)
Maximum adsorption capacity of the dryer
The adsorption capacity of an adsorbent depends
on the properties of the adsorbent and the capacity of
the vessel in which it is placed. To calculate the ad-
sorption capacity, the following data are required: Fig. 7. Vibration accelerations in the axis X, Y, Z
 capacity of the vessel filled with the adsorbent V0
expressed in m3 , A numerical strength test was carried out – modal
kg
 adsorbent density ρa expressed in m3 , analysis of free vibrations of the external rod. Finite
 adsorbent capacity VH2 O(k) expressed in element method was used to perform a modal analy-
kg H2 O sis. The test concerned the flaccid external rod con-
100 kg adsorbent
. necting the upper plate with the lower plate. This the
most exposed element to the negative effects of vibra-

82 RAIL VEHICLES/POJAZDY SZYNOWE 1-2, 2022

 Adsorption dryer for use in railways

tions. Failure to meet the requirements for resistance Based on the above data and the assumed compres-
to vibrations may cause unwanted noise and reso- m3
sor capacity of Vṡ = 62 , the air mass flow was
h
nance, which in turn may lead to damage to the dryer
components. calculated:
m3 kg kg
ṁ p = Vṡ ∙ ρ1 = 62 ∙ 1.15 3 = 71.3 (9)
h m h

The water vapour mass flow contained in the in-

take air was calculated:
g kg kg
mH2 O(p)
̇ = x1 ∙ ṁp = 27.1 ∙ 71.3 = 1.932 (10)
kg h h

In the next stage, the content of water vapour in the

compressed air was determined. For this purpose, the
properties of compressed air saturated with water va-
pour were determined:
 pressure: p2 = 9 bar = 9000 kPa,
Fig. 8. Modal analysis for 150 Hz  temperature: T2 = 50° C,
 relative air humidity: φ2 = 100%,
The obtained results meet the requirements of the kg
 air density: ρ2 = 9.65 m3 ,
PN-EN 61373 standard [14]. Modal analysis results g
indicate a high durability of the device [17].  humidity content in air: x2 = 8.6 kg.
As part of the prototype, tests were carried out on Then, the difference in the humidity content of air
the adsorbent. The basic quantities necessary for the intake from the atmosphere and compressed air was
correct operation of the device were checked: determined:
 selection of dryer operating parameters, g g g
∆x = x1 − x2 = 27.1 − 8.6 = 18.5 (11)
 assessment of adsorption capacity, kg kg kg

 pressure dew point test. Based on the different values for the humidity con-
8.1. Selecting key algorithm parameters tent of air intake from the atmosphere, compressed air
and the calculated mass flow of the intake air, the
The parameters of the dryer operation algorithm amount of condensed water behind the cooler was
were selected based on the determination of the times determined:
of individual dryer cycles. These parameters ensure
g kg kg
proper drying of the compressed air in the drying col- mH2 O(1)
̇ = ∆x ∙ ṁ p = 18.5 ∙ 71.3 = 1.326 (12)
kg h h
umn and regeneration of the adsorbent in the regen-
eration column. The test allowed to determine the The residual water vapour content in the com-
operation time of a single drying cycle, the adsorbent pressed humid air was calculated:
drying time and the adsorbent regeneration time. ̇ kg kg
MH2O(p1) = mH2O(p)
̇ − mH2 O(1)
̇ = 1.932 − 1.326 =
h h
8.2. Assessment of the required adsorption capacity kg
= 0.606 (13)
h
In order to determine whether the dryer properly
removes water from compressed air, it should be The adsorption capacity of the dryer was then de-
checked whether the adsorption capacity of the dryer termined. It should be higher than the calculated
is higher than the amount of water vapour remaining amount of water vapour that is remained in the com-
in the pre-dried air. Using the Mollier graphs (H-X), pressed humid air. The calculations were performed
the properties of air saturated with water vapour in- for the following data:
take by a compressor were determined:  inner diameter of the dryer column: dk = 116 mm,
 pressure: p1 = 1013.25 kPa,  height of the dryer column: hk = 519 mm,
kg
 temperature: T1 = 30°C,  adsorbent density: ρa = 800 m3 ,
 relative air humidity: φ1 = 100%,  adsorbent capacity: VH2 O(k) = 19.5 100 kg adsorbent
2
.
kg H O
kg
 air density: ρ1 = 1.15 m3 ,
g
Capacity of single dryer column:
 humidity content in air: x1 = 27.1 kg. 2
d 116 mm 2
V0 = π ∙ ( k ) ∙ hk = π ∙ ( ) ∙ 519 mm =
2 2
3
= 0.00548 m (14)

RAIL VEHICLES/POJAZDY SZYNOWE 1-2, 2022 83

Adsorption dryer for use in railways

Adsorption capacity of the adsorbent contained in 9. Summary

the column
kg In traction vehicles, compressed air is essential
MH2O(k) = V0 ∙ ρa ∙ VH2 O(k) = 0.00548 m3 ∙ 800 ∙ medium for proper operation. Ensuring proper purity,
m3
19.5 kg
= 0.854 kg (15) and in particular removing contaminants such as hu-
100 kg
midity and water, is essential for correct vehicle oper-
A single drying cycle takes about 4 min, so the va- ation.
pour adsorption capacity of the new dryer is: In the dryer market there are many designs with
̇
mH2 O(k) 0,854 kg different drying methods. Adsorption dryers and
MH2O(k) = = = 12.78 h > mH2O(p1)
̇ =
4 min 4 min
kg
membrane dryers are used in traction vehicles.
= 0.606 (16) The adsorption dryer prototype designed by the
h
Railway Vehicles Institute "TABOR" meets the re-
The water vapour adsorption capacity of the adsor-
quirements of railroad standards, UIC cards, as well as
bent is sufficient for the proper operation of the de-
requirements for installation and serviceability.
vice. During compression in the compressor small
The prototype was subjected to bench tests and
amounts of oil enters the dryer column. This clogs the
calculations. Tests showed that the device was proper-
pores of the molecular sieve and reduces the adsorp-
ly designed and meets the requirements. Modal analy-
tion capacity of the adsorbent. A much higher value of
sis of the normal mode of the outer bar proved that the
the adsorption capacity ensures reliable operation of
values of vibration acceleration are lower than the
the device and the maintenance of correct operating
values allowed by the standard.
parameters over a long period of time (1–2 years of
Selection of the dryer operating parameters made it
operation).
possible to determine the working cycle times of the
8.3. Pressure dew point test dryer. The determined working cycle times allow for
The pressure dew point test consists in measuring proper drying of compressed air and regeneration of
the pressure dew point temperature of the dried air adsorbent. The evaluation of the required adsorption
coming out from dryer. The measurement is made capacity proved that the amount of adsorbent in the
with a specialized device. column is sufficient for proper operation of the device
In railway practice, the pressure dew point temper- for at least one year. The conclusion of the pressure
ature should be at least 30°C lower than the ambient dew point test is that the pressure dew point value
temperature. The test lasted 5 minutes and was carried increases during operation.
out for the new dryer and regularly during its opera- The adsorption capacity of the desiccant decreases
tion. Measurements for the described dryer were car- during operation because the pores of the adsorbent
ried out using a portable CS INSTRUMENTS DP 510 are clogged with oil and dust from the abraded adsor-
meter. The tests showed that the new dryer achieves bent.
a pressure dew point of –70°C, while during operation In the future, the dryer designed by the Institute of
the observed dew point is from –60°C to –40°C. Railway Vehicles "TABOR" can be modified or new
These values meet the requirements of ISO 8573-1. elements can be added. Further work should be ori-
The achieved dew point value guarantees high-purity ented towards:
compressed air and ensures proper operation of the  adding a device for measuring the humidity of
dryer, even when part of the adsorbent bed is worn. dried compressed air,
 looking for a new adsorbent.

Bibliography
[1] Atlas Copco. Compressed air manual. Atlas Copco, [4] Xu B., Zhang X., Zhang S. et al. Research on double
Wilrijk, 9, 2019. tower dryer based on air brake system of rail vehicle.
[2] Atuonwu C., van Straten G., van Deventer H.C. et al. Journal of Physics: Conference Series. 2021, 1948,
Improving adsorption dryer energy efficiency by sim- 012126.
ultaneous optimization and heat integration. Drying https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1948/1/012126
Technology. 2011, 29, 1459-1471. [5] Dajeni M., Bartels P.V., Sanders J.P.M. et al. Compu-
https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2011.591516 tational fluid dynamics for multistage adsorption dryer
[3] Atuonwu C., van Straten G., van Deventer H.C. et al. design. Drying Technology. 2008, 26(4), 487-502.
Model-based energy efficiency optimization of a low- https://doi.org/10.1080/07373930801929532
temperature adsorption dryer. Chemical Engineering [6] Goliwąs D. Uzdatnianie sprężonego powietrza
Technology. 2011, 34(10), 1723-1732. w pojazdach trakcyjnych. Pojazdy Szynowe. 2007, 4,
https://doi.org/10.1002/ceat.201100145 31-43. https://doi.org/10.53502/RAIL-139837

84 RAIL VEHICLES/POJAZDY SZYNOWE 1-2, 2022

 Adsorption dryer for use in railways

[7] Kang S.-W., Chang S.-H., Kim H.-J. et al. A study on [16] Ripol-Saragosi T., Ripol-Saragosi L. Compressed air
operating method to save energy from the adsorption drying process energy consumption decrease by intel-
dryer in the process of purifying compressed air. lectual management systems implement. International
Journal of Society of Korea Industrial and Systems Multi-Conference on Industrial Engineering and
Engineering. 2016, 39(3), 180-191. Modern Technologies. 2019, 1-6.
https://doi.org/10.11627/jkise.2016.39.3.180 https://doi.org/10.20858/tp.2018.13.4.2
[8] Code UIC 612-2. Specific sub-system requirements [17] Rusinski E., Czmochowski J., Smolnicki T. Zaawan-
(traction, braking, etc.) for EMU/DMU, locomotives sowana metoda elementów skończonych w konstruk-
and driving coaches (Rolling stock sub-system re- cjach nośnych. Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki
quirements, requirements for economic purposes, re- Wrocławskiej. Wrocław 2000.
quirements for railway standardisation), 2009. [18] Schaumann S.P. Air compressor systems for passen-
[9] Kozlov V., Piskun E., Ilicheva O. Investigation of the ger rail applications. International Compressor Engi-
processes of adsorbent regeneration by compression neering Conference. 2008, 1918, 1-9.
heat in an adsorption dryer of compressed air. Matec https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/icec/1918
Web of Conferences. 2020, 324, 02009. [19] Sureshkannan V., Vijayan S., Lenin V.R. Design and
https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202032402009 performance analysis of compressed air adsorption
[10] Litchfield R.J., Liapis A.I. An adsorption-sublimation dryer with heatless regeneration mode. Heat and Mass
model for a freeze dryer. Chemical Engineering Sci- Transfer. 2022, 58, 631-641.
ence. 1979, 34(9), 1085-1090. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-021-03136-4
https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2509(79)85013-7 [20] Techniczna specyfikacja interoperacyjności odnosząca
[11] Mobley R.K. Fluid Power Dynamics. Newnes 2000. się do podsystemu „Tabor — lokomotywy i tabor pa-
[12] Polski Komitet Normalizacyjny PN-EN 50125-1 Ko- sażerski” systemu kolei w Unii Europejskiej nr
lejnictwo – Warunki środowiskowe stawiane urządze- 1302/2014. 2014.
niom – Część 1: Tabor i wyposażenie pokładowe. [21] Tuch T.M., Haudek A., Muller T. et al. Design and
2014. performance of an automatic regenerating adsorption
[13] Polski Komitet Normalizacyjny PN-EN 60721-3-5 aerosol dryer for continuous operation at monitoring
Klasyfikacja warunków środowiskowych Część 3-2: sites. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 2009, 2,
Klasyfikacja grup czynników środowiskowych i ich 417-422. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2-417-2009
ostrości. Transport i przeładunek. 2018. [22] White paper. Compressed air drying. Atlas Copco.
[14] Polski Komitet Normalizacyjny PN-EN 61373 Zasto- Belgium 2016.
sowania kolejowe. Wyposażenie taboru kolejowego. [23] Zhang Y., Zhang Q.M., Wang R. et al. Safety analysis
Badania odporności na udary mechaniczne i wibracje. and fault automatic recognition technology of regen-
2011. erative adsorption dryer. IOP Conference Series:
[15] Ripol-Saragosi L. Compressed air mechanical drying Earth and Environmental Science. 2019, 237(3),
for railway branch of Europe. Transport Problems. 032058.
2010, 5(4), . https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/237/3/032058

RAIL VEHICLES/POJAZDY SZYNOWE 1-2, 2022 85