Atlas Copco FD Cycling Refrigerated Air Dryer

The Atlas Copco FD is a cycling refrigerated air dryer, which means it stores cold in a thermal mass and lets the refrigeration compressor shut off when the air load drops. On a shop that runs at half load most of the day, that is a real difference in the power bill compared with a non cycling dryer that runs flat out regardless of flow. The FD 5 through FD 95 cover 13 to 201 CFM for 3 to 50 HP compressors; the FD 100 to FD 300 VSD use a variable speed refrigeration drive instead of thermal mass and cover 212 to 636 CFM for 50 to 150 HP plants. All of them hold a 37 F pressure dew point and include an electronic no loss drain and the Elektronikon controller.

Sizing

Match the dryer's CFM to the compressor's delivered CFM at the pressure you run, then correct for conditions: ratings are at 100 F inlet and 100 F ambient, so an aftercooled rotary screw in a conditioned room can use the nameplate size, while a piston compressor with no aftercooler in a hot shop should go up one or two sizes. The dryer CFM calculator does the arithmetic. As a rule the FD 20 (42 CFM) fits a 10 HP screw, the FD 30 (64 CFM) a 15 HP, the FD 50 (106 CFM) a 25 HP and the FD 95 (201 CFM) a 50 HP.

Power and install

FD 5 through FD 60 run on 115 V single phase, FD 70 and FD 95 on 230 V single phase, and the VSD models on 460 V three phase. Feed the inlet from the receiver tank, keep the inlet under 140 F, and leave room around the condenser for airflow. Maximum working pressure is 232 PSI on the FD 5 to FD 50 and 203 PSI on the larger units, so it is fine behind a 175 PSI piston compressor.

What to pair it with

A coalescing filter after the dryer protects tools and paint from oil aerosol; Atlas Copco's UD+ filters are made for this. If your load is steady all day, the lower priced non cycling Atlas Copco FX does the same drying job. See every cycling refrigerated dryer we carry, or the full Atlas Copco range.

Manufacturer description

Atlas Copco FD Refrigerated Air Dryer (FD 5–95 & FD VSD 100–300)

Protect your air system with an FD Dryer engineered for a stable +3 °C / +37.4 °F pressure dew point, low pressure drop, and day-in, day-out reliability. Tested to ISO 7183, the FD family delivers clean, dry compressed air with proven components and smart controls, no fluff, just uptime.

Why it matters: untreated air corrodes piping, damages pneumatics, and ruins product. The FD fixes that, efficiently.

Core performance (FD 5–95):

• Flow range: 6–95 l/s (13–201 cfm) across 11 sizes
• Dew point: as low as +3 °C / +37.4 °F for consistent quality
• Pressure drop: typically < 0.2 bar / 2.9 psi to cut indirect energy cost
• Heat exchanger: high-efficiency counter-flow (brazed plate or aluminum) with air-to-air precooler for low ΔP
• Condensate management: electronic no-loss drain with level sensor; opens only when needed
• Control: Elektronikon® Alpha, dew point & ambient temp display, relative humidity, energy-saving mode, high/low dew-point alarm, alarm history, remote visualization, and voltage-free remote start/stop
• Robust hardware: hot-gas bypass (no freezing at low load), low-noise compressor with integrated liquid separator, louvered-fin condenser for dusty sites, integrated water separator, single electrical connection (plug-and-play), compact footprint, quiet operation
• Refrigerants: R134a (FD 5–50) and R410A (FD 60–95); ODP = 0
• Operating limits: ambient 1–46 °C (34–115 °F); inlet 5–60 °C (41–140 °F); pressure 6–14 bar (87–203 psi) (FD 5–50 up to 16 bar / 232 psi)

Step up to FD VSD 100–300 (Variable Speed Drive):

• Flow range: 100–300 l/s (212–636 cfm)
• Energy: up to 70% direct and up to 50% indirect energy savings vs conventional dryers; ΔP typically < 0.2 bar; superior dew-point stability vs thermal-mass designs
• Drive & control: in-house VSD inverter matches compressor speed to demand; Elektronikon® Touch (4.3" color UI) with visualization, alarm history, auto-restart, week schedules, and built-in SMARTLINK remote monitoring
• Refrigerant: R410A, ODP = 0, excellent TEWI profile
• Build: integrated water separator, high-efficiency counter-flow heat exchangers, hot-gas bypass, forklift openings, front/side service access, compact “all-in-one” design; delivered ready for use; quiet

What you actually get:

• Clean, dry air that protects tools, valves, and end product
• Lower total lifecycle cost through minimized pressure drop and intelligent control
• Compliance & consistency: ISO 7183 testing; constant purity class per ISO 8573-1 with a stable PDP
• Real durability for harsh, dusty environments

Note: Specs and limits vary by model; select the FD or FD VSD size that matches your flow, temperature, and pressure requirements.