Regeneration Conduit Heater for Compressed Gas Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compressed gas drying devices experience heat losses and require special heat-resistant valves due to the heating of regeneration gas outside the vessels, leading to inefficient regeneration and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
The regeneration conduit extends partially into the vessels, allowing the regeneration gas to be branched off internally, with a heater located within the conduit to heat the gas before it enters the regenerating vessel, minimizing heat losses and eliminating the need for special valves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the heater is placed outside the vessels to heat regeneration gas, then the regeneration gas can be heated, but heat losses occur heating ambient air and vessels, requiring higher heater temperatures or more regeneration gas
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is nested inside the regeneration conduit, which itself extends into the vessel. This nested configuration allows the heater to be positioned within the vessel's interior space, directing heat losses directly into the regeneration process rather than to the external environment, thereby reducing energy waste while maintaining effective regeneration gas heating
2Device complexity
If the heater is placed outside the vessels, then the structure is simpler, but special heat-resistant valves are required in the regeneration conduit
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is extracted from the external position and placed inside the regeneration conduit within the vessel. This extraction eliminates the need for special heat-resistant valves in the external regeneration conduit, as the heated gas no longer needs to pass through external valves. The solution removes the problematic component (heat-resistant valves) by changing the spatial arrangement of the heating element
3Reliability
If more regeneration gas is branched off to ensure sufficient regeneration, then the regeneration process is effective, but more dried compressed gas is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The heater parameters (temperature and positioning) are changed to optimize heat transfer efficiency. By positioning the heater inside the vessel and adjusting its temperature, the system achieves effective regeneration with less regeneration gas, thereby reducing the loss of dried compressed gas while maintaining reliable regeneration performance
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
This configuration reduces energy consumption by directing heat losses to the regeneration process, allowing for lower heater temperatures and reduced regeneration gas requirements, while eliminating the need for special valves and optimizing the regeneration process.
Implementation Method 1
a heater (16a, 16b) is provided in each of the vessels (4a, 4b) situated in the regeneration conduit (13) for heating the regeneration gas
Implementation Method 2
two or more separate vessels (4a, 4b) each of which comprises a quantity of regenerable drying agent or desiccant (5)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Device for drying compressed gas, having an inlet (2) for compressed gas to be dried and an outlet (3) for dried compressed gas, which device (1) comprises at least two vessels (4a, 4b) with arranged therein a regenerable drying agent (5) and a controllable valve system (7) connecting said inlet (2) and outlet (3) to an inlet (8) and outlet (9) of said vessels (4a, 4b), wherein said valve system (7) is such that always at least one vessel (4b) is being regenerated while the other vessels (4a) dry the compressed gas, wherein by controlling the valve system (7), the vessels (4a, 4b) are each in turn successively regenerated, wherein the device (1) is provided with a regeneration conduit (13) splitting off a portion of the dried compressed gas as a regeneration gas and feeding it into the at least one vessel (4b) that is being regenerated, for the regeneration of said at least one vessel (4b) that is being regenerated, characterized in that the regeneration conduit (13) at least partly extends through an opening (14) provided thereto in the vessels (4a, 4b) for regeneration gas into the vessels (4a, 4b) such that the regeneration gas can be split off from the vessel (4a) that dries the compressed gas, and in that in the vessels (4a, 4b), a heater (16a, 16b) is provided situated in the regeneration conduit (13) for heating the regeneration gas before the regeneration gas is fed through the drying agent (5) into the vessel (4b) that is being regenerated.