Patent ID: 6311502
Filing Date: 2001-11-06
Classification: B01D,F04B,F15B,F28D,Y02E

Abstract:
Drying plant for compressed air suitable to dry compressed air by cooling it substantially to around its dew point, said plant comprising at least a first heat exchanger (12), for the direct cooling of the compressed air, selectively associated to a refrigeration unit (14) suitable to feed refrigerant to said first heat exchanger (12) by means of a first refrigeration circuit (14a), said plant comprising at least a condensation separator device (19), a condensation discharge device (20) and a control unit (21), the plant being characterized in that said first heat exchanger (12) is immersed in a chamber (22) containing a cooling liquid (23) suitable to act as a thermal storage mass to accumulate the excess cooling capacity generated by said refrigeration unit (14) with respect to the energy needed to lower the compressed air to dew point temperature, and in that said plant comprises a second heat exchanger (13) also immersed in said thermal storage mass and suitable to intervene mainly during a momentary de-activation of said refrigeration unit (14).