Heat-exchange dryer apparatus, system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9457785-B2
Application number	US-201213664394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2012
Priority date	Oct 30, 2012
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

Various embodiments of a heat-exchange dryer apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment, a heat-exchange dryer apparatus includes a desiccant cartridge comprising desiccant material, a purge-air reservoir secured to the desiccant cartridge, and a compressed-air conduit disposed inside the purge-air reservoir. In another embodiment, a vehicle air-brake system includes an air compressor, a desiccant cartridge comprising desiccant material, and a heat exchange dryer apparatus disposed between the compressor and the desiccant. The temperature of the compressed air is decreased while the temperature of the purge air is increased and the desiccant adsorbs a greater amount of contaminants form the compressed air for improved drying.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat-exchange dryer apparatus for a vehicle air-brake system, the apparatus comprising:
a desiccant cartridge comprising desiccant material;
a housing of a purge-air reservoir secured to the desiccant cartridge;
a compressed-air conduit separate from the housing of the purge-air reservoir and disposed inside the housing of the purge-air reservoir, the compressed-air conduit in fluid communication with the desiccant material; and
a treated-air conduit separate from the housing of the purge-air reservoir and disposed inside the housing of the purge-air reservoir, the treated-air conduit being separate from the compressed-air conduit.

2. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit is disposed inside the housing of the purge-air reservoir such that the compressed-air conduit is surrounded by purge air contained in the purge-air reservoir.

3. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the purge-air surrounding the compressed-air conduit contacts the compressed-air conduit.

4. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit comprises a material having a heat transfer coefficient that is at least about 100 W/mK.

5. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the compressed-air conduit has a first end secured to an inlet port of the housing of the purge-air reservoir and a second end secured to an outlet port of the housing of the purge-air reservoir.

6. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the compressed-air conduit has a first end secured to a purge-valve assembly of the housing of the purge-air reservoir and a second end secured to the housing of the purge-air reservoir.

7. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit comprises a material selected from the group of: aluminum, copper, brass, gold, silver and alloys thereof.

8. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit is in fluid communication with an inlet port of the housing of the purge-air reservoir and the desiccant material.

9. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit has a first end secured to an inlet port of the housing of the purge-air reservoir and a second end secured to an outlet port of the housing of the purge-air reservoir.

10. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit has a first end secured to a purge-valve assembly of the housing of the purge-air reservoir and a second end secured to the housing of the purge-air reservoir.

11. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the treated-air conduit comprises an opening that allows the treated air to flow between the treated-air conduit and the purge-air reservoir inside the housing.

12. The heat exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the desiccant material is contained in a desiccant enclosure and the desiccant enclosure is positioned inside the desiccant cartridge to form an annular space between the desiccant cartridge and the desiccant enclosure; and
the compressed-air conduit is in fluid communication with the annular space inside the desiccant cartridge.

13. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit inside the housing of the purge-air reservoir comprises a shoulder and a seal disposed thereon.

14. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit inside the purge-air reservoir is oriented at an angle relative to a horizontal x-axis.

15. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit inside the housing of the purge-air reservoir does not have both a positive and negative slope.

16. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the treated-air conduit is in fluid communication with the desiccant material and has a first end that is secured to an inlet port of the housing of the purge-air reservoir and a second end secured to an outlet port of the housing of the purge-air reservoir.

17. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit comprises aluminum.

18. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit has a greater length than the treated-air conduit.

19. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the treated-air conduit comprises a material having a heat transfer coefficient that is at least about 100 W/mK.

20. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit is a pipe.

21. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compressed-air conduit and the treated-air conduit has a profile shape that is selected from the group consisting of: circular, rectangular, oval, and polygonal.

22. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compressed-air conduit and the treated-air conduit has an outer diameter that ranges from 0.25 inch to 1 inch.

23. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the treated-air conduit is in the shape of an “S”.

24. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compressed-air conduit and treated-air conduit is secured by integral couplings of the housing of the purge-air reservoir.

25. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressed-air conduit comprises winding bends that provides for greater surface area in the allocated space of purge-air reservoir.

26. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the treated-air conduit is disposed between a coupling and a supply port.

27. The heat-exchange dryer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the treated-air conduit is disposed inside the housing of the purge-air reservoir such that the treated-air conduit is surrounded by purge air contained in the purge-air reservoir.

28. A method for drying air in an air-brake system of a commercial vehicle comprising:
passing compressed air through a compressed-air conduit disposed inside a housing of a purge-air reservoir and is separate from the housing, wherein the compressed air flows against a first surface of a wall of the compressed-air conduit that is in contact with purge air residing in a purge-air reservoir on a second surface of the wall opposite the first surface; and
passing the compressed air through a desiccant material after contacting the wall to produce treated air, and
passing the treated air into the purge-air reservoir through a treated-air conduit which is separate from the compressed-air conduit and is disposed inside the housing of a purge-air reservoir, the treated-air conduit being separate from the housing.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein passing the compressed air against the wall increases the temperature of the purge air and decreases the temperature of the compressed air.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein the wall has a heat transfer coefficient of at least about 100 W/km.

31. The method of claim 28 , wherein the wall comprises a material selected from the group of: aluminum, copper, brass, gold, silver and alloys thereof.

32. The method of claim 28 , wherein the purge-air reservoir is secured to a desiccant cartridge comprising desiccant material.

3

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc
• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Howell David W
• Hoffman Fred W

Classifications

• B01D53/261

  by adsorption · CPC title

• B01D2259/4566

  for use in transportation means · CPC title

• B01D2259/4009

  using hot gas · CPC title

• B01D2257/80

  Water · CPC title

• B01D53/0438

  Cooling or heating systems · CPC title