Desiccant Air Dryers for Oil & Gas

ZEKS desiccant air dryers use high-strength activated alumina as the desiccant material. Activated alumina is well-suited for oil and gas environments because it efficiently absorbs water vapor from compressed air streams, enabling pressure dew points as low as -100°F to prevent hydrate formation, corrosion, and instrument failure.

The page content focuses on desiccant technology, which uses activated alumina to adsorb moisture and achieve pressure dew points as low as -100°F—far below what non-desiccant drying methods typically provide. This ultra-low dew point capability makes desiccant dryers the preferred choice for critical oil and gas processes where even trace moisture can cause hydrate formation, pipeline corrosion, or instrument failure, applications where standard moisture removal methods would be insufficient.

ZEKS offers three regeneration technologies. Heatless dryers (ZPB/ZPA, MPS Series) use a portion of dried compressed air to regenerate the off-stream tower—simple and reliable but with higher purge air consumption. Heated dryers (ZHA) use external heat to reduce purge air usage. Heated blower dryers (ZBA) use an ambient-air blower combined with heat for the lowest energy consumption, making them ideal for high flow rate applications.

The ZEKS product range covers 20 SCFM (MPS Series entry model) up to 8,000 SCFM (Eclipse Series). This makes them suitable for small instrument air skids on wellpads as well as large central utility systems at refineries or gas processing facilities.

Yes. ZEKS Eclipse Series pressure vessels are designed and manufactured in compliance with ASME Section VIII Division 1, a common requirement for pressure-containing equipment in oil and gas facilities. Electrical panels are available with UL/ULC 508A certification, and fire-rated relief valves per API RP-520 are also available.

The standard maximum working pressure is 150 psig. The ZEKS Eclipse Series also supports elevated pressure ratings of 250 psig and 300 psig, making it suitable for high-pressure oil and gas instrument air and process air systems that exceed standard industrial compressed air line pressures.

Comp-Air Ohio backs its desiccant dryer solutions with over 150 years of engineering expertise rooted in Gardner Denver's legacy since 1859. Contract customers receive 24/7 emergency service, genuine OEM parts, and support from factory-trained technicians to maximize uptime and reliability. Customers can also submit flow requirements and dew point targets to receive a tailored recommendation and quote within one business day.