Refrigerated gas dryer

Claim 2

A refrigerated gas dryer, including means defining flow passages for a warm moist compressed gas, means for flowing a refrigerant in heat transfer relation to said gas in a first portion of said flow passages, means for flowing cooled gas issuing from said first portion of said flow passages in counterflowing heat transfer relation to uncooled gas in a second portion of said flow passages in advance of and longitudinally spaced from said first portion for a precool-reheat function, said last named means including an inlet chamber intermediate said portions, and means for guiding cooled gas from said first portion to said second portion in a manner to encourage release of moisture therefrom, said flow passages and said flowing means being comprised in a unitary heat exchange device, said guiding means including a housing positioning said heat exchange device therein and enforcing divided flow and a change of direction of issuing cooled gas as it moves from said first portion of said flow passages toward said second portion, said inlet chamber being open at opposite ends to receive the cooled gas.

Claim 3

A refrigerated gas dryer according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchange device is positioned in spaced relation to a wall of said housing, issuing cooled gas from said first portion of said flow passages discharging toward said wall, said wall being curved effectively to divide and reverse the direction of flow of the issuing gas, said wall having an opening for drainage of released moisture.

Claim 4

A refrigerated gas dryer, including means defining flow passages for a warm moist compressed gas, means for flowing a refrigerant in heat transfer relation to said gas in a first portion of said flow passages, means for flowing cooled gas issuing from said first portion of said flow passages in heat transfer relation to uncooled gas in a second portion of said flow passages in advance of said first portion for a precool-reheat function, said flow passages and said flowing means being comprised in a heat exchange device, said flow passages being in a parallel separated relation in said device and defining other intermediate passages, different portions of said other intermediate passages being used to flow a refrigerant and to flow cooled gas in the precool-reheat function, said different portions being longitudinally spaced apart to form between them an inlet for the cooled gas, and means for guiding cooled gas from one different portion of said other intermediate passages to another in a manner to encourage a release of moisture therefrom.

Claim 5

A refrigerated gas dryer, including means defining flow passages for a warm moist compressed gas, means for flowing a refrigerant in heat transfer relation to said gas in a first portion of said flow passages, means for flowing cooled gas issuing from said first portion of said flow passages in heat transfer relation to uncooled gas in a second portion of said flow passages in advance of said first portion for a precool-reheat function, said flow passages and said flowing means being comprised in a heat exchange device, said flow passages being in a parallel separated relation in said device and defining other intermediate passages, different portions of said other intermediate passages being used to flow a refrigerant and to flow cooled gas in the precool-reheat function, said different portions being longitudinally spaced apart to form between them an inlet for the cooled gas, and means for guiding cooled gas from one different portion of said other intermediate passages to another in a manner to encourage a release of moisture therefrom.

Claim 6

A refrigerated gas dryer according to claim 3, wherein said heat exchange device is a plate and fin heat exchanger, parallel spaced apart plates defining said flow passages and said other intermediate flow passages and insert means in said other intermediate flow passages defining a refrigerant flow path in cross flow relation to the gas flowing in said flow passages and defining a cooled gas flow path counter to the gas flowing in said flow passages, fin material for secondary heat transfer purposes being installed in said flow passages and in said refrigerant and cooled gas flow paths.

Claim 7

A refrigerated gas dryer, including a housing providing at one end an inlet for a warm moist compressed gas and at the other end an outlet for liquid separated from said gas, partition means in said housing defining at said one end an inlet chamber and at said other end a liquid outlet chamber and intermediate the two an outlet chamber for cooled dry air, said housing providing an opening communicating with said dry air outlet chamber, a heat exchanger device positioned In said housing providing first flow passages extending from said inlet chamber to said liquid outlet chamber and providing second flow passages in adjacent relation to portions of said first flow passages extending from said liquid outlet chamber to said dry air outlet chamber, said heat exchanger device further providing third flow passages in adjacent relation to other portions of said first flow passages, and means for achieving a segregated flow of a refrigerant through said third flow passages, said heat exchanger device being comprised of a plurality of spaced apart plates, certain adjacent plates defining said first flow passages and certain other adjacent plates defining spaces occupied in part by said second flow passages and in other part by said third flow passages, said second and third flow passages being longitudinally spaced apart and said heat exchange device intermediately thereof defining an inlet from said liquid outlet chamber to said second flow passages.

Claim 8

A refrigerated gas dryer, including a housing providing at one end an inlet for a warm moist compressed gas and at the other end an outlet for liquid separated from said gas, partition means in said housing defining at said one end an inlet chamber and at said other end a liquid outlet chamber and intermediate the two an outlet chamber for cooled dry air, said housing providing an opening communicating with said dry air outlet chamber, a heat exchanger device positioned In said housing providing first flow passages extending from said inlet chamber to said liquid outlet chamber and providing second flow passages in adjacent relation to portions of said first flow passages extending from said liquid outlet chamber to said dry air outlet chamber, said heat exchanger device further providing third flow passages in adjacent relation to other portions of said first flow passages, and means for achieving a segregated flow of a refrigerant through said third flow passages, said heat exchanger device being comprised of a plurality of spaced apart plates, certain adjacent plates defining said first flow passages and certain other adjacent plates defining spaces occupied in part by said second flow passages and in other part by said third flow passages, said second and third flow passages being longitudinally spaced apart and said heat exchange device intermediately thereof defining an inlet from said liquid outlet chamber to said second flow passages.

Claim 9

A refrigerated gas dryer according to claim 5, wherein said liquid outlet chamber is constructed to serve as a separation and reentrant chamber, a change of direction of flow of cooled gas issuing from said first flow passages inducing a release of liquid which moves to said liquid outlet while the cooled dry gas is directed to reenter the heat exchanger device by way of said second flow passages.

Claim 10

A refrigerated gas dryer according to claim 6, wherein said second and third flow passages are positioned to place the fluid therein in heat transfer relation to the gas in said first flow passages, the gas in said first flow passages first encountering the cooled gas in said second flow passages and second encountering the refrigerant in said third flow passages.

Claim 11

A refrigerated gas dryer according to claim 7, wherein the means for achieving a segregated flow of a refrigerant through said third flow passages includes manifold means mounted to said heat exchange device and inlet and outlet flow connections extending to and from said manifold means through said housing.

Claim 12

A heat exchanger for use in a refrigerated gas dryer or the like, including evaporator and reheat-precool sectins in end to end relation, said sections providing common through passages for flow of a moist warm gas first through said reheat-precool section and then through said evaporator section, said through passages having inlet and outlet ends with respect to the direction of gas flow, and other separated passages in said reheat-precool section and in said evaporator section for flow of respective fluids in heat transfer relation with said moist warm gas, the said other passages in said reheat-precool section terminating at their one ends in an inlet chamber intermediate said sections and terminating at their other ends in an outlet chamber longitudinally spaced from said inlet chamber toward the said inlet end of said through passages, and manifold means providing for segregated flow of a refrigerant fluid through the said other passages in said evaporator section.

Claim 13

A heat exchanger for use in a refrigerated gas dryer or the like, including evaporator and reheat-precool sectins in end to end relation, said sections providing common through passages for flow of a moist warm gas first through said reheat-precool section and then through said evaporator section, said through passages having inlet and outlet ends with respect to the direction of gas flow, and other separated passages in said reheat-precool section and in said evaporator section for flow of respective fluids in heat transfer relation with said moist warm gas, the said other passages in said reheat-precool section terminating at their one ends in an inlet chamber intermediate said sections and terminating at their other ends in an outlet chamber longitudinally spaced from said inlet chamber toward the said inlet end of said through passages, and manifold means providing for segregated flow of a refrigerant fluid through the said other passages in said evaporator section.

Claim 14

A heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein said heat exchanger has a unitized plate construction in which a plurality of spaced apart plates and separator members define said common through passages and said other passages, separator members at the sides of said other passages being interrupted to define said inlet and outlet chambers.

Claim 15

A heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein separator members in a transverse relation to the separator members at the sides of said other passages seal off upper ends of the said other passages and define upper and lower closed walls respectively of said outlet chamber and said inlet chamber.

Claim 16

A refrigerated air dryer including a heat exchanger unit comprising a portion through which a moist compressed gas is passed in heat transfer relation to a refrigerant and another portion in advance of the first portion through which cooled gas counterflows introduced moist compressed gas for a precoOl-reheat function, said heat exchanger unit providing at sides thereof oppositely disposing inlet means for entrance of cooled gas to said other portion, a housing presenting a curved wall upon which cooled gas exiting from the said first portion discharges, said curved wall redirecting issuing cooled gas in divided form to said inlet means at opposite sides of said unit, and a liquid drain in said curved wall substantially in line with the path of flow taken by the gas through the heat exchange unit.

Claim 17

A refrigerated air dryer including a heat exchanger unit comprising a portion through which a moist compressed gas is passed in heat transfer relation to a refrigerant and another portion in advance of the first portion through which cooled gas counterflows introduced moist compressed gas for a precoOl-reheat function, said heat exchanger unit providing at sides thereof oppositely disposing inlet means for entrance of cooled gas to said other portion, a housing presenting a curved wall upon which cooled gas exiting from the said first portion discharges, said curved wall redirecting issuing cooled gas in divided form to said inlet means at opposite sides of said unit, and a liquid drain in said curved wall substantially in line with the path of flow taken by the gas through the heat exchange unit.