Output control for steam heated heat exchanger

Claim 2

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said circulating means and said recirculating circuit are on the downstream side of said vessels in said regenerating system.

Claim 3

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 1 including regenerating gas dehydrating components in said recirculating circuit.

Claim 4

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 2 including conduit means connecting said heat exchanger to said dry gas output line and to one of said vessels in regenerating cycle for directing dry regenerating gas through said heat exchanger to such vessel, and said recirculating circuit being on the downstream side of such regenerating vessel in said regenerating gas system.

Claim 5

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 5 including means in said recirculating circuit for dehydrating such regenerating gas, a return line from said recirculating circuit to said gas supply line, said recirculating conduit means communicating between said return line and the input connection to said regeneration gas dehydrating means.

Claim 6

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means includes a timing regulator and provides control of said flow control means which is responsive to said timing regulator and to the rate of flow of regenerating gas in said regenerating gas system external to said recirculating circuit.

Claim 7

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said circulating means circulates such gas therethrough at a substantially constant rate.

Claim 8

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 1 including a heat exchanger in said regenerating gas system external to said recirculating circuit.

Claim 9

Cyclic adsorption apparatus including a wet gas supply line, a dry gas output line, a plurality of vessels each containing desiccant material for removing one or more components from wet gas and being cyclically connectable to said supply and output lines, and a regenerating gas system; said regenerating gas system including: an input line connected to said dry gas output line and cyclically connectable to said vessels; a heat exchanger in said input line; a steam generator connected to said heat exchanger for supplying steam thereto in response to demand for heating the regenerating gas; a return line cyclically connectable to said vessels and connected to said supply line for flow of regenerating gas from said vessels to said supply line; means in said return line for dehydrating said regenerating gas; means in said return line for circulating regenerating gas through said system and through one of said vessels connected therewith; recirculating conduit means on the downstream side of said vessels and connected between the upstream and downstream sides of said dehydrating and circulating means and thereby completing a recirculating circuit including said dehydrating means, said circulating meanS and said recirculating conduit means and excluding said vessels and said heat exchanger for recirculating flow of gas through said recirculating circuit without such recirculating flow passing through said vessels or said heat exchanger; variable flow control means for controlling the rate of flow through said recirculating conduit means; and means for adjusting said flow control means to regulate the rate of flow of such gas through said recirculating conduit means and thereby regulate the rate of flow of regenerating gas through the one of said vessels on regeneration and through said heat exchanger.

Claim 10

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said adjusting means includes a timing regulator and provides control of said flow control means which is responsive to said timing regulator and to the rate of flow of regenerating gas in said regenerating gas system external to said recirculation circuit.

Claim 11

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said adjusting means includes a control responsive to the pressure in said recirculating circuit.

Claim 12

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said adjusting means includes means providing a first signal proportional to the differential between the input of the timing regulator and the flow rate in said system external to said recirculating circuit, means providing a second signal proportional to the pressure in said recirculating circuit, and means for providing a flow reducing signal to said flow control means in accordance with the lower of said first and second signals.

Claim 13

In cyclic adsorption apparatus including a gas supply line, a plurality of vessels each containing desiccant material for removing one or more components from wet gas and being cyclically connectable to said gas supply line, a dry gas output line, a regenerating gas system cyclically connectable to selectively include each one of said vessels to pass regenerating gas therethrough for regenerating such desiccant material, and means in said regenerating gas system for circulating regenerating gas through said system, the improvement comprising said regenerating gas system including a heat exchanger, steam generator means connected to said heat exchanger for supplying steam thereto to heat such regenerating gas, recirculating conduit means having one end connected in said regenerating gas system between said heat exchanger and said circulating means and having its opposite end connected in said system on the side of said circulating means opposite said first end and defining with a portion of said regenerating gas system a recirculating circuit including said circulating means and said recirculation conduit means and excluding said heat exchanger for recirculating flow of gas through said recirculating circuit without such recirculating flow passing through said heat exchanger, variable flow control means for controlling the rate of flow through said recirculating conduit means, and means for adjusting said flow control means to regulate the rate of flow of such gas through said recirculating conduit means and thereby regulate the rate of flow of regenerating gas through said heat exchanger and through the remainder of said regenerating gas system external to said recirculating circuit.

Claim 14

Cyclic adsorption apparatus as in claim 14 wherein said adjusting means includes a timing regulator and provides control of said flow control means which is responsive to said timing regulator and to the rate of flow of regenerating gas in said regenerating gas system external to said recirculating circuit.

Claim 15

A cyclic adsorption gas dehydrating process utilizing a plurality of vessels each containing a desiccant material for removing one or more components from wet gas, a wet gas input to said vessels, a dry gas output from said vessels, and fluid circulating means for causing regeneration gas to flow through a related regeneration gas system which includes said vessels, comprising withdrawing gas for regeneration from sAid dry gas output, heating such dry regeneration gas, cyclically passing such heated regeneration gas through each of said vessels for regenerating said desiccant material therein, and subsequently returning said regeneration gas to said wet gas input, passing such regeneration gas through said circulating means at a substantially constant rate between such withdrawal thereof from said output and return thereof to said input to provide the described flow of such regeneration gas, cyclically terminating and re-initiating flow of such regeneration gas through at least one section of such regeneration system in conjunction with changing of the regeneration cycle from vessel to vessel, and controlling the flow rate and the rate of change in the flow of such regeneration gas through such section during such terminating and re-initiating of such flow therethrough by recirculating a portion of such gas through said fluid circulating means without passage of such recirculated gas through said section and varying the portion of said regeneration gas being so recirculated in accordance with a predetermined time regulated input.

Claim 16

A process as in claim 16 wherein such section of such system through which the rate of flow and rate of change of flow is so controlled includes such vessels.

Claim 17

A process as in claim 17 wherein such section of such system through which the rate of flow and rate of change of flow is so controlled includes a heat exchanger for said heating of such regeneration gas.

Claim 18

A process as in claim 16, wherein such section of such system through which the rate of flow and rate of change of flow is so controlled includes a heat exchanger for said heating of such regeneration gas.

Claim 19

A process as in claim 16 including providing a signal representative of the rate of flow of regeneration gas through said section and providing a time regulated signal, comparing said signals, and varying the portion of said regeneration gas being so recirculated in accordance with the differential between said signals.

Claim 20

A process as in claim 20 including controlling the portion of said regeneration gas being so recirculated and thereby maintaining the pressure of the recirculating gas at a predetermined value to preclude flow of regeneration gas through said section during a part of the operating cycle of said gas regeneration system.