# US 10,478,771 B2 · Dryer for compressed gas, compressor installation provided with such a dryer and method for drying gas > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,478,771 B2 - Document ID: US10478771B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/535,644 - Filed: 2015-04-28 - Published: 2017-12-07 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-16 - Assignees: Atlas Copco Airpower, Naamloze Vennootschap - Applicants: Atlas Copco Airpower, Naamloze Vennootschap - Inventors: Ewan Van Minnebruggen; Danny Vertriest; Tim Ceyssens; Geert Hellemans - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478771B2 ## CPC - B01D 53/261: {by adsorption} - B01D 53/06: with moving adsorbents, e.g. rotating beds {(B01D53/025 takes precedence)} - F04B 39/16: Filtration; Moisture separation - F04C 29/0092: {Removing solid or liquid contaminants from the gas under pumping, e.g. by filtering or deposition; Purging; Scrubbing; Cleaning} - F24F 3/1423: {with a moving bed of solid desiccants, e.g. a rotary wheel supporting solid desiccants} - B01D 2257/80: Water - B01D 2259/4009: using hot gas - F04C 18/0215: {where only one member is moving} - F04C 18/16: with helical teeth, e.g. chevron-shaped, screw type {(for non-parallel axes of movement F04C18/48)} - F04C 23/003: {having complementary function} - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - F04C: ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS (engines F03C); ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) ## Abstract A dryer for a compressed gas provided with a vessel with a drying agent and a drying zone and a regeneration zone; at least one intermediate zone that, viewed in the direction of rotation of the drum, is situated between the regeneration zone and the drying zone and which is provided with a separate inlet and an outlet that is shared with or connected to the outlet of the regeneration zone; a tap-off pipe that branches off from the outlet of the drying zone and connects to the aforementioned separate inlet of the intermediate zone; one or more blowers in the tap-off pipe for effectuating an intermediate flow from the drying zone, where the dryer is configured such that the entire flow of gas to be dried supplied to the dryer is first guided through the regeneration zone. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dryer for a compressed gas supplied, comprising a vessel with a drying zone and a regeneration zone therein; an inlet for the regeneration zone that is also an inlet for the supply of gas to be dried and an outlet for the regeneration zone; an inlet for the drying zone and an outlet for the drying zone that is also the outlet of the dryer from where dried compressed gas can be tapped off for a downstream consumer network; a rotatable drum in the vessel with a regenerable drying agent therein; drive means for rotating the aforementioned drum such that the drying agent is moved successively through the drying zone and the regeneration zone; a connecting pipe that connects the aforementioned outlet of the regeneration zone to the aforementioned inlet of the drying zone; a cooler and a condensate separator incorporated in the connecting pipe; at least one intermediate zone that, viewed in the direction of rotation of the drum, is situated between the regeneration zone and the drying zone and which is provided with a separate inlet and an outlet that is shared with or connected to the outlet of the regeneration zone; a tap-off pipe that branches off from the outlet of the drying zone and connects to the aforementioned separate inlet of the intermediate zone; means for effectuating an intermediate flow from the drying zone, through the tap-off pipe, to the intermediate zone, whereby the dryer is configured such that the entire flow of gas to be dried supplied to the dryer is first guided through the regeneration zone before flowing through the drying zone, wherein the aforementioned means are only formed by one or more blowers in the aforementioned tap-off pipe. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dryer according to claim 1, wherein, viewed in the direction of rotation of the drum the intermediate zone is at the start of the drying zone, in other words at the side of the drying zone along which the drying agent leaves the regeneration zone during the rotation of the drum, in order to go into the drying zone. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The dryer according to claim 1, wherein, viewed in the direction of rotation of the drum, the intermediate zone is at the end of the drying zone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The dryer according to claim 1, wherein means are provided to enable the heating of the tapped-off intermediate flow to at least one intermediate zone, said means comprising a heating element in the tap-off pipe concerned to the inlet of the intermediate zone concerned. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The dryer according to claim 1, wherein it is constructed with one or more of the following intermediate zones: an intermediate cooling zone at the end of the regeneration zone with an intermediate gas flow that is tapped off from the outlet of the drying zone and is guided by means of an aforementioned blower, without heating, to the inlet of the intermediate cooling zone concerned; an intermediate regeneration zone at the end of the regeneration zone with an intermediate gas flow that is tapped off from the outlet of the drying zone and is guided by means of an aforementioned blower, after having been heated, to the inlet of the intermediate regeneration zone concerned; an intermediate cooling zone at the start of the regeneration zone with an intermediate gas flow that is tapped off from the outlet of the drying zone and is guided by means of an aforementioned blower, without heating, to the inlet of the intermediate cooling zone concerned; an intermediate regeneration zone at the start of the regeneration zone with an intermediate gas flow that is tapped off from the outlet of the drying zone and is guided by means of an aforementioned blower, after having been heated, to the inlet of the intermediate regeneration zone concerned. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The dryer according to claim 5, wherein when there is both an intermediate cooling zone and an intermediate regeneration zone at the start or at the end of the regeneration zone, the intermediate cooling zone borders the drying zone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The dryer according to claim 5, wherein there is only one blower for all intermediate zones. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The dryer according to claim 7, wherein there are means for the distribution of the gas flow from the blower over a number of intermediate zones. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The dryer according to claim 8, wherein the means for the distribution of the gas flow are formed by one or more constrictions, adjustable or controllable, in the tap-off pipes to the intermediate zones. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The dryer according to claim 1, wherein an aforementioned blower is provided with a controllable drive that is connected to a control system to which one or more sensors are connected to determine the pressure difference between the outlet of the drying zone, on the one hand, and the inlet of the regeneration zone, on the other hand, and whereby the aforementioned control system is provided with an algorithm that changes the speed of the aforementioned drive on the basis of the aforementioned pressure difference. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the dryer is provided with a restriction that prevents gas from being able to flow from the drying zone to the regeneration zone via the connecting pipe. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The dryer according to claim 4, wherein the aforementioned heating element is made to be adjustable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The dryer according to claim 12, wherein the aforementioned heating element is provided with a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature in the heating element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The dryer according to claim 13, wherein the aforementioned temperature sensor is connected to a control unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The dryer according to claim 10, wherein means are provided to enable the heating of the tapped-off intermediate flow to at least one intermediate zone, said means comprising a heating element in the tap-off pipe concerned to the inlet of the intermediate zone concerned, wherein the heating element is made to be adjustable, wherein the heating element is provided with a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature in the heating element, wherein the temperature sensor is connected to a control unit, and wherein the control unit is formed by the control system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The dryer according to claim 1, wherein this dryer does not comprise a venturi ejector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A compressor installation provided with a compressor with an inlet for gas to be compressed and a pressure pipe for compressed gas, wherein the compressor installation comprises a dryer according to claim 1 for drying the entire flow of compressed gas supplied by the compressor that is guided through the dryer for the supply of dried gas to a consumer network via a tap-off point at the outlet of the drying zone, whereby to this end the pressure pipe connects to the inlet of the regeneration zone of the dryer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The compressor installation according to claim 10, wherein the aforementioned compressor for the supply of gas to be dried is provided with a controllable drive and that the compressor installation for both controllable drives, respectively of the blower and of the compressor, comprises a shared control system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The compressor installation according to claim 18, wherein the aforementioned control system of the drive of the blower is provided with an algorithm that stops the blower when the compressor stops. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The compressor installation according to claim 17, wherein a tap-off pipe is not connected to the aforementioned pressure pipe. ### Claim 21 A method for drying compressed gas, comprising the steps of: driving the entire hot compressed gas flow originating from a compressor through a regeneration zone of a dryer that is provided with a vessel with a drying zone therein, in addition to the aforementioned regeneration zone, and a rotatable drum in the vessel with a regenerable drying agent therein; rotating the aforementioned drum such that the drying agent is moved successively through the drying zone and the regeneration zone; cooling the aforementioned gas flow, after passing through the aforementioned regeneration zone and separating the condensate from this gas flow; subsequently guiding the concerned gas flow through the aforementioned drying zone for drying this gas flow for supply to a consumer network; directing an intermediate gas flow of dried gas, that is tapped off at the outlet of the drying zone only by means of one or more blowers that are provided in a tap-off pipe that connects the aforementioned outlet of the drying zone to the inlet of the intermediate zone, through an intermediate zone situated between the drying zone and the regeneration zone. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the tapped-off portion of dried gas is first heated before being guided to the intermediate zone. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the gas flow that is tapped off from the outlet of the drying zone for the intermediate zone is subject to a pressure increase such that the pressure at the outlet of the drying zone is higher than the pressure at the inlet of the regeneration zone. ### Claim 24 (depends on 11) The dryer according to claim 11, wherein the restriction is in the form of a non-return valve that is affixed in the connecting pipe or in the form of a controllable shut-off valve. ### Claim 25 A dryer for a compressed gas supplied, comprising: a vessel with a drying zone and a regeneration zone therein; an inlet for the regeneration zone that is also an inlet for the supply of gas to be dried and an outlet for the regeneration zone; an inlet for the drying zone and an outlet for the drying zone that is also the outlet of the dryer from where dried compressed gas can be tapped off for a downstream consumer network; a rotatable drum in the vessel with a regenerable drying agent therein; a motor for rotating the rotatable drum such that the drying agent is moved successively through the drying zone and the regeneration zone; a connecting pipe that connects the outlet for the regeneration zone to the inlet for the drying zone; a cooler and a condensate separator incorporated in the connecting pipe; at least one intermediate zone that, viewed in the direction of rotation of the drum, is situated between the regeneration zone and the drying zone and which is provided with a separate inlet and an outlet that is shared with or connected to the outlet of the regeneration zone; a tap-off pipe that branches off from the outlet for the drying zone and connects to the separate inlet of the intermediate zone; one or more blowers in the tap-off pipe for effectuating an intermediate flow from the drying zone, through the tap-off pipe, to the intermediate zone, wherein the dryer is configured such that an entire flow of gas to be dried supplied to the dryer is first guided through the regeneration zone before flowing through the drying zone.