Patent ID: 9700835
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: B01D,F25B

Claim:
1. A compressed gas dryer comprising: a first opening for receiving compressed gas into the gas dryer; a chiller extrusion having at least two opposing flat surfaces, the chiller extrusion comprising a precooling pathway fluidly connected to the first opening and a cooling pathway fluidly connected to and located downstream of the precooling pathway; a first thermoelectric device thermally connected to the precooling pathway of the chiller extrusion and a heat exchanger, the first thermoelectric device comprising a cold side and a hot side, the cold side abutting the flat surface of the chiller extrusion and configured to precool the compressed gas passing through the precooling pathway, the hot side facing the heat exchanger opposite the precooling pathway of the chiller extrusion, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the compressed gas in the precooling pathway and the hot side of the first thermoelectric device to outside of the gas dryer using ambient air; a condensate drain located near an end of the cooling pathway of the chiller extrusion configured to drain condensate formed when the compressed gas is cooled along the precooling pathway and the cooling pathway of the chiller extrusion; a heating extrusion having at least two opposing flat surfaces, the heating extrusion located between the condensate drain and a second opening, wherein the heating extrusion is configured to cool a second thermoelectric device while heating the cooled compressed gas exiting from the cooling pathway of the chiller extrusion and deliver heated dry gas to the second opening; and a second thermoelectric device located downstream from the first thermoelectric device and thermally connected between the chiller extrusion and the heating extrusion, the second thermoelectric device comprising a hot side and a cold side, the hot side abutting the flat side of the heating extrusion and configured to heat the compressed gas passing through the heating extrusion, the cold side abutting the flat side of the chiller extrusion opposite of the first thermoelectric device and configured to further cool the compressed gas passing through the cooling pathway and transfer heat from the compressed gas passing through the cooling pathway to the heating extrusion; wherein the second thermoelectric device is connected to exchange heat between the chiller extrusion and the heating extrusion, and the first and second thermoelectric devices are separate components and are not part of the heat exchanger, and the first thermoelectric device and heat exchanger form a precooling section upstream of the second thermoelectric device and are configured to precool the compressed gas in the chiller extrusion before the compressed gas contacts the second thermoelectric device.