TheCompleteGuideto

GasSampleDrying
forYourAnalyzerorProcess

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

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

TheCompleteGuidetoGasSampleDrying
Creatingadrygassamplestreamorasourcefordryairisessentialforthesuccessfuloperationofa
widerangeofgasanalysisequipment.Watervaporinterfereswiththeproperoperationofequipmentin
manyways.Whendesigningyouranalysisequipment,itisimportanttounderstandthecommon
methodsusedtoremovemoistureandunderstandtheirstrengthsandlimitations.Thisshortguidewas
writtentohelpyoudeterminethebestmethodforyourapplication.
Tobegin,wellstartwithdescribingfivecommonapplicationswheremoistureremovalmethodsare
criticaltoobtainingaccurateresults.Therearemanymorethanarelistedhere,butthesecangiveyoua
goodstartingpoint:

InfraredAnalysisusedforCO2Monitoring&MeasurementCommonlyusedforbreathgas
analysisamongotherapplications,watervaporappearsonthescaleinthesameregionofthe
CO2makingtheresultsinaccurateunlessremoved.
CEMSandProcessAnalyzersusedintheChemical,PetrochemicalandPowerGeneration
IndustriesCriticalchemicalssuchasSO2,NO2andClareextremelywatersolubleandtheSO2
canreacttoformharshacidsthatruinthechemicalsensors.WaterVapormustberemovedin
thevaporphasetothatthechemicalcompositionofthesamplegasremainsintact.
SampleCombustionusedinTotalOrganicCarbon,ElementalandMercuryAnalyzersSamples
arecombustedandanalyzedinthegaseousstateatatemperatureclosetoambient.The
moistureoriginallypresentinthesampleorgeneratedbythecombustionprocessmustbe
removedinthevaporphasesothatthechemicalcompositionofthesamplegasremainsintact
andcondensationonthesensorisprevented.
ElectrochemicalSensorsusedforGasDetectionCondensationfromthegassamplestreamcan
doirreparableharmtothesensorandrendertheequipmentunusableaproblemcommonly
foundwhenasampleistakenfromoutsideonahothumiddayandanalyzedinaclimate
controlledenvironment.

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

IntakeAirDryingforChemiluminescence(NOxMonitoring)orIonMobilitySpectroscopy(IMS)
Ambientintakeairneedstobedriedtoalowmoisturelevelbeforeitisusedupstreamto
generateozoneorintheanalysisprocess.

Conventionalgassampledryingmethodsarefraughtwithdifficultiesandcompromises,makingit
difficultandorcostlytogetconsistentandaccurateresults.Themostcommonmethodsarelisted
belowwiththeirlimitations:
WaterTrapsareinexpensivedeviceswhichsimplyallowthewatertocondenseoutasthetemperature
ofthegascoolstoambient,andareplacedinlinewiththegasflow.Unfortunately,theyareverynon
specific;notonlydotheyremovewhatevergasescondenseatlowertemperature,butalsoatleasta
portionofwhatevergasesdissolveinthecondensate,potentiallymakingyouranalysisinaccurate.
Desiccantdryersfunctionbybindingwatertoanabsorbent.Theabsorbentmaybeasolid(suchassilica
gel)oraliquid(suchassulfuricacid)thatbindswatertoitschemicalstructureaswaterofhydration.
Desiccantsareverysimpletooperate.Unfortunately,likewatertrapsorthermoelectriccoolers,they
areverynonspecific,andremovemanycompoundsotherthanwater.Unlikecoolersorwatertraps,
watercannotberemovedfromdesiccantsbysimplydrainingitaway.Whileinoperation,desiccants
becomeprogressivelyloadedwithwater,andmustperiodicallyberegeneratedbyreplacementofthe
desiccantorbydrivingoffthewater.Formostanalyzerapplications,thismeansaregularchangeoutof
thedesiccantwhichistimeconsumingandexpensiveoverthelifeoftheanalyzer.However,theycan
drytodewpointsaslowas60C.
PeltierorThermoelectricCoolersarethemostcommonmethodusedtoremovemoisture.Theyactas
condensersbycoolingagasstreamuntilwaterandotherliquidscoalesce,thencollectingthe
condensateanddrainingitaway.Likewatertraps,theyareverynonspecific;notonlydotheyremove
whatevergasescondenseatlowertemperature,butalsoatleastaportionofwhatevergasesdissolvein
thecondensate.Largeamountsofgasessuchassulfurdioxidearelost,andsuchcoolersareentirely
inappropriatefordrygasstreamscontaininghydrogenchlorideorchlorine(unlessitsremovalis
desired).Theyarealsolimitedtodewpointsof+4C.PeltierCoolersarealsosubjecttoregularrepairor
replacementinmanyapplications,whichincreasescostandequipmentdowntime.
PermaPuresUniqueNafionbasedGasSampleDryersTheBestPerformanceOption

NafionbasedgasdryerstakeadvantageoftheuniquemoisturetransferpropertiesofNafionin
tubingform.Theyfunctiononaprincipleofselectiononthebasisofaffinityforthesulfonicacidgroup
inthematerialsstructure,allowingwatertobetransferredchemicallyfromonesideofthemembrane
toanother.Dependingontherelativewatervaporpressuredifferencebetweentheinsideandthe
outsideofthetube,moisturewillrapidlymovefromonesideofthemembranetotheother.Pressureis
notrequiredtodrivetheprocess.Unlikeothermethods,thetubingisextremelyselective,only

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

transferringmoistureoutofagasstreamwhileleavingtheothercomponentsintact.ThismakesNafion
idealforgasconditioningapplications.Whenconfiguredproperly,Nafionbaseddryerscaneasilyreach
dewpointsbelow20C.
PermaPurehasdevelopedafulllineofproductstomatchyour
specificflowandtargetdewpoint(moisturelevel)requirements.
DryingorhumidifyingtoambienthumidityWedevelopedthe
MESeriesofmoistureexchangerswiththeNafiontubingexposed
toatmosphereasacosteffectivewaytodrysamplegasesto
ambientlevels.Thelimitationisthattheperformanceis
dependentontheambientconditionsatthetimeofuse.
Dryingtoalevelaslowaspossibleoraspecificdewpoint(moisturelevel)WedevelopedtheMD
Series(forflowsof02lpm)andthePDseries(flowsof140lpm)withaspecialtubeandshelldesignfor
usewithadrypurgegastoprovideacontrolledenvironmentforthemoisturetransfertooccur.Heated
versionsareavailablewhenthesamplegastemperatureishigherthanambienttopreventcondensation
inthetubing.Theendperformanceiscontrollableanddependentonthepurgegassetupused,which
includeavarietyofmethodssuccessfullydeployedbyPermaPurecustomers:

InstrumentAirDriedcompressedorInstrumentAiristypicallyfoundatmostindustrialplantsandin
manylabsandservesasanexcellentpurgegas.Thedewpointofthispurgegasistypically40to45C.
Mostofourperformancecurveshavebeenmadefromtestdatausinginstrumentair.Werecommend
thepurgegasflowbe23xofthesamplegasflowforoptimaldryingperformance.
NitrogenorotherCylindergasUsingdriedcylindergaswithatypicaldewpointof60or70Ccan
yieldevenlowerresultsthanshownonourperformancecurves.Oftenusedforlabapplications,this

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

methodmightnotbecosteffectiveforcontinuousorhighflowapplications.Werecommendthepurge
gasflowbe23xofthesamplegasflow.

RecycledSampleGas(Reflux)MethodWherenoinstrumentairisavailable,thedriedsamplegasmay
beusedafteranalysisasthepurgegasbypipingitinbacktothepurgegasinlet.Forbestresults,a
vacuumshouldbepulledthroughthepurgegaspathbyinstallingthevacuumpumpaheadofthepurge
gasoutletandaflowrestriction(aneedlevalveorcapillarytube)beforethepurgegasinlet.For
maximumperformance,thevacuumlevelshouldbenolessthan7psi(1/2atmosphere).Ahigher
vacuumwillimproveperformance.Withlowervacuumlevelsornovacuumtheperformancewillbe
reducedaccordingly.Werecommendthepurgegasflowbe23xofthesamplegasflow,whichcanbe
achievedwiththevacuum.
AtmosphericVacuumMethodSimilartotheRefluxMethod,avacuumispulledoverthetubeasthe
purgegas,butinsteadofrecyclingthesamplegas,atmosphericairisused.Thesamesetupwouldapply
(vacuumpumpplusflowrestriction).Theonlyissuehereisthatthetargetdrynessofthesamplewould
varywithtemperatureandmoistureleveloftheatmosphericairbeingused.

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

SplitSampleGasMethodWherenoinstrumentairisavailable,thismethodsimilartotheReflux
Methoddescribedabovecanbeused.Thesplitsamplemethodchannelsaportionofthegasbeing
driedbackovertheNafiontubingasthepurgegas.Theotherportionisroutedtotheanalyzer.Asimilar
setupwiththevacuumpumpandflowrestrictionwouldbecreated.Becausewerecommendthepurge
gasflowbe3xofthesamplegasflow,thesamplegasflowraterequiredforanalysisneedstobe
increasedaccordingly,takingthevacuumeffectintoaccount.
CombinationDryerMethodsInordertogettotargetdrynesslevelslowerthanwhattheNafionbased
productsallow,acombinationofdryersisoftenused.TheNafionbaseddryercanbeusedasthefirst
dryerstage,removingupto95%ofthemoistureinthegasstream.Thissetupeffectivelyextendsthe
servicelifeofthesecondarydesiccantorcoalescingfilter,greatlyreducingcostsandextending
equipmentserviceintervals.
ItmakesthemostsensetodesignaNafionbasedGasSampleDryerfromPermaPureintoyouranalyzer
orGasSamplingSystem.Youwillseeincreaseddryingperformance,longerlifeandmoreaccurate
results.LetPermaPurehelpyouselecttherightdryerforyourapplication.Visitourwebsiteat
www.permapure.comandcontactuswithyourapplicationdetailsandquestions.

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