초록 ▼

A system for drying a gas, such as air, includes a source of gas to be dried, a multistage compressor having an inlet connected to the source, and a dryer connected interstage to the compressor and to the outlet of the compressor. The dryer is connected interstage to the compressor between a compres

A system for drying a gas, such as air, includes a source of gas to be dried, a multistage compressor having an inlet connected to the source, and a dryer connected interstage to the compressor and to the outlet of the compressor. The dryer is connected interstage to the compressor between a compression stage and a heat exchanger of one of the compressor stages for regenerating a first desiccant filled tower. The dryer is also connected to the outlet of the compressor for drying the gas using a second desiccant filled tower. A communication structure can be activated to connect the first tower to the outlet of the compressor for drying the gas using the first tower, and to connect the second tower interstage to the compressor for regeneration of the second tower.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A system for drying gas from a source comprising: a compressor having as inlet connected to the source, a compression stage, a heat exchanger, and an outlet: a first tower and a second tower, each said tower containing desiccant material past which said gas flows; and

The invention claimed is: 1. A system for drying gas from a source comprising: a compressor having as inlet connected to the source, a compression stage, a heat exchanger, and an outlet: a first tower and a second tower, each said tower containing desiccant material past which said gas flows; and communication means being capable of connecting said first tower to said compression stage and to said heat exchanger such that heated gas flows from said compression stage, through said first tower and into said heat exchanger to regenerate said desiccant material in said first tower, and being capable of connecting said second tower to said outlet of said compressor and to an outlet of said system such that gas flows from said outlet of said compressor, through said second tower and to said outlet of said system to remove moisture from said gas, said communication means further being capable of connecting said second tower to said compression stage and to said heat exchanger such that heated gas flows from said compression stage through said second tower and into said heat exchanger to regenerate said desiccant material to said second tower, and further being capable of connecting said first tower to said outlet of said compressor and to an outlet of said system such that gas flows from said outlet of said compressor, through said first tower and to said outlet of said system to remove moisture from said gas, wherein said communication means is used to connect said first tower to said compression stage and to said heat exchanger when said communication means is used to connect said second tower to said outlet of said compressor and to said outlet of said system, and wherein said communication means is used to connect said second tower to said compression stage and to said heat exchanger when said communication means is used to connect said first tower to said outlet of said compressor and to said outlet of said system. 2. A system as defined is claim 1, wherein said communication means is controlled by valves. 3. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said towers are arranged such that the flow of gas through said tower that is being regenerated is in one direction, and the flow of gas through said tower that is being used to remove moisture from said gas is in an opposite direction. 4. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said towers are arranged such that the flow of gas through said towers is in the same direction. 5. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said compressor further comprises a separator. 6. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said communication means further includes means for bypassing the flow of gas through said tower which is being regenerated such that gas flows from said compression stage to said heat exchanger. 7. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said gas is air. 8. A system for drying a gas from a source comprising: a multi-stage compressor having an inlet connected to the source and an outlet, each stage of said compressor comprising a compression stage and a heat exchanger; a first tower and a second tower, each said tower containing desiccant material past which said gas flows; and communication means being capable of connecting said first tower to a compression stage and to a heat exchanger of one of said stages such that heated gas flows from said compression stage, through said first tower and into said heat exchanger to regenerate said desiccant material in said first tower, and being capable of connecting said second tower to said outlet of said compressor and to an outlet of said system such that gas flows from said outlet of said compressor, through said second tower and to said outlet of said system to remove moisture from said gas; said communication means being further capable of connecting said second tower to a compression stage and to a heat exchanger of one of said stages such that seated gas flows from said compression stage, through said second tower and into said heat exchanger to regenerate said desiccant material in said second tower, and further being capable of connecting said first tower to said outlet of said compressor and to an outlet of said system such that gas flows from said outlet of said compressor through said first tower and to said outlet of said system to remove moisture from said gas, wherein said communication means is used to connect said first tower to said compression stage and to said heat exchanger of one of said stages when said communication means is used to connect said second tower to said outlet of said compressor and to said outlet of said system, and wherein said communication means is used to connect said second tower to said compression stage and to said heat exchanger of one of said stages when said communication means is used to connect said first tower to said outlet of said compressor and to said outlet of said system. 9. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said communication means is controlled by valves. 10. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said towers are arranged such that the flow of gas through said tower that is being regenerated is in one direction, and the flow of gas through said tower that is being used to remove moisture from said gas is in an opposite direction. 11. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said towers are arranged such that the flow of gas through said towers is the same direction. 12. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said multi-stage compressor has up to six stages. 13. A system a defined in claim 8, wherein each said stage further comprises a separator. 14. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said communication means further includes means for bypassing the flow of gas through said tower which is being regenerated such that gas flows from said compression stage to said heat exchanger. 15. A system as defined in claim 3, wherein said gas is air. id="INS-S-00001" date="20060613" 16. A method for compressing and drying gas, comprising compressing the gas in a multistage compressor, which compressor produces both an interstage compressed gas and a final stage compressed gas, and drying the final stage compressed gas by contacting the final stage compressed gas with a regenerable adsorbent, in which method said interstage compressed gas is used to regenerate the adsorbent.id="INS-S-00001" id="INS-S-00002" date="20060613" 17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the multistage compressor comprises three compression stages.id="INS-S-00002" id="INS-S-00003" date="20060613" 18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said interstage gas is produced by the first compression stage and is used to regenerate the regenerable adsorbent.id="INS-S-00003" id="INS-S-00004" date="20060613" 19. A method as claims in claim 17, wherein said interstage gas is produced by the second compression stage and is used to regenerate the regenerable adsorbent.id="INS-S-00004" id="INS-S-00005" date="20060613" 20. A method as claims in claim 16, wherein all the interstage compressed gas produced by a stage is used to regenerate the adsorbent.id="INS-S-00005" id="INS-S-00006" date="20060613" 21. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein first and second beds of regenerable adsorbent are provided, each capable of operating in a drying mode to effect said drying, in which said final stage compressed gas is passed through the bed, and a regenerating mode to regenerate said adsorbent, in which said interstage compressed gas is passed through the bed, each bed switching from the drying mode to the regeneration mode. id="INS-S-00006" id="INS-S-00007" date="20060613" 22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein one of the first and second beds of regenerable adsorbents is in the drying mode, while the other of the first and second beds of regenerable adsorbent is in the regeneration mode.id="INS-S-00007" id="INS-S-00008" date="20060613" 23. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the adsorbent is retained in a fixed bed, the final stage compressed gas and interstage compressed gas as being caused to flow through the bed when the adsorbent is respectively being used to dry and is being regenerated.id="INS-S-00008" id="INS-S-00009" date="20060613" 24. A method as defined in claim 23, wherein the direction of flow of said final stage compressed gas through the fixed bed is opposite to the direction of flow of said interstage compressed gas through the bed. id="INS-S-00009" id="INS-S-00010" date="20060613" 25. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the interstage gas used to regenerate the adsorbent is cooled before undergoing further compression. id="INS-S-00010" id="INS-S-00011" date="20060613" 26. A method as claimed in clam 25 wherein the condensate is removed from the cooled interstage gas before the gas undergoes further compression.id="INS-S-00011" id="INS-S-00012" date="20060613" 27. A method for compressing and drying a gas, comprising the steps of: compressing the gas in a first stage to produce a first interstage compressed gas; passing the first interstage compressed gas through a first bed of regenerable adsorbent to remove moisture from and regenerate the adsorbent; cooling the first interstage compressed gas and removing condensate from the gas; compressing the cooled first interstage compressed gas in a second stage to produce a second interstage compressed gas; cooling the second interstage compressed gas; compressing the second interstage compressed gas to produce a final stage compressed gas; cooling the final stage compressed gas; passing the final stage compressed gas through a second bed of regenerable adsorbent to dry the gas; and switching the flow of the second interstage compressed gas to the second bed of regenerable adsorbent and the flow of the final stage compressed gas to the first bed of regenerable adsorbent when the second bed of regenerable adsorbent becomes saturated with moisture from the final stage compressed gas.id="INS-S-00012" id="INS-S-00013" date="20060613" 28. Apparatus for compressing and drying a gas, comprising a compressor having a plurality of compression stages and capable of producing interstage compressed gas and final stage compressed gas, a dryer comprising a bed of regenerable adsorbent, in which the final stage compressed gas may be contacted with the adsorbent in order to dry the gas, and in which said interstage gas may be contacted with the adsorbent in order to regenerate the adsorbent.id="INS-S-00013" id="INS-S-00014" date="20060613" 29. Apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the compressor comprises three compression stages, said interstage gas leaving the second compression stage being useable to generate the adsorbent.id="INS-S-00014" id="INS-S-00015" date="20060613" 30. Apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein said bed of regenerable adsorbent comprises two beds of regenerable adsorbent.id="INS-S-00015" id="INS-S-00016" date="20060613" 31. Apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein the two beds of regenerable adsorbent are each operable in a drying mode to dry the gas, in which said final stage compressed gas flows through the bed, and a regeneration mode to regenerate the adsorbent, in which said interstage compressed gas flow through the bed, each bed being switchable between the drying mode and the regeneration mode.id="INS-S-00016" id="INS-S-00017" date="20060613" 32. Apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein one of the two beds of regenerable adsorbent is operable in the drying mode, while the other of the two beds of regenerable adsorbent is simultaneously operable in the regeneration mode.id="INS-S-00017" id="INS-S-00018" date="20060613" 33. Apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein a cooler is provided to cool the interstage compressed gas that has contacted the adsorbent, before the gas is further compressed.id="INS-S-00018" id="INS-S-00019" date="20060613" 34. Apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein a condensate separator is provided to remove condensate from the cooled interstage compressed gas. id="INS-S-00019" id="INS-S-00020" date="20060613" 35. Apparatus as claimed in claim 34, wherein the cooler and the condensate separator are integral with the compressor.id="INS-S-00020" id="INS-S-00021" date="20060613" 36. Apparatus for compressing and drying a gas, comprising: a first stage compressor capable of producing first interstage compressed gas; a cooler for the first interstage compressed gas; a separator for removing condensate from the cooled first interstage compressed gas; a second stage compressor capable of compressing the first interstage compressed gas to produce a second stage compressed gas, a cooler for the second interstage compressed gas; a third stage compressor capable of compressing the second interstage compressed gas to produce a final stage compressed gas; a cooler for cooling the find stage compressed gas; and first and second beds of regenerable adsorbent, each operable in a drying mode and a regeneration mode; the arrangement being such that the first interstage compressed gas, prior to being cooled, is supplied to one of the first or second beds of regenerable adsorbent operating in the regeneration mode and the final stage compressed gas is supplied to the other of the first or second beds of regenerable adsorbent operating in the drying mode. id="INS-S-00021"