Heat pump coupled thermal responsive polymer clothes drying system and method of operation
By using a heat pump coupled with a thermally responsive polymer drying system, the high energy consumption of heat pump rotary dryers is solved by utilizing the volume phase transformation of polymers at specific temperatures and multi-stage heating and cooling steps, achieving the effects of rapid drying and reduced energy consumption.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TONGJI UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-28
AI Technical Summary
Existing heat pump rotary dryers consume a lot of energy when the regeneration temperature requirement is high, and the humidity of the air at the regeneration side outlet is high, which leads to increased system energy consumption and increased room humidity.
A heat pump coupled with a thermally responsive polymer dryer system is used, which utilizes the volume phase transformation of the thermally responsive polymer into liquid water at a temperature of 40-60℃. Combined with multi-stage heating and cooling steps, the regeneration energy consumption and condensation energy consumption are reduced.
While achieving rapid drying of clothes, it reduces the energy consumption of the dryer, improves drying efficiency, and enhances the desorption efficiency of thermally responsive polymers through multi-stage heating and cooling.
Smart Images

Figure CN117230625B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of dryer technology, and in particular relates to a heat pump coupled thermal response polymer dryer system and its application, including operating methods. Background Technology
[0002] The technology system of small clothes dryers that combines heat pumps with solid adsorption dehumidification is currently in a stage of rapid development. This system uses a dehumidifying impeller and a heat pump to dehumidify and heat the air processed by the dryer, reducing the humidity of the air and increasing the temperature of the air used for drying clothes.
[0003] Compared to traditional methods that rely solely on heat pumps or heaters for high-temperature drying, heat pump rotary dryers can effectively reduce drying time and improve drying efficiency, making them particularly suitable for humid climates such as southern my country and coastal areas.
[0004] Heat pump rotary dryers typically use silica gel, zeolite, or similar materials as the base material for their dehumidifying rotors. Their dehumidification capacity is highly dependent on the regeneration temperature, usually requiring around 100°C to meet dehumidification needs. This high regeneration temperature requirement often necessitates adding an electric heater to the heat pump to achieve rapid drying of clothes, leading to increased system energy consumption. Furthermore, the high temperature and humidity of the air exiting the regeneration side of the dehumidifying rotor can easily increase room humidity if directly discharged. Therefore, heat pump rotary dryers typically require additional cooling at the regeneration side outlet to lower the temperature and humidity of the exhaust air, further increasing system energy consumption. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system and its operation method to improve the drying efficiency of clothes, achieve rapid drying of clothes while reducing the energy consumption of the dryer.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer clothes drying system, comprising an evaporator, a first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, a second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, a condenser, a first compressor, a first expansion valve, a blower fan, a clothes dryer housing, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a regenerator fan, a four-way reversing valve, a second compressor, a second expansion valve, a first temperature and humidity sensor, a second temperature and humidity sensor, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, a first air interface, a second air interface, and a control system.
[0007] The evaporator, the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, the condenser, the air supply fan, and the dryer housing are sequentially connected through the first air duct to form a loop; the first air interface, the first heat exchanger, the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, the second heat exchanger, the regeneration fan, and the second air interface are sequentially connected through the second air duct.
[0008] Both the first and second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification units can reciprocate between the first and second air ducts via guide rails.
[0009] The evaporator is also connected to the first compressor, condenser and first expansion valve in sequence through the first refrigerant line to form a circuit; the first heat exchanger is also connected to the four-way reversing valve, compressor, second heat exchanger and second expansion valve in sequence through the second refrigerant line to form a circuit.
[0010] A first temperature and humidity sensor is installed on the first air duct between the evaporator and the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit; a second temperature and humidity sensor is installed on the first air duct between the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit and the condenser; a first temperature sensor is installed on the second air duct between the first heat exchanger and the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit; and a second temperature sensor is installed on the second air duct between the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit and the second heat exchanger.
[0011] The control system includes a controller and a first compressor, a blower, a second compressor, a regenerator, a first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, a second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, a first temperature and humidity sensor, a second temperature and humidity sensor, a first temperature sensor, and a second temperature sensor, all electrically connected to the controller.
[0012] Preferably, the port of the first air interface that is far from the first heat exchanger and the port of the second air interface that is far from the regeneration fan are both connected to the air environment in which the drying system is located.
[0013] Preferably, the controller and the timer are electrically connected; the timer presents time information to the controller, and when the timer reaches the predetermined time of a program, the controller sends a command to end the program.
[0014] The heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system of the present invention can be used to dry clothes, reducing dryer energy consumption and improving clothes drying efficiency while drying clothes quickly.
[0015] Preferably, the heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying method includes an adsorption dehumidification step, a regeneration heating step, a regeneration cooling step, and a cooling step.
[0016] The first air duct of the system always operates in the adsorption and dehumidification step. When the thermal response polymer is switched, the second air duct operates in the following sequence: regeneration heating step - regeneration cooling step - regeneration heating step - cooling step.
[0017] Preferably, in the adsorption dehumidification step, the thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit moves to the first air duct via a slide rail, and the evaporator, condenser, first compressor, first expansion valve, and blower are operating at full load.
[0018] The system controls the air ducts of the two thermal response polymer dehumidification units based on the monitoring values of the first and second temperature and humidity sensors. When the following formula (I) is met, the system switches the air ducts of the two thermal response polymer dehumidification units:
[0019]
[0020] In the formula: —Measured relative humidity value from the first temperature and humidity sensor;
[0021] —Measured relative humidity value from the second temperature and humidity sensor;
[0022] T1 — Measured temperature value from the first temperature and humidity sensor, in °C;
[0023] T2 — Measured temperature value from the second temperature and humidity sensor, in °C.
[0024] Preferably, in the regeneration heating step, the first heat exchanger is switched to a heating state and the second heat exchanger is switched to a cooling state by a four-way reversing valve, and the second compressor, the second expansion valve and the regeneration fan are running at full load.
[0025] The heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system is controlled based on the monitoring values of a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor. The set value of the first temperature sensor should be 40-60℃. The system automatically starts timing when the values collected by the second temperature sensor and the monitoring values of the first temperature sensor satisfy formula (II).
[0026] T3-T4<0.5 (II)
[0027] Where: T3—the measured temperature value of the first temperature sensor, in °C;
[0028] T4 — Measured temperature value from the second temperature sensor, in °C;
[0029] The timing period is determined based on the set value of the first temperature sensor:
[0030] t heat =0.02T 3set 2 -2.5T 3set +88
[0031] In the formula: t heat —System timeout, in minutes;
[0032] T 3set —Temperature setpoint of the first temperature sensor, °C;
[0033] When t is reached heat The regeneration heating step ends after a certain time.
[0034] Preferably, in the regeneration cooling step, the four-way reversing valve switches the first heat exchanger to a cooling state and the second heat exchanger to a heating state, while the second compressor, the second expansion valve, and the regeneration fan operate at full load. The heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system controls the regeneration cooling step based on the monitoring values of the first and second temperature sensors. The regeneration cooling step ends when the absolute difference between the value collected by the second temperature sensor and the value monitored by the first temperature sensor is less than 1°C.
[0035] Preferably, during the cooling step, the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the second compressor, the second expansion valve, and the regeneration fan stop operating.
[0036] Preferably, on the air supply side of the heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system, the return air from the dryer compartment is sequentially processed by the evaporator, the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit or the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, and the condenser before being sent into the dryer compartment by the air supply fan to dry clothes, thus achieving air circulation on the drying side; simultaneously, the evaporator, compressor, condenser, and expansion valve form a refrigeration cycle. On the regeneration side, ambient air enters through the first air interface, sequentially processes by the first heat exchanger, the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit or the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit and the second heat exchanger, and is then discharged to the environment by the regeneration fan; simultaneously, the first heat exchanger, the four-way reversing valve, the compressor, the second heat exchanger, and the expansion valve achieve refrigeration and heating cycles through the refrigerant pipeline.
[0037] Preferably, during the operation of the heat pump coupled thermal response polymer dryer system, the evaporator, condenser, first compressor, first expansion valve, and blower always operate at maximum load.
[0038] The thermally responsive polymer can be any thermally responsive polymer commonly used in the art; in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, PNIPAM is used.
[0039] During operation, the heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system needs to determine whether the thermally responsive polymer module is saturated with adsorption. When the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit is on the air supply side of the dryer and the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit is on the regeneration side, the heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system controls the temperature and humidity based on the temperature and humidity between the first and second temperature and humidity sensors before and after the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit. When formula (I) is satisfied, the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit enters the regeneration zone through the slide rail, and the regenerated second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit enters the air supply side of the dryer through the slide rail, and so on.
[0040] After the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, which is saturated with adsorption, enters the regeneration side, the regeneration side switches to the regeneration heating mode. That is, the first heat exchanger is switched to the heating state and the second heat exchanger is switched to the cooling state through the four-way reversing valve. The second compressor, the second expansion valve and the regeneration fan are running at full load. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system is controlled according to the monitoring values of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor. When the set value of the first temperature sensor is 50°C, and the value collected by the second temperature sensor differs from the value collected by the first temperature sensor by 0.5°C, the timer starts counting and calculates the predetermined time according to formula (II).
[0041] After the heating and regeneration reaches the predetermined time, the regeneration side switches the first heat exchanger to a cooling state and the second heat exchanger to a heating state through a four-way reversing valve. The second compressor, the second expansion valve, and the regeneration fan operate at full load. The heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system is controlled according to the monitoring values of the first and second temperature sensors. The regeneration cooling step ends when the absolute difference between the value collected by the second temperature sensor and the value monitored by the first temperature sensor is less than 1°C.
[0042] The regeneration side switches the first heat exchanger to heating mode and the second heat exchanger to cooling mode again through the four-way reversing valve. The second compressor, the second expansion valve and the regeneration fan operate at full load. The heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system is controlled according to the monitoring values of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor. When the set value of the first temperature sensor should be 50°C and the value collected by the second temperature sensor differs from the value collected by the first temperature sensor by 0.5°C, the timer starts counting, and the counting time is calculated according to formula (II) for the predetermined time.
[0043] After the predetermined heating and regeneration time, the first heat exchanger, second heat exchanger, second compressor, second expansion valve, and regeneration fan on the regeneration side of the heat pump coupled thermal response polymer dryer system stop operating, allowing the thermal response polymer dehumidification unit in the regeneration air pipeline to cool down naturally.
[0044] By adopting the above-described solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0045] 1. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system of the present invention induces a volume phase transition of the thermally responsive polymer at a temperature of 40-60°C, causing the adsorbed water to desorb in the form of liquid water, thereby reducing regeneration energy consumption and condensation energy consumption.
[0046] 2. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system and operation method of the present invention match the volume phase transition characteristics of thermally responsive polymers, and improve the desorption efficiency and proportion of liquid water in thermally responsive polymers through multi-stage heating and intermediate cooling. Attached Figure Description
[0047] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, each drawing described below is for a part of the embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.
[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall heat pump thermal response polymer drying system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0049] Figure 2 This is the liquid water desorption curve of the PNIPAM thermally responsive polymer in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, 3.5 g of the thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) polymer (PNIPAM) decreased in weight to below 3.3 g within 1000 seconds after heating, a weight reduction of 5%. Further heating at this temperature resulted in no further weight change. After cooling (approximately 1000 s), further heating led to a further weight reduction, reaching approximately 3.05 g within about 1000 seconds. Through two heating cycles, the thermoresponsive polymer reduced its weight by a total of 12.8% within 4000 seconds. This indicates that a multi-stage heating desorption method is beneficial for improving the desorption efficiency of the thermoresponsive polymer.
[0051] The accompanying figure is labeled as follows:
[0052] Evaporator 1, First thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2, Second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 3, Condenser 4, First compressor 5, First expansion valve 6, Air supply fan 7, Dryer housing 8, First heat exchanger 9, Second heat exchanger 10, Regeneration fan 11, Four-way reversing valve 12, Second compressor 13, Second expansion valve 14, First temperature and humidity sensor 15, Second temperature and humidity sensor 16, First temperature sensor 17, Second temperature sensor 18, First air interface A, Second air interface B. Detailed Implementation
[0053] To improve the efficiency of clothes drying and reduce the energy consumption of dryers while achieving rapid drying, this invention proposes a heat pump coupled with a heat-responsive polymer drying system and its operation method. This method utilizes the volume phase transition liquid water desorption characteristics of heat-responsive polymers at temperatures above 32°C, while reducing the regeneration temperature requirement and the energy consumption of air condensation at the regeneration side outlet, thus achieving high system operating energy efficiency.
[0054] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0055] This invention proposes a heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system and its operation method. Taking poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) thermally responsive polymer (PNIPAM) as an example, the heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system includes an evaporator 1, a first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit (PNIPAM) 2, a second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit (PNIPAM) 3, a condenser 4, a first compressor 5, a first expansion valve 6, a blower 7, a dryer housing 8, a first heat exchanger 9, a second heat exchanger 10, a regeneration fan 11, a four-way reversing valve 12, a second compressor 13, a second expansion valve 14, a first temperature and humidity sensor 15, a second temperature and humidity sensor 16, a first temperature sensor 17, a second temperature sensor 18, a first air interface A, a second air interface B, and a control system.
[0056] On the supply side of the dryer, the return air from the dryer chamber 8 is sequentially processed by the evaporator 1, the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2 (or the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 3), and the condenser 4 before being sent back into the dryer chamber 8 by the supply fan 7 to dry clothes, thus achieving air circulation on the drying side. Simultaneously, the evaporator 1, compressor 5, condenser 4, and expansion valve 6 form a refrigeration cycle. On the regeneration side, ambient air enters through the first air inlet A, sequentially passes through the first heat exchanger 9, the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 3 (or the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2), and the second heat exchanger 10, before being discharged to the environment by the regeneration fan 11. Simultaneously, the first heat exchanger 9, the four-way reversing valve 12, the compressor 13, the second heat exchanger 10, and the expansion valve 14 achieve refrigeration and heating cycles through the refrigerant pipeline.
[0057] The first thermally responsive polymer dehumidifying unit 2 and the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidifying unit 3 can move between the air supply side and the regeneration side via guide rails, and do not appear simultaneously in the same controller pipeline. When the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidifying unit 2 is on the air supply side of the dryer, it is used to dehumidify the air after the evaporator 1 has been cooled, while the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidifying unit 3 is on the regeneration air side for desorption and regeneration. When the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidifying unit 2 is saturated with adsorption, it moves to the regeneration air side via guide rails for regeneration, while the regenerated second thermally responsive polymer dehumidifying unit 3 moves to the air supply side of the dryer via guide rails for adsorption and dehumidification, and so on in a repeated cycle.
[0058] A first temperature and humidity sensor 15 is installed on the air supply duct between the evaporator 1 and the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2 to monitor the temperature and humidity of the air after the evaporator 1 has dried. A second temperature and humidity sensor 16 is installed on the air supply duct between the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 3 and the condenser 4 to monitor the temperature and humidity of the air after the thermally responsive polymer has dehumidified. A first temperature sensor 17 is installed on the regeneration air duct between the first heat exchanger 9 and the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 3 to monitor the temperature of the air after the first heat exchanger 9 has processed it. A second temperature sensor 18 is installed on the regeneration air duct between the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2 and the second heat exchanger 10 to monitor the temperature of the air after regeneration.
[0059] The control system includes a controller and, electrically connected to the controller, a first compressor 5, a supply fan 7, a second compressor 13, a regenerating fan 11, a first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2, a second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 3, a first temperature and humidity sensor 15, a second temperature and humidity sensor 16, a first temperature sensor 17, a second temperature sensor 18, and a timer. The first temperature and humidity sensor 15, the second temperature and humidity sensor 16, the first temperature sensor 17, and the second temperature sensor 18 are data acquisition units for the control system; the first compressor 5, the supply fan 7, the second compressor 13, the regenerating fan 11, the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2, and the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 3 are actuators for the control system, adjusting according to the relationship between the acquired data and the set value; the timer is used for time monitoring.
[0060] When in use, the heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system operates in the following modes: adsorption dehumidification mode, regeneration heating mode, regeneration cooling mode, and cooling mode.
[0061] During system operation, the adsorption dehumidification mode maintains maximum load operation, including evaporator 1, condenser 2, first compressor 5, first expansion valve 6, and air supply fan 7. During operation, the system needs to determine whether the thermally responsive polymer module is saturated. When the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2 is on the dryer's air supply side and the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 3 is on the regeneration side, the system controls the temperature and humidity based on the temperature and humidity between the first temperature and humidity sensors 15 and 16 before and after the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2. When the aforementioned calculation formula is satisfied, it indicates that the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2 is saturated, and the system switches. That is, the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 2 enters the regeneration zone via a slide rail, and the regenerated second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit 3 enters the dryer's air supply side via a slide rail, thus repeating the cycle.
[0062] After the first thermally saturated dehumidifying unit 2 enters the regeneration side, the regeneration side switches to the regeneration heating mode. That is, the first heat exchanger 9 is switched to the heating state and the second heat exchanger 10 is switched to the cooling state through the four-way reversing valve. The second compressor 13, the second expansion valve 14 and the regeneration fan 11 operate at full load. The system is controlled according to the monitoring values of the first temperature sensor 17 and the second temperature sensor 18. When the set value of the first temperature sensor 17 is 50°C and the value collected by the second temperature sensor 18 reaches 49.5°C, the timer starts counting, and the counting time is calculated to be 13 minutes according to the aforementioned formula.
[0063] After 13 minutes of heating and regeneration, the regeneration side operates in regeneration cooling mode, that is, the first heat exchanger 9 is switched to cooling mode and the second heat exchanger 10 is switched to heating mode through the four-way reversing valve. The second compressor 13, the second expansion valve 14 and the regeneration fan 11 operate at full load. The system is controlled according to the monitoring values of the first temperature sensor 17 and the second temperature sensor 18. The regeneration cooling mode ends when the absolute value of the second temperature sensor and the first temperature sensor is less than 1°C.
[0064] The regeneration side operates again in regeneration heating mode, that is, the first heat exchanger 9 is switched to heating mode and the second heat exchanger 10 is switched to cooling mode through the four-way reversing valve. The second compressor 13, the second expansion valve 14 and the regeneration fan 11 operate at full load. The system is controlled according to the monitoring values of the first temperature sensor 17 and the second temperature sensor 18. When the set value of the first temperature sensor 17 should be 50°C and the value collected by the second temperature sensor 18 reaches 49.5°C, the timer starts counting, and the counting time is calculated as 13 minutes according to the aforementioned formula.
[0065] After 13 minutes of heating and regeneration, the system regeneration side operates in cooling mode, meaning that the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the second compressor, the second expansion valve, and the regeneration fan stop operating, allowing the heat-response polymer dehumidification unit in the regeneration air pipeline to cool down naturally.
[0066] This invention utilizes the thermal shrinkage and dehydration characteristics of PNIPAM thermally responsive polymers to match a multi-stage heating-cooling-heating-intermittent operation method. When the usage of the first and second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification units is both 4.5 kg, by reducing the regeneration temperature and condensation cooling capacity through this scheme, the operating energy consumption can be reduced by 0.68 kWh (setting value of the first temperature sensor 17 is 60℃) to 1.04 kWh (setting value of the first temperature sensor 17 is 40℃) compared to conventional heat pump rotary dryers (taking drying 1.8 kg of water as an example).
[0067] In the description of this invention, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a reference structure" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element. It should be noted that, herein, relational terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.
[0068] The embodiments described above are merely specific implementations of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application without creative effort should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of protection of the claims in this application.
Claims
1. A heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system, characterized in that, The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system includes an evaporator, a first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, a second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, a condenser, a first compressor, a first expansion valve, a blower, a dryer housing, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a regenerator fan, a four-way reversing valve, a second compressor, a second expansion valve, a first temperature and humidity sensor, a second temperature and humidity sensor, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, a first air interface, a second air interface, and a control system. The evaporator, the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, the condenser, the air blower, and the dryer housing are sequentially connected through the first air duct to form a loop; the first air interface, the first heat exchanger, the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, the second heat exchanger, the regeneration fan, and the second air interface are sequentially connected through the second air duct. Both the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit and the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit can reciprocate between the first air duct and the second air duct via a slide rail. The evaporator is also connected to the first compressor, condenser, and first expansion valve in sequence through the first refrigerant line to form a circuit; the first heat exchanger is also connected to the four-way reversing valve, second compressor, second heat exchanger, and second expansion valve in sequence through the second refrigerant line to form a circuit. A first temperature and humidity sensor is installed on the first air duct between the evaporator and the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit; a second temperature and humidity sensor is installed on the first air duct between the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit and the condenser; a first temperature sensor is installed on the second air duct between the first heat exchanger and the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit; and a second temperature sensor is installed on the second air duct between the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit and the second heat exchanger. The control system includes a controller and a first compressor, a blower, a second compressor, a regenerator, a first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, a second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit, a first temperature and humidity sensor, a second temperature and humidity sensor, a first temperature sensor, and a second temperature sensor, all electrically connected to the controller. The drying method of heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer includes an adsorption dehumidification step, a regeneration heating step, a regeneration cooling step, and a cooling step. The first air duct of the system always operates in the adsorption and dehumidification step. When the thermal response polymer is switched, the second air duct operates in the following sequence: regeneration heating step - regeneration cooling step - regeneration heating step - cooling step.
2. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The port of the first air interface that is far from the first heat exchanger and the port of the second air interface that is far from the regeneration fan are both connected to the air environment in which the drying system is located.
3. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller and timer are electrically connected; the timer presents time information to the controller, and when the timer reaches the predetermined time of a program, the controller sends a command to end the program.
4. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system according to claim 3, characterized in that, In the aforementioned adsorption dehumidification step, the thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit moves from the slide rail to the first air duct, and the evaporator, condenser, first compressor, first expansion valve, and blower operate at full load. The system controls the air ducts of the two thermal response polymer dehumidification units based on the monitoring values of the first and second temperature and humidity sensors. When the following formula (I) is met, the system switches the air ducts of the two thermal response polymer dehumidification units: (I); In the formula: —Relative humidity reading from the first temperature and humidity sensor; —Relative humidity readings from the second temperature and humidity sensor; —Temperature reading from the first temperature and humidity sensor, in °C; —Temperature reading from the second temperature and humidity sensor, in °C.
5. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the regeneration heating step, the first heat exchanger is switched to heating mode and the second heat exchanger is switched to cooling mode by a four-way reversing valve, and the second compressor, the second expansion valve and the regeneration fan are running at full load. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system is controlled based on the monitoring values of a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor. The set value of the first temperature sensor should be 40-60℃. The system automatically starts timing when the monitoring values of the second temperature sensor and the first temperature sensor satisfy formula (II). (II); In the formula: —Temperature reading from the first temperature sensor, in °C; —Temperature reading from the second temperature sensor, in °C; The timing period is determined based on the set value of the first temperature sensor: , In the formula: —System timeout, in minutes; —Temperature setpoint of the first temperature sensor, °C; When reached The regeneration heating step ends after a certain time.
6. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the regeneration cooling step, the four-way reversing valve switches the first heat exchanger to a cooling state and the second heat exchanger to a heating state, while the second compressor, second expansion valve, and regeneration fan operate at full load. The heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system is controlled based on the monitoring values of the first and second temperature sensors. The regeneration cooling step ends when the absolute difference between the monitoring values of the second and first temperature sensors is less than 1°C. Alternatively, During the cooling process, the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the second compressor, the second expansion valve, and the regeneration fan cease operation.
7. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, On the air supply side of the heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system, the return air from the dryer compartment is sequentially processed by the evaporator, the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit or the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit and the condenser, and then sent into the dryer compartment by the air supply fan to dry the clothes, thus realizing air circulation on the drying side; at the same time, the evaporator, compressor, condenser and expansion valve form a refrigeration cycle. On the regeneration side, ambient air enters through the first air interface, passes through the first heat exchanger and the second thermal response polymer dehumidification unit in sequence, or the first thermal response polymer dehumidification unit and the second heat exchanger, and is then discharged to the environment by the regeneration fan; at the same time, the first heat exchanger, the four-way reversing valve, the compressor, the second heat exchanger and the expansion valve realize the cooling and heating cycle through the refrigerant pipeline.
8. The heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system according to claim 5, characterized in that, During the operation of the heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system, the evaporator, condenser, first compressor, first expansion valve, and blower are always operating at maximum load. During operation, the heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system needs to determine whether the thermally responsive polymer module is saturated with adsorption. When the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit is on the air supply side of the dryer and the second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit is on the regeneration side, the heat pump coupled thermally responsive polymer drying system controls the temperature and humidity based on the temperature and humidity between the first and second temperature and humidity sensors before and after the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit. When formula (I) is satisfied, the first thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit enters the regeneration zone through the slide rail, and the regenerated second thermally responsive polymer dehumidification unit enters the air supply side of the dryer through the slide rail, and so on. After the first heat-responsive polymer dehumidification unit, which is saturated with adsorption, enters the regeneration side, the regeneration side switches to the regeneration heating mode. That is, the first heat exchanger is switched to the heating state and the second heat exchanger is switched to the cooling state through the four-way reversing valve. The second compressor, the second expansion valve and the regeneration fan are running at full load. The heat pump coupled heat-responsive polymer drying system is controlled according to the monitoring values of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor. When the set value of the first temperature sensor is 50°C, and the monitoring value of the second temperature sensor differs from the monitoring value of the first temperature sensor by 0.5°C, the timer starts counting and calculates the predetermined time according to formula (II). After the heating and regeneration reaches the predetermined time, the regeneration side switches the first heat exchanger to a cooling state and the second heat exchanger to a heating state through a four-way reversing valve. The second compressor, the second expansion valve, and the regeneration fan operate at full load. The heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system is controlled according to the monitoring values of the first and second temperature sensors. The regeneration cooling step ends when the absolute difference between the monitoring values of the second and first temperature sensors is less than 1°C. The regeneration side switches the first heat exchanger to heating mode and the second heat exchanger to cooling mode again through the four-way reversing valve. The second compressor, the second expansion valve and the regeneration fan operate at full load. The heat pump coupled thermal response polymer drying system is controlled according to the monitoring values of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor. When the set value of the first temperature sensor should be 50°C and the monitoring value of the second temperature sensor differs from the monitoring value of the first temperature sensor by 0.5°C, the timer starts counting, and the counting time is calculated according to formula (II) for the predetermined time. After the predetermined heating and regeneration time, the first heat exchanger, second heat exchanger, second compressor, second expansion valve, and regeneration fan on the regeneration side of the heat pump coupled thermal response polymer dryer system stop operating, allowing the thermal response polymer dehumidification unit in the regeneration air pipeline to cool down naturally.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
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