The use of molecular sieves as a means of extracting water from the oil of a power transformer is not new.  In the early days oil was passed over a paper filter bed which adsorbed the water, but instead of capturing it permanently,  the paper would decompose, and release both water and paper fibres  back into the transformer. Not desirable.  

In the early 1960s  the use of zeolite material was introduced, but the manufacture of  useable beads was difficult to control.  It was not until more recently with synthetic beads that the pore size could  be closely controlled at manufacture, giving the adsorption characteristics that a modern molecular sieve requires.  Preferential bonding with H²O molecules and exclusion of  all important gas molecules, to ensure the integrity of  DGA  trending is essential.

Bed length,  vessel design,  speed and direction of flow are other important factors to maximise the total adsorption capability and rate, although ultimately it will be the prevailing  duty cycle and ambient conditions that determine the rate of adsorption.

Up until 2002, Bowden Bros were distributors for DryKeep™, a molecular sieve manufactured in South Africa. In 2003 we set up a new company, TRANSEC (UK) Ltd  to manufacture our own molecular sieve, along similar design lines, but with many engineering improvements to ensure a quality product that is  tightly controlled under our ISO9001 credentials..   TRANSEC (UK) Ltd now offers a complete service to the Power Industry (see Services).