Champion XCCYA Series Cycling Refrigerated Air Dryer - Thermal Mass Energy Saving with Filtration (10-1200 SCFM)

The Champion XCCYA Series is the X-Series thermal mass cycling refrigerated air dryer, offered in nineteen capacities from 10 to 1200 SCFM. A cycling dryer stores cooling in a thermal mass and shuts its refrigeration compressor off when the load drops, so the machine draws power in proportion to the air it is actually drying. On a plant that runs one or two shifts, or on any system with swinging demand, that is the single biggest energy saving available in compressed air treatment.

Every XCCYA on this page ships with matched Champion filtration. Models from 10 through 250 SCFM include ship-loose XCGP coalescing pre-filters and XCHE particulate after-filters. Models from 300 through 1200 SCFM have the pre-filter and after-filter built into the dryer cabinet, so there is nothing separate to pipe in. All models run R-513A refrigerant, an A1 low-GWP blend rated under 700 GWP, roughly an 85% reduction against the legacy refrigerants it replaces.

Select your capacity, incoming voltage, and configuration from the dropdowns above.

XCCYA vs. CRPCA vs. CGDA: Choosing the Right Champion Dryer

Air Compressor Store carries three Champion refrigerated platforms and they solve different problems.

• The XCCYA Series on this page is the thermal mass cycling machine. It is the energy play: the refrigeration circuit cycles off at part load, filtration is included on every model, and the range reaches all the way down to 10 SCFM for a small shop. Choose it when the compressor does not run flat out all day.
• The CRPCA Series is Champion's other energy-savings platform, 75 to 1250 SCFM, rated to a higher 232 PSIG and a higher 122°F inlet, with CFL Grade C and Grade E filters offered as a loose -FP pack rather than built in. Choose it when line pressure or inlet temperature exceeds what the XCCYA is rated for.
• The CGDA Series and the XCNCA Series are non-cycling. They hold a flat dew point around the clock and cost less to buy, but they draw close to full power whether or not there is air to dry. Choose non-cycling for continuous 24/7 duty or for a process that cannot tolerate any dew point movement.

If you are not sure which side of that line you are on, send us your compressor size, shift pattern, and line pressure and we will run the numbers.

How Thermal Mass Cycling Works

A conventional refrigerated dryer runs its refrigeration compressor continuously no matter how little air is passing through it. A thermal mass cycling dryer instead chills a reservoir of thermal storage media and passes the compressed air across it. When demand falls, the stored cold keeps drying the air while the refrigeration compressor switches off entirely. It restarts only when the thermal mass warms back to its setpoint.

The practical result is that a dryer sized for 500 SCFM but seeing 150 SCFM on a night shift draws a fraction of its rated power instead of all of it. The thermal mass also buffers demand spikes, and because the refrigeration compressor sees far fewer running hours over its life, the machine tends to last longer than a non-cycling unit in the same service. Expect a 35°F to 50°F pressure dew point in normal operation, which is ISO 8573-1 humidity Class 4 to 5 and is correct for any indoor distribution system. A refrigerated dryer of any design cannot go below freezing; if you need a sub-zero dew point, you want a desiccant dryer.

Model Selection Chart

All capacities are rated per ISO 7183 at 100 PSIG inlet pressure, 100°F inlet air, and 100°F ambient. Derate for hotter or lower-pressure conditions before you size. Dimensions and weights below are the figures Champion publishes for the air-cooled build.

Weights are Champion's published figures for the air-cooled machine and are the dryer as it leaves the factory, not a crated freight weight. Champion's XCCY product datasheet publishes lower weights for the water-cooled builds and does not agree with the price book on the small frames, so confirm crated weight and dimensions with us before you book freight, especially on a water-cooled unit or anything 200 SCFM and up. Champion publishes air-cooled dimensions only.

Choosing Your Configuration

Every configuration below includes the dryer and its matched filtration. The differences are the drain, the enclosure, and how heat is rejected.

• Air-Cooled, Electronic Drain is the standard build. Heat goes out to the room through the condenser fan, and condensate leaves through an electronic timed drain valve. This is the right choice for most shops.
• Air-Cooled, No-Loss Drain substitutes an electronic zero-loss demand drain that opens only when there is liquid to discharge. A timed drain vents live compressed air on every cycle whether or not condensate is present, which on a machine running around the clock is a real and measurable operating cost. On the 300 to 1200 SCFM frames this is Champion's PLUS+ upgrade and it also adds a drain alarm and filter pressure-drop monitoring. Below 300 SCFM it is the ENLD option and covers the drain only. No-loss drain builds are published from 75 SCFM up.
• NEMA 4 + Monitoring adds a washdown-rated electrical enclosure and differential pressure monitoring, in either drain flavor. Champion publishes NEMA 4 pricing only on the 200 and 250 SCFM frames. On other sizes it is quoted by the factory.
• Water-Cooled rejects heat into your cooling water loop instead of into the compressor room, which matters when the room is already hot or when you cannot add that load to building HVAC. Water-cooled is published on the 300 through 1200 SCFM frames, in both drain flavors.

Key Features at a Glance

• Thermal Mass Cycling shuts the refrigeration compressor off at part load so energy draw tracks actual demand rather than running flat out all day.
• R-513A Refrigerant, an A1 low-GWP blend under 700 GWP, keeps the machine clear of the refrigerants now being phased down.
• Filtration Included on Every Model: ship-loose XCGP and XCHE filters through 250 SCFM, integral pre-filter and after-filter from 300 SCFM up.
• 200 PSIG Maximum Operating Pressure covers high-pressure shop and process systems that would exceed a standard 150 PSIG dryer.
• 120°F Maximum Inlet Air Temperature tolerates a hot compressor room without an interstage cooler.
• Electronic Drain Valve Standard, with a zero-loss demand drain available as an upgrade from 75 SCFM up.
• NEMA 1 Standard, with NEMA 4 and differential pressure monitoring published on the 200 and 250 SCFM frames.
• Air-Cooled or Water-Cooled heat rejection on the 300 to 1200 SCFM frames.
• Built in the USA and shipped from Champion's West Chester, Pennsylvania plant.
• 4-Year Extended Warranty Available with the purchase of annual maintenance kits and replacement filter elements.

Shared Technical Specifications

Ideal Applications

The XCCYA earns its price premium anywhere air demand is uneven. That means single-shift and two-shift manufacturing, job shops and fabrication, automotive and heavy truck service bays, CNC machining cells that idle between setups, woodworking and cabinet shops, packaging lines that run in campaigns, breweries and food plants with batch schedules, and dental and laboratory air where demand is intermittent by nature. It also suits any plant that has a compressor oversized for its real load, which is most of them. Pair it with a rotary screw air compressor and a wet receiver for a clean, low-pressure-drop treatment train. If your compressor genuinely runs loaded around the clock, a non-cycling dryer will cost less up front and give up little in operating cost.

Factory Options Quoted on Request

Champion offers several XCCYA options that are configured at order entry rather than published as catalog prices. Send us your submittal requirements and we will quote them:

• 575/3/60 power on the 300 through 1200 SCFM frames.
• 230/3/60 power, listed in Champion's model key for the small frames but not published with a catalog price.
• X: CRN registration for Canadian pressure-vessel jurisdictions. Champion requires a customer service review for CRN.
• NEMA 4 enclosure and differential pressure monitoring on any frame other than the 200 and 250 SCFM models shown above.
• Water-cooled condensers below 300 SCFM, listed in the model key but not published with a catalog price.
• Maintenance kits and replacement filter elements. The extended warranty depends on them and Champion does not publish the kit numbers in the current price book, so we pull them from the factory against your serial number.

Where This Dryer Sits in Your Air System

Install the XCCYA downstream of the compressor and, ideally, downstream of a wet receiver so bulk liquid and compression heat drop out before the air reaches the dryer. On the 10 to 250 SCFM models the included XCGP coalescing pre-filter mounts immediately upstream of the dryer inlet to catch oil aerosol and bulk liquid, and the XCHE after-filter mounts immediately downstream to polish the air before distribution. On the 300 SCFM and larger models both filters are already inside the cabinet, so you pipe straight in and straight out. Leave clear air space around an air-cooled unit for the condenser, and confirm your cooling water flow and temperature with us before specifying a water-cooled machine.

Why Buy from Air Compressor Store

Air Compressor Store is an authorized Champion Pneumatic distributor. Every XCCYA ships with the full factory warranty, factory-direct freight, and access to our compressed-air engineers for sizing, submittal packages, and startup support. We can also quote the annual maintenance kits and filter elements that keep the 4-year extended warranty in force.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a cycling dryer actually save me money?

It depends entirely on your load profile. If your compressor is loaded 90% of the time, a cycling dryer saves very little and a non-cycling machine is the better buy. If you run one shift, or your compressor is oversized, or demand swings hard between departments, the XCCYA can cut dryer energy substantially because the refrigeration compressor simply stops when the thermal mass is satisfied. Send us your shift pattern and average load and we will tell you honestly which way it goes.

Does the dew point swing on a cycling dryer?

Slightly, and by design. The thermal mass is allowed to warm within a controlled band before the refrigeration compressor restarts, so outlet dew point moves a few degrees across a cycle instead of holding perfectly flat. For general plant air, paint and finishing, pneumatic tools and automation, that is invisible. For a process with a hard dew point specification and no tolerance for movement, use a non-cycling dryer instead.

Do I need to buy filters separately?

No. Filtration is included on every model on this page. Through 250 SCFM the XCGP pre-filter and XCHE after-filter ship loose in the crate for you to pipe in. From 300 SCFM up they are integral to the dryer. You will need replacement elements on a regular interval, and keeping up with them is what holds the extended warranty in force.

What is the difference between the standard drain and the no-loss drain?

The standard electronic drain opens on a timed schedule whether or not there is condensate waiting, so every cycle vents some compressed air you paid to make. A zero-loss demand drain senses accumulated liquid and opens only then. On the 300 SCFM and larger frames the no-loss option is Champion's PLUS+ package, which also adds a drain alarm and filter pressure-drop monitoring so you find a plugged element before it costs you pressure.

Air-cooled or water-cooled?

Air-cooled is simpler, cheaper, and correct for most installations. Go water-cooled when the compressor room is already hot, when you do not want to add the heat load to building HVAC, when the room is dusty enough to foul a condenser coil, or when ambient regularly exceeds the dryer's rating. Water-cooled is published on the 300 through 1200 SCFM frames. Below that, ask us.

How do I size it?

Size to the actual SCFM passing that point in the system at your real inlet pressure, inlet temperature, and ambient temperature, not to compressor horsepower. Hot inlet air and low line pressure both cut a dryer's effective capacity substantially. Send us your conditions and we will run the correction factors for you.

What electrical supply does it need?

It depends on capacity. The 10 through 150 SCFM units are single phase at 115 or 230 volts, and 200 SCFM and up are 460 volt three phase. 575 volt three phase is available on the large frames as a factory-quoted option. Choose your voltage from the dropdown above and confirm full-load amps against your panel before ordering.

Is the XCCYA the same thing as the XCCY?

Yes. Champion's literature calls the family XCCY and the ordering part numbers carry the A for air-cooled or W for water-cooled in that position, so an XCCY150 in a brochure is the XCCYA150 you order. Both refer to the same thermal mass cycling dryer.