US5087178A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Oil flooded screw compressor system with moisture separation and heated air dryer regeneration, and method
Assignee: Rogers Machinery Co Inc
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Filing: 1991-09-24
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Granted: 1992-02-11
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Expires: 2011-09-24
Abstract
Abstract Air and oil from an oil flooded screw compressor is directed through an air-oil separator. The air is cooled to extract moisture therefrom. Then the cooled air is fed to a drying tower and from the tower the air, together with hot oil from the air-oil separator, is fed to a heat exchanger which heats the air to a desired temperature for use and cools the oil to a desired temperature for re-use by the compressor. The regenerating portion of the tower communicates with the outlet of the heat exchanger for supplying dry heated air as purge air for efficient regeneration.
Inventors
- 👤 Lyle G. Wells
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 18:03
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/26; B01D53/261; F; F04; F04C; F04C29/00; F04C29/0007; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S418/00; Y10S418/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
239 words
An air compressor system comprising: an oil flooded screw compressor having an air inlet and an air and oil outlet for compressing air whereby the oil is heated, air-oil separator means having an inlet connected to the air and oil outlet of said compressor and also having an oil outlet and an air outlet for separating oil from the compressed air, aftercooler means having an outlet and an inlet connected to the air outlet of said separator means for cooling the compressed air, moisture separator means having an outlet and an inlet connected to the outlet of said aftercooler means for removing moisture from the compressed air that has been cooled, a drying and regenerating tower having an outlet and an inlet connected to the outlet of said moisture separator means and being arranged to dry the air to substantially a moisture free condition, reheater heat exchange means connected to the outlet of said drying and regenerating tower and to the outlet of said oil outlet of said air-oil separating means whereby to reheat the dry air and cool the heated oil, pump means for pumping oil from said separator means through the reheater heat exchanger to the compressor, said reheater heat exchanger means having an outlet of heated, dry air for compressed use, and means communicating with the outlet of said reheater heat exchanger means supplying dry heated air as purge air to said drying and regenerating tower.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
239 words
An air compressor system comprising: an oil flooded screw compressor having an air inlet and an air and oil outlet for compressing air whereby the oil is heated, air-oil separator means having an inlet connected to the air and oil outlet of said compressor and also having an oil outlet and an air outlet for separating oil from the compressed air, aftercooler means having an outlet and an inlet connected to the air outlet of said separator means for cooling the compressed air, moisture separator means having an outlet and an inlet connected to the outlet of said aftercooler means for removing moisture from the compressed air that has been cooled, a drying and regenerating tower having an outlet and an inlet connected to the outlet of said moisture separator means and being arranged to dry the air to substantially a moisture free condition, reheater heat exchange means connected to the outlet of said drying and regenerating tower and to the outlet of said oil outlet of said air-oil separating means whereby to reheat the dry air and cool the heated oil, pump means for pumping oil from said separator means through the reheater heat exchanger to the compressor, said reheater heat exchanger means having an outlet of heated, dry air for compressed use, and means communicating with the outlet of said reheater heat exchanger means supplying dry heated air as purge air to said drying and regenerating tower.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
The air compressor system of claim 1 wherein said drying and regenerating tower includes a pair of dryers and switching means therebetween providing alternate communication of said pair of dryers with the outlet of said aftercooler means for drying said cooled air with the outlet of said reheater heat exchanger means for regenerating.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The air compressor system of claim 1 wherein said aftercooler means cools said air from its heated outlet from the compressor to approximately 70 degrees F. at 100 percent relative humidity and said drying and regenerating tower and reheater heat exchanger means dries said air to approximately 0.04 percent relative humidity and heats it to approximately 160 degrees F.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The air compressor system of claim 1 wherein said purge air comprises a maximum of about 8 percent of the standard cubic feet of air output of said air compressor system.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of producing compressed air comprising: compressing moisture laden air in an oil flooded screw compressor whereby the air and oil are heated to an elevated temperature, separating the heated oil from the heated air, cooling the heated air to a degree substantially less than said elevated temperature, drying the air after said cooling step in a drying and regenerating tower, passing the dry air from said tower and the separated, heated oil through a reheater heat exchanger that reheats the air and cools the oil, returning the cooled oil to the compressor, and using a portion of an output of dry air from said heat exchanger as purge air for regenerating a dryer.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of producing compressed air comprising: compressing moisture laden air in an oil flooded screw compressor whereby the air and oil are heated to an elevated temperature, separating the heated oil from the heated air, cooling the heated air to a degree substantially less than said elevated temperature, drying the air after said cooling step in a drying and regenerating tower, passing the dry air from said tower and the separated, heated oil through a reheater heat exchanger that reheats the air and cools the oil, returning the cooled oil to the compressor, and using a portion of an output of dry air from said heat exchanger as purge air for regenerating a dryer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of drying the air comprises first separating the water condensate therefrom wherein the cooled air has approximately 100 percent relative humidity at 70 degrees F. and then directing said air to said drying and regenerating tower for removing substantially all the moisture.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the step of drying the air comprises first separating the water condensate therefrom wherein the cooled air has approximately 100 percent relative humidity at 70 degrees F. and then directing said air to a drying chamber for drying the air to approximately 0.04 percent relative humidity.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-02-10 | 1995-08-12 | 1996-02-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-02-10 | 1999-08-12 | 2000-02-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-02-10 | 2003-08-12 | 2004-02-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |