US 6,581,297 B1Granted

Drying apparatus and method

AssigneeGraham-White Manufacturing Company

InventorWilliam F. Ginder

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Abstract

A twin tower gas drying system is disclosed for cleaning compressed air lines in locomotives, buses, transit vehicles and the like by removing undesirable contaminants from an air or gas stream. A multistage filtration process employs a first scrubber that is capable of removing particulate material or soot from a stream of unpurified gas. A pre-filtering means is employed to remove impurities from the stream of unpurified gas. Coalescing filters are us to remove remaining moisture from the gas stream. Two towers of dessicant material dry the gas stream. The drying system is capable of controlling the flow of gas by alternately switching between supplying unpurified gas to a first tower and supplying unpurified gas to a second tower, with a purge cycle in between. Thus, a first dessicant tower is being purged of moisture while the second tower accumulates moisture, and likewise the second tower is purged while the first tower accumulates moisture, in alternating sequence.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A twin tower gas drying system for purifying a gas stream, comprising:

(a) a separation means for removing particulate material from a stream of unpurified gas;
(b) a pre-filtering means for removing impurities from said stream of unpurified gas flowing from said separation means;
(c) first and second coalescing filters capable of removing contaminants from said stream of unpurified gas flowing from said pre-filtering means;
(d) a first tower having a first dessicant material therein for removing moisture from said stream of unpurified gas received from said first coalescing filter so as to supply a first stream of purified gas therefrom;
(e) a second tower having a second dessicant material therein for removing moisture from said remaining stream of unpurified gas received from a second of said coalescing filters so as to supply a second stream of purified gas therefrom;
and
(f) a control means for controlling flow of said unpurified and purified streams of gases through said drying system such that said drying system is capable of alternately switching between supplying unpurified gas to said first tower and supplying unpurified gas to said second tower.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.