Dry air supply systems

An apparatus for dehumidifying ambient atmospheric air comprising:

• an enclosure assembly configured to define a first air path and a second air path, and containing a moisture-absorbing desiccant having a first dried state and a second moisturized state;
• a heat exchanger system including first means for (a) receiving radiated thermal energy from an internal combustion engine, and (b) transferring at least a portion of the radiated thermal energy to air drawn along the first air path to heat the air in the first air path;
• and second means for (a) receiving exhaust gas containing thermal energy from the internal combustion engine, and (b) transferring at least a portion of the thermal energy from the exhaust gas to air drawn along the first air path to heat the air in the first air path;
• the first air path within said enclosure assembly connecting the ambient atmosphere to a reactivation air outlet through the heat exchanger system and the desiccant in the second moisturized state, and the second air path within said enclosure assembly connecting the ambient atmosphere to a dried air outlet through the desiccant in the first dried state;
• a first blower configured to draw air from the ambient atmosphere along the first air path through the heat exchanger system to provide heated air, and to further draw the heated air along the first air path through the desiccant in the second moisturized state, to change the desiccant from the second moisturized state to the first dried state;
• and
• a second blower configured to draw air from the ambient atmosphere along the second air path through the desiccant in the first dried state, to provide dried air at the dried air outlet and to change the desiccant from the first dried state to the second moisturized state, wherein the enclosure assembly is configured so that the first air path comprises a first heating path and a second heating path that is physically separated from the first heating path, wherein the first means of the heat exchanger system transfers radiated thermal energy to air drawn along the first heating path and not to air drawn along the second heating path, and the second means of the heat exchanger system transfers thermal energy from the exhaust gas to air drawn along the second heating path and not to air drawn along the first heating path, whereby the first means and the second means of the heat exchanger system are arranged in parallel to transfer heat to air flowing along the first air path.

A mobile apparatus for dehumidifying ambient atmospheric air comprising:

• (I) an air handling section having a rectangular footprint with a first length and a first width smaller than the first length, the air handling section including an enclosure assembly, a heat exchanger system, a first blower and a second blower;
• (II) an electric generator section having a rectangular footprint with a second length and a second width smaller than the second length, the electric generator section including an electric generator and an internal combustion engine that during operation rotates the electric generator to generate electric power, the internal combustion engine generating during operation radiated thermal energy and exhaust gas containing thermal energy;
• (III) a mobile trailer adapted to roll in a longitudinal direction and defining a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the air handling section and the electric generator section being mounted on the mobile trailer proximate to each other;
• the enclosure assembly configured to define a first air path and a second air path, and containing a moisture-absorbing desiccant having a first dried state and a second moisturized state,
• the heat exchanger system including first means for (a) receiving radiated thermal energy from the internal combustion engine, and (b) transferring at least a portion of the received radiated thermal energy to air drawn along the first air path to heat the air in the first air path;
• and second means for (a) receiving exhaust gas containing thermal energy from the internal combustion engine, and (b) transferring at least a portion of the exhaust gas thermal energy from the exhaust gas to air drawn along the first air path to heat the air in the first air path;
• the first air path comprises a first heating path and a second heating path that is physically separated from the first heating path;
• the first means of the heat exchanger system transfers radiated thermal energy to air drawn along the first heating path and not to air drawn along the second heating path;
• the second means of the heat exchanger system transfers thermal energy from the exhaust gas to air drawn along the second heating path and not to air drawn along the first heating path;
• the first means and the second means of the heat exchanger system are arranged in parallel to transfer heat to air flowing along the first air path;
• the first air path within said enclosure assembly connecting the ambient atmosphere to a reactivation air outlet through the heat exchanger system and the desiccant in the second moisturized state, and the second air path within said enclosure assembly connecting the ambient atmosphere to a dried air outlet through the desiccant in the first dried state;
• the first blower powered by electric power received from the electric generator and configured to draw air from the ambient atmosphere along the first air path through the heat exchanger system to provide heated air, and to further draw the heated air along the first air path through the desiccant in the second moisturized state, to change the desiccant from the second moisturized state to the first dried state;
• and
• the second blower powered by electric power received from the electric generator and configured to draw air from the ambient atmosphere along the second air path through the desiccant in the first dried state, to provide dried air at the dried air outlet and to change the desiccant from the first dried state to the second moisturized state;
• and
• the air handling section being mounted on the trailer in an orientation such that the first length is parallel to either the longitudinal direction or the transverse direction, and the electric generator section being mounted on the trailer in an orientation such that the second length is generally parallel to either the longitudinal direction or the transverse direction.

A mobile apparatus for dehumidifying ambient atmospheric air comprising:

• an air handling section including an enclosure assembly, a heat exchanger system, a first blower and a second blower;
• an electric generator section including an electric generator and a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine that rotates the electric generator to generate electric power, the internal combustion engine generating radiated thermal energy that is transferred to a liquid coolant and generating exhaust gas containing thermal energy;
• a mobile platform selected from the group consisting of a trailer and a skid, with the air handling section and the electric generator section being mounted proximate to each other on the mobile platform;
• the enclosure assembly configured to define a first air path and a second air path;
• an air-permeable rotatable desiccant wheel included within the enclosure assembly and rotated by electric power received from the electric generator, the rotatable desiccant wheel containing a moisture-absorbing desiccant having a first dried state and a second moisturized state;
• the heat exchanger system including a first heat exchanger that receives from the internal combustion engine liquid coolant containing radiated thermal energy, the first heat exchanger transferring at least a portion of such radiated thermal energy to air drawn along the first air path to heat the air in the first air path;
• and a second heat exchanger that receives exhaust gas containing thermal energy from the internal combustion engine, the second heat exchanger transferring at least a portion of the exhaust gas thermal energy from the exhaust gas to air drawn along the first air path to heat the air in the first air path;
• the first air path within said enclosure assembly connecting the ambient atmosphere to a reactivation air outlet through the heat exchanger system and through desiccant in the second moisturized state contained on the rotatable desiccant wheel;
• the second air path within said enclosure assembly connecting the ambient atmosphere to a dried air outlet through desiccant in the first dried state contained on the rotatable desiccant wheel;
• the first blower powered by electric power received from the electric generator and configured to draw air from the ambient atmosphere along the first air path through the heat exchanger system to provide heated air, and to further draw the heated air along the first air path through desiccant in the second moisturized state contained on the rotatable desiccant wheel, to change the desiccant from the second moisturized state to the first dried state;
• the second blower powered by electric power received from the electric generator and configured to draw air from the ambient atmosphere along the second air path through desiccant in the first dried state contained on the rotatable desiccant wheel, to provide dried air at the dried air outlet and to change the desiccant from the first dried state to the second moisturized state;
• the first blower and second blower drawing air along the first air path and along the second air path through desiccant on the rotatable desiccant wheel in opposite directions;
• and
• the rotation of the desiccant wheel delivering on a continuous basis desiccant in the second moisturized state to the first air path so as to be changed to the first dried state, and desiccant contained in the first dried state to the second air path to be changed to the second moisturized state.