Adsorber method and apparatus

Claim 1

An adsorber, particularly for adsorbing moisture from air, comprising a plurality of vessels defining a plurality of discrete chambers each containing an adsorption medium and each having an inlet and an outlet; a rotary valve adjacent said outlets and including a rotary plate mounted on said vessels and provided with openings which communicate with said outlets, and a stationary plate adjacent said rotary plate and having circumferentially extending arcuate slots which are adapted to register with the respective openings in response to rotation of said rotary plate; a pair of discrete hoods covering and communicating with one of said slots and each being provided with a separate discharge port; adsorption-fluid circulating means, including incoming pipe line means communicating with respective ones of said inlets and outgoing pipe line means communicating with the other of said arcuate slots and with said incoming pipe line means, for the passage of adsorption fluid to and from said chambers; regenerative-fluid circulating means, including first pipe line means communicating with respective other ones of said inlets and second pipe line means communicating with one of said discharge ports and with said first pipe line means, for the passage of regenerative fluid to and from said chambers; heating means interposed in said second pipe line means for heating regenerative fluid passing therethrough; venting pipe means communicating with the other of said discharge ports; and a conduit communicating with the ambient atmosphere and with said respective other inlets for admixing ambient air with the regenerative fluid being circulated by said regenerative fluid circulating means.