Dryer for Compressed Gas, Compressor Equipment Equipped with the Dryer, and Method for Drying Compressed Gas

Abstract

The dryer for compressed gas comprises a pressure vessel containing a drying zone and a regeneration zone, a drum in a rotationally symmetrical section provided with a regenerable desiccant, a drive means for rotating the drum so that the desiccant moves continuously through the drying zone and the regeneration zone, an inlet for supplying compressed air to be dried to the drying zone, an outlet for discharging the dried compressed gas, and a first connecting line for branching a partial flow of the dried compressed gas and transferring this partial flow to the regeneration zone. The outlet side of the drying zone is divided by a partition plate into a first outlet zone to which the outlet for the dried compressed gas is connected and a second outlet zone to which the first connecting line is connected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dryer for compressed gas, a compressor installation equipped with a dryer of this type, and a method for drying compressed gas such as air.

Background Art

[0002] Dryers for compressed gas are known. Such dryers include a pressure vessel having a drying zone, a regeneration zone, and possibly a cooling zone, and a rotating drum within the pressure vessel equipped with a renewable desiccant. The pressure vessel includes an inlet for supplying the compressed gas to be dried to the drying zone and an outlet for taking out the dried gas. Warm regeneration gas is directed to the regeneration zone for regenerating the desiccant. The dryer also includes a drive for rotating the drum so that the desiccant moves substantially through the drying zone and the regeneration zone.

[0003] Compressed gas heated by compression and consequently having a low relative humidity can be used as regeneration gas for regenerating the desiccant. In a known first design, a portion of the supply flow of the compressed gas is taken out for regeneration and then added back to the flow of the compressed gas via a connecting line. In a known second design, a portion of the supply flow of the compressed gas is taken out, heated, and then added back to the flow of the compressed gas via a connecting line. In a known third design, the entire supply flow is dried and the compressed gas is first directed through the regeneration zone and then through the drying zone.

[0004] Other designs such as International Publication No. 2015 / 039193 are also known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] One object of the present invention is to correct one or more drawbacks of the prior art.

[0007] Another object of the invention is to create a dryer or drying unit for compressed gas that can improve the properties of the dried compressed gas (e.g., pressure dew point), and / or the function of the dryer (e.g., efficiency).

[0008] A further object of the present invention is to create a dryer or drying unit for compressed gas having a more compact structure.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The compressed gas is, for example, air, but can be other gases. The dried gas can be used for all kinds of applications such as air transportation and driving tools driven by air pressure in a downstream compressed air network.

[0010] According to a first aspect, whether or not combined with other aspects or designs described herein, the present invention includes a pressure vessel having a rotationally symmetric (such as cylindrical) part including a drying zone and a regeneration zone; a drum provided with a regenerable desiccant within the rotationally symmetric part; driving means for rotating the drum within the rotationally symmetric part so that the desiccant continuously moves through the drying zone and the regeneration zone, that is, for rotating the drum and / or rotating the rotationally symmetric part; an inlet for supplying compressed air to be dried to the drying zone; an outlet for discharging the dried compressed gas; and a first connection line for branching a partial flow of the dried compressed gas and moving this partial flow to the regeneration zone, to create a dryer or drying unit for drying compressed gas. The outlet side of the drying zone is divided using a partition plate into a first outlet zone to which the outlet is connected for the dried compressed gas, and a second outlet zone to which the first connection line is connected. In other words, the first outlet zone and the second outlet zone are separated parts or spaces within the pressure vessel on the outlet side of the drying zone.

[0011] The inventors have found that by dividing the outlet side of the drying zone into a first outlet zone and a second outlet zone, in other words, by splitting the partial flow used for regeneration and the flow of dried compressed gas that is moved to the outlet such that all the flow of the already dried gas is at the position where it is discharged from the drum, the properties of the dried compressed gas that is moved to the outlet can be improved, or at least more accurately determined.

[0012] Furthermore, the inventors have found that by dividing the outlet side of the drying zone into a first outlet zone and a second outlet zone, in other words, by splitting the partial flow used for regeneration and the flow of dried compressed gas that is moved to the outlet such that all the flow of the already dried gas is at the position where it is discharged from the drum, the function of the dryer can be improved. This can optimally utilize the inherent heat of the supplied compressed gas on the one hand and achieve extreme drying of the desiccant on the other hand, thereby maintaining the relative humidity of the compressed gas exiting the dryer as low as possible. In addition, the present invention can guarantee the efficiency of the dryer to be optimally maintained under as many usage conditions as possible.

[0013] The above and other effects can be achieved by a specific selection of the relative positions of the first and second outlet zones, as will be described below. For example, it has been shown by simulation that by a pre-determined selection of the relative positions of the first and second outlet zones, and their extent and / or mutual ratio, the pressure dew point of the process gas can be reduced and / or kept more stable.

[0014] In the design according to the present invention, the first outlet zone can be arranged in front of the second outlet zone when viewed in the rotational direction of the drum. This means that the outlet for the dried compressed gas is connected to the partial zone of the drying zone from which the relatively dried gas is discharged.

[0015] In the design according to the invention, the first outlet zone can be arranged behind the second outlet zone when viewed in the rotational direction of the drum. This means that the first connection line for the partial flow to the regeneration zone is connected to a partial zone of the drying zone from which relatively dry gas is discharged.

[0016] The dryer according to the invention can be provided with positioning elements for positioning the first outlet zone, the second outlet zone, and / or the partition plate on the outlet zone of the drying zone. By using such positioning elements, for example, a well-defined position and setting for the partition plate forming the zone in the pressure vessel can be determined. In this way, the structure of the dryer is simplified.

[0017] In the design according to the invention, the regeneration zone and / or the second outlet zone can extend into the region from 45° to 135° from the drum. Preferably, the regeneration zone and the second outlet zone (partial flow for regeneration) extend into approximately the same region. The regeneration zone preferably extends into the region from 80° to 100°. The first outlet zone preferably extends into the region from 90° to 180°.

[0018] In the design according to the invention, the rotationally symmetric part can also have a cooling zone for cooling the drum, whereby, when viewed in the rotational direction of the drum, the cooling zone is preferably arranged behind the regeneration zone and in front of the drying zone. Preferably, for this cooling, the partial flow is branched and preferably transferred from the side adjacent to the drying zone to the cooling zone.

[0019] According to a second aspect, whether or not combined with other aspects or designs described herein, the present invention provides a pressure vessel having a rotationally symmetric (such as cylindrical) part including a drying zone and a regeneration zone; a drum provided with a regenerable desiccant within the rotationally symmetric part; drive means for rotating the drum within the rotationally symmetric part so that the desiccant moves continuously through the drying zone and the regeneration zone, i.e., for rotating the drum and / or rotating the rotationally symmetric part; an inlet for supplying compressed air to be dried to the drying zone; an outlet for discharging the dried compressed gas; and a first connection line for branching a partial flow of the dried compressed gas and moving this partial flow to the regeneration zone. The first connection line includes a heating unit for heating the partial flow branched for regeneration. The first connection line and the heating unit are arranged within the pressure vessel. By incorporating the first connection line and the heating unit within the pressure vessel, a more compact structure can be achieved.

[0020] In a design according to the present invention, the heating element can be a heat exchanger provided for heating the partial flow taken out for regeneration with the dried compressed gas supplied to the dryer.

[0021] In a design according to the present invention, the inlet for supplying the compressed gas to be dried to the dryer is located at the height of the heat exchanger, and within the pressure vessel, there is a second connection line for supplying the compressed gas to be dried from the heat exchanger to the inlet side of the drying zone. Incorporating the second connection line within the pressure vessel can further contribute to making the structure of the dryer more compact.

[0022] In the design according to the present invention, the second connection line can comprise a Venturi ejector for combining the partial flow used for regeneration and the flow of compressed gas to be dried. By integrating the Venturi ejector into the pressure vessel, the structure of the dryer can be made more compact. The Venturi ejector can be provided with an adjustable opening, and the dryer can include a drive device for controlling the adjustable opening.

[0023] In the design according to the present invention, the dryer also comprises a cooling unit for cooling the supplied compressed gas to be dried, whereby the cooling element is arranged in the pressure vessel on the inlet side of the drying zone. By integrating the cooling device into the pressure vessel, it is possible to further contribute to making the structure of the dryer more compact.

[0024] An additional aspect of the dryer according to the present invention is as shown in claims 17 to 21.

[0025] An additional aspect of the present invention includes a compressor installation comprising a compressor and a dryer according to one of the aspects or designs described herein.

[0026] An additional aspect of the present invention includes a method of drying compressed gas using a dryer according to one of the aspects or designs described herein.

[0027] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings of the design example according to the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3a

Figure 3b

Figure 3c

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The present invention will be described with reference to specific designs and specific drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto and is determined only by the conclusion. The drawings described are merely schematic and limiting. In the drawings, the dimensions of specific elements are exaggerated for the purpose of explanation and are not drawn to scale. The dimensions and relative dimensions do not necessarily match the actual practical design of the present invention.

[0030] In addition, in the description and conclusion, terms such as first, second, third, etc. are used to distinguish similar elements and do not necessarily indicate a continuous or chronological order. These terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, and the design of the present invention can be applied in an order other than that described or illustrated in this specification.

[0031] In addition, in the description and conclusion, terms such as top, bottom, over, under, etc. are used for the purpose of explanation and do not necessarily represent relative positions. The terms used are interchangeable under compatible circumstances, and the design of the present invention described can be applied in a direction other than that described or illustrated in this specification.

[0032] Furthermore, even when referred to as "preferred designs", the various designs should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, but rather as an exemplary aspect showing how the present invention can be designed.

[0033] The term "encompassing" used in the conclusion should not be construed as being limited to the resources or steps listed thereafter. This term does not exclude other elements or steps. This term should be construed as defining the presence of the recited features, elements, steps or components being referred to, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps or components or groups thereof. The scope of the expression "a design encompassing resources A and B" is not limited to a design consisting only of A and B. With respect to the present invention, the invention only summarizes the components A and B of the design, and the conclusion should be further construed to include equivalents of these components.

[0034] Figure 1 shows a known design consisting of a compressor installation with a dryer 1 for compressed gas. The dryer 1 comprises a pressure vessel with a drying zone 2 and a regeneration zone 3, a rotatable drum 4 within the pressure vessel with a renewable desiccant, drive means for rotating the drum so that the desiccant is continuously guided through the drying and regeneration zones, an inlet 5 connected to the inlet side of the drying zone of the pressure vessel and provided for the transfer of the compressed gas to be dried, and an outlet 6 connected to the outlet side of the drying zone of the pressure vessel and provided for the discharge of the dried compressed gas. The input gas to be dried is provided by a compressor 50 which can include a first compression stage 51, a second compression stage 52, and an intercooler (IC) 53. The supply line first moves the compressed gas along a heat exchanger (HE) and a cooling element (aftercooler AC). At the outlet 6 of the dryer, there is a connection line 7 provided for branching off a partial stream of the dried compressed gas. This partial stream is guided through the heat exchanger HE to be heated using the heat present in the supply stream by compression and then further guided to the regeneration zone 3. After regeneration, the partial stream is recombined with the supply stream of the compressed gas to be dried. This is effected by a cooling element comprising a condensation separator (regeneration cooler RC) and a venturi ejector 8.

[0035] Figure 2 shows a first design of a unit according to the invention and includes a compressor installation 50 with a dryer 10 for compressed gas. The dryer 10 includes a pressure vessel 11 with a rotationally symmetric part in which a drying zone 12 and a regeneration zone 13 are defined, a drum 14 installed in the rotationally symmetric part and provided with a regenerable desiccant, and drive means for rotating the drum within the rotationally symmetric part, i.e., for rotating the drum 14 within the rotationally symmetric part or for rotating the rotationally symmetric part around the stationary drum 14, so that the desiccant moves continuously through the drying zone and the regeneration zone. The rotationally symmetric part is preferably cylindrical, but this is not essential and other forms of rotationally symmetric parts are possible. Also, the dryer includes an inlet 15 connected to the inlet side of the drying zone of the pressure vessel 11 and provided for the supply of the compressed gas to be dried, and an outlet 16 connected to the outlet side of the drying zone of the pressure vessel 11 and provided for the discharge of the dried compressed gas. The input gas to be dried is provided by a compressor 50 which can include a first compression stage 51, a second compression stage 52, and an intercooler (IC) 53. The supply line first moves the compressed gas along a heat exchanger (HE) 54 and a cooling element (aftercooler AC) 55. At the outlet 6 of the dryer, there is a connection line 17 provided for branching off a partial flow of the dried compressed gas. This partial flow is led through the heat exchanger 54 to be heated using the heat present in the supply flow due to compression, and then further led to the regeneration zone 13. After regeneration, the partial flow is recombined with the supply flow of the compressed gas to be dried. This occurs by means of a cooling element with a condensate separator (regeneration cooler RC) 56 and a venturi ejector 58, or by other means, for example a blower, which creates a pressure difference to maintain the partial flow for regeneration.

[0036] On the outlet side of the drying zone, using the partition plate 18, it is divided into a first outlet zone 21 to which the outlet 16 is connected for the dried compressed gas and a second outlet zone 22 to which the first connection line 17 is connected. This partition plate 18 is arranged within the volume of the pressure vessel 11 and enables separation of the flow of the drying gas at the position where it is discharged from the drum 14 (which means the upper surface of the drum in the figure). In the design according to FIG. 2, when viewed in the rotational direction of the drum, the first outlet zone 21 is arranged behind the second outlet zone 22, but this can also be reversed. The partition plate 18 can be designed, for example, as a wall or rib extending in the radial direction and formed at the upper part of the pressure vessel, or as a movable wall attached to a provided positioning unit, or as part of a separate element arranged on the drum 14, such as the heat exchanger to be further described, for example.

[0037] FIGS. 3a - c show a comparison between a dryer according to the prior art (FIG. 3a) and some dryers according to the present invention (FIGS. 3b - d). In the case of the known dryer of FIG. 3a, the partial flow for regeneration branches off from the outlet line 6.

[0038] In the design according to FIG. 3b, the dryer is divided into a regeneration zone 13, a cooling zone 19 following the regeneration zone 13 in the rotational direction, and a drying zone following the second outlet zone 22 in the rotational direction and including the first outlet zone 21. The dotted line 18 indicates the partition plate that divides the drying zone. The partial flow flowing into the second outlet zone 22 proceeds to the regeneration zone 13 via the connection line 17 spaced apart from the outlet 6 and the heating unit 24 (such as the heat exchanger 54). The connection line 17 and the heating unit 24 can be provided within the volume of the pressure vessel as described in another place in this specification. The partial flow of the gas discharged into the first outlet zone 21 is transferred to the outlet 16 of the dryer. A smaller partial flow is supplied to the cooling zone 19 from the adjacent part of the drying zone. This is known to those skilled in the art and will not be further described here.

[0039] In the design according to FIG. 3b, the playback zone 13 and the second exit zone 22 have a region range of approximately 90°. The cooling zone 19 extends over a smaller region, and the remainder is formed by the first exit zone 21, thus extending over a larger region than the second exit zone. The ranges of these zones can be made larger or smaller, as described elsewhere in this specification.

[0040] The design according to FIG. 3c is equivalent to the design of FIG. 3b. One difference is that the first and second exit zones are reversed. That is, the first exit zone 31 connected to the exit 16 is arranged in front of the second exit zone 32 connected to the connection line 27 in the rotational direction of the drum.

[0041] Figure 4 shows a second design of the installation according to the invention, including a compressor installation 50 with a dryer 20 for compressed gas. The dryer 20 includes a pressure vessel 11 with a symmetrical rotating part in which a drying zone 12 and a regeneration zone 13 are defined, a drum 15 installed in the rotationally symmetrical part and provided with a regenerable desiccant, and drive means for rotating the aforementioned drum with respect to the rotationally symmetrical part so that the desiccant moves continuously through the drying zone and the regeneration zone. The rotationally symmetrical part is preferably cylindrical, but this is not essential, and other forms of rotationally symmetrical parts are also possible. Further, the dryer includes an inlet 15 connected to the inlet side of the drying zone of the pressure vessel 11 and provided for the supply of the compressed gas to be dried, and an outlet 16 connected to the outlet side of the drying zone of the pressure vessel 11 provided for the discharge of the dried compressed gas. The input gas to be dried is provided by a compressor 50 which can include a first compression stage 51, a second compression stage 52, and an intercooler (IC) 53. The supply line first moves the compressed gas along a heat exchanger (HE) 54 and a cooling element 57. At the outlet 6 of the dryer, there is a connection line 17 provided for branching off a partial flow of the dried compressed gas. This partial flow is guided through the heat exchanger 54 to be heated by utilizing the heat present in the supply flow by compression, and then further sent to the regeneration zone 13. After regeneration, the partial flow is recombined with the supply flow of the compressed gas to be dried. This occurs by means of a venturi ejector 58 or by other means that create a pressure difference, such as a blower, to maintain the partial flow for regeneration.

[0042] In the design according to Figure 4, the combination of the main stream of the compressed gas to be dried and the partial flow used for regeneration occurs before cooling. Thus, the cooling can occur commonly for both flows in a cooling element 57 (process cooler PC) arranged between the venturi ejector 58 and the inlet 15 of the pressure vessel 11. This cooling element 57 preferably comprises a condensation separator. In other designs, this cooling element 57 can also be incorporated into the pressure vessel, more precisely, at the bottom between the inlet 15 and the inlet side of the drying zone 12.

[0043] Similar to FIG. 2, in the design according to FIG. 4, on the outlet side of the drying zone, using the partition plate 18, it is divided into a first outlet zone 21 to which the outlet 16 is connected for the dried compressed gas and a second outlet zone 22 to which the first connection line 17 is connected. In the design according to FIG. 4, when viewed in the rotational direction of the drum, the first outlet zone 21 is arranged behind the second outlet zone 22, but as described in FIG. 3, this can be reversed.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a second design of the facility according to the present invention, including a compressor facility 50 equipped with a dryer 30 for compressed gas. The dryer 30 includes a pressure vessel 11 including a rotationally symmetric portion in which a drying zone 12 and a regeneration zone 13 are defined, a drum 14 installed in the rotationally symmetric portion and equipped with a regenerable desiccant, and drive means for rotating the aforementioned drum with respect to the rotationally symmetric portion so that the desiccant continuously moves through the drying zone and the regeneration zone. The rotationally symmetric portion is preferably cylindrical, but this is not essential, and other forms of rotationally symmetric portions are also possible. Further, the dryer includes an inlet 15 connected to the inlet side of the drying zone of the pressure vessel 11 and provided for the supply of the compressed gas to be dried, and an outlet 16 connected to the outlet side of the drying zone of the pressure vessel 11 provided for the discharge of the dried compressed gas. The input gas to be dried is provided by a compressor 50 that can include a first compression stage 51, a second compression stage 52, and an intercooler (IC) 53.

[0045] In the design according to FIG. 5, the supply flow of the compressed gas is first led through a heat exchanger 29 via a supply line 28 attached to the upper part of the pressure vessel 11, and then further led to the inlet 15 of the pressure vessel 11. The heat exchanger 29 is provided for heating a partial flow 27 for regeneration, and in this design, it forms a partition plate 18 and a first connection line 27 that separate the partial flow for regeneration from the flow of the dried compressed gas that is led to the outlet 16 and redirected to the regeneration zone 13. Therefore, in this design, the first connection line 27 and the heat exchanger 29 are incorporated into the pressure vessel 11.

[0046] In the design according to FIG. 5, the division of the drying zone 12 is as shown in FIG. 3c, and more specifically, the first outlet zone 31 connected to the outlet 16 is arranged in front of the second outlet zone 32 connected to the connecting line 27 in the rotational direction of the drum. In other designs, this can be reversed.

[0047] After regeneration, the partial flow recombines with the supply flow of the compressed gas to be dried. This is caused by the Venturi ejector 58 or by other means that create a pressure difference, such as a blower, to maintain the partial flow for regeneration. The design according to FIG. 5 is equivalent to the design of FIG. 4, and the combination of the main flow of the compressed gas to be dried and the partial flow used for regeneration occurs before cooling. Thus, cooling can occur commonly for both flows in a cooling element 57 (process cooler PC) preferably equipped with a condensation separator, arranged between the Venturi ejector 58 and the inlet 15 of the pressure vessel 11. In other designs, this cooling element 57 can also be incorporated into the pressure vessel, more precisely, at the bottom between the inlet 15 and the inlet side of the drying zone 12. This cooling element 57 can typically be a passive facility where cooling water is used as a coolant, available at other locations in industrial equipment, or an active facility such as a chiller, or a combination thereof. In one variant of the invention corresponding to FIG. 2, the main flow and the partial flow can be cooled separately using an aftercooler AC and a regeneration cooler RC respectively before recombining, whereby only the regeneration cooler RC is incorporated into the pressure vessel.

[0048] Figure 6 shows a fourth design of the facility according to the present invention, including a compressor facility 50 equipped with a dryer 40 for compressed gas. The dryer 40 includes a pressure vessel 11 including a rotationally symmetric portion in which a drying zone 12 and a regeneration zone 13 are defined, a drum 14 installed in the rotationally symmetric portion and provided with a renewable desiccant, and drive means for rotating the aforementioned drum with respect to the rotationally symmetric portion so that the desiccant continuously moves through the drying zone and the regeneration zone. The rotationally symmetric portion is preferably cylindrical, but this is not essential, and other forms of rotationally symmetric portions are also possible. Further, the dryer includes an inlet 15 on the pressure vessel 11 for supplying the compressed gas to be dried and an outlet 16 on the pressure vessel 11 provided for discharging the dried compressed gas. The input gas to be dried is provided by a compressor 50 that can include a first compression stage 51, a second compression stage 52, and an intercooler (IC) 53.

[0049] In the design according to Figure 6, the supply flow of the compressed gas is first guided through a heat exchanger 29 via a supply line 28 attached to the upper part of the pressure vessel 11. The heat exchanger 29 is provided for heating a partial flow 27 for regeneration, and in this design, the partial flow for regeneration is separated from the flow of the dried compressed gas that is guided to the outlet 16 and redirected to the regeneration zone 13, forming a partition plate 18 and a first connection line 27. Thus, in this design, the first connection line 27 and the heat exchanger 29 are incorporated into the pressure vessel 11.

[0050] In the design according to Figure 6, the division of the drying zone 12 is as shown in Figure 3c, and more specifically, a first outlet zone 31 connected to the outlet 16 is arranged in front of a second outlet zone 32 connected to the connection line 27 in the rotational direction of the drum. In other designs, this can be reversed.

[0051] In the design according to FIG. 6, the inlet 15 of the compressed air to be dried is located at the height of the heat exchanger 29, and the supply flow of the compressed gas in the pressure vessel 11 is further guided to the inlet side of the drying zone. This is preferably caused by a central line or path 38 passing through the center of the drum 14, as shown in the figure. The venturi ejector 58 can also be incorporated into this line 38 to suck in a partial flow used for regeneration via a second central line or path 39. In other designs, the main flow of the compressed gas to be dried can also be further guided into the pressure vessel via a line or path along the outer mantle of the drum, and the venturi ejector for combining the main flow and the partial flow for regeneration can be attached to this line or path. At the bottom of the drum, as in FIGS. 4 and 5, there is a common cooling element 57 (process cooler PC) for cooling the combined flow (main flow and partial flow for regeneration), which is preferably incorporated into the pressure vessel. In one variant of the invention corresponding to FIG. 2, the main flow and the partial flow can be cooled separately using an aftercooler AC and a regeneration cooler RC respectively before being combined, whereby only the regeneration cooler RC is incorporated into the pressure vessel. As a result, the cooling of the supply flow and the combination of both flows occur outside the pressure vessel.

[0052] In the design of the present invention such as the design according to FIG. 6, almost all components of the dryer 40 are incorporated into the pressure vessel. More precisely, this component is a cooling element 57 comprising a heat exchanger 29 including a first connection line 27, a connection 38 for the main flow from the heat exchanger 29 to the inlet side of the drying zone, a venturi ejector 58, and a condensate separator 60. In this way, a very compact dryer or drying facility with only one inlet 15 and one outlet 16 for the compressed gas can be designed. FIG. 7 shows the design of this type of integrated dryer 40.

[0053] In the above-described design of the present invention, an adjustable unit can be provided to maintain the pressure difference between the supply flow and the partial flow for regeneration, and at least the flow of the partial flow can be adjusted. This type of adjustable unit can be designed, for example, such that the venturi ejector (58) has an adjustable opening and the dryer includes an actuator for operating the adjustable opening. This actuator can be controlled, for example, by a control signal set by a control unit, and the control unit can evaluate, for example, one or more process parameters of the drying process to determine the control signal and, as a result, the position of the adjustable opening.

[0054] The above-described design is applicable to all designs in which a part of the dried compressed air exiting the drying zone is branched and redirected to the regeneration zone or a part of that zone. Also, this includes the "full flow" design, where all of the supply flow of the compressed air to be dried first passes through the regeneration zone and then through the drying zone, and a part of the flow of the dried gas discharged thereby is branched and heated for additional regeneration.

[0055] The heating unit for heating the partial flow branched for regeneration is preferably a heat exchanger that utilizes the heat essentially present in the compressed gas after compression, similar to the described design. In an alternative design, other heating facilities can also be used, for example, in combination with the aforementioned heat exchanger in some cases, such as active electric heating or a heat exchanger that absorbs heat from another industrial process.

[0056] It is obvious that the elements of the above-described design can be combined within the scope of protection of this specification.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0057] 10 Dryer 11 Pressure vessel 12 Drying zone 13 Regeneration zone 14 Drum 15 Inlet 16 outlets 17 First connection line 18 Partition board 21 First outlet zone 22 Second outlet zone

Claims

1. A dryer (40) for compressed gas, comprising: A pressure vessel (11) having a rotationally symmetric part including a drying zone (12) and a regeneration zone (13); A drum (14) provided in the rotationally symmetric part and equipped with a renewable desiccant; Driving means for rotating the drum relative to the rotationally symmetric part or vice versa so that the desiccant continuously moves through the drying zone and the regeneration zone; An inlet (15) for supplying the compressed gas to be dried; An outlet (16) for discharging the dried compressed gas; A first connection line (17) for taking out a partial flow of the compressed gas to be dried or the dried compressed gas and sending the partial flow to the regeneration zone; Comprising: On the outlet side of the drying zone, using a partition plate (18), it is divided into a first outlet zone (21; 31) to which the outlet (16) is connected for the dried compressed gas, and a second outlet zone (22; 32) to which the first connection line (17; 27) is connected; The first connection line is provided with a heating element for heating the branched partial flow for regeneration; The first connection line and the heating element are arranged inside the pressure vessel; The heating element is a heat exchanger provided for heating the partial flow taken out for regeneration with the compressed gas to be dried supplied to the dryer; The inlet for supplying the compressed gas to be dried is located at the height of the heat exchanger, and there is a second connection line inside the pressure vessel for supplying the compressed gas to be dried from the heat exchanger to the inlet side of the drying zone. The dryer is characterized by this.

2. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the first outlet zone (31) is arranged adjacent to the second outlet zone (32) when viewed from the rotation direction of the drum.

3. The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the dryer is provided with positioning elements for positioning the first outlet zone, the second outlet zone, and / or the partition plate on the outlet side of the drying zone.

4. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the regeneration zone (13) extends over a region of 45° to 135° of the drum.

5. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first outlet zone (21, 31) extends over a region of 90° to 180° of the drum.

6. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second outlet zone (22, 32) extends over a region of 45° to 135° of the drum.

7. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the regeneration zone (13) and the second outlet zone (22, 32) extend over regions of substantially the same size.

8. The pressure vessel further comprises a cooling zone (19) for cooling the drum, and the cooling zone (19) is arranged such that, by rotation of the drum, a predetermined part of the drum that has passed through the regeneration zone (13) next enters the cooling zone, and the predetermined part that has passed through the cooling zone next enters the drying zone (12). The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the second connection line comprises a venturi ejector (58) for combining the partial flow used for regeneration and the flow of the compressed gas to be dried.

10. The venturi ejector (58) has an adjustable opening, and the dryer includes an actuator for operating the adjustable opening. The dryer according to claim 9.

11. The dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a cooling unit (57) adjacent thereto for cooling the supplied compressed gas to be dried, whereby the cooling unit is arranged inside the pressure vessel on the inlet side of the drying zone.

12. A compressor facility comprising a compressor (50) and a dryer (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A method for drying compressed gas using a dryer comprising a pressure vessel including a rotationally symmetric part surrounding a drying zone and a regeneration zone, and a drum provided with a regenerable desiccant installed in the rotationally symmetric part, the method comprising: rotating the drum relative to the rotationally symmetric part or vice versa using drive means so that the desiccant continuously moves through the drying zone and the regeneration zone; supplying the compressed gas to be dried to the inlet side of the drying zone of the pressure vessel via a second connection line inside the pressure vessel; discharging the dried compressed gas from the outlet side of the pressure vessel. redirecting a partial flow of the dried compressed gas and sending the partial flow via a first connection line to the regeneration zone; comprising; the dried compressed gas is discharged from a first outlet zone, and the partial flow for regeneration is redirected from a second outlet zone, whereby the first and second outlet zones are separate parts on the outlet side of the drying zone; the first connection line comprises a heating element for heating the partial flow branched off for regeneration; the first connection line and the heating element are arranged in the pressure vessel; the heating element is a heat exchanger provided for heating the partial flow taken out for regeneration with the compressed gas to be dried supplied to the dryer; the inlet for supplying the compressed gas to be dried is located at the height of the heat exchanger, and the second connection line supplies the compressed gas to be dried from the heat exchanger to the inlet side of the drying zone. A method characterized by this.

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