Off-line Adsorption Chamber Regeneration via Heat Exchanger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial gas drying systems face inefficiencies when adsorbent materials in adsorption chambers become saturated, requiring regeneration, and using compressed gas as a purge gas can introduce contaminants, necessitating a method to utilize compressor heat without using compressed gas.
Innovation Solution
A system that preheats a purge fluid using heated compressor coolant in a heat exchanger, which is then used to regenerate the adsorbent in an off-line adsorption chamber, avoiding the use of compressed gas as a purge fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If compressed gas from the compressor is used as purge gas to regenerate the adsorbent, then the adsorbent can be effectively regenerated, but contaminants such as lubricants from the compressor can contaminate the adsorbent and reduce its effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the useful property (heat) from the compressed gas while leaving the harmful property (contaminants) behind. The compressed gas serves solely as a heat transfer medium in the heat exchanger, transferring thermal energy to the purge gas without becoming the purge gas itself. This separation allows effective adsorbent regeneration using clean purge gas while still utilizing the heat from compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary device that enables heat transfer from the compressed gas to the purge gas without direct mixing of the two gas streams. This intermediary mechanism allows the system to utilize compressor heat for purge gas heating while preventing contaminant transfer, resolving the contradiction between effective regeneration and contamination prevention.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a separate heating system is used to heat the purge gas, then the adsorbent can be effectively regenerated without contamination, but the energy efficiency of the system decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the waste heat from the compressor, which would otherwise be lost, into a useful resource for heating the purge gas. By capturing and utilizing this废热 through the heat exchanger, the system reduces its overall energy consumption while maintaining effective adsorbent regeneration without contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressor serves a dual function: it not only compresses the process gas but also provides the heat necessary for adsorbent regeneration through its coolant. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate heating systems and reduces overall energy input requirements while preventing contamination.
3Loss of energy
If the compressor coolant is used to heat the purge gas, then energy efficiency is improved and contamination is avoided, but additional equipment complexity is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger serves multiple functions within the system: it heats the purge gas using compressor coolant, cools the compressed gas, and enables thermal energy recovery. This multi-functionality justifies the added equipment by providing several benefits simultaneously, reducing overall system complexity despite the addition of the heat exchanger component.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively regenerates adsorbent materials while preventing contamination, enhancing the efficiency of gas drying systems by utilizing compressor heat without the drawbacks of using compressed gas, thereby maintaining system performance and preventing adsorbent degradation.
Implementation Method 1
flowing the purge fluid through a heat exchanger; flowing a heated fluid from a compressor, the heated fluid being a compressor coolant heated by the compressor, through the heat exchanger thereby heating the purge fluid
Implementation Method 2
Compressors are well known to generate heat and it would be efficient if the heat from the compressor could be used to also heat the purge gas
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for regenerating an adsorbent in an off-line adsorption chamber including: a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat from a first fluid coming from a compressor and a second fluid, wherein only a portion of the first fluid flows through the heat exchanger when the first fluid is gas; a conduit providing fluid communication between the second fluid exiting the exchanger and an off-line adsorption chamber; an adsorbent in the off-line adsorption chamber; and an outlet to the off-line adsorption chamber configured to outlet the second fluid from the off-line adsorption chamber.