Dry gas production systems for pressurizing a space and methods of operating such systems to produce a dry gas stream

• US 20070039464A1
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cross, Brian, Hanson, Roger, Vanderhoof, Troy, Becker, Sandy
• Granted Patent: US 7,481,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 95/45
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/268 by diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/12 transportable
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/14 by humidification; by dehumidification

Abstract

A dry gas production system for supplying dry gas to a pressurized space, such as an underground conduit or an aerial cable. The dry gas production system may include a modular enclosure that has a removable support to which multiple dry gas production modules are mounted. The support may be a mobile rack wheeled inside the enclosure and likewise removed from the enclosure while supporting the dry gas production modules. The dry gas production system may include multiple dry gas production modules that are operated as required to meet the dry gas demand for the pressurized space. The module compressor may include a variable frequency drive for driving the compressor motor at different speeds and may optionally include a mount with vibration isolation.

Claims

1. A dry gas production system comprising:

an enclosure with an access opening;

at least one dry gas production module including a compressor; and

a support member configured to support said at least one dry gas production module inside said enclosure, said support member being movable relative to said enclosure for moving said at least one dry gas production module relative to said access opening.

2. The dry gas production module of claim 1 wherein said support member is a mobile rack adapted to support said at least one dry gas production module.

3. The dry gas production system of claim 2 wherein said mobile rack includes a pair of parallel arms supporting said dry gas production module, each of said arms including at least one pin opening, and said at least one dry gas production module includes at least one outwardly-projecting pin that engages said at least one pin opening when said at least one dry gas production module is supported by said rack.

4. The dry gas production system of claim 3 further comprising:

a vibration isolator between one of said arms and said at least one dry gas production module, said vibration isolator including an elastomeric bladder with an internal reservoir pneumatically coupled with said compressor, and said internal reservoir of said elastomeric bladder being inflated by gas supplied from said compressor.

5. The dry gas production module of claim 2 wherein said mobile rack includes a plurality of rolling members supporting said mobile rack for movement through said access opening.

6. The dry gas production system of claim 5 wherein said enclosure includes a plurality of detents each adapted to engage one of said rolling members when said mobile rack is positioned inside said enclosure.

7. The dry gas production system of claim 5 wherein said enclosure includes a flange positioned proximate to said access opening, and said mobile rack includes a flange positioned proximate to said rolling members, said flange of said mobile rack configured to engage said flange of said enclosure when said mobile rack is parked inside said enclosure and said rolling members being supported on said flange of said enclosure.

8. The dry gas production module of claim 1 wherein said support member includes a pair of drawer slides operatively coupling said at least one dry gas production module for reciprocating linear movement relative to said enclosure.

9. The dry gas production system of claim 1 further comprising:

a compressor mount coupling said compressor with said enclosure, said compressor mount including a first rigid mounting member attached to said compressor and having a C-shaped slot, a second rigid mounting member attached to said enclosure and having a C-shaped slot, and an elastomeric web having a first bead engaged with said C-shaped slot of said first rigid mounting member, a second bead engaged with said C-shaped slot of said second rigid mounting member, and a web interconnecting the beads.

10. The dry gas production system of claim 1 further comprising:

a compressor mount including first and second channel members each mounted to said enclosure and first and second mounting members each attached to said compressor, said first and second channel members each having an elongate U-shaped channel, and said first and second mounting members each having a rail positioned in said U-shaped channel of one of said first and second channel members.

11. The dry gas production system of claim 10 wherein said compressor mount further comprises:

a first vibration isolator between said U-shaped channel of said first channel member and said first mounting member; and

a second vibration isolator between said U-shaped channel of said second channel member and said second mounting member, said first and second vibration isolators each comprising a plurality of elastomeric strips cooperating to limit vibration transfer from said compressor to said enclosure.

12. The dry gas production system of claim 10 wherein said U-shaped channel of said first channel member has a first open side and said U-shaped channel of said second channel member has a second open side, said first U-shaped channel oriented relative to said second U-shaped channel such that said first and second open sides open in different directions.

13. The dry gas production system of claim 1 further comprising:

a compressor mount coupling said compressor with said enclosure, said compressor mount including a first mounting member and a second mounting member, said first mounting member being coupled with said second plate to form an assembly having a first end and a second end opposite said first end;

a first vibration isolator disposed between said first and second plates at said first end; and

a second vibration isolator disposed between said first and second plates at said second end.

14. The dry gas production system of claim 13 wherein said first and second vibration isolators each comprise a plurality of elastomeric strips, said strips operating to separate said first plate from said second plate to provide a non-contacting relationship between said first and second plates.

15. The dry gas production system of claim 13 wherein said assembly is oriented, when supporting said compressor from said enclosure, such that said first and second plates transfer a vertical compressive load to said first and second vibration isolators.

16. The dry gas production system of claim 1 wherein said at least one dry gas production module further comprises a filter and a differential pressure sensor, said differential pressure sensor configured to sense a first fluid pressure upstream of said filter, to sense a second fluid pressure downstream of said filter, and to produce an output signal representative of the first and second fluid pressures.

17. The dry gas production system of claim 16 further comprising:

an electronic controller electrically coupled with said differential pressure sensor, said electronic controller configured to determine a pressure drop condition of said filter based upon said output signal.

18. The dry gas production system of claim 1 wherein said at least one dry gas production module further comprises a membrane dryer pneumatically coupled with said compressor and a flow sensor, said membrane dryer producing a stream of dry gas from a stream of ambient air supplied from said compressor, and said flow sensor configured to sense a fluid flow rate of said stream of dry gas and to produce an output signal representative of the sensed fluid flow rate.

19. The dry gas production system of claim 18 further comprising:

an electronic controller electrically coupled with said flow rate sensor, said electronic controller configured to determine a change in the fluid flow rate based upon a change in the output signal.

20. A dry gas production system comprising:

a rotary screw compressor including a motor; and

an electronic controller electrically coupled with said motor, said electronic controller including a drive capable of supplying power at a variable frequency to said motor for operating said motor at a variable speed in proportion to said variable frequency.

21. The dry gas production system of claim 20 further comprising:

an enclosure housing said rotary screw compressor and said electronic controller.

22. A dry gas production system comprising:

a plurality of dry gas production modules each including a compressor with a motor and a membrane dryer pneumatically coupled with said compressor, said membrane dryer adapted to remove moisture from a stream of air supplied from said compressor and thereby generate a stream of dry gas;

a monitoring device operative to sense a condition of said stream of dry gas and to generate a data signal related to the sensed condition; and

an electronic controller electrically coupled with said motor of each of said dry gas production modules, said electronic controller adapted to receive data signal from said monitoring device and to control operation of said dry gas production modules by intermittently switching power to said motor of said compressor of at least one of said dry gas production modules.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said electronic controller includes a variable frequency drive electrically coupled with said motor of said compressor of at least one of said modules.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said sensed condition is a flow rate or a fluid pressure.

25. A method of operating a plurality of dry gas production modules to supply a stream of a dry gas to an outlet line coupling the dry gas production modules with a space, each of the dry gas production modules including a compressor, the method comprising:

measuring a condition associated with the dry gas stream flowing in the outlet line to the space; and

selectively operating the compressor of one or more of the dry gas production modules in response to the measured condition.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein selectively operating the compressor further comprises:

turning the compressor of one of the dry gas production modules off once the condition rises to a preset upper level; and

turning the compressor of one of the dry gas production modules on once the condition lowers to a preset lower level.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein measuring the condition further comprises:

sensing a fluid pressure in the outlet line; and

communicating the sensed fluid pressure to a control component of the compressor.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein measuring the condition further comprises:

sensing a flow rate in the outlet line; and

communicating the sensed flow rate to a control component of the compressor.