Condensate Drains

What is Condensate?

When air is compressed, its ability to hold water vapour is reduced. The heating which takes place during compression hides this phenomenon to some extent. However, when the compressed air cools, excess vapour condenses out as water.

The more humid the air entering the compressor system, and the lower the temperature of the cooled air, the more condensate is deposited.

Condensate finds its way downstream to damage tools, equipment or product, unless steps are taken to remove it. Aftercoolers, dryers and air receivers all play a part in this, and in turn, need to be drained. Because condensate amounts vary with air consumption, and humidity, an efficient drain device must sense the presence of condensate before discharge.

The most simple sensor is a “float drain”. It can also be the least reliable. It's delicate movement is not ideal for use submerged in sticky, oily condensate.

Timed solenoid drains are more reliable than floats, but they open to atmosphere whether or not condensate is present. This can waste compressed air, and cost hundreds of dollars per year. These drains can also emulsify any oil in the condensate, which is detrimental to the effectiveness of oil/water separation systems which are installed to meet pollution regulations.

The Bekomat Solution

• Senses the presence of condensate - so wastes no compressed air.
• Uses no delicate moving parts - it's electronic sensor doesn't contact the condensate.
• BEKOMAT discharges liquid calmly so it cannot emulsify condensate.
• Positive operation of diaphragm valve under system air pressure ensures no leakage.
• Condensate can be piped easily to an oil/water separator, even raised to another floor.
• Provides local and remote alarms should the BEKOMAT be unable to discharge.
• Ultra-reliable BEKOMAT is designed to the highest engineering standards. Optional voltages, heaters for exterior use, variants for high pressure, oil-free, aggressive condensate, vacuum systems etc. are also available.
• BEKOMAT is designed for rapid installation, and quick, easy maintenance.

With more than 1,500,000 installations worldwide, the electronically level-controlled BEKOMAT^® condensate drains are the industrial standard for reliable and cost-effective condensate drainage.

The extensive BEKOMAT^® range of products offers the certainty of choosing the optimum condensate drain for any compressor performance, compressor type, system pressure and operating conditions. Special BEKOMAT^® devices are available for extremely aggressive condensates, ex-areas, low pressures and vacuums, as well as for the no-load operation of multistage compressors.

Leading the way in condensate drainage

+1: No unnecessary loss of compressed air +2: Discharge adapted to condensate quantity +3: Sensor registers every type of condensate +4: Unaffected by dirt   +5: Low maintenance   +6: Fully automatic monitoring

For all operating conditions: A wide range of models makes it possible to select a suitable and cost-effective device for each particular application. The device can be adapted to all the usual supply voltages.   Sales record: 1.5 million With a total of 1.5 million of units sold since its presentation in 1982, the electronically level-controlled BEKOMAT condensate drain has now reached a further international record.

BEKOMAT^® guarantees a short payback period

BEKOMAT^® from BEKO has become the industrial standard because of its high reliability and particularly because it offers energy-saving operation without loss of compressed air. There are a number of very good technical reasons for this.

Compared with float drains, BEKOMAT^® has decisive advantages, especially since it:

• functions unaffected by dirt, resulting in reliable operation
• is equipped with a fault signal
• requires very little maintenance
• has large cross-sections to prevent emulsification

BEKOMAT^® also has decisive advantages over solenoid valves, especially since it:

• operates in accordance with the actual condensate quantity
• avoids unnecessary loss of compressed air
• is equipped with a fault signal
• has large cross-section value to prevent emulsification

Applications

Compressor Around 60 percent of the total condensate is produced in the aftercooler of the compressor. Receiver More than 10 percent of the total condensate stems from the air receiver. Dryer Up to 25 percent of the total condensate separates from the vapour in the refrigeration dryer. Therefore, efficient drying requires equally efficient condensate drainage. Filter What is the use of a perfect filter if the condensate drain is not matched to the task or not functioning correctly? Our BEKOMAT® 20 FM with filter management has been designed specifically for monitoring the filter lifetime and indicating the need for filter element replacement.

BEKOMAT® 12, 13, 14, 16, 20 and 21

Functional principle using BEKOMAT^® 14 as an example

Empty state: Condensate trickles through the inlet opening  1  and collects in the container  2 . The diaphragm valve is closed, since the pilot supply line  3  and the solenoid valve  4  ensure pressure compensation above the valve diaphragm  5 . The larger surface area above the diaphragm results in a high closing force, so that the valve seat is tight and leakproof.
Filled state: When the container  2  has filled with condensate and the capacitive level sensor  6  signals at the maximum point, the solenoid valve is energized and the area above the valve diaphragm is vented. The valve diaphragm lifts off the valve seat  7  , and the pressure in the housing forces the condensate into the discharge pipe  8 .
The BEKOMAT® electronic system now calculates the discharge rate down to the minimum point and uses this figure to determine the exact valve opening period required. The valve will again be fully closed and leakproof before any compressed air can escape.

Should the condensate discharge fail to function properly (blocked discharge pipe, faulty diaphragm), the device will change to the alarm mode after 60 seconds. In this case, the red LED flashes and, if desired, the alarm signal is relayed via a potential-free contact. While in the alarm mode, the solenoid valve will open every 4 minutes for a period of 7.5 seconds. This ensures that a BEKOMAT® unit filled in an unpressurized state will, under pressure, automatically revert to normal operating conditions and thus clear the alarm.
From the BEKOMAT® the condensate can flow for treatment into the ÖWAMAT® oil-water separator which is designed to deal with condensate contaminated with free and dispersed non-emulsified oil. In the case of stable emulsions, our BEKOSPLIT® emulsion splitting plant will clean up the condensate leaving only a minimum of waste for disposal. Either system will help your company to conform to the legal requirements concerning the treatment & discharge of compressed air condensate.

Download a copy of our sales brochures for complete specifications and models available.

• Beko Sales Brochures & Literature