Method and apparatus for drying gases

Claim 1

The gas drying apparatus which comprises: a triple pass heat exchanger having the inlet to its first pass connectable to a source of wet gas under pressure, a vortex tube operative to split an incoming stream of gas into a relatively warmer fraction and a relatively cooler fraction connected to deliver the latter to the second pass of the heat exchanger for movement therein in heat exchange relation to the wet gas moving through said first pass, a separator effective to remove the condensate condensed from the wet gas in the heat exchanger connected to receive the partially dried gas issuing from the first pass of the latter, first conduit means connected to receive the partially dried gas from the separator following removal of the condensate therefrom and recycle same into the third pass of the heat exchanger for flow therethrough alongside the gases flowing in said first and second passes so as to maximize heat transfer from the wet gas in said first pass without warming the cold gas in said second pass, second conduit means connected to receive a portion of the gas entering the first pass and deliver same to the vortex tube, and thErmostatically controlled valve means connected in the second conduit means operative upon actuation to shut off the gas supply to the vortex tube whenever the temperature of the gas leaving the first pass of the heat exchanger falls below a preset minimum.

Claim 7

The method of drying a wet gas under pressure which comprises the steps of: condensing some of the moisture from the incoming wet gas by passing it in heat exchange relation to the relatively colder fraction of the same gas issuing from the cold side of a vortex tube, stripping the condensate from the incoming gas thus cooled, recycling the stripped gas in heat exchange relation to the incoming wet gas so as to cool and condense additional moisture from the latter, said recycled gas being returned at a point where its temperature is equal to or below that of the relatively warmer fraction from the vortex tube flowing alongside thereof, determining the temperature of the cool gas prior to removing the condensate therefrom, tapping off a portion of the incoming wet gas to supply the vortex tube, and cutting off the flow of incoming wet gas to said vortex tube whenever the temperature of the cool gas falls below the predetermined minimum.

Claim 8

The method of drying a wet gas under pressure which comprises the steps of: condensing some of the moisture from the incoming wet gas by passing it in heat exchange relation to the relatively colder fraction of the same gas issuing from the cold side of a vortex tube, stripping the condensate from the incoming gas thus cooled, recycling the stripped gas in heat exchange relation to the incoming wet gas so as to cool and condense additional moisture from the latter, said recycled gas being returned at a point where its temperature is equal to or below that of the relatively warmer fraction from the vortex tube flowing alongside thereof, determining the temperature of the cool gas prior to removing the condensate therefrom, tapping off a portion of the incoming wet gas to supply the vortex tube, and cutting off the flow of incoming wet gas to said vortex tube whenever the temperature of the cool gas falls below the predetermined minimum.