HEAT REACTIVATED PROCESS FOR DESICCANT AIR DRYER SYSTEMS USING BLOWER PURGE AND METHOD THEREFORE
First Claim
1. A system for regenerating desiccant in an air dryer comprising:
- a means to variably restrict blower purge air flows to a bed of desiccant within at least one tower vessel within said air dryer;
wherein said purge air flow is selectively directed to at least one vessel containing desiccant;
a means to measure and control blower discharge flow pressures, heater outlet flow temperatures, desiccant bed bottom area temperature, dry purge for cooling, and dew point;
said means to variably restrict blower purge air flows having adjustment capability to tune the air dryer during a heating phase of regeneration so that the vessel tower size, the mass of desiccant within the vessel, heater and blower capacity are matched;
wherein, said variable restriction means allows for flow control and blower purging at a stable purge temperature so that the air dryer does not cycle during heating phase in regenerating the desiccant thus enabling the system to be cooled and repressurized and returned to a dryer mode cycle of operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system for effectively purging heat regenerating desiccant compressed air dryers from a moisture load, by a ‘tuned’ regenerating means with the use of a variable restriction on the blower purge air flows, a blower back-pressure set point, a heater discharge temperature set point, and a bottom area bed temperature of a vessel containing desiccant, a means to balance purge temperature to a stable, noncycling state preventing an under and overheating heating of desiccant, vessel and associated piping. A valve control means to terminate heating, cooling and dry purge operations selectively operated to allow purge flows to quickly cause water vapor captivated by the desiccant (in a drying cycle) to be released and purged out of the vessel (in a regeneration cycle), resulting in a regenerated tower vessel prepared for a compressed air drying cycle.
25 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for regenerating desiccant in an air dryer comprising:
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a means to variably restrict blower purge air flows to a bed of desiccant within at least one tower vessel within said air dryer;
wherein said purge air flow is selectively directed to at least one vessel containing desiccant;a means to measure and control blower discharge flow pressures, heater outlet flow temperatures, desiccant bed bottom area temperature, dry purge for cooling, and dew point; said means to variably restrict blower purge air flows having adjustment capability to tune the air dryer during a heating phase of regeneration so that the vessel tower size, the mass of desiccant within the vessel, heater and blower capacity are matched; wherein, said variable restriction means allows for flow control and blower purging at a stable purge temperature so that the air dryer does not cycle during heating phase in regenerating the desiccant thus enabling the system to be cooled and repressurized and returned to a dryer mode cycle of operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for regenerating desiccant in an air dryer comprising:
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a means to variably restrict blower purge air flows to a bed of desiccant within at least one tower vessel within said air dryer;
wherein said purge air flow is selectively directed to a first and a second tower vessel containing desiccant for regeneration;a temperature/pressure gauge to measure and control blower discharge flow pressures, outlet flow temperatures, desiccant bed bottom area temperature, dry purge for cooling, and dew point and heater outlet flow temperatures;
wherein, said means to variably restrict blower purge air flows has adjustment capability to tune the heating phase of regeneration by a mechanical adjusting control making the unique system vessel tower size, the mass of desiccant within the vessel, heater and blower capacity all ideally matched which results in even stable purge temperatures;a sensor to measure desiccant bed bottom area temperature, dry purge for cooling, and dew point;
wherein, said variable restriction means allows for flow control and blower purging at a stable purge temperature so that the air dryer does not cycle during heating phase in regenerating the desiccant thus enabling the system to be cooled and repressurized and returned to a dryer mode cycle of operation. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for regenerating desiccant in an air dryer comprising:
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a means to variably restrict blower purge air flows to a bed of desiccant a within a twin tower vessel system where the first tower vessel controls regeneration and a second tower vessel controls the operation of drying;
wherein said purge air flow is selectively directed to said first and said second tower vessels containing desiccant;a means to measure and restrict blower discharge flow pressures, heater outlet flow temperatures, desiccant bed bottom area temperature, dry purge for cooling, and dew point;
wherein said means to measure and restriction control are gauges set at about 70 CFM blower discharge purge flow back-pressures on a pressure gauge to about 1.7 PSI, and heater outlet purge flow temperatures to about 430°
F. on a temperature gauge for a 1000 SCFM system;said means to measure and restrict blower discharge having adjustment capability to tune the heating phase of regeneration by a mechanical adjusting control valve so the unique system vessel tower size, the mass of desiccant within the vessel, heater and blower capacity all ideally matched for stable heat regeneration which results in even stable purge temperatures; a sensor to measure desiccant bed bottom area temperature, dry purge for cooling by dry purge valve, and to measure dew point; wherein, said variable restriction means allows for flow control and blower purging at a stable purge temperature so that the air dryer does not cycle during heating phase in regenerating the desiccant thus enabling the system to be cooled and repressurized and returned to a dryer mode cycle of operation. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification