Pressure swing adsorbtion air dryer
AssigneeAltec Industries, Inc.
InventorsJames Vincent DiMaiolo, David K. Boger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pressure swing adsorption air dryer system and method is described herein. In some embodiments, the air dryer system receives moist air and dries the air using a desiccant in a pressure swing adsorption method. The resulting dry air may be used as a working fluid for an application and a portion of the dry air may be used to aid in regenerating, or removing moisture from a desiccant. Sensors are strategically placed throughout the air drying system to measure the state of the air. The air and airflow may be controlled throughout the system based on the sensor measurements.
Claims20
A pressure swing adsorption system of drying air comprising:
- a first tower containing a first desiccant and receiving an incoming airflow;
- wherein the first desiccant adsorbs moisture from the incoming airflow creating a reduced-moisture air;
- a second tower containing a second desiccant and receiving the reduced-moisture air from the first tower;
- a valve for regulating an amount of the reduced-moisture air flowing from the first tower to the second tower;
- at least one sensor for measuring a state of the air in the system;
- and
- a controller configured to control a variable orifice of the valve based at least in part on a dewpoint,
- wherein the dewpoint is determined from the state of the air in at least one of the first tower and the second tower.
A pressure swing adsorption system of drying air comprising:
- a first tower containing a first desiccant and receiving an airflow;
- a second tower containing a second desiccant;
- wherein the first desiccant is configured to adsorb moisture from the airflow creating a reduced-moisture air;
- at least one sensor for sensing a state of the air in the system;
- a valve for regulating the reduced-moisture air from the first tower to the second tower,
- wherein the second tower receives at least a portion of the reduced-moisture air for regenerating the second desiccant;
- and
- a controller configured to control a variable orifice of the valve based at least in part on a dewpoint,
- wherein the dewpoint is determined from the state of the air in the second tower.
A pressure swing adsorption system of drying air, comprising:
- incoming air received through an inlet valve,
- wherein the incoming air passes through a first desiccant disposed in a first tower,
- wherein the desiccant removes moisture from the incoming air creating dry air;
- a first portion of the dry air that is passed to an outlet of the system to be used as a working fluid;
- a second portion of the dry air that is passed to a second desiccant in a second tower through a variable orifice purge valve,
- wherein the variable orifice of the purge valve is controlled by a programmable logic controller,
- wherein the control of the variable orifice of the valve by the programmable logic controller is based at least in part on a dewpoint,
- wherein the dewpoint is measured in the second tower,
- wherein the dry air removes moisture from the second desiccant creating wet air;
- and
- a purge valve that removes wet air from the system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.