TWI897681B - High-efficiency and energy-saving adsorption drying device - Google Patents

Abstract

A high-efficiency and energy-saving adsorption drying device comprises a drying field, a casing, an adsorption drying and dehumidification runner assembly, a heat exchanger, a heater, and an intelligent networking (Artificial Intelligence of Things, AIoT module and a mobile device. In this way, the problem of power consumption of the existing drying process can be improved, and the energy consumption and quality can be further reduced, which meets the application requirements of low cost and low power consumption of drying equipment, and achieves the effect of reducing production costs, reducing regeneration temperature or heat energy integration to improve energy-saving benefits.

Description

High-efficiency and energy-saving adsorption drying device

This invention relates to a high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device, particularly one that features high efficiency, energy conservation, zero pollution, and intelligent continuous monitoring. It incorporates the concept of Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) and is equipped with smart sensors and a continuous monitoring unit. The device collects trends in relevant parameters during operation, uploads the data to a cloud-based intelligent platform, and analyzes it for management purposes.

The regeneration temperature of a traditional dehumidifier is 120°C, and regeneration energy accounts for over 60% of the total energy consumption of the dehumidifier. Consequently, traditional dehumidifiers suffer from high power consumption due to the high moisture desorption temperature, making them ineffective in achieving energy conservation and consumption reduction. Furthermore, traditional drying equipment only sets and displays temperature values on-site, preventing farmers from monitoring or displaying the actual temperature and corresponding humidity in real time. This can easily lead to uncontrolled excessive temperatures, causing crops to overripen and drying failures, resulting in significant losses and, in turn, impacting farmers' incomes. Furthermore, traditional drying systems pose significant challenges. The combustion of diesel in burners generates noise, and emits air pollutants such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and suspended particulate matter, resulting in severe air pollution. This is detrimental to farmers' health and the quality of ambient air. Furthermore, the key technologies for traditional adsorption drying core components are mastered overseas and must be imported, resulting in high equipment costs.

Traditional dehumidification materials require the mining of minerals, resulting in high mining and transportation costs and increasing carbon dioxide emissions, impacting the environment. Therefore, there is a need to develop an invention that can address the high costs of dehumidification material components and system integration equipment, as well as the high power consumption caused by the high temperature of water vapor desorption.

The primary objective of this invention is to overcome the aforementioned problems encountered in conventional techniques and provide a method for improving the power consumption of existing drying processes, further reducing energy consumption while maintaining quality. This method meets the application requirements of low-cost drying equipment with low power consumption, thereby achieving a high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device that reduces production costs, lowers regeneration temperatures, or integrates heat energy to improve energy efficiency.

To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is a high-efficiency and energy-saving adsorption drying device, comprising: a drying area for accommodating a product to be dried, providing a dry ambient airflow with a relative humidity of 0-30%, and being capable of controlling the ambient humidity in a space within a relative humidity range of 10-50%; a housing having an air inlet, and a first air outlet and a second air outlet connected to the drying area, wherein an exhaust fan is provided at the air inlet to exhaust the product through the air inlet. The air inlet introduces external humid air, the first air outlet is provided with a regeneration fan, which pumps the hot and humid regeneration air to the drying field through the first air outlet, and the second air outlet is provided with a drying fan, which pumps the dry air after the moisture is adsorbed to the drying field through the second air outlet; an adsorption drying dehumidification wheel element is arranged in the housing, and a dehumidification wheel is arranged inside the housing. One side of the dehumidification wheel has a dehumidification area and a regeneration area, which can lead The dehumidifier is connected to the drying fan and the regeneration fan, and is driven by a driver to rotate the dehumidifier. A heat exchanger is arranged in the housing and has a heat exchange air inlet and a heat exchange air outlet. The heat exchanger is used to convert the humid air into high-temperature humid air after heat exchange, and then send it to the dehumidification area of the dehumidifier to absorb moisture in the air. The dry air after the moisture is absorbed is output from the second air outlet to the drying field and driven by the driver. The dehumidifier is rotated to bring the dehumidification area after the dehumidifier has absorbed water to the regeneration area for water thermal drying and desorption treatment; a heater is installed in the housing and connected to the regeneration area of the dehumidifier to heat the air, so that the high-temperature air flows through the regeneration area of the dehumidifier to desorb the absorbed water to form the wet and hot regeneration air and output it to the drying field through the first air outlet; an artificial intelligence of An AI-enabled IoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) module is installed in the housing and electrically connected to the drying environment, the adsorption drying and dehumidification rotor, the heat exchanger, and the heater. The intelligent networking module includes a continuous monitoring unit, a communication unit, a cloud-based intelligent platform, and a display screen. The continuous monitoring unit is connected to multiple smart sensors, the communication unit, and the display screen to display relevant information. The continuous monitoring unit is also signal-connected to the drying environment, the adsorption drying and dehumidification rotor, the heat exchanger, and the heater to collect operational data from the drying environment, the adsorption drying and dehumidification rotor, the heat exchanger, and the heater. The operational data includes equipment operating parameters, the weight of the product to be dried, and the temperature, humidity, and dew point temperature trends at the first and second air outlets over time. This operational data is uploaded to the cloud-based intelligent platform via the communication unit for data recording and analysis to generate optimization management information. This optimization management information is then used as a basis for managing the drying area, the adsorption drying and dehumidification rotor element, the heat exchanger, and the heater. An mobile device can also run a mobile application (APP) to allow clients to access this operational data and optimization management information, providing real-time information on the equipment's operating status and the current operating environment.

In the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the heater is a solar thermal heating module or a heat pump module.

In the above embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of smart sensors are respectively disposed in the dry area, the air inlet, the first air outlet, and the second air outlet.

In the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of smart sensors include weight, temperature, humidity, and wind speed monitoring instruments.

In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the cloud intelligence platform is equipped with a cloud database that stores production process parameters. The cloud database receives the operational data and analyzes and calculates it with the production process parameters to identify variables that affect product quality and equipment efficiency, optimize them, and generate the optimization management information.

In the above embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the regeneration air is between 80 and 100°C.

1: Dry space

2: Chassis

21: Air Inlet

22: First air outlet

23: Second air outlet

24: Exhaust fan

25: Regeneration fan

26: Drying fan

3: Adsorption drying and dehumidification wheel element

31: Dehumidifier

311: Dehumidification Area

312: Regeneration Area

32:Driver

4: Heat exchanger

41: Heat exchange air inlet

42: Heat exchange outlet

5: Heater

6: Smart Internet Module

61: Continuous Monitoring Unit

62: Communication unit

63: Cloud Intelligence Platform

64: Display screen

7: Mobile devices

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the main components of one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the operating parameter settings of the garlic drying field test system of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the changing trends of garlic weight, drying outlet temperature, humidity, and dew point temperature over time according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the temporal trend of the adsorption drying device's operating status data displayed on the cloud.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the adsorption drying device of the present invention displaying its operating status data on the cloud.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the present invention's implementation of a mobile application to provide real-time insights into device operating status.

Please refer to Figures 1 through 6, which respectively illustrate the main components of an embodiment of the present invention, the operating parameter settings of the garlic drying field test system of the present invention, the time-varying trends of garlic weight, drying outlet temperature, humidity, and dew point temperature of the present invention, the time-varying trends of the adsorption drying device's operating status data displayed on the cloud, the cloud-based display of the adsorption drying device's operating status data, and the implementation of a mobile application for real-time monitoring of the device's operating status. As shown in the figure, the present invention is a high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device comprising a drying area 1, a housing 2, an adsorption drying and dehumidification rotor element 3, a heat exchanger 4, a heater 5, an Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) module 6, and an actuator 7.

The aforementioned drying area 1 is used to accommodate products to be dried, provides a dry ambient airflow with a relative humidity of 0-30%, and can control the ambient humidity within a space within a relative humidity range of 10-50%.

The housing 2 has an air inlet 21, and a first air outlet 22 and a second air outlet 23 connected to the drying area 1. An exhaust fan 24 is installed at the air inlet 21 to draw in external humid air through the air inlet 21. A regeneration fan 25 is installed at the first air outlet 22 to pump the regeneration air, which has been heated and has a temperature between 80°C and 100°C, into the drying area 1 through the first air outlet 22. A drying fan 26 is installed at the second air outlet 23 to pump the dry air, after the moisture has been absorbed, into the drying area 1 through the second air outlet 23.

The adsorption drying and dehumidifying wheel element 3 is mounted within the housing 2 and contains a dehumidifying wheel 31. One side of the dehumidifying wheel 31 has a dehumidifying zone 311 and a regeneration zone 312 , which are connected to the drying fan 26 and the regeneration fan 25 . A driver 32 drives the dehumidifying wheel 31 to rotate.

The heat exchanger 4 is disposed within the housing 2 and has a heat exchange inlet 41 and a heat exchange outlet 42. It is used to heat exchange the humid air, converting it into higher-temperature humid air. The air is then fed into the dehumidification zone 311 of the dehumidifier wheel 31 to absorb moisture from the air. The dehumidified dry air is then output to the drying area 1 through the second outlet 23 via the drying fan 26. The driver 32 drives the dehumidifier wheel 31 to rotate, transporting the moisture-absorbed area (i.e., the original dehumidification zone 311) to the regeneration zone for thermal dehumidification.

The heater 5 is mounted in the housing 2 and connected to the regeneration zone 312 of the dehumidifier 31. It heats the air, allowing the high-temperature air to flow through the regeneration zone 312 of the dehumidifier 31, desorbing the adsorbed moisture to form the hot regeneration air. The hot regeneration air is then output to the drying area 1 through the first air outlet 22 via the regeneration fan 25.

The smart networking module 6 is mounted on the housing 2 and electrically connected to the drying area 1, the adsorption drying and dehumidifying rotor 3, the heat exchanger 4, and the heater 5. The smart networking module 6 includes a continuous monitoring unit 61, a communication unit 62, a cloud-based smart platform 63, and a display screen 64. The continuous monitoring unit 61 is connected to several smart sensors (not shown), the communication unit 62, and the display screen 64 to display relevant information. The continuous monitoring unit 61 is also signal-connected to the drying area 1, the adsorption drying and dehumidifying rotor 3, the heat exchanger 4, and the heater 5, respectively, to collect information from the drying area 1, the adsorption drying and dehumidifying rotor 3, the heat exchanger 4, and the heater 5. Operational data of the heat exchanger 4 and the heater 5, including equipment operating parameters, the weight of the product to be dried, and the temperature, humidity, and dew point temperature trends at the first and second air outlets over time, is uploaded to the cloud-based intelligent platform 63 via the communication unit 62 for data recording and analysis to generate optimized management information. This optimized management information is then used as a basis for managing the drying area 1, the adsorption drying and dehumidification rotor element 3, the heat exchanger 4, and the heater 5.

The mobile device 7 can run a mobile application (APP) to allow the client to obtain the operating data and optimization management information, allowing real-time understanding of the equipment's operating status and the current usage environment. Thus, the above-disclosed structure constitutes a new, highly efficient and energy-saving adsorption drying device.

When this invention is used, the system integrates a high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device, featuring high efficiency, energy conservation, zero pollution, and intelligent continuous monitoring. It incorporates an AIoT module, equipped with smart sensors and a continuous monitoring unit, to collect trends in relevant parameters during operation. This data is uploaded and aggregated to a cloud-based intelligent platform for data analysis and management support, as shown in Figure 1. Through remote monitoring and cloud-based information, customers can view on-site conditions in real time, effectively controlling and achieving greater energy conservation, and resolving the problems associated with traditional drying.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heater 5 is a solar thermal heating module or a heat pump module.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adsorption drying and dehumidification rotor element combines energy-saving drying, dehumidification and cleaning functions, and is an integrally formed multi-channel wheel body with a low desorption temperature and no energy consumption.

The following embodiments are merely examples to help you understand the details and implications of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the patent application for the present invention.

This invention develops (A) a bearing-mounted, energy-saving adsorption drying and dehumidification rotor element with an outer diameter of 18 cm and an inner diameter of 4.7 cm for subsequent integration into domestically produced, commercially available, high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying equipment. Specifications include: outer diameter of 18 cm, inner diameter of 4.7 cm, height of 20 cm, porosity of 10 PPI (Pores per inch), and a drying air volume of 40 ^m³ /h. (B) A porous ceramic dehumidification rotor with a diameter of 25 cm, height of 40 cm, inner diameter of 4.7 cm, and porosity of 10 PPI, capable of drying air volume of 200 ^m³ /h. After welding and encapsulation, these components will be further integrated into commercial, high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying equipment within independent systems. Garlic crop drying tests were also conducted on batches weighing 350 kg and 540 kg. A high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device was used for 10-12 days at a temperature of 38°C and a relative humidity of 25%. The water removal rate, calculated from the weight difference before and after the test, was 25-30%, meeting expectations.

We will expand the self-assembled system integration of high-efficiency and energy-saving adsorption drying equipment, conduct field tests on garlic drying with a total weight of 4,000 kg, assist technology transfer manufacturers to accelerate the promotion of rotor components and equipment, design and plan the mechanical structure, electronic control system, micro-electromechanical integration of drying equipment, and assemble drying air volume. Field testing of a garlic drying device with a ^2000m³ /h rotor, a 50cm diameter, a 20cm thickness, a 4.7cm internal diameter, and a 10PPI perforation structure was conducted. The device, designed to quantify moisture adsorption on the dehumidifier, included a redesign of the wheel configuration, the humid air, and the regenerative hot air piping space. This allows for the calculation of moisture collection after desorption by the dehumidifier, quantifying the actual weight of moisture removed. Weight, temperature, humidity, and wind speed monitoring instruments were installed in the drying area and at the drying and desorption inlets and outlets. The design and planning of the control software, firmware, and control panel were also implemented to implement the adsorption drying device. As shown in Figure 2, after the operating parameters were set, a continuous field test of garlic drying began. The drying air outlet temperature was set at 36-38°C, the relative humidity was 25-30%, the fan speed was 1660 rpm, the dehumidifier speed was 1 rpm, the dehumidifier's moisture regeneration temperature was set at 85°C, and the dry air velocity entering the drying chamber was 7.8-8.0 m/s. As shown in Figure 3, the field test removed over 300 kg of moisture over five days of operation, a total of 15 days. This removed over 25% of the moisture from the garlic crop, achieving a drying effect that allows for long-term storage.

In recent years, technology transfer companies have actively promoted its application in crop drying, exemplified by garlic farmers and the crop drying and processing industry in Yunlin. This invention utilizes an adsorption drying device to develop a smart, highly efficient, energy-saving, and pollution-free crop drying machine and intelligent continuous monitoring system. Incorporating the AIoT concept, the system incorporates smart sensors and a continuous monitoring unit to collect and analyze relevant parameter trends during operation. This data is then uploaded to a cloud-based intelligent platform for analysis and management support, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Through remote monitoring and cloud-based information, on-site conditions can be viewed in real time, effectively controlling energy conservation efforts. By building a mobile application, clients can instantly understand equipment operating conditions and the current usage environment through the software, as shown in Figure 6. This invention utilizes a cloud database to compare client-side production process parameters for analysis and calculation, identifying variables that affect product quality and equipment efficiency for optimization and generating optimized management information, thus resolving the issues associated with traditional drying.

From the above, it can be seen that the technical features of the present invention include:

(1) The adsorption drying and dehumidification wheel element of the present invention has a high specific heat capacity, and the required regeneration temperature can be reduced to 80~100℃. By requiring a lower regeneration temperature, energy consumption is reduced, thereby achieving energy saving.

(2) The present invention can provide a dry airflow with a relative humidity of 0-30%, and can control the ambient humidity in a space within a relative humidity range of 10-50%.

(3) The present invention has intelligent sensors and continuous monitoring units. The cloud database collects operating parameters for data analysis and convenient management. Remote monitoring allows real-time viewing of on-site conditions for effective control and greater energy conservation. It can dry and dehumidify heat-sensitive materials such as crops, food, medicines, plastics, semiconductors, electronic products, and sludge without causing physical or chemical changes.

(4) The present invention can use the environment to introduce heat energy integration (such as solar heat or heat pump), and at the same time has the characteristics of drying, dehumidification, cleaning and low energy consumption. The dehumidification capacity per kilowatt-hour is 2.6L/kWh (dry energy factor value 0.6kg/kWh).

The high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device of this invention can thus improve the power consumption problem of existing drying processes, further reducing energy consumption while maintaining quality. This meets the application requirements of low-cost drying equipment with low power consumption, achieving the effects of reducing production costs, lowering regeneration temperatures, or integrating heat energy to improve energy efficiency.

In summary, this invention is a highly efficient, energy-saving adsorption drying device that effectively improves the shortcomings of conventional drying systems. It features high efficiency, energy conservation, zero pollution, and intelligent continuous monitoring. By incorporating the AIoT concept and incorporating smart sensors and a continuous monitoring unit, it collects trends in relevant parameters during operation and uploads this data to a cloud-based intelligent platform for analysis and management. Clients can monitor on-site conditions in real time through remote monitoring and cloud-based information, effectively achieving greater energy conservation and resolving issues associated with traditional drying. This makes this invention more advanced, practical, and more tailored to user needs. It therefore meets the requirements for a patent application and, accordingly, a patent application is filed in accordance with the law.

However, the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and should not be used to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. Therefore, any simple equivalent changes and modifications made within the scope of the patent application and the contents of the invention specification should still fall within the scope of coverage of the present patent.

1: Dry space

2: Chassis

21: Air Inlet

22: First air outlet

23: Second air outlet

24: Exhaust fan

26: Drying fan

3: Adsorption drying and dehumidification wheel element

4: Heat exchanger

41: Heat exchange air inlet

42: Heat exchange outlet

5: Heater

6: Smart Internet Module

61: Continuous Monitoring Unit

62: Communication unit

63: Cloud Intelligence Platform

64: Display screen

7: Mobile devices

Claims (6)

A high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device comprises: A drying area for accommodating a product to be dried, providing a dry ambient airflow with a relative humidity of 0-30%, and capable of controlling the ambient humidity within a space within a relative humidity range of 10-50%; A housing having an air inlet, and a first air outlet and a second air outlet connected to the drying area. The air inlet is provided with an exhaust fan for introducing external humid air through the air inlet. The first air outlet is provided with a regeneration fan for pumping the hot and humid regeneration air into the drying area through the first air outlet. The second air outlet is provided with a drying fan for pumping the dry air, after the moisture has been adsorbed, into the drying area through the second air outlet. An adsorption drying and dehumidifying wheel element is disposed within the housing and contains a dehumidifying wheel. One side of the dehumidifying wheel has a dehumidifying zone and a regeneration zone, which are connected to the drying fan and the regeneration fan. The dehumidifying wheel is driven by a driver to rotate. A heat exchanger, disposed within the housing and having a heat exchange inlet and a heat exchange outlet, is configured to convert the humid air into higher-temperature humid air after heat exchange, and then deliver the humid air to the dehumidification zone of the dehumidifier to absorb moisture from the air. The dry air, after moisture has been absorbed, is then output to the drying area through the second outlet. The dehumidifier is then driven by the driver to rotate the dehumidifier to carry the dehumidification zone, after moisture has been absorbed, to the regeneration zone for thermal drying and desorption of moisture. a heater disposed in the housing and connected to the regeneration zone of the dehumidifier, for heating the air so that the high-temperature air flows through the regeneration zone of the dehumidifier, desorbing the adsorbed moisture therein by heat to form the hot and humid regeneration air, which is then output to the drying area through the first air outlet; An Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIBT) An AIoT (Aerospace and IoT) module is installed in the housing and electrically connected to the drying field, the adsorption drying and dehumidification wheel element, the heat exchanger, and the heater. The smart networking module is equipped with a continuous monitoring unit, a communication unit, a cloud-based smart platform, and a display screen. The continuous monitoring unit is connected to a plurality of smart sensors, the communication unit, and the display screen to display relevant information. The continuous monitoring unit is also connected to the drying field, the adsorption drying and dehumidification wheel element, the heat exchanger, and the heater in a signal connection to collect the drying field. , operating data of the adsorption drying and dehumidifying rotor, the heat exchanger, and the heater. This operating data includes equipment operating parameters, the weight of the product to be dried, and the temperature, humidity, and dew point temperature trends of the first and second air outlets over time. This operating data is uploaded to the cloud-based intelligent platform via the communication unit for data recording and analysis to generate optimization management information. This optimization management information is then used as a basis for managing the drying area, the adsorption drying and dehumidifying rotor, the heat exchanger, and the heater. A mobile device that can execute a mobile application (APP) to allow clients to obtain this operating data and optimization management information, providing real-time information on the equipment's operating status and the current operating environment. According to the high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device described in Item 1 of the patent application, the heater is a solar thermal heating module or a heat pump module. According to the high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device described in Item 1 of the patent application, the multiple smart sensors are located in the drying area, the air inlet, the first air outlet, and the second air outlet. According to the patent application, the high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device described in item 1 or 3, wherein the multiple smart sensors include weight, temperature, humidity, and wind speed monitors. According to the high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device described in Item 1 of the patent application, the cloud-based intelligent platform includes a cloud database that stores production process parameters, receives operational data, and analyzes and calculates it against the production process parameters to identify variables affecting product quality and equipment efficiency, optimize them, and generate optimization management information. According to the high-efficiency, energy-saving adsorption drying device described in Item 1 of the patent application, the temperature of the regeneration air is between 80 and 100°C.