Condensate management
August 1st 2007

Compressed-air users know the problem.The legal regulations applying to the processing of unavoidably accumulating condensate are becoming ever more strict and comprehensive. Simultaneously, the costs need to remain within economically justifiable limits.Decentralised processing of condensates directly at the point of origin has therefore established itself a suitable and effective solution.This is what the new Owamat oil-water separator generation made by Beko does

he new Owamat devices meet the legal requirements on the introduction of purified water into the municipal wastewater system.

This has been confirmed by the national approval of the Deutsches Institut fur bautechnik in Berlin, Germany. "Owamat devices are clearly superior to conventional light liquid separators in accordance with DIN 1999 or to gravity separators", claims Thomas Buschmann, Beko product manager.

Operating principle Beko's experience of more than two decades is reflected in the operating principle of the new Owamat devices. First, the oil-contaminated condensate reaches under pressure the newly developed pressure-relief chamber of the Owamat.There, the overpressure is relieved without causing turbulences in the following separation container. Entrained coarse dirt particles are retained in a removable receiver. In the separation container, which has been optimised with regard to size and flow behaviour, the oil settles at the surface through gravity separation. It is then supplied to the spill proof oil receiver.

The pre-cleaned condensate now flows through the newly constructed oleophilic prefilter, which boats a noticeably extended active filter surface.With a physically optimal through-current from the inside to outside, the prefilter fixes the remaining oil droplets in its material. In addition. It is able to take up oil floating in the filter chamber.

The heart of the new Owamat generation is the cartridge technology of the main filters."The new Owamat range filter cartridge technology contains no activated carbon.As a result of our research work,we now rely on a significantly more effective material".Residual oil components are reliably retained.

What remains is dischargeable water, which may be introduced directly into the foul sewerage system.

"The cartridge technology allows a much faster and cleaner change than activated carbon. It is therefore, a low waste solution that is easy to dispose of "adds Thomas Buschmann.

The Owamat series is available in a whole array of plant-specific installation sizes.They can be adjusted optimally to the compressor capacity, to the compressor oil and to the climatic conditions.There are five sizes and container volumes of 10 to 228.A heater can be retrofitted at any time for sizes 12-16.

There is another plus in its costeffectiveness as far as operation is concerned."As regards the maintenance intervals,we have made a great step forward", points out the Beko product manager."We were able to significantly extend the intervals of the new Owamat devices, so that they can now be perfectly synchronised with the service contracts of compressors".