DESICCANT WHEEL DRYING DEVICES AND DRYING APPARATUS USING THEREOF
20180306454 ยท 2018-10-25
Assignee
Inventors
- Ming-Lang HUNG (Hsinchu, TW)
- Yu-Hao KANG (Hsinchu, TW)
- Chih-Hao Chen (Hsinchu, TW)
- Jyi-Ching PERNG (Hsinchu, TW)
- Ching-Eenn TSAI (Hsinchu, TW)
- Hsing-Ting CHEN (Hsinchu, TW)
Cpc classification
F24F2110/10
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F24F2203/1032
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
B01D53/06
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
F24F3/1423
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
F24F3/14
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
Abstract
Disclosed is a drying device which includes desiccant wheels or desiccant wheels combined with adsorbent, and a drying apparatus using thereof. The desiccant wheel drying device includes a plurality of desiccant wheels made of direct heating desorption substrates. The drying apparatus using the drying device includes: two pressure tanks capable of performing adsorption dehumidification and regeneration desorption of moisture in compressed air. The two pressure tanks exchange functions in batches to achieve the moisture adsorption of the compressed air and the regeneration desorption of the adsorbent. When performing the air dehumidification and desorption regeneration, the structures of the air flow paths in the desiccant wheel drying device can obtain an equalized temperature rise control by a temperature compensation method using a preheater and the divisional temperature control method of the drying device, in order to achieve improvement in the regeneration performance and energy saving for the desiccant wheel drying device.
Claims
1. A desiccant wheel drying device, comprising: a plurality of desiccant wheels; a pressure tank for receiving the plurality of desiccant wheels; and an upper tank lid and a lower tank lid joined to the top and the bottom of the pressure tank, respectively, to form a pressurized chamber.
2. The desiccant wheel drying device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of desiccant wheels are direct heating desiccant wheels connected in series in the pressure tank.
3. The desiccant wheel drying device of claim 1, further comprising a particle adsorbent basin connected in series on the top of the plurality of desiccant wheels.
4. The desiccant wheel drying device of claim 3, wherein the particle adsorbent basin includes a particle adsorbent.
5. The desiccant wheel drying device of claim 3, further comprising a barrel plate soldered at a periphery of the particle adsorbent basin and provided with a thermometer hole for installation of a thermometer, and a mesh floor plate soldered at a bottom of the barrel plate for carrying adsorbent particles and allowing air circulation in the particle adsorbent basin.
6. The desiccant wheel drying device of claim 4, further comprising an inlet provided on the upper tank lid and for filling or replacing the particle adsorbent in the particle adsorbent basin, and an outlet provided below the pressure tank and for clearing out undesired matter in the pressure tank.
7. The desiccant wheel drying device of claim 1, further comprising a first inlet/outlet connection pipeline provided on the lower tank lid and connected to a dehumidified compressed air transport pipeline, wherein the plurality of desiccant wheels are supplied with power independently or in groups.
8. The desiccant wheel drying device of claim 1, further comprising a second inlet/outlet connection pipeline provided on the upper tank lid and connected to a compressed-air-to-be-dehumidified transport pipeline.
9. The desiccant wheel drying device of claim 1, further comprising direct heating desiccant wheel power cable connection holes and corresponding temperature sensor connection holes provided on the pressure tank.
10. The desiccant wheel drying device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of desiccant wheels further includes a metal substrate, upper and lower adhesive film layers, and upper and lower adsorption materials, and wherein when power is supplied to the metal substrate, the metal substrate heats up and provides thermal energy to be directly conducted to the upper and lower adsorption materials to desorb moisture contained in the upper and lower adsorption materials and achieve regeneration of each of the plurality of desiccant wheels.
11. The desiccant wheel drying device of claim 1, further comprising a diffusion net provided on each of the upper and lower tank lids and for evenly diffusing air transported into the pressure tank to increase adsorption.
12. A drying apparatus comprising: two drying devices each composed of a plurality of desiccant wheels; a dehumidification inlet pipeline connected to the two drying devices for guiding compressed air to be dehumidified; a dehumidification exhaust pipeline connected to the two drying devices for guiding the compressed air after dehumidification; a regeneration inlet pipeline for providing air for regeneration; a regeneration exhaust pipeline for discharging the air for regeneration; and control valves for turning on or turning off the dehumidification inlet pipeline, the dehumidification exhaust pipeline, the regeneration inlet pipeline and the regeneration exhaust pipeline, and for controlling the heating of the plurality of desiccant wheels of the two drying devices to perform a desorption process.
13. The drying apparatus of claim 12, wherein the two drying devices further comprises: a pressure tank for receiving the plurality of desiccant wheels; and an upper tank lid and a lower tank lid joined to the top and the bottom of the pressure tank, respectively, to form a pressurized chamber.
14. The drying apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an inlet provided on the upper tank lid and for filling or replacing an adsorbent in a particle adsorbent basin, and an outlet provided below the pressure tank and for clearing out undesired matter in the pressure tank.
15. The drying apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of desiccant wheels include nine direct heating desiccant wheels, and wherein the bottom three desiccant wheels are supplied with power independently for heating of regeneration, the top six desiccant wheels are grouped into two groups with three in each group, the top six desiccant wheels in each group are connected to the power in a Y-shaped arrangement for controlling heating of regeneration, and the top six desiccant wheels utilize excess heat generated from the bottom three desiccant wheels for carrying out desorption of regeneration.
16. The drying apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of desiccant wheels further includes a metal substrate, upper and lower adhesive film layers, and upper and lower adsorption materials, and wherein when power is supplied to the metal substrate, the metal substrate heats up and provides thermal energy to be directly conducted to the upper and lower adsorption materials to desorb moisture contained in the upper and lower adsorption materials and achieve regeneration of each of the plurality of desiccant wheels.
17. The drying apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a diffusion net provided on each of the upper and lower tank lids and for evenly diffusing air transported into the pressure tank to increase adsorption.
18. The drying apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a cooling device for cooing the air to speed up the cooling of an adsorbent in the plurality of desiccant wheels or a particle adsorbent basin, wherein the adsorbent is cooled below 50 C. before adsorption dehumidification treatment of moisture.
19. A drying apparatus comprising: two drying devices each composed of a combination of a plurality of desiccant wheels and an adsorbent basin; a dehumidification inlet pipeline connected to the two drying devices for guiding compressed air to be dehumidified; a dehumidification exhaust pipeline connected to the two drying devices for guiding the compressed air after dehumidification; a regeneration inlet pipeline for providing air for regeneration; a regeneration exhaust pipeline for discharging the air for regeneration; and control valves for turning on or turning off the dehumidification inlet pipeline, the dehumidification exhaust pipeline, the regeneration inlet pipeline and the regeneration exhaust pipeline, and for controlling the heating of the plurality of desiccant wheels and an adsorbent of the two drying devices to perform a desorption process.
20. The drying apparatus of claim 19, wherein the two drying devices further comprise: a pressure tank for receiving the plurality of desiccant wheels and the adsorbent basin; and an upper tank lid and a lower tank lid joined to the top and the bottom of the pressure tank, respectively, to form a pressurized chamber.
21. The drying apparatus of claim 19, wherein the adsorbent basin containing adsorbent particles is provided in series on the top of the plurality of desiccant wheels.
22. The drying apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a barrel plate soldered at a periphery of the adsorbent basin and provided with a thermometer hole for installation of a thermometer, and a mesh floor plate soldered at a bottom of the barrel plate and for carrying the adsorbent particles and allowing air circulation in the adsorbent basin.
23. The drying apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of desiccant wheels further includes a metal substrate, upper and lower adhesive film layers, and upper and lower adsorption materials, and when power is supplied to the metal substrate, the metal substrate heats up and provides thermal energy to be directly conducted to the upper and lower adsorption materials to desorb moisture contained in the upper and lower adsorption materials and achieve regeneration of each of the plurality of desiccant wheels.
24. The drying apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a diffusion net provided on each of the upper and lower tank lids and for evenly diffusing air transported into the pressure tank to increase adsorption.
25. The drying apparatus of claim 19, wherein the adsorbent basin is connected in series with the plurality of desiccant wheels composed of six direct heating desiccant wheels, and the six direct heating desiccant wheels are supplied with power in four groups from bottom to top, and wherein the adsorbent basin is independently supplied with power, the first desiccant wheel is independently supplied with power, the second to the fourth desiccant wheels are supplied with power in a Y-shaped arrangement, and the fifth and the sixth desiccant wheels are independently supplied with power.
26. The drying apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a cooling device for cooing the air to speed up the cooling of the adsorbent in the plurality of desiccant wheels or the adsorbent basin, wherein the adsorbent is cooled below 50 C. before adsorption dehumidification treatment of moisture.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013]
[0014]
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[0020]
[0021]
[0022]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] The present disclosure is described by the following specific embodiments. Those with ordinary skills in the arts can readily understand other advantages and functions of the present disclosure after reading the disclosure of this specification. The present disclosure may also be practiced or applied with other different implementations. Based on different contexts and applications, the various details in this specification can be modified and changed without departing from the spirit according to the present disclosure.
[0024] The present disclosure is to provide a drying device made of desiccant wheels or a combination of desiccant wheels and adsorbent, and a drying apparatus using the drying device. The desiccant wheels include direct heating desiccant wheels (such as those described in TW Patent Application No. 105113435), and the drying device can be made up from a plurality of direct heating desiccant wheels arranged in series, or a series combination of desiccant wheels and tanks containing adsorbent particles, forming a drying device capable of adsorbing moisture in the humid air. In operation, water adsorbed in the direct heating desiccant wheels and the adsorbent particles can be desorbed by thermal regeneration, allowing them to be reused for dehumidification again. A compressed air drying apparatus with direct heating desiccant wheels only and a compressed air drying apparatus with hybrid components can be controlled by a logic control circuit in order to achieve adsorption dehumidification of the air and desorption regeneration of the adsorbent.
[0025] Referring to
[0026]
[0027]
[0028] Moreover, insulated industrial plastic (e.g., Teflon, PEEK, POM, or Bakelite) are provided at the top and bottom of the direct heating desiccant wheel 2 to form the upper and lower wheel frames 25 and 26 as the exterior of the desiccant wheel. The upper and lower wheel frames 25 and 26 can be fastened onto the central wheel axle via upper and lower screw sets 252 and 262, thereby positioning the direct heating adsorption substrate 22. The upper and lower wheel frames 25 and 26 are provided with a plurality of reinforcement ribs 251 and 261 to reinforce the structural strength of the wheel frames.
[0029]
[0030]
[0031]
[0032]
[0033] Referring to
[0034] The dehumidification process of the drying apparatus is described below. A dehumidification inlet pipeline 63 is provided above each of pressure tanks 61 and 62. By turning on a dehumidification inlet valve 631 and turning off a dehumidification inlet valve 632, compressed air to be dehumidified is guided to the pressure tank 61 for moisture adsorption drying treatment. The temperature of the adsorption materials 14 and 15 (as shown in
[0035] Once the direct heating desiccant wheels and the adsorbent particles (hybrid type) or the direct heating desiccant wheels (single type) have adsorbed enough moisture, regeneration process is performed by thermal energy desorption regeneration, which essentially allows moisture to come out of the adsorbent. The desorption regeneration process of the drying apparatus is described below. A regeneration fan 67 provides the drive for air circulation during desorption regeneration. A regeneration fan filter 671 filters out dust or impurities in the air entering the fan. By turning on a regeneration inlet valve 651 and turning off a regeneration inlet valve 652, the air for regeneration is guided through a regeneration inlet pipeline 65 to the pressure tank 61. Meanwhile, the direct heating desiccant wheels in the pressure tank 61 are heated by a programmable logic controller (PLC) in an electric control box to a specific temperature depending on the types of adsorbent (adsorption materials 14 and 15). For example, 80-140 C. is for silica; and 100-170 C. is for zeolite (molecular sieve). The air after regeneration in the pressure tank 61 is exhausted through a regeneration exhaust pipeline 66 by turning on a regeneration exhaust valve 661 and turning off a regeneration exhaust valve 662.
[0036] In the example of above, if the pressure tank is composed of direct heating desiccant wheels only, nine desiccant wheels can be employed (as shown in
[0037] The dehumidification adsorption and the desorption regeneration of the pressure tank 62 are similar to those described for the pressure tank 61, except that the actuations for the control valves are opposite, details of which are not repeated.
[0038]
[0039]
[0040] In terms of power supply distribution, the six direct heating desiccant wheels are divided into four groups from bottom to top, wherein the 1.sup.st wheel 902 is independently supplied with power. The 2.sup.nd, 3.sup.rd, and 4.sup.th wheels 903 are connected in a Y-shaped arrangement for power supply distribution. The 5.sup.th and 6.sup.th wheels 904 and 905 are also independently supplied with power. The above power supply wiring method may vary depending on the size or quantity of the desiccant wheels and the weight of the adsorbent particles. It is submitted that any wiring method is within the claims according to the present disclosure as long as layered heating is performed. The temperatures of the four sets of direct heating desiccant wheels are individually controlled based on system requirements using feedbacks from the corresponding thermometers. Experimental results show that, compared with the system containing nine direct heating desiccant wheels, at high pressure air inlet dew point 8 C.10 C., the hybrid adsorption drying system was able to maintain outlet dew point below 30 C. for 2.8 hours. Similarly, based on 5% air consumption, the overall energy consumption indicator is about 0.7 kW/CMM. Compared to the roughly 0.8 kW/CMM of energy consumed by the system with nine direct heating desiccant wheels, this is about 12.5% saving on energy. In terms of adsorption time, as the desiccant wheels were replaced by adsorbent particles in the hybrid system, the adsorption dehumidification time was 2.8 hours, which is a 40% increase than the 2 hours it took for the nine-wheel system. As the number of direct heating desiccant wheels is reduced by three in the hybrid system, the installation cost of the direct heating desiccant wheels is 30% cheaper than the nine-wheel system. The various comparison results are shown in Table 1 below.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Comparison of direct heating only and hybrid compressed air drying apparatuses Energy Adsorption Consumption Energy Consumption Cost Time (hr) (kW) Indicator (kW/CMM) (TWD) Direct 2 2.3 0.8 448,000 Only Hybrid 2.8 3.3 0.7 313,668
[0041] Compared to the prior art, the drying device made up of desiccant wheels only or a combination of desiccant wheels and adsorbent and the drying apparatus using the same achieve equalized temperatures of the air passages for the dehumidification components during the desorption regeneration process through preheating by a preheater and electrically-controlled layered heating, thereby reducing energy consumption and improving efficiency of the desorption regeneration process.
[0042] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the principles of the present disclosure, and should not be construed as to limit the present disclosure in any way. The above embodiments can be modified by those with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the following appended claims.