HEAT REACTIVATED PROCESS FOR DESICCANT AIR DRYER SYSTEMS USING BLOWER PURGE AND METHOD THEREFORE

摘要

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.

主权项

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.