Air receiver tanks, also known as pressure vessels, are designed as a supply buffer to meet demand spikes that can exceed the compressor capacity by accumulating air.
Air receiver tanks placed before the air dryer are referred to as wet tanks – conversely, dry tanks are placed after the dryer. In a wet storage application, the compressed air drops in temperature, and the resulting condensation helps alleviate the load on the air dryer. In a dry storage application, the stored air is already dried, filtered, and ready for quick use.
In many cases, using both a wet tank and a dry tank can greatly optimize your compressed air system.