Air drying apparatus and method

A method of removing contaminants from an air process flow, comprising:

• (a) providing a contaminated air process flow,
• (b) feeding the contaminated air process flow to a membrane filter, the membrane filter having a filtration media,
• (c) separating and removing contaminants from the contaminated air process flow to produce a partially cleaned air process flow,
• (d) providing a sweep chamber, adjacent to the filtration media,
• (e) feeding the air process flow through the filtration media, thereby producing a cleaned air process flow,
• (f) diverting a portion of the cleaned air process flow to the sweep chamber, and
• (g) regulating the minimum air pressure of the air process flow exiting the filtration media.

An air processing apparatus for removing contaminants from a process flow of air, comprising:

• (a) a first membrane filter, comprising a filtration media, and adapted to receive a process flow of contaminated air along a process flow pathway so as to separate gaseous water vapor from said air process flow,
• (b) a sweep chamber, adjacent to said filtration media,
• (c) a metering device in said process flow pathway and downstream from said first membrane filter, the metering device adapted to divert a portion of said air process flow as sweep air into said sweep chamber, wherein said sweep air is in flowing fluid communication with said filtration media, and
• (d) a flow restriction mechanism within said metering device and adapted to regulate the amount of said sweep air diverted into said sweep chamber directly proportional to said air the process flow and inversely proportional to the pressure of said air process flow.

An air processing apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a pre-filtering mechanism,
• (b) a filtration media downstream from said pre-filtering mechanism and adapted to receive a process flow of contaminated air along a process flow pathway so as to separate gaseous water vapor from said air process flow,
• (c) a sweep chamber adjacent to said filtration media,
• (d) a metering device in said process flow pathway and downstream from said filtration media, said metering device adapted to divert a portion of said air process flow as sweep air into said sweep chamber, wherein said sweep air is in flowing fluid communication with said filtration media, and
• (e) a flow restriction mechanism within said metering device and adapted to regulate the amount of said sweep air, directly proportional to said air process flow and inversely proportional to the pressure of said air process flow.