Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/26—Drying gases or vapours
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/26—Drying gases or vapours
  • B01D53/261—Drying gases or vapours by adsorption
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S55/00—Gas separation
  • Y10S55/17—Compressed air water removal

Definitions

• the pre s ent invention concerns an improved compressor device.
• the invention in particular concerns a compressor device of the type which consists of a compressor with an inlet and an outlet; a compressed air line which connects the outlet of the compressor to a user network; a drier which is incorporated in the above-mentioned compressed air line and which comprises at least two air receivers which are each provided with an intake and an output and which are filled with desiccant or drying agent, which air receivers work alternately, such that while one air receiver is drying the compressed gas, the other air receiver is regenerated; and a blow-off device to blow off at least a part of the gas compressed by the compresso'r when the compressor operates in no-load or partial load.
• this entire maximum output of compressed gas is sent at the outlet of the compressor through the regenerating air receiver so as to abstract moisture from the drying agent in said air receiver by making use of the heat of this compressed gas, and to thus regenerate the drying agent.
• a disadvantage of such known type of compressor device is that, in partial load operation, only a part of the available output of the compressor is used to regenerate the drying agent in the regenerating air receiver, which may lead to insufficient regeneration of the drying agent under certain circumstances.
• the invention aims to remedy the above-mentioned and other disadvantages by providing a compressor device whereby the entire compressor output is always used for regenerating the drying agent, irrespective of the consumption, and thus irrespective of whether the compressor device operates in full load, in partial load or in no-load.
• the invention concerns an improved compressor device of the above-mentioned type, whereby means are provided which make it possible to guide the part of the compressed gas which is blown off via the blow-off device through the regenerating air receiver concerned.
• the above-mentioned means comprise one or several connecting pipes between the intakes of the above-mentioned air receivers, and the blow-off device is formed by a branch which is connected to one of these connecting pipes.
• a throttle valve is provided in the inlet of the compressor which is activated when the compressor operates in no-load, such that in no-load, the compressed air is additionally heated as a result of the throttling, and a more efficient regeneration is thus obtained .
• figure 1 represents an improved compressor device according to the invention
• figures 2, 3 and 4 represent the compressor device of figure 1, but for other operating conditions .
• the compressor device 1 of figure 1 mainly consists of a compressor 2 with an inlet 3 and an outlet 4; a compressed air line 5 which connects the outlet 4 of the compressor 2 to a user network 6 and a drier 7 which is incorporated in the above-mentioned compressed air line 5.
• the compressor 2 in this case mainly consists of a low pressure stage 8 and a high pressure stage 9 connected in series by means of a pressure pipe 10 in which are successively incorporated an intercooler 11 and a water separator 12.
• the drier 7 contains a first insulated air receiver 13, with an inlet 14 and an outlet 15 containing silica gel or any other drying agent whatsoever; a second insulated air
• .j receiver 16 with an inlet 17 and an outlet 18 which also comprises silica gel as a drying agent.
• Each of the outlets 15 and 18 of both air receivers 13 and 16 is connected, via a split pipe 19 and a valve 20 in each split part 19A and 19B of the pipe 19, to the compressed air line 5, whereby this compressed air line 5 is interrupted between the above-mentioned connections of the split parts 19A and 19B on the compressed air line 5.
• the inlets 14 are mutually connected by means of three connecting pipes, a first connecting pipe 21 with two stop cocks 22, a second connecting pipe 23 with non-return valves working in the opposite direction and a third connecting pipe 25 respectively, with two stop cocks 26 as well.
• the first and second connecting pipes are bridged by a cooler 27 which is connected with its inlet to the second connecting pipe 23, more particularly between the non- return valves 24 in this pipe 23, and which is connected with its outlet to the first connecting pipe 21, more particularly between the stop cocks 22 of this pipe 21.
• a blow-off device 28 for blowing off compressed gas is provided in the form of a branch which is connected to the first connecting pipe 21 between the stop cocks 22 and which opens into the atmosphere.
• blow-off device 28 In this blow-off device 28 is provided a stop cock 29, as well as a sound absorber 30 at the output of the blow- off device 28.
• the blow-off device 28 is in this case also connected to the third connecting pipe 25, more particularly between the stop cocks 26 of this pipe and downstream in relation to the stop cock 29.
• the compressor device 1 is preferably also provided with a controller, not represented in the figures, which makes it possible to set the operating conditions of the compressor 2 and to open or close the valves 20 and stop cocks 22 and 26, depending on the required operating conditions of the compressor device 1.
• the compressor device 1 can also be provided with measuring equipment to measure temperatures, pressures and, if necessary, also the dew point, which measuring equipment is connected to the above-mentioned controller to control the compressor device 1.
• valves 20 and the stop cocks 22 and 26 are represented in black when closed and in white when open, and whereby the path followed by the compressed gas is represented in bold.
• Figure 1 represents the compressor device 1 when the compressor 2 operates in full load, i.e. at its maximum capacity.
• the entire non-cooled compressed gas flow, coming from the outlet 4 of the compressor 2 is guided counterflow through the air receiver 13, namely from the outlet 15 to the inlet 14, where this gas flow will regenerate the drying agent or desiccant, for example silica gel, making use of the heat contained in the compressed gas.
• the drying agent or desiccant for example silica gel
• the compressed gas flow goes to the cooler 27 where it is cooled, to be then guided through the air receiver 16 so as to dry the compressed gas.
• the outlet 18 of the air receiver 16 is at that time connected to the user network 6 onto which are connected one or several consumers of compressed gas, not represented here.
• Figure 2 represents the compressor device 1 in partial load operation whereby the user network 6 only requires a part of the output of the compressor 2.
• a compressor device 1 according to the invention offers the advantage that, also in partial load, the drying agent in the regenerating air receiver 13 is always maximally regenerated.
• Figure 3 shows an alternative of a partial load operation, whereby the excess output which is blown off into the atmosphere via the blow-off device 28 is in this case not branched downstream but upstream in relation to the cooler 27, such that no additional energy is required for cooling than said output blown off into the atmosphere.
• Figure 4 represents the no-load operation of the compressor device 1, whereby no compressed gas is taken by the user network 6 in this case.
• the compressor 2 is made to run idle and pressureless, whereby a minimum amount of gas is sucked in, compressed and blown off into the atmosphere.
• the compressed gas is not blown off directly at the outlet 4, but it is sent through the regenerating air receiver first to be then blown off into the atmosphere via the blow-off device 28.
• the inlet 3 of the compressor 2 may optionally be provided with a throttle device which is at least activated in no-load operation.
• the compressed gas reaches higher temperatures at the outlet 4 of the compressor, as a result of which a warmer gas is sent through the regenerating air receiver and a better regeneration of the drying agent is thus obtained.
• valves 20 and the connecting pipes 21, 23 and 25 with their respective stop cocks 22, 26 and non-return valves 24, other means can be provided which make it possible to send the excess, non-used part of the compressed gas through the regenerating air receiver 13 in partial load and in no- load operation.
• blow-off 28 must not necessarily take place in the atmosphere, but in the case of medical gases, for example, the blow-off can take place in a controlled environment at a pressure which is lower than the pressure at the outlet 4 of the compressor 2.
• the compressor 2 must not necessarily be a multi-stage compressor.
• the terminology of the intakes 14-17 and of the outlets 15- 18 of the air receivers 13-16 are selected as a function of the operation of the air receivers as a drying air receiver.
• the compressed gas in the given example, flows counterflow through the air receiver 13 concerned, i.e. from the outlet to the inlet.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Drying Of Gases (AREA)
• Compressor (AREA)

Priority Applications (8)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Citations (4)

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• 2004
  • 2004-08-02 BE BE2004/0376A patent/BE1016145A3/nl not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2005
  • 2005-07-20 WO PCT/BE2005/000120 patent/WO2006012710A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2005-07-20 EP EP05763965.0A patent/EP1776171B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2005-07-20 BR BRPI0514016A patent/BRPI0514016B1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2005-07-20 CN CN2005800260629A patent/CN101001687B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-07-20 DK DK05763965.0T patent/DK1776171T3/da active
  • 2005-07-20 US US11/658,911 patent/US7922790B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-07-20 KR KR1020107007412A patent/KR100989883B1/ko not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-07-20 KR KR1020077002448A patent/KR100964591B1/ko not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-07-20 JP JP2007524139A patent/JP4800308B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-07-20 ES ES05763965T patent/ES2416313T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2005-07-20 PL PL05763965T patent/PL1776171T3/pl unknown

Patent Citations (4)

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