Industrial

Industrial · Dryers

Compressed air dryers. From +3 °C to −70 °C dew point.

Ultra Controlo makes two kinds of compressed air dryer: the ULTRASEC refrigerated dryer, for a stable +3 °C pressure dew point, and the ULTRADRY adsorption dryer, for −40 °C to −70 °C. Both are designed, assembled and tested in Portugal.

Ask about a dryer Compare the two

ULTRADRY Adsorption dryer ULTRASEC Refrigerated dryer

+3°C

ULTRASEC pressure dew point

−70°C

Lowest ULTRADRY pressure dew point

ULTRASEC models, USL 1 to USL 39

17,664m³/h

Largest ULTRASEC flow rate

100°C

Inlet temperature, ULTRASEC-HT

The range

Two ways to take the water out.

Cool the air until the water condenses, or let a desiccant hold on to it. Which one depends on how dry the air must be.

Refrigerated dryer

ULTRASEC

Dry, stable air with a low pressure drop, for plants where moisture would damage tools, piping, valves, paint, packaging or the product.

Pressure dew point: +3 °C, stable
Flow rate: 21 to 17,664 m³/h
Inlet temperature: Up to 70 °C; HT up to 100 °C
Supply: USL 1 to 15: 230 V single phase; USL 16 to 39: 400 V three phase

Aluminium heat exchanger, hot gas bypass valve for a constant dew point, integrated condensate separator, digital temperature indicator and electronically controlled drain.

ULTRASEC details

Adsorption dryer

ULTRADRY

Very dry air for critical uses, where residual moisture must be tightly controlled: instrumentation, pneumatic conveying, electronics, food and pharma.

Pressure dew point: −40 to −70 °C
Flow rate: 5 to 100 Nm³/h
Pressure: 4 to 16 bar g
Inlet temperature: +5 to +50 °C

Twin towers for continuous operation, a coalescing filter at the inlet and a dust filter at the outlet, desiccant in cartridges and automatic management of the drying cycles.

ULTRADRY details

Sources: Ultra Controlo Industrial 2026 catalogue, p. 17; ULTRASEC and ULTRADRY datasheets.

Side by side

Refrigerated or adsorption?

The Compressed Air Challenge advises drying only to the degree the equipment and the end use need. Start from the dew point, then pick the dryer.

ULTRADRY flow rates at a −40 °C pressure dew point, +35 °C inlet and 7 bar g. Sources: catalogue p. 17 and the two datasheets.
	ULTRASEC	ULTRADRY
How it dries	Cools the air so the water condenses, then drains it	A desiccant adsorbs the water vapour; one tower dries while the other regenerates
Pressure dew point	+3 °C, stable	−40 °C to −70 °C
Flow rate	21 to 17,664 m³/h (39 models)	5 to 100 Nm³/h (9 models)
Inlet temperature	Up to 70 °C (HT: 100 °C)	+5 to +50 °C
Filters	Integrated condensate separator	Coalescing filter at the inlet, dust filter at the outlet
Typical uses	Metalworking, food, pharmaceutical, automotive, plastics, packaging and general production	Pharmaceutical, food, electronics, packaging, pneumatic conveying and instrumentation

All ULTRASEC models

Source: ULTRASEC datasheet, technical specifications.
Model	Flow rate (m³/h)	Flow rate (l/min)	Supply (Ph / V / Hz)
USL 1	21	350	1 / 230 / 50-60
USL 2	33	550	1 / 230 / 50-60
USL 3	51	850	1 / 230 / 50-60
USL 4	72	1,200	1 / 230 / 50-60
USL 5	108	1,800	1 / 230 / 50-60
USL 6	138	2,300	1 / 230 / 50
USL 7	186	3,100	1 / 230 / 50
USL 8	240	4,000	1 / 230 / 50
USL 9	330	5,500	1 / 230 / 50
USL 10	372	6,200	1 / 230 / 50
USL 11	486	8,100	1 / 230 / 50
USL 12	630	10,500	1 / 230 / 50
USL 13	750	12,500	1 / 230 / 50
USL 14	870	14,500	1 / 230 / 50
USL 15	960	16,000	1 / 230 / 50
USL 16	330	5,500	3 / 400 / 50
USL 17	372	6,200	3 / 400 / 50
USL 18	486	8,100	3 / 400 / 50
USL 19	630	10,500	3 / 400 / 50
USL 20	750	12,500	3 / 400 / 50
USL 21	870	14,500	3 / 400 / 50
USL 22	960	16,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 23	1,080	18,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 24	1,260	21,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 25	1,500	25,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 26	1,800	30,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 27	2,208	36,800	3 / 400 / 50
USL 28	2,400	40,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 29	3,000	50,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 30	3,600	60,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 31	4,416	73,600	3 / 400 / 50
USL 32	5,400	90,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 33	6,624	110,400	3 / 400 / 50
USL 34	7,200	120,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 35	8,832	147,200	3 / 400 / 50
USL 36	10,800	180,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 37	13,248	220,800	3 / 400 / 50
USL 38	14,400	240,000	3 / 400 / 50
USL 39	17,664	294,400	3 / 400 / 50

All ULTRADRY models

Source: ULTRADRY datasheet. At a −40 °C pressure dew point, +35 °C inlet and 7 bar g; minimum 4 bar g, maximum 16 bar g.
Model	Inlet flow (Nm³/h)	Connection
ULTRADRY 1	5	G 1/2
ULTRADRY 2	10	G 1/2
ULTRADRY 3	15	G 1/2
ULTRADRY 4	25	G 1/2
ULTRADRY 5	35	G 1
ULTRADRY 6	50	G 1
ULTRADRY 7	65	G 1
ULTRADRY 8	80	G 1
ULTRADRY 9	100	G 1

Around the dryer

What sits around a dryer.

Before

A coalescing filter

Oil aerosol and particles stay out of the desiccant. ULTRADRY has one built in at its inlet.

Pressure

Low pressure drop

The ULTRASEC datasheet estimates about 7% of the installed motor power for each extra bar on the compressor, so every bar lost in treatment counts.

Oil vapour

Oil vapour out

Where oil vapour must stay below 0.003 mg/m³, an ULTRAK activated carbon tower takes it out, with a coalescing filter upstream.

Air treatment units

Questions

Air dryers, answered.

What is the difference between a refrigerated dryer and an adsorption dryer?

A refrigerated dryer cools the compressed air so that its moisture condenses and is removed by a separator and drain; the ULTRASEC holds a stable +3 °C pressure dew point. An adsorption dryer passes the air through a porous desiccant that adsorbs the moisture; the ULTRADRY reaches −40 °C to −70 °C.

Which pressure dew point do I need?

The one your equipment and end use need, and no lower. The Compressed Air Challenge Fact Sheet #11 (May 2026) says refrigerant-type dryers are acceptable for many applications, and the US Department of Energy sourcebook (2016) says that where a pressure dew point of less than 35 °F (1.7 °C) is required, a refrigerant-type dryer cannot be used.

Can a refrigerated dryer take hot inlet air?

Up to its rated inlet temperature. The ULTRASEC datasheet gives a maximum inlet temperature of 70 °C, or 100 °C for the ULTRASEC-HT. The US Department of Energy sourcebook (2016) says an increase in inlet temperature reduces a dryer’s rated capacity, so size for the worst case.

How does an adsorption dryer regenerate?

It has two towers: one dries the compressed air while the desiccant in the other is regenerated, by lowering its pressure and passing dried purge air through the bed, as the US Department of Energy sourcebook (2016) describes. The ULTRADRY uses twin towers for continuous operation, with automatic management of the drying cycles; its datasheet does not state the regeneration method.

Does a refrigerated dryer work in freezing conditions?

The US Department of Energy sourcebook (2016) says refrigerant-type dryers are not recommended in sub-freezing ambient temperatures, because the moisture in the compressed air can freeze and damage the dryer.

How do I choose the size?

From the air flow, the working pressure and the inlet temperature in the worst case. ULTRASEC flow rates go from 21 to 17,664 m³/h; the ULTRADRY table is given at −40 °C pressure dew point, +35 °C inlet and 7 bar g. Send us your values and we propose the model.

Send us the air you have today.

The flow, the pressure, the inlet temperature and the dew point you need. We reply with the dryer and its price.

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