Wilkerson DE5 User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR

WILKERSON MODELS DE3, DE4 AND DE5

COMPACT HEATLESS AIR DRYERS

®

OPERATIONS

DE3 - DE5

GENERAL

This instruction manual covers the installation, operation, maintenance and troubleshooting guide
for the Wilkerson compact heatless air dryers, models DE3, DE4 and DE5. These dryers are
designed to be installed into a compressed air system, providing ultra-dry compressed air to
moisture sensitive applications.

Instruction Manual / DE3, DE4 and DE5

Wilkerson Compact Heatless Air Dryers

C

D

A

H

K

L

J

F

E

G

MUFFLERS
(OPTIONAL)

B

Model

Number

DE3
DE4

DE5

A

35.50

35.50

41.00

B

34.50

34.50

39.50

C

16.00

16.00

18.62

D

8.00

8.00

9.31

E

6.50

6.50

6.50

F

1.50

1.50

1.50

G

17.00

17.00

20.13

H

8.50

8.50

10.06

J

3.63

3.63

6.75

K

4.13

4.13

4.75

L

5.63

5.63

6.38

Outline Dimensions

Figure 1

DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION

Wilkerson DE series compact heatless air dryers employ the principles of pressure swing
adsorption (PSA). The operation is fully automatic and relatively little maintenance is required.

The dryers utilize two identical desiccant towers, a metering orifice, two shuttle valves, and two
2-way AC operated solenoid valves controlled by a solid state electronic timer. Wet air at line
pressure enters and flows through one of the towers where nearly all the water vapor is adsorbed
while the other tower is being regenerated. Arepressurization period follows the regeneration
period. Every 60 seconds, the process is reversed, providing a continuous flow of dry air.

In the flow schematic shown below, Valve A (closed, de-energized) and Valve B (open, energized)
allow the inlet shuttle valve to direct the inlet air to flow into Tower A (drying). A portion of the dry
outlet air is allowed to flow through the outlet shuttle valve purge orifice into Tower B. This dry
purge air expands to nearly atmospheric pressure, sweeping the water out of the desiccant as it
flows through Tower B (regenerating) and out of the Valve B (energized) exhaust port. The timer
controls the cycling of normally closed solenoid valves.

The orifices are fixed and are sized by the factory based on flow, pressure and dew point required.

Flow Schematic

Figure 2

Instruction Manual / DE3, DE4 and DE5

Wilkerson Compact Heatless Air Dryers

EXHAUST

SOLENOID

VALVE A

INLET

SHUTTLE

VALVE

DESICCANT

TOWER A

OUTLET SHUTTLE

VALVE WITH

PURGE ORIFICE

DESICCANT

TOWER B

DRY AIR

TO APPLICA TION

EXHAUST

SOLENOID

VALVE B

PURGE
AIR
EXHAUST

WET AIR IN

DE3, DE4 and DE5

DESICCANT

TOWER A

EXHAUST

SOLENOID

V ALVE A

EXHAUST

SOLENOID

VALVE B

PURGE
AIR
EXHAUST

DESICCANT

TOWER B

DRY AIR

TO APPLICA TION

OUTLET SHUTTLE

VALVE WITH

PURGE ORIFICE

INLET

SHUTTLE

VALVE

WET AIR IN

INSTALLATION AND OPERATION

NOTE:

Wilkerson DE series compact heatless dryers have been
thoroughly inspected and tested at the factory and are in
proper working condition.

A. Initial Inspection – Remove the air dryer from the shipping carton. Inspect the exterior and

remove the electrical cover and inspect the interior components for any shipping damage.

NOTE:

Any damage noticed at this time must be brought to the
immediate attention of the carrier and a freight claim must
be filed.

B. Warranty – Please read this instruction manual carefully before installing the air dryer.

Failure to follow proper instructions could result in damage to the equipment and may void
the product warranty.

EXCEPT as otherwise specified by the manufacturer, this product
is specifically designed for compressed air service and use with
any other gas or liquid is a misapplication. Use with or injection
of certain hazardous liquids or gases in the system (i.e., alcohol
or liquid petroleum gas) could be harmful to the unit and result in
a combustible condition or cause hazardous external leakage.
Manufacturers' warranties are void in the event of a misapplication
and manufacturer assumes NO RESPONSIBILITY for any
resulting loss. Before using equipment with fluids or gases other
than air, or for non-industrial applications, consult Wilkerson
Corporation for written approval.

C. Installation/Mounting – Four mounting holes are provided for wall mounting of Models DE3,

DE4 and DE5. All dryers require a clean ambient environment for proper operation. Normally,
most locations where ambient temperatures range between 40˚F and 125˚F are suitable for
installation since drying efficiency is more dependent on the temperature of the compressed air
flowing through the unit. Operating a unit at temperatures which could result in freezing may
cause damage to the dryer. Do not operate at temperatures so low that freezing is a possibility.

1. Install dryer where ambient temperatures are between 40°F (4.4°C) and 125°F (52°C).

2. Mount dryer in a vertical position.

3. Piping connections: For maximum flow, INLET and OUTLET piping should be schedule 40
pipe or equivalent I.D. tubing. DE3, DE4 and DE5 inlet and outlet ports are 1/2" female,
NPT, purge porting is 1/2" female, NPT.

Instruction Manual / DE3, DE4 and DE5

Wilkerson Compact Heatless Air Dryers

CAUTION:

!

!

NOTE

If purge air is required to be piped to a remote location, it is
necessary to use oversized tubing to prevent back-pressure.
Restricting the purge flow can cause the dryer to malfunction.

4. Use Teflon tape or pipe sealant on threads. Check all air connections for leakage, using
soap solution prior to putting dryer into permanent service.

5. It is recommended that a bypass line with shut-off valves be installed to provide constant
air flow to the system, should the dryer require servicing.

6. Always install a 5-micron particulate prefilter and a coalescing filter upstream to remove
entrained particulates, moisture and oil. A0.5-micron afterfilter should be installed down­stream to remove any desiccant dust that may migrate from the desiccant towers.

Factory Recommended Dryer Installation

Figure 3

D. Operating Specifications – The DE3, DE4 and DE5 series compact heatless dryers can

be sized to operate from 40 to 150 PSIG (2,7 to 10,3 bar).

1. The dryers must be operated in accordance with the factory sizing charts and original cus­tomer requirements in order to achieve desired dewpoints. Inlet pressure, inlet tempera­ture, and outlet flow conditions are always specified when purchased.

2. Maximum inlet air temperature is 125°F (52°C).

3. Do not operate dryers in temperatures so low that freezing is a possibility.

E. Electrical Connections – Before wiring, check the dryer nameplate for electrical characteris-

tics. Standard electrical characteristics are 115 Volt, 50/60Hz operation. Models operating on
230 Volt, 50/60Hz operation are available.

1. IMPORTANT! No overload protection is provided in the dryer and unit should be
wired into a protected circuit. Aknockout hole with romex connector is provided for
electrical connection.

Instruction Manual / DE3, DE4 and DE5

Wilkerson Compact Heatless Air Dryers

5-MICRON
PREFILTER
WITH AUTO

DRAIN

MICROALESCER

OPTIONAL

REGULATOR

SHUT-OFF

VALVE

AIR DRYER

WITH MOISTURE

INDICATOR

BYPASS LINE

BYPASS SHUT-OFF VALVE

SHUT-OFF

VALVE

MOISTURE
INDICATOR

0.5-MICRON

POSTFILTER

OPTIONAL

REGULATOR

!