Method and apparatus for drying a gaseous medium

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF REMOVING MOISTURE FROM AN OPERATING FLUID COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING THE FLUID TO BE PROCESSED DOWNWARDLY IN A DRYING CHAMBER THROUGH A SERIES OF TUBES HAVING A DRYING AGENT THEREIN, COOLING THE EXTERIOR OF SAID TUBES BY PASSING AIR INTO CONTACT THEREWITH THEREBY INCREASING THE DRYING ACTION OF SAID DRYING AGENT, SIMULTANEOUSLY REGENERATING A SIMILAR DRYING CHAMBER DURING THE PROCESSING OF SAID FLUID BY DIVERTING A PORTION OF THE DRIED FLUID THROUGH A HEATER FOR RAISING THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF AND THEN PASSING THE HEATED PROCESSED AIR THROUGH THE TUBES OF THE DRYING CHAMBER BEING REACTIVATED FOR REMOVING THE MOISTURE FROM THE DRYING AGENT, WITHDRAWING SAID AMBIENT GAS FROM THE PROCESSING CHAMBER, RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WITHDRAWN AMBIENT AIR, AND HEATING THE EXTERIOR OF SAID TUBES DURING THE REGENERATION CYCLE BY PASSING THE HEATED AMBIENT AIR THROUGH THE SHELL OF THE CHAMBER BEING REGENERATED AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE DIVERTED DRIED FLUID, THE ISOLATED STREAMS OF HEATED AIR AND DRIED FLUID COOPERATING TO REDUCE THE PERIOD OF THE REGENERATING CYCLE.