A dryer for drying compressed gas and method of regenerating a desiccant material comprised within said dryer

A dryer provided with an inlet for receiving a flow of compressed gas and an outlet for providing dry air, said dryer comprising:

• a first and a second adsorption vessel connected in parallel, each of said first and second adsorption vessels comprising:
• an inlet flow conduit connected to said inlet and an outlet flow conduit connected to said outlet for allowing a flow of compressed gas therethrough, a desiccant material provided therein, a control valve provided on said inlet flow conduit, and an outlet valve provided on said outlet flow conduit;
• a depressurization unit adapted to be connected to the inlet flow conduit of each of said first and second adsorption vessels;
• wherein the dryer further comprises a flow reducer adapted to be connected to the inlet flow conduit of each of the first and second adsorption vessels and allowing a flow of fluid therethrough, whereby said flow reducer comprises a perforated disk, and
• said control valves are adapted to be switched in a first state in which compressed gas is allowed to flow through the inlet flow conduit of one of said adsorption vessels, and a second state in which one or both of said inlet flow conduits is in fluid connection with the depressurization unit.

A method of regenerating a desiccant material comprised within at least two adsorption vessels of a dryer, said adsorption vessels being connected in parallel, said method comprising the following steps:

• bringing an outlet of a compressor unit in fluid communication with an inlet flow conduit of a first adsorption vessel through a first control valve connected on said inlet flow conduit, said first control valve being in a first state;
• bringing an inlet flow conduit of a second adsorption vessel in fluid connection with a depressurization unit through a second control valve, said second control valve being connected on the inlet flow conduit of said second adsorption vessel and being in a second state;
• allowing a minimum flow of dry gas to flow from an outlet flow conduit of the first adsorption vessel through an outlet flow conduit of the second adsorption vessel, whereby a flow of gas is maintained from the outlet flow conduit towards the inlet flow conduit of said second adsorption vessel and moisture is eliminated through the inlet flow conduit and out of the adsorption vessel, into an outside environment;
• wherein the method further comprises the step of adapting a pressure drop within the second adsorption vessel by means of a flow reducer comprising a perforated disk, said flow reducer being adapted to be connected to the inlet flow conduit of said second adsorption vessel.