Dehydrator for gaseous fluids

Claim 2

A desiccant container for gas dehydrating equipment, comprising; a hollow elongated housing having inlet and outlet ends, said housing having a translucent portion extending over a major portion of the length thereof from the inlet to the outlet ends and affording visibility into said housing; a mass of particulate molecular sieve within and substantially filling said housing, said mass having the capacity to progressively adsorb moisture from the inlet toward the outlet ends, separate discrete particles of blue gel as a color change dew point indicating material interspersed throughout the mass of molecular sieve at all elevations therein and visible through the translucent portion of the hollow housing, the blue gel having the capacity to change color as the moisture is adsorbed by the molecular sieve, and means providing for the passage of a moist gas stream from the inlet to the outlet ends thrOugh the interior of the hollow housing and amongst the aforesaid particles therein, the particles of molecular sieve removing the moisture from the gas progressively toward the outlet end so that a dry gas is discharged therefrom up to the time the entire mass of molecular sieve is wetted, the removed moisture effecting a color change of the dew point indicating particles visible through the translucent portion of said housing continuously and progressively throughout the mass of molecular sieve as the moisture therein rises to the outlet end, thus providing a sight line denoting the extent of moisture which has been adsorbed and also the remaining portion of the particles that are dry thus giving an indication of the remaining life of the molecular sieve.

Claim 3

The desiccant container as specified by claim 1, in combination with a tubular elongate outer casing surrounding said container, said casing having an inlet port and a discharge port for moist gas fed thereto, said inlet port and said discharge port being in communication with the inlet and outlet ends, respectively of said container; said outer casing having a translucent portion in registry with the translucent portion of the desiccant container.

Claim 4

The desiccant container as specified by claim 1, wherein the hollow housing is tubular and includes end closure members sealing opposite ends of the hollow housing against access of air to the particles encased therein, and means puncturing said closure members to permit passage of a gas stream through the hollow housing from end to end thereof.

Claim 5

The desiccant container as specified by claim 3, wherein the entire tubular housing is formed of translucent material.

Claim 6

A dehydrator for gases, comprising in combination: an elongate outer casing having a side wall and opposite ends closing said casing, and an inner elongate container housed within said outer casing adjacent one of said closed ends, said inner container having opposite end closure members and a side wall, said side wall having a translucent portion intermediate said end closure members; a mass of desiccant in particle form, and particles of color change dew point indicating material, all sealed within the inner container and observable through the translucent portion thereof; means mounting said one of said closed ends of the outer casing for displacement, and providing for removal and replacement of the inner container relative to the outer casing; the side wall of said outer casing including a translucent portion in register with the translucent portion of the inner container; cutting means within the outer casing puncturing both opposite end closure members of the inner container upon mounting of said displaceable one end upon the outer casing to provide perforations therein, with the inner container lodged within the outer casing; the outer casing having a transverse wall therein dividing the interior into upper and lower chambers, the wall having an opening therein, said inner container in the upper chamber and in sealing engagement with said transverse wall around said opening, said opening communicating with the perforations in one end closure member, a filter element having a peripheral wall mounted within the lower chamber and having one end sealingly engaged with said wall around said opening and positioned so that the interior of the filter element leads to the opening, the other end of the filter element being closed, a baffle about the filter element having an opening adjacent the closed end of the filter element, the baffle surrounding and being spaced from the filter element and defining a flow space therebetween, an inlet opening in the outer casing communicating with the lower chamber, and an outlet opening in the outer casing communicating with the upper chamber and the other of the end closure members.

Claim 7

A dehydrator for gases, comprising in combination: an elongate outer casing having a side wall and opposite ends closing said casing, and an inner elongate container housed within said outer casing adjacent one of said closed ends, said inner container having opposite end closure members and a side wall, said side wall having a translucent portion intermediate said end closure members; a mass of desiccant in particle form, and particles of color change dew point indicating material, all sealed within the inner container and observable through the translucent portion thereof; means mounting said one of said closed ends of the outer casing for displacement, and providing for removal and replacement of the inner container relative to the outer casing; the side wall of said outer casing including a translucent portion in register with the translucent portion of the inner container; cutting means within the outer casing puncturing both opposite end closure members of the inner container upon mounting of said displaceable one end upon the outer casing to provide perforations therein, with the inner container lodged within the outer casing; the outer casing having a transverse wall therein dividing the interior into upper and lower chambers, the wall having an opening therein, said inner container in the upper chamber and in sealing engagement with said transverse wall around said opening, said opening communicating with the perforations in one end closure member, a filter element having a peripheral wall mounted within the lower chamber and having one end sealingly engaged with said wall around said opening and positioned so that the interior of the filter element leads to the opening, the other end of the filter element being closed, a baffle about the filter element having an opening adjacent the closed end of the filter element, the baffle surrounding and being spaced from the filter element and defining a flow space therebetween, an inlet opening in the outer casing communicating with the lower chamber, and an outlet opening in the outer casing communicating with the upper chamber and the other of the end closure members.

Claim 8

The dehydrator as specified by claim 5, wherein the particles of color change dew point indicating material are arranged as a layer overlying the mass of desiccant, sAid layer being visible through the translucent portions of the inner container and said outer casing.

Claim 9

The dehydrator as specified by claim 5, wherein the particles of color change dew point indicating material are arranged as spaced layers within the mass of desiccant, said layers being visible through the translucent portions of the desiccant container and said outer casing.

Claim 10

The dehydrator as specified by claim 5, wherein the color change dew point indicating particles are distributed throughout the mass of desiccant, and are separated from one another by the desiccant particles, said desiccant particles and interspersed dew point indicating particles being visible through the translucent portions of the inner container and said outer casting.

Claim 11

The dehydrator as specified by claim 8, wherein is included a filter interposed between the gas inlet port and that punctured end closure member which receives gas initially from the inlet port.

Claim 12

The dehydrator as specified by claim 9, wherein the combination includes means for the release of condensate from the outer casing.