Filtration trends in air dryer systems
Oil coalescing air dryer fi lter cartridges can provide cleaner
air for heavy duty vehicle compressed air systems.
A number of systems on
today’s heavy duty vehicles
utilize compressed air, including
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air brakes – both drum
and air disc, anti-lock braking
systems, electronic stability
control, suspension controls
such as air ride and more.
In addition, other vehicle systems
such as emission controls and
automated manual transmissions
(AMTs) are now connecting
to the compressed air system
of a vehicle. AMTs in particular
require very clean air to control
the solenoid valve that completes
the shifting process.
“Emission dosing valves and AMTs
are really great technology,” says
Jason Kraus, senior manager of
air systems for Meritor. “However,
they require a super clean flow of
air to operate properly. If you don’t
maintain that clean air flow, you’re
going to have contamination. And a
lot of expense will occur to repair
or replace those impacted items.”
Meritor is the official distributor of
Meritor Wabco products, including
air dryer filtration products.
There are two types of air dryer
filtration cartridges that can
be mated to the air dryer itself:
traditional, and oil coalescing.
Traditional, or standard, air dryer
filter cartridges aid in removing
water vapor from the air line.
Oil coalescing air dryer filter
cartridges not only remove this
water vapor, but also have the
ability to remove oil aerosols
and other small contaminants.
The removal of oil aerosols aids
in providing extremely clean
air for the newer technology
developments in emissions and
transmission systems. Kraus says
oil coalescing cartridges allow for
the removal of 99.9 percent of oil
aerosol particles and other contaminants
from the air line before
it enters these vehicle systems.
Oil aerosol hasn’t always been an
issue. With the introduction of
more efficient engines circa 2010,
engines began running hotter.
“Those engines have created
the aerosol – they run a lighter
weight of oil,” Kraus explains.
“They are more fuel efficient,
no doubt about it. But because
they’re more fuel efficient, they
run hotter, with additives added,
it allows an atomization of the
oil – an aerosol – that if you don’t
have the proper filter media in the
oil coalescing cartridge, the oil
will go right through a standard
cartridge and get to the air tanks
and go through all the air lines.”
SUGGESTED
REPLACEMENT
INTERVALS
“Subsequently, because they’re
very astute at collecting those
contaminants, you have to replace
them more frequently,” Kraus
says of oil coalescing air dryer
filter cartridges, compared to
traditional air dry filter cartridges.
Suggested replacement intervals
of the filter are dependent
on filter cartridge brand
and vehicle application.
For on-highway and long haul
applications, standard cartridge
replacement ranges from about
every two to three years.
For on-highway and long haul
applications, oil coalescing
» An oil coalescing air filter
cartridge, such as the Meritor
Wabco System Saver Series oil
coalescing air dryer filter cartridge,
can help remove 99.9 percent of
oil aerosol particles and other
contaminants from the air line
before they enter vehicle systems.
Photo courtesy of Meritor
cartridge replacement ranges
from every one to two years.
For severe duty applications,
standard cartridge replacement
ranges from one to two years.
For severe duty applications, oil
coalescing cartridge replacement
ranges from six months to one year.
As always, if OEM replacement
guidelines are more frequent
than those listed above, those
guidelines should be followed.
INDICATORS OF AN AIR
DRYER SYSTEM ISSUE
A number of indicators may lead
to issues with the air dryer system.
Kraus advises that technicians
or drivers may see oil leakage, or
more frequent replacement of
valve or seal components (one
example was a refuse fleet vehicle
needed ABS valve replacement six
times in one year, says Kraus).
Ultimately, maintenance on the
system is key. However, Kraus notes
fleets may evaluate current vehicles
to determine the viability or necessity
of switching from standard to
oil coalescing air dryer cartridges.
“Replacing with an oil coalescing
cartridge will stop future oil
leakage, but it will not clean up
the systems already affected,”
he says. “It can be very expensive
to service or clean up the
systems impacted – replacing all
the valves, the air tank, the hose
assembly and air lines. That’s very
expensive to do that cleanup.”
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