Dryer for compressed gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9586172-B2
Application number	US-201314077539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2013
Priority date	Aug 11, 2009
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A compressed gas dryer is provided with a drying zone and a regeneration zone, and a drum rotatable in the housing containing a drying agent that is transferred successively through the drying zone and the regeneration zone, whereby said regeneration zone comprises a first subzone having a first inlet to supply a first regeneration gas flow, and a second subzone having a second inlet to supply a second regeneration gas flow of which the relative humidity is lower compared to that of the first regeneration gas flow; and that an outlet of said drying zone is connected via a connection conduit to the second inlet of the second subzone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dryer for compressed gas comprising a housing having a drying zone and a regeneration zone therein, and a drum which is configured to rotate in the housing, and comprises a regenerable drying agent therein and a driver for rotation of the drum configured such that the drying agent is moved successively through the drying zone and through the regeneration zone wherein said regeneration zone comprises at least two subzones, namely, a first subzone having a first inlet for a supply of a first regeneration gas flow, and a second subzone having a second inlet for a supply of a second regeneration gas flow, wherein a relative humidity of the second regeneration gas flow is lower than a relative humidity of the first regeneration gas flow, and wherein an outlet of said drying zone connects to the second inlet of the second subzone via a connection conduit, and wherein said second subzone is situated at the end of the regeneration zone.

2. The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the regeneration zone extends over a first circumferential angle of almost 90 degrees and the second subzone extends over a second circumferential angle ranging between 5 degrees and 30 degrees.

3. The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein a heat exchanger is provided in said connection conduit.

4. The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the first subzone and the second subzone have a common outlet.

5. The dryer according to claim 4 , wherein said common outlet of the first subzone and of the second subzone connects through a return conduit to a pressure conduit, which is configured to supply the compressed gas to be dried, via an aftercooler, to an inlet of the drying zone.

6. The dryer according to claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the second regeneration gas flow at the second inlet of the second subzone is larger than or equal to a temperature of the first regeneration gas flow at the first inlet of the first subzone.

7. The dryer according to claim 2 , wherein a heat exchanger is provided in said connection conduit.

8. The dryer according to claim 2 , wherein the first subzone and the second subzone have a common outlet.

9. The dryer according to claim 3 , wherein the first subzone and the second subzone have a common outlet.

10. The dryer according to claim 7 , wherein the first subzone and the second subzone have a common outlet.

11. The dryer according to claim 8 , wherein said common outlet of the first subzone and of the second subzone connects through a return conduit to a pressure conduit, which is configured to supply the compressed gas to be dried, via an aftercooler, to an inlet of the drying zone.

12. The dryer according to claim 9 , wherein said common outlet of the first subzone and of the second subzone connects through a return conduit to a pressure conduit, which is configured to supply the compressed gas to be dried, via an aftercooler, to an inlet of the drying zone.

13. The dryer according to claim 10 , wherein said common outlet of the first subzone and of the second subzone connects through a return conduit to a pressure conduit, which is configured to supply the compressed gas to be dried, via an aftercooler, to an inlet of the drying zone.

14. The dryer according to claim 2 , wherein a temperature of the second regeneration gas flow at the second inlet of the second subzone is larger than or equal to a temperature of the first regeneration gas flow at the first inlet of the first subzone.

15. The dryer according to claim 3 , wherein a temperature of the second regeneration gas flow at the second inlet of the second subzone is larger than or equal to a temperature of the first regeneration gas flow at the first inlet of the first subzone.

16. The dryer according to claim 4 , wherein a temperature of the second regeneration gas flow at the second inlet of the second subzone is larger than or equal to a temperature of the first regeneration gas flow at the first inlet of the first subzone.

17. The dryer according to claim 5 , wherein a temperature of the second regeneration gas flow at the second inlet of the second subzone is larger than or equal to a temperature of the first regeneration gas flow at the first inlet of the first subzone.

18. The dryer according to claim 11 , wherein a temperature of the second regeneration gas flow at the second inlet of the second subzone is larger than or equal to a temperature of the first regeneration gas flow at the first inlet of the first subzone.

19. The dryer according to claim 12 , wherein a temperature of the second regeneration gas flow at the second inlet of the second subzone is larger than or equal to a temperature of the first regeneration gas flow at the first inlet of the first subzone.

20. The dryer according to claim 13 , wherein a temperature of the second regeneration gas flow at the second inlet of the second subzone is larger than or equal to a temperature of the first regeneration gas flow at the first inlet of the first subzone, and wherein said driver is a motor.

Assignees

• Atlas Copco Airpower Nv

Inventors

• Vermeer Constantijn Friso

Classifications

• B01D53/06 Primary

  with moving adsorbents, e.g. rotating beds {(B01D53/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B01D53/261

  by adsorption · CPC title

• F24F3/1423

  with a moving bed of solid desiccants, e.g. a rotary wheel supporting solid desiccants · CPC title

• B01D2239/0631

  Electro-spun · CPC title

• B01D2239/025

  comprising nanofibres · CPC title