Regenerative Desiccant Dryers

KAD, KED, and KBD Series

40 to 5400 cfm

kaeser.com
Desiccant Air Dryers
The right dryer for you
Most compressed air applications can achieve the required air quality by using a refrigerated dryer
in combination with proper filtration. For those cases where compressed air is exposed to freezing
temperatures or where the product, process, or equipment is highly sensitive to moisture, KAESER offers a
complete line of desiccant dryers specifically designed to meet low dew points and deliver energy savings.

Innovation you can trust Savings with proper application

With a cutting edge research and development team committed Desiccant dryers have a higher purchase price and operating
to building industry-leading products, KAESER continues to costs than refrigerated dryers and should be applied to the
deliver better solutions to meet our customers’ compressed air portions of a system requiring low dew points. Our system design
needs. KAESER’s expertise and world-wide reputation for superior team will help you size and select the dryer to deliver air quality
reliability and efficiency offer great performance and peace of suitable for you application with the lowest life cycle costs.
mind.

Quality in every detail The benefits of counterflow regeneration

Desiccant dryer performance and reliability are driven by Regardless of design, liquid water will accumulate in the piping
component quality. KAESER’s valves and actuators are designed between the prefilters and the dryer inlet. Eventually, the air stream
for consistent dew point performance and low pressure drop. will carry a “slug” of water into the desiccant bed. With the inlet
Additionally, desiccant bed symmetry is selected to ensure at the bottom of the tower, our upflow drying design minimizes the
uniform flow distribution and maximize contact time, while the accumulation of liquid water in the desiccant beds.

spherical activated alumina desiccant allows for long service life Counterflow design ensures that the driest portion of the
and minimizes dusting. A high surface-to-volume ratio and great desiccant bed is nearest the dryer outlet at switchover, and allows
affinity for water vapor yield superior adsorption. purge air to be evenly distributed throughout the desiccant bed,
providing more effective regeneration.

Desiccant dryer basic operation Dryer Outlet

KAESER desiccant dryers use the principles of adsorption and desorption and alternately 2
cycle the compressed air through twin desiccant towers. As the vapor-laden air flows
through one tower, the moisture is adsorbed onto the desiccant. Meanwhile, in the other
tower, “purge air” flows through, evaporates the water off the desiccant, and carries it out
of the tower as vapor.

The process starts with the air entering the inlet switching valve (1) which diverts the air
into the drying tower (A). The tower, filled with desiccant, adsorbs the water from the
A 3 B
compressed air. The air then exits the dryer through the outlet switching valve (2). Air 1
is also diverted through the purge line, reduced in pressure by orifices and the purge
adjusting valve (3), to the regenerating tower (B), and out the dryer through the purge
valve (4). This stream of air is the purge air that sweeps the moisture off the spent
desiccant so it can be used again. The towers then switch and the operation continues to
dry the air and regenerate the desiccant bed. 4
Inlet and Purge Valves
2
3
Heatless desiccant dryer (KAD)
Kaeser Heatless Desiccant (KAD) dryers are pressure swing adsorptive dryers that reduce the pressure dew point
of the compressed air far below the freezing point of water. They use a small portion of dried air to purge moisture
from the twin desiccant beds, which enables many years of automatic operation. The standard design outlet pres-
sure dew point is -40°F at rated conditions. Target dewpoints of -4°F and -94°F are achievable with the optional
EC3 controller. This controller also offers a demand mode setting that will match the load on the dryer to its purge
consumption, reducing total air demand and compressor run time.
Sizes: 40 – 5400 scfm
Purge adjusting valve

• Easily adjust purge flow to proper setting to

minimize air consumption

Separate top fill and bottom Inlet and outlet shuttle

drain ports valves
• Easy desiccant removal and • Nylon shuttle
replacement • Tested to over 500,000
cycles
• Corrosion resistant aluminum
Moisture indicator housing

• Color change indicates • Single moving part has very

long life
elevated outlet dew point
• No maintenance
• No check valves
Controls and
instrumentation
• Tower pressure gauges
• Tower status Stainless steel support
• Switching failure alarm (EC3 only)
screens and air diffusers
• Purge flow indicator
• Located internally at top and
• NEMA 4X electrical enclosure bottom of each vessel
• Modbus TCP connection (EC3 only) • Easy to remove and clean
• Efficiently filters out large
contaminants and protects
outlet shuttle valve
• Effectively prevents channeling

ASME pressure vessels Structural steel frame complete

with floor stand for easy
• Fabricated per Section VIII of the boiler
and pressure vessel code installation
• ASME safety relief valve • Lifting lugs for easy handling
• Optional factory mounted of pre-
and after-filters
4
KAD heatless desiccant dryer specifications (Table 1)
Purge Rate @ Filter
Inlet Flow 100 psig Dimensions* Inlet and Outlet Total Replace-
Power Wt.* Package
All Models @ 100 psig (scfm) WxDxH Connection* ment Desiccant
Supply (lb.) Capacity
(scfm) (inches) (inches) (lb.)
Avg Max (scfm)
KAD 40 40 5.8 7 35 x 35 x 49 1 NPT 365 55 52
KAD 60 60 8.6 10.5 35 x 35 x 63 1 NPT 445 75 80
KAD 90 90 13 15.8 37 x 35 x 81 1 NPT 575 90 110
KAD 115 115 16.6 20.1 50 x 41 x 57 1 NPT 685 160 210
KAD 165 165 23.8 28.9 50 x 41 x 57 1 NPT 685 290 210
KAD 260 260 37.4 45.5 51 x 41 x 75 2 NPT 1010 290 318
KAD 370 370 53.3 64.8 58 x 42 x 65 2 NPT 1215 390 458
KAD 450 450 64.8 78.8 58 x 42 x 73 2 NPT 1350 500 542
90-305 V
KAD 590 590 85 103 55 x 51 x 104 2 NPT 1473 625 710
1 Ph
KAD 750 750 108 131 57 x 51 x 107 2 NPT 2134 1250 910
50 or 60 Hz
KAD 930 930 134 163 63 x 59 x 112 2 NPT 2414 1250 1180
KAD 1130 1130 163 198 66 x 59 x 115 3 FLG 2875 1250 1420
KAD 1350 1350 194 236 68 x 59 x 120 3 FLG 3722 1875 1846
KAD 1550 1550 223 271 74 x 59 x 117 4 FLG 4167 1875 2064
KAD 2100 2100 302 368 82 x 59 x 119 4 FLG 4417 2500 2520
KAD 3000 3000 432 525 86 x 67 x 125 4 FLG 9010 3125 3734
KAD 4100 4100 590 718 100 x 88 x 124 6 FLG 9900 5000 5398
KAD 5400 5400 778 945 105 x 89 x 124 6 FLG 12000 6875 7200
Note 1: KAD dryer inlet flow capacities are established in accordance with ISO 7183 Option A2: Inlet air pressure 100 psig, inlet air temperature 100°F, saturated.
Note 2: The purge flow rate of any pressure swing (heatless) desiccant dryer is not constant throughout the purge cycle. The purge cycle consists of a maximum purge flow period when
the purge valve is open and a reduced flow period during repressurization. The total air consumption during the purge cycle is the average purge flow and is based on a 10 minute cycle
time (-40°F PDP).
Note 3: Maximum working pressure: 150 psig standard; 232 psig optional. Maximum working pressure to 500 psig available for most models. Consult factory.
*Dryer only. See drawing for inlet/outlet connection size for dryer with filter package. Weight is dryer only. Dryer shipping weight appears on drawing. For shipping with a filter package,
consult factory.

KAD capacity correction factors (Table 2) Example:

To determine a dryer’s inlet flow capacity Compressor flow = 250 cfm
Inlet Inlet
Pressure Multiplier Pressure Multiplier Minimum pressure = 90 psig
at inlet pressures other than 100 psig, Correction factor for 90 psig is 0.91
(psig) (psig)
multiply the dryer’s rated inlet flow found 60* 0.65 125 1.10
in Table 1 by the multiplier from Table 2 70 0.74 130 1.12
Multiply the correction factor to the KAD
80 0.83 140 1.16
rated capacity. KAD 370 used.
next to the inlet pressure.
90 0.91 150 1.20 370 scfm x 0.91 = 337 scfm
100 1.00 175 1.29
The dryer’s corrected inlet flow capacity
110 1.04 200 1.37
KAD dew point options meet ISO 115 1.06 225 1.45
is greater than the compressor flow so
120 1.08 250 1.52
the KAD 370 can be used.
8573.1 air quality standards
*For operation at pressures lower than 60 psig, please
KAD with EC3 controls allow the user contact factory.
to select outlet pressure dew points
corresponding to the different ISO 8573-1
air quality classes. (Table 3)
KAD E models are preset to deliver the Cycle Time and Mode
commonly used ISO 8573-1 Class 2 ISO 8573-1 Class Dew Point
Standard Demand Mode
outlet pressure dew point.
1 -94°F (-70°C) 4 min. fixed N/A
2 -40°F (-40°C) 10 min. fixed Yes
3 -4°F (-20°C) 16 min. fixed Yes
Specifications are subject to change without
notice.

5
Heated desiccant dryers (KED & KBD)
KAESER Heated Purge Dryers (KED) are heated regenerative dryers that use only 7% of compressed air for purging.
They heat the dry purge air to increase its capacity to hold moisture and to regenerate. KED’s provide lower
operating costs by reducing the amount of expensive purge air used to regenerate. Standard design outlet pressure
dew point at rated conditions: -4°F (-40°F with the optional purge booster).
Sizes: 300 – 3200 scfm

KAESER Blower Purge Dryers (KBD) use little or no purge air by introducing atmospheric air and heating it. The
heated air has a higher capacity for absorbing water and provides effective regeneration. KBD’s provide the
greatest energy savings by eliminating the need to use costly compressed air for purging. Standard design outlet
pressure dew point at rated conditions: -40°F.
Sizes: 500 – 4300 scfm standard. Up to 10,000 scfm available, consult factory.

Stainless steel support screens and air diffusers Heater and Blower
• At top and bottom of each vessel • Insulated low watt-density
• Easy to remove and clean heater

• Protects outlet shuttle valve • Low noise regenerative blower

Moisture indicator
• Effectively prevents channeling
• Samples outlet air
• Color change indicates elevated
outlet dew point
(not shown)

Purge flow valve (KED only)

• Offers convenient purge rate

adjustment

Controls and instrumentation

• Tower pressure gauges

• Tower status lights
• Switching failure alarm
• Purge flow indicator (KED only)
• NEMA 4 electrical enclosure
• Modbus TCP comm port

KED Dryer
ASME vessels + relief valves
KBD Dryer

• Meets ASME BPVC Section VIII

Long life non-lubricated inlet and

purge control valves standard
6
KED heated purge dryer specifications (Table 4)
High-Temp
KED Inlet flow @ 100 Purge Dimensions In/Out Connec- Pre-filter Total Replacement
Heater Approx. Weight* After-filter
Model psig 100°F Flow Rate WxDxH tion* (KB Series) Desiccant***
(lb.) (HTA Series)
Number (scfm) (in.) (in.) (scfm) (lb.)
(scfm) (nom. kW) (scfm)
300 300 21 5 50 x 47 x 98 1400 1.5 NPT 390 400 420
400 400 28 6 55 x 53 x 104 1800 1.5 NPT 500 400 708
500 500 35 7 55 x 53 x 105 1800 2 NPT 500 600 708
600 600 42 8 57 x 53 x 108 2000 2 NPT 625 600 906
750 750 53 10 62 x 59 x 114 2400 3 FLG 1250 1200 1180
900 900 63 12 62 x 59 x 114 2400 3 FLG 1250 1200 1180
1050 1050 74 14 66 x 62 x 113 2900 3 FLG 1250 1200 1420
1300 1300 91 17 68 x 63 x 118 3400 3 FLG 1875 1800 1848
1500 1500 105 19 82 x 66 x 119 5100 3 FLG 1875 1800 2518
1800 1800 126 23 82 x 66 x 119 5100 3 FLG 1875 1800 2518
2200 2200 154 28 85 x 73 x 127 7800 4 FLG 2500 2400 3734
2600 2600 182 32 85 x 73 x 127 7800 4 FLG 3125 3000 3734
3200 3200 224 40 97 x 82 x 125 9000 4 FLG 3750 4800 4754

KBD blower purge dryer specifications (Table 5)

High-Temp After- Total
Inlet flow @ Blower Blower Heater Dimensions Approx. In/Out Pre-filter
KBD filter Replacement
100 psig 100°F Flow Rate WxDxH Weight Connection (KB Series)
Model Number (HTA Series) Desiccant
(scfm) (scfm) (in.) (lb.) (in.) (scfm)
(nom. hp) (nom. kW) (scfm) (lb.)

500 500 94 2.5 10 55 x 59 x 105 1900 2 NPT 500 600 708

600 600 113 4 12 57 x 60 x 108 2100 2 NPT 625 600 906
750 750 140 4 14 62 x 68 x 114 2500 3 FLG 1250 1200 1180
900 900 158 4 17 62 x 68 x 114 2500 3 FLG 1250 1200 1180
1050 1050 183 5 19 66 x 70 x 113 3000 3 FLG 1250 1200 1420
1300 1300 227 7.5 23 68 x 73 x 118 3600 3 FLG 1875 1800 1848
1500 1500 281 10 28 82 x 79 x 119 5400 3 FLG 1875 1800 2518
1800 1800 317 10 33 82 x 79 x 119 5400 4 FLG 1875 1800 2518
2200 2200 403 10 40 85 x 86 x 127 8100 4 FLG 2500 2400 3734
2600 2600 449 15 45 85 x 89 x 127 8200 4 FLG 3125 3000 3734
3200 3200 552 5 53 97 x 107 x 127 9300 4/6 FLG 3750 4800 4754
3600 3600 614 7.5 60 97 x 116 x 133 12100 6 FLG 3750 4800 5222
4300 4300 732 7.5 70 109 x 123 x 132 13300 6 FLG 5000 4800 7088

Actual kW is less and proportional to the average water load presented to the dryer.
*Dryer only. See drawing for inlet/outlet connection size for dryer with filter package. Weight is dryer only. Dryer shipping weight appears on drawing. For shipping with a filter package,
consult factory.
**KBD 3200 has a 4” FLG inlet and 6” FLG outlet connection. // ***See manual for replacement desiccant details

KED/KBD inlet conditions (Table 6)

correction factors Inlet Inlet Temperature °F (°C)
Specification tables 4 & 5 show Pressure 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
Important:
capacities at 100 psig (7 bar) (psig) (15.6) (21.1) (26.7) (32.2) (37.8) (43.3) (48.9)
For every 20°F inlet
inlet pressure, 100°F (38°C) inlet 60 1.03 1.01 0.99 0.80 0.58 0.43 0.32
temperature increase,
70 1.10 1.08 1.07 0.94 0.68 0.50 0.37
temperature, and fully saturated air. 80 1.17 1.15 1.14 1.08 0.79 0.58 0.43
moisture load/dryer size
To determine maximum inlet flow at 90 1.24 1.22 1.20 1.18 0.89 0.66 0.49 approximately doubles.
other conditions, multiply the inlet 100 1.30 1.28 1.26 1.24 1.00 0.74 0.55 For inlet temperatures
110 1.36 1.34 1.32 1.30 1.11 0.82 0.61 above 100°F, we strongly
flow from the product specifications 115 1.39 1.37 1.35 1.33 1.16 0.86 0.64 recommend installing a
table by the multiplier from Table 6 120 1.42 1.40 1.38 1.36 1.22 0.90 0.67
trim cooler, such as KAC
that corresponds to your operating 125 1.45 1.43 1.41 1.39 1.27 0.94 0.70
or KWC before the dryer.
130 1.48 1.46 1.44 1.42 1.33 0.99 0.74
conditions. 140 1.53 1.51 1.49 1.47 1.44 1.07 0.80
150 1.58 1.56 1.54 1.52 1.50 1.16 0.87
7
Controls and instrumentation
Eco Control 3

l 3
tro
Con
o
Ec

Zero Savings with Traditional Desiccant Designs

Heatless desiccant dryers Externally heated desiccant dryers

To precisely and automatically match purge air consumption to The Eco Control 3 for heated dryers operates the dryer on a
a changing load, KAESER offers the Eco Control 3 on heatless fixed cycle. A tower is on-line (drying compressed air) for half
desiccant dryers. The Eco Control 3 monitors temperature of the cycle and then taken off-line to be regenerated during
changes within the desiccant bed when the dryer is operating the remaining cycle time. Heater operation is terminated when
at less than its full capacity. This reduces the number of purge temperature sensors detect that desiccant bed heating is
cycles and ensures that only the necessary volume of purge air is complete.
consumed.

Purge booster (KED) Energy Saver extends the drying

cycle thereby reducing the number of
This option draws in ambient air
regeneration cycles, saving energy.
to mix with compressed air to
For KED models, the Energy Saver
significantly
Option also includes the Purge
increase
Booster.
(nearly
double) Energy Management
the purge (KED and KBD)
flow without
The Energy Management Option
using more
includes the Energy Saver Option
compressed air. This produces lower
above and a digital dew point monitor.
outlet dew points and minimizes dew
This feature displays the dryer’s
point spikes, and slightly reduces
outlet dew point and allows the user
compressed air consumption.
to prevent tower changeover until a
Energy Saver user specified outlet dew point has
Basic timer control (KAD E) (KED and KBD) been achieved, or lets the Energy
The Basic Timer Control is a reliable fixed cycle timer with LED’s The Energy Saver Option integrates Management determine the length of
indicating which tower is drying. This controller maintains a fixed moisture and temperature sensors the drying period. For KED models,
10-minute cycle delivering an ISO Class 2 pressure dew point to monitor the humidity level near the Energy Management Option also
(-40°F). Choose this controller when air demand is uniform and the outlet end of the desiccant beds. includes the Purge Booster.
closely matches dryer capacity. During periods of reduced flow, the

8
ECO CONTROL 3
Features
System monitoring

On-site system diagnostics

The Eco Control 3 provides
comprehensive, advanced system
monitoring, thanks to an extensive
reporting system with event memory,
detailed maintenance management,
graphical display of the time curve for
all temperatures and pressure dew point
(optional), as well as a P&I diagram with
integrated real-time data.

Dew point control

Save energy in partial load

Eco Control 3 enables two control types
(KAD). The standard demand control ECO CONTROL 3 www.kaeser.com

that captures the moisture load of

the desiccant using maintenance free
temperature sensors to adjust cycle times 7” touch display Network connection
to achieve a pressure dew point of -40°F
and reduce purge consumption. If the Speaks your language Pathway to the SIGMA
optional dew point sensor is installed, an The Eco Control 3’s clearly structured NETWORK
individual dew point value can be set and menu and 7” touch display ensure The Eco Control 3 is equipped with a
regulated. Only after optimal utilization of ergonomic navigation through the Modbus TCP communications module,
the desiccant, tower switch over occurs, controller’s menus - and is currently allowing communication with PLCs and
minimizing purge air consumption available in 28 languages. the SIGMA AIR MANAGER® 4.0 (KAD
only).
The KED and KBD also have the option
of demand control when the options Floating Contacts USB interface
Energy Saver or Energy Management
Controller are installed. External connections Simple updates
Contacts are available for fault messages, Controller software updates are easily
warnings and operating messages made by the USB interface. USB also
Valve control
(one contact for each). In addition, two increases capacity to store operational

Sequence monitoring contacts are available to connect the messages and alarms for easy
alarm messages from two condensate troubleshooting, system monitoring and
Eco Control 3 controls and monitors
drains. The remote control (completion of reports on dryer operation.
the valve switching sequence. The
half a cycle before shutdown) can also
correct sequence can also be checked
be operated via a separate contact.
in a manual test mode which helps
troubleshooting.

9
Choosing the right desiccant dryer
Heatless dryers (KAD) can achieve the lowest dew points (as low as -94°F) and have lower initial cost, but have higher operating costs.
Exhaust purge and blower purge dryers are more efficient, but have higher initial costs, and can only reach dew points as low as -40°F.
See the charts below for comparison. When selecting desiccant dryers, assess the dew point required for your application and size the
dryer for only the part of the system that needs the low dew point.

Total cost of purchase, operation, and maintenance of desiccant dryers

Relative Lifecycle Cost of KAD, KED, and KBD Over 10 Years

100.0%

80.0%

60.0%
Maintenance Cost
Pressure drop
Purge Cost
Electrical Cost
40.0%
Purchase

20.0%

0.0%
Heatless Heated Blower

The comparison is based on 1000 scfm at 100 psig

10
Options
Wall-mountable heatless
desiccant air dryers
(DC-HF Series)

For point of use drying or other low

flow applications where space is
limited, KAESER offers the DC-HF
Insulation for heated wall-mounted heatless desiccant
desiccant air dryers dryers. Reliable, quiet, and efficient,
(KED and KBD) DC-HF series desiccant dryers are
Filtration Insulation with protective jacket for available in six models from 7 to
All desiccant dryers require proper filtration. heater and heater discharge piping is 40 scfm. An optional wall-mount
Coalescing pre-filters prevent contamination of standard; however, insulation for the bracket is available. Pre-mounted
desiccant beds caused by oil aerosols. Particulate desiccant vessels is optional. Vessel connection adapters allow for easy
after-filters collect traces of desiccant dust that insulation offers protection for personnel installation of the included KAESER
may exit the dryer. Maintaining these filters and reduces operating costs. Vessel filters. Required pressure dew points
extends service intervals and provides excellent insulation is flexible open-cell melamine (-40°F/-94°F) are met in the fixed
air quality. All KAESER desiccant dryers offer foam having a permanently bonded PVC cycle or with dew point control
optional filter packages with or without block and film laminated polyester fabric jacket. (optional pdp control kit). Please
bypass valves. This insulating system absorbs impact see the DC-HF literature for more
and returns to its original shape, thus information.
maintaining its insulating qualities.

Other options
KAD, KED, and KBD
• High humidity alarm
• Mounted dew point monitor
• Stainless steel or copper pilot and instrument air tubing and fittings
• NEMA 4 low ambient protection packages for dryer and pre-filter(s)
• Parallel piped pre-filters and after-filters with inlet/outlet isolation valves
• Silencer for purge booster

11
The world is our home
As one of the world’s largest compressed air
systems providers and compressor manufacturers,
KAESER COMPRESSORS is represented throughout
the world by a comprehensive network of branches,
subsidiary companies and factory trained partners.

With innovative products and services, KAESER

COMPRESSORS’ experienced consultants and
engineers help customers to enhance their
competitive edge by working in close partnership
to develop progressive system concepts that
continuously push the boundaries of performance
and compressed air efficiency. Every KAESER
customer benefits from the decades of knowledge
and experience gained from hundreds of thousands
of installations worldwide and over ten thousand
formal compressed air system audits.

These advantages, coupled with KAESER’s

worldwide service organization, ensure that our
compressed air products and systems deliver
superior performance with maximum uptime.

Kaeser Compressors, Inc. Kaeser Compressors Canada Inc. Kaeser Compresores de México Kaeser Compresores de
511 Sigma Drive 3760 La Vérendrye Street S de RL de CV Guatemala y Cia. Ltda.
Fredericksburg, VA 22408 USA Boisbriand, QC J7H 1R5 CANADA Calle 2 #123 3a calle 6-51, zona 13
Telephone: 540-898-5500 Telephone: (450) 971-1414 Parque Industrial Juríca Colonia Pomplona
Toll Free: 800-777-7873 Toll free: (800) 477-1416 76100 Querétaro, Qro. 01013–Guatemala City
[email protected] [email protected] Telephone: 01 (442) 218 64 48 Telephone: +502 2412-6000
[email protected] [email protected]

www.kaeser.com © 2025 KAESER COMPRESSORS, INC. All rights reserved. 02/25

USDESDRYERS2