Heat pump dryer

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR DKRYING GAS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING A STREAM OF THE GAS TO BE TREATED THROUGH A REFRIGERATION ZONE, CIRCULATING A REFRIGERATION MEDIUM AT LOW TEMPERATURE IN HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STREAM OF GAS IN THE REFRIGERATION ZONE TO COOL THE GAS TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH A SUBSTANTIAL AOUNT OF THE MOISTURE IN THE STREAM IS CONDENSED THEREAFTER PASSING THE STREAM OF GAS THROUGH A BED OF MOISTURE ADSORPTIVE MATERIAL, CAUSING THE STREAM OF THE GAS TO BE TREATED TO FLOW THROUGH A SECOND BED OF MOISTURE ADSORPTIVE MATERIAL WHEN THE FIRST NAMED BED REACHES A PREDETERMINED LEVEL OF SATURATION, THEREAFTER CONTINUING TO CYCLE THE STREAM THROUGH ONE BED AND THEM THE OTHER BED, COMPRESSING THE REFRIGERATION MEDIUM AFTER IT LAVES THE REFRIGERATION ZONE AND CIRCULATING THE COMPRESSED REFRIGERATION MEDIUM IN HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OFFSTREM BED THEREBY USING THE LATENT HEAT OF CONDENSATON ABSORBED DURING COOLING OF THE GAS IN THE REFRIGERATION ZONE TO HEAT THE OFFSTREAM BED FOR THE PURPOSE OF REGENERATING THE OFFSTREAM BED.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 further including the step of passing a portion of the gas exiting from the onstream bed through the offstream bed.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1 further including using the compressed refrigeration medium to reheat the gas exiting from the onstream bed.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 3 wherein the gas exiting from the onstream bed is heated by the compressed refrigeration medium before it is passed through the offstream bed.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 3 wherein the gas flow through the offstream bed is counter to the gas flow when the bed is onstream.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 6 wherein the component to be removed from the stream is water vapor.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 7 comprising the step of discharging heat absorbed by the refrigeration medium into a bed containing saturated adsorbent material thereby restoring said material to a condition in which it is capable of again removing further portions of said component from said gas.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 8 wherein the refrigeration medium cools the adsorbent material in the first named bed to a temperature which is about 50*F and heats the bed containing saturated adsorbent material to a temperature of about 130*F.

Claim 16

A method as defined in claim 11 and further comprising passing the refrigeration medium from the bed of adsorbent material through which the gas is not being passed through a gas expansion device and then in heat exchange relation with the gas in the cooling means.

Claim 17

A method as defined in claim 12 further comprising passing the compressed refrigeration medium in heat exchange relationship with the dried gas exiting from the bed which is onstream whereby the dried product gas is reheated.

Claim 18

A method as defined in claim 13 in which the gas used for purging the bed of adsorbent material through which the gas being dried is not being passed is a portion of the dried product gas which was passed in heat exchange relation with the compressed refrigeration medium.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 14 wherein the gas is air and wherein the refrigeration medium cools the adsorbent material in the bed through which gas iS being passed to a temperature of about 50*F and further wherein the refrigeration medium effects heating of the bed being purged to a temperature of about 130*F.

Claim 22

Apparatus for fractionating gas mixtures comprising a first and second columnar bed each filled with a material which is adsorptive of a component of the gas mixture, refrigeration means for condensing a substantial proportion of the component comprising a gas cooling chamber located centrally of each bed and extending lengthwise thereof, cyclically operable gas flow means including a gas conduit for circulating the gas mixture through the gas cooling chamber associated with the first bed and then through the first bed and thereafter circulating the gas mixture through the gas cooling chamber associated with the second bed and then through the second bed, an evaporator in each said cooling chamber and means for circulating a refrigerant in vapor state through said evaporator, heat transfer means in each of said beds, means for circulating the refrigerant through the heat transfer means in the onstream bed thereby cooling said bed, a compressor for the refrigerant located downstream from the evaporator, means downstream from the compressor for circulating the compressed refrigerant through the heat transfer means in the offstream bed, thereby heating said offstream bed, and means for purging said offstream bed.

Claim 23

Apparatus for fractionating gas mixtures comprising a first and second columnar bed each filled with a material which is adsorptive of a component of the gas mixture, refrigeration means for condensing a substantial proportion of the component comprising a gas cooling chamber located centrally of each bed and extending lengthwise thereof, cyclically operable gas flow means including a gas conduit for circulating the gas mixture through the gas cooling chamber associated with the first bed and then through the first bed and thereafter circulating the gas mixture through the gas cooling chamber associated with the second bed and then through the second bed, an evaporator in each said cooling chamber and means for circulating a refrigerant in vapor state through said evaporator, heat transfer means in each of said beds, means for circulating the refrigerant through the heat transfer means in the onstream bed thereby cooling said bed, a compressor for the refrigerant located downstream from the evaporator, means downstream from the compressor for circulating the compressed refrigerant through the heat transfer means in the offstream bed, thereby heating said offstream bed, and means for purging said offstream bed.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the means for purging said offstream bed comprises a conduit for circulating a portion of the gas exiting from the onstream bed through said offstream bed.

Claim 25

Apparatus for drying a gas stream which comprises a pair of drying columns, each said column comprising a refrigeration section for cooling the gas stream to condense a substantial quantity of the moisture and a bed of moisture adsorptive material downstream from the refrigeration section, gas delivery means including valving for cyclically passing the gas stream through one column and then the other, wherein the refrigeration section extends lengthwise of the bed of moisture adsorptive material within a space located centrally of the bed, wherein the refrigeration section comprises refrigeration conduit means containing a refrigerant for cooling the gas stream, and heat transfer means for transferring the heat absorbed from the gas stream in the refrigeration section of the onstream column to the bed of moisture adsorptive material of the offstream column, said heat transfer means comprising conduit means located in each bed of adsorptive material, and refrigerant delivery means for delivering refrigerant containing the heat energy absorbed in the onstrEam column to the heat transfer conduit means located in the offstream bed.

Claim 26

Apparatus for drying a gas stream which comprises a pair of drying columns, each said column comprising a refrigeration section for cooling the gas stream to condense a substantial quantity of the moisture and a bed of moisture adsorptive material downstream from the refrigeration section, gas delivery means including valving for cyclically passing the gas stream through one column and then the other, wherein the refrigeration section extends lengthwise of the bed of moisture adsorptive material within a space located centrally of the bed, wherein the refrigeration section comprises refrigeration conduit means containing a refrigerant for cooling the gas stream, and heat transfer means for transferring the heat absorbed from the gas stream in the refrigeration section of the onstream column to the bed of moisture adsorptive material of the offstream column, said heat transfer means comprising conduit means located in each bed of adsorptive material, and refrigerant delivery means for delivering refrigerant containing the heat energy absorbed in the onstrEam column to the heat transfer conduit means located in the offstream bed.

Claim 27

Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said refrigeration means comprises further conduit means for circulating cold refrigerant through the heat transfer conduit means of the onstream bed following passage through the refrigerant conduit means in the refrigeration section.

Claim 28

Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein each of said columns is covered with a thermal insulating material.

Claim 29

Equipment for drying gas comprising gas cooler means in which water is removed from the gas by condensation, said cooler means including product gas inlet and outlet conduits, the cooler means further having a gas inlet means for a refrigerant with means for expanding the refrigerant and the cooler means further having a refrigerant outlet means; a pair of adsorption units each containing adsorbent material, each having an inlet and outlet for circulation of the product gas through the adsorbent material, and each having a refrigerant conduit means for circulation of the refrigerant therethrough in heat exchange relation to the adsorbent material; a compressor for the refrigerant having an inlet and an outlet; a gas conduit system including means providing for delivery of the product gas from the gas cooler means to the product gas inlet of one of the adsorption units; a refrigerant piping system including means providing for connection of the refrigerant outlet means of the gas cooler means with the refrigerant circulation conduit means of the adsorption unit with which the product gas outlet of the cooler means is connected, said refrigerant piping system further including means providing for selective connection of the inlet of the compressor with the refrigerant circulation conduit means of that adsorption unit with which the product gas outlet of the cooler means is connected for receiving refrigerant after the refrigerant has been circulated through said refrigerant circulation conduit means and for selective connection of the outlet of the compressor with the refrigerant circulation conduit means of that adsorption unit with which the gas outlet of the cooler means is not connected for supplying hot refrigerant to the refrigeration circulation conduit means of said last named adsorption unit.

Claim 30

Equipment for drying gas comprising gas cooler means in which water is removed from the gas by condensation, said cooler means including product gas inlet and outlet conduits, the cooler means further having a gas inlet means for a refrigerant with means for expanding the refrigerant and the cooler means further having a refrigerant outlet means; a pair of adsorption units each containing adsorbent material, each having an inlet and outlet for circulation of the product gas through the adsorbent material, and each having a refrigerant conduit means for circulation of the refrigerant therethrough in heat exchange relation to the adsorbent material; a compressor for the refrigerant having an inlet and an outlet; a gas conduit system including means providing for delivery of the product gas from the gas cooler means to the product gas inlet of one of the adsorption units; a refrigerant piping system including means providing for connection of the refrigerant outlet means of the gas cooler means with the refrigerant circulation conduit means of the adsorption unit with which the product gas outlet of the cooler means is connected, said refrigerant piping system further including means providing for selective connection of the inlet of the compressor with the refrigerant circulation conduit means of that adsorption unit with which the product gas outlet of the cooler means is connected for receiving refrigerant after the refrigerant has been circulated through said refrigerant circulation conduit means and for selective connection of the outlet of the compressor with the refrigerant circulation conduit means of that adsorption unit with which the gas outlet of the cooler means is not connected for supplying hot refrigerant to the refrigeration circulation conduit means of said last named adsorption unit.

Claim 31

Equipment as defined in claim 22 and further including a product gas reheater having a gas inlet and a gas outlet, the gas reheater having a refrigerant circuit connected with the outlet of the compressor, and in which the gas conduit system also includes means providing for connection of the gas inlet of the reheater with the outlet of that adsorption unit to which the gas outlet of the gas cooler is connected.