Air dehydrating breather assembly for providing dehumidified air to electrical devices, and related method

摘要

An air dehydrating breather assembly and method provide dehumidifying air suitable to be supplied into oil expansion vessels used in electrical devices. The air dehydrating breather assembly includes first and second air demoisturizer units respectively associated with two corresponding oil expansion vessels. The first air demoisturizer unit includes a first tank housing moisture absorber and a second tank housing moisture absorber alternatively providing dehumidified air. The second air demoisturizer unit includes a third tank housing moisture absorber providing dehumidified air. Sensors are associated with the first, second and third tanks to detect the level of saturation of their moisture absorbers. An electronic processing unit is operatively associated with the sensors for routing dehumidified air to the associated oil-expansion vessels from the tanks whose moisture absorbers are not saturated.

主权项

1. An air dehydrating breather assembly for dehumidifying air suitable to be supplied into oil expansion vessels used in electrical devices, the assembly comprising:
a first air demoisturizer unit configured to be connected in fluid communication with a first associated oil expansion vessel, the first air demoisturizer unit comprising:
a first tank including first moisture absorbing means, one or more inlet openings configured to allow a flow of air to be dehumidified into the first tank, and one or more outlet openings configured to allow a flow of dehumidified air out from the first tank;a second tank including second moisture absorbing means, one or more second inlet openings configured to allow a flow of air to be dehumidified into the second tank, and one or more second outlet openings configured to allow a flow of dehumidified air out from the second tank;a first sensor operatively associated with at least the first tank and configured to detect a level of saturation of the first moisture absorbing means; andfirst valve means operatively associated with and configured to allow a flow of dehumidified air from the first tank or the second tank; a second air demoisturizer unit configured to be connected in fluid communication with a second associated oil expansion vessel and with the first demoisturizer unit, the second demoisturizer unit comprising:
a third tank including third moisture absorbing means, one or more third inlet openings configured to allow a flow of air to be dehumidified into the third tank, and one or more third outlet openings configured to allow a flow of dehumidified air out from the first tank;a second sensor operatively associated with the third tank and configured to detect a level of saturation of the third moisture absorbing means; andsecond valve means operatively associated with the third tank; and electronic means operatively associated with the first sensor and the second sensor, the electronic means being configured to at least one of:
actuate the first valve means and cause the flow of dehumidified air from the second tank towards the first oil expansion vessel when the detected level of saturation of the first moisture absorbing means exceeds a predetermined first threshold; andactuate the second valve means and cause the flow of dehumidified air from the first demoisturizer unit towards the second oil expansion vessel when the detected level of saturation of the third moisture absorbing means exceeds a predetermined second threshold.