Chicago Pneumatic CPD Portable Desiccant Air Dryers
Twin-tower desiccant dryers that take compressed air down to a -40 degrees F pressure dew point, at 880 to 1,700 CFM. Fully pneumatic controls, so there is no external power to run — connect air and go.
The short version
Moisture is what kills compressed air systems. Untreated air corrodes pipe, ruins blast finishes, fouls instruments and causes product defects. A CPD dryer holds a -40 degrees F pressure dew point through a twin-tower design: one tower dries while the other regenerates. Three sizes — CPD 850, 1200 and 1700 — rated 880 to 1,700 CFM at 100 psi and up to 2,754 CFM at 200 psi. Not yet set up for online checkout; call 1-888-883-5144 for pricing and lead time. Need the compressor too? See CP towable air compressors or the all-brands air compressor category.
How a Desiccant Dryer Works
Two towers filled with activated alumina. Compressed air passes through one tower and the desiccant adsorbs the moisture. When that tower’s drying capacity is used up, the flow switches to the second tower while the first regenerates. The switching is continuous, so the dry air supply never stops.
Why -40 degrees F matters
Pressure dew point is the temperature at which moisture will condense out of the air at line pressure. At -40 degrees F, water will not drop out anywhere in a normal system, in any season, which is what protects pipe, tools and finished product.
No external power
The controls are 100 percent pneumatic. There is no cabinet to wire, no generator to dedicate and nothing to fail electrically on a wet site. Connect air and go.
Filtration built in
A water separator strips liquid water before the towers, an oil-coalescing filter blocks oil and dust, and an outlet filter catches desiccant fines. The desiccant never sees liquid water and your tool never sees desiccant.
CPD 850, CPD 1200 and CPD 1700
Flow ratings are at 95 degrees F inlet air and 100 percent relative humidity. Note that capacity rises with pressure — a dryer rated 880 CFM at 100 psi handles 1,430 CFM at 200 psi.
The CPD range
Up to 20 percent extra activated alumina and wide vessels for low air speed and long contact time. High-performance stainless-steel butterfly valves, advanced silencers to prevent back pressure during purge, and a sonic nozzle that limits air speed at startup so the desiccant is not damaged. The stackable crash frame has lifting lugs and forklift slots on all four sides and a low centre of gravity.
| CPD 850 | CPD 1200 | CPD 1700 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flow at 100 psi | 880 CFM | 1,200 CFM | 1,700 CFM |
| Flow at 145 psi | 1,060 CFM | 1,440 CFM | 2,040 CFM |
| Flow at 175 psi | 1,290 CFM | 1,752 CFM | 2,482 CFM |
| Flow at 200 psi | 1,430 CFM | 1,944 CFM | 2,754 CFM |
| Maximum inlet pressure | 225 psi | 225 psi | 225 psi |
| Pressure dew point | -40 degrees F | -40 degrees F | -40 degrees F |
| Air inlet temperature | 34 to 120 degrees F | 34 to 120 degrees F | 34 to 120 degrees F |
| Minimum ambient temperature | 34 degrees F | 34 degrees F | 34 degrees F |
| Connections | DN 80 ASME | DN 80 ASME | DN 100 ASME |
| Inlet water separator | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inlet filter | UD 850 | UD 1200 | UD 1700 |
| Outlet filter | DDp 1200 | DDp 1200 | DDp 1700 |
| Desiccant type | Activated alumina | Activated alumina | Activated alumina |
| Dimensions L x W x H | 86.3 x 51.2 x 89.8 in. | 86.3 x 55.1 x 89.8 in. | 92.8 x 67.4 x 89.8 in. |
| Weight | 5,071 lb | 5,622 lb | 7,716 lb |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Matching a dryer to a compressor: size the dryer above your compressor’s actual free air delivery at your working pressure. A CPS 185 at 180 CFM sits comfortably inside a CPD 850 with a large margin — these are plant and pipeline-scale dryers, so if you are drying air for one or two hand tools, call us and we will point you at something smaller rather than sell you a 5,000 lb machine.
Where These Get Used
Chicago Pneumatic’s own application matrix for the CPD range.
Rental
Pneumatic tools, sandblasting and process air. The plug-and-play pneumatic controls and stackable frame matter most here — nothing to wire, nothing to damage in transit.
Oil and gas
Offshore applications, pipeline maintenance and instrument air, where a wet line is a safety and integrity problem rather than an inconvenience.
Chemical
Process air, instrumentation and material handling, where moisture causes product defects and contaminated batches.
Mining
Pneumatic tools, exploration drilling and back-up power, in exactly the dust and humidity conditions the CPD is built to tolerate.
Chicago Pneumatic Desiccant Dryer FAQ
What is a desiccant air dryer and why do I need one?
A desiccant air dryer removes water vapour from compressed air by passing it through a material that adsorbs moisture, in this case activated alumina. You need one whenever wet air causes a problem: corrosion in pipework and tools, flash rust on blasted steel, frozen lines in winter, contaminated product in a chemical process, or unreliable instrument air. A compressor delivers saturated air; a dryer is what makes it usable.
What pressure dew point do the CPD dryers achieve?
-40 degrees F across all three models. Pressure dew point is the temperature at which water would condense out of the air at line pressure, so -40 degrees F means no condensation anywhere in a normal system in any season. That is the standard specification for instrument air and for outdoor pipework in cold climates.
How is a desiccant dryer different from a refrigerated dryer?
A refrigerated dryer cools the air to condense moisture out, and typically reaches a dew point around 35 to 40 degrees F — fine indoors, useless if the line runs outside in winter. A desiccant dryer adsorbs moisture chemically and reaches far lower dew points, -40 degrees F here. Desiccant is what you use for outdoor work, blasting, instrument air and any process that cannot tolerate moisture.
Which CPD size do I need?
Size the dryer above your compressor’s actual free air delivery at your working pressure. Remember that dryer capacity rises with pressure: a CPD 850 handles 880 CFM at 100 psi but 1,430 CFM at 200 psi. If you are running a single towable compressor, the CPD 850 is more than enough; the 1200 and 1700 are for multi-compressor or plant-scale installations.
Do these dryers need electrical power?
No. The controls are 100 percent pneumatic, which is one of the main reasons this range exists. There is no cabinet to wire, no generator capacity to reserve and no electrical failure mode on a wet or remote site. Connect the air and it runs.
What filtration is included?
All three models carry a full train: an inlet water separator that removes liquid water before it can reach the towers, an oil-coalescing inlet filter that blocks oil particles and dust, and an outlet filter that stops desiccant fines reaching your tools. The specific filter models are UD 850, UD 1200 or UD 1700 on the inlet and DDp 1200 or DDp 1700 on the outlet, depending on dryer size.
How are they moved and installed?
The heavy-duty crash frame is stackable, with lifting lugs and forklift slots on all four sides and a low centre of gravity. Dimensions are optimised to fit standard transport. Installation is plug-in and plug-out, which is what keeps on-site time down. Weights run from 5,071 lb for the CPD 850 to 7,716 lb for the CPD 1700, so plan the lift.
How do I get a price?
Call 1-888-883-5144. The CPD range is quoted rather than carted, and on machines this size freight is a real component of delivered cost, so we quote it alongside the dryer rather than surprising you at delivery.
Get CPD dryer pricing
Tell us your compressor’s delivered CFM and working pressure and we will size the dryer properly — including telling you if a smaller machine will do.