Generally, as the gas velocity during the drying cycle decreases, the ability of the desiccant to dehydrate the gas increases. At lower actual velocities, drier effluent gases will be obtained. Consequently, it would
seem desirable to operate at minimum velocities to fully use the desiccant.
However, low velocities require towers with large cross-sectional areas to handle a given gas flow, and allow the wet gas to channel through the desiccant bed and not be properly dehydrated. In selecting the design velocity therefore, a compromise must be made between the tower diameter and the maximum use of the desiccant. Figure 8-22 shows a maximum design velocity. Smaller velocities may be required due to pressure drop considerations.
The minimum vessel internal diameter for a specified superficial velocity is given by:
