Air drying system

Abstract

The invention provides an air drying system which comprises a dryer special for regeneration and at least more than one air drying unit, and each air drying unit comprises a pair of dehumidification boxes of a main air dryer, a main compressor, a first direction change-over valve part, a second direction change-over valve part, a heating part and a cooler, the regeneration-dedicated dryer delivers regeneration-dedicated dry air to the dehumidification box that performs the regeneration process among the dehumidification boxes of the pair of main air dryers. A plurality of air dryer units of the present invention receive the supply of high-temperature dry air necessary for regeneration from a separate regeneration-dedicated air dryer, thereby regenerating a desiccant, and also mixing the desiccant with wet air introduced into an air dryer to dehumidify, thereby continuously supplying a certain amount of dry air. Consequently, compressed dry air can be continuously supplied without loss to an automated device, a semiconductor manufacturing line, or the like that requires dry air.

Description

[0001] Divisional application

[0002] This application is a divisional application of a patent application with an application date of April 11, 2022, application number 202210370964.X, and invention name “Air drying system and compressed air drying method using the same”. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to an air drying system, and more specifically, to a compressed air drying device, which has a pair of dehumidification boxes. The pair of dehumidification boxes has multiple dehumidification boxes, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure compressed air discarded in the regeneration process can be re-input into the dehumidification process, thereby minimizing energy waste. Background Art

[0004] Generally, compressed air drying devices for removing moisture contained in the air are used in a wide range of industrial fields, such as various automation equipment, semiconductor manufacturing lines, coating lines, and chemical processes that cause chemical reactions when exposed to moisture.

[0005] Compressed air drying devices are roughly divided into refrigeration type and adsorption type. The refrigeration type is as follows, that is, after using a refrigeration compressor to lower the temperature of the compressed air, the moisture contained in the air is condensed and dehumidified. The adsorption type is as follows, that is, the compressed air containing moisture is passed through a tank filled with a dehumidifier so that the moisture contained in the compressed air is adsorbed by the dehumidifier.

[0006] Adsorption compressed air drying devices are classified into non-heating type that does not require a heat source and heating type that requires a heat source according to the regeneration method of the dehumidifier. Compared with the non-heating type, which does not require a heat source, it has the disadvantage of high energy consumption due to the large consumption of compressed air required for regeneration. The heating type uses a heat source (heating unit) to regenerate the dehumidifier, and has the advantage of low energy consumption compared to the non-heating type.

[0007] As for the adsorption-type compressed air drying device, two boxes filled with dehumidifiers are constituted. While one box is performing the compressed air dehumidification process, the other box is performing the dehumidification dehumidifier regeneration process. After a certain period of time, the box performing the compressed air dehumidification process switches to the regeneration process, and the box performing the dehumidifier regeneration process switches to the compressed air dehumidification process.

[0008] Figure 1 The conventional compressed air drying device is schematically shown, and is a structural diagram showing a state in which the first box 10 performs a compressed air dehumidification process and the second box 20 performs a dehumidifier regeneration process. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing a state in which the second tank 20 performs a compressed air dehumidification process and the first tank 10 performs a dehumidifier regeneration process.

[0009] observe Figure 1 If the moist compressed air WA is supplied from the lower part of the first box 10 through the direction conversion valve 30, the moist compressed air WA is dried while passing through the upper part of the first box 10, and the dry compressed air DA moves to the upper part of the first box 10 and is discharged through the one-way valve 51.

[0010] Moreover, a part of the discharged dry compressed air DA is supplied to the upper part of the second box 20 through the return flow path 90, and a heating unit 70 is provided in the regeneration air supply flow path 90. After the dry compressed air DA supplied to the second box 20 through the flow path 90 is heated to a temperature of 200 to 250°C, the regeneration air is supplied to the second box 20.

[0011] At this time, a flow rate regulating valve 60 is provided in the regeneration air supply passage 90, and about 8-15% of dry regeneration air DA in the dry compressed air DA is supplied to the second tank 20 at a uniform pressure through the regeneration air regulating valve and the orifice.

[0012] As described above, the heated compressed air DA flows into the upper part of the second box 20 through the regeneration air supply path 90, and heats the dehumidified dehumidifier inside the second box 20, thereby stripping moisture from the dehumidifier and regenerating it, and passes through the lower part of the second box 20, and the regeneration air containing moisture is discharged to the outside through the valve 42 and the muffler 80.

[0013] After the dry regeneration air DA heated for a certain time is supplied to the second tank 20 to regenerate the dehumidifier, the power of the heating unit 70 is turned off at a set time, and dry regeneration air at room temperature is continuously supplied to the second tank 20 to cool the dehumidifier.

[0014] Furthermore, after the set time has passed, if Figure 2 As shown, the direction switching valve 30 switches the flow path of the moist compressed air WA and supplies it to the second tank 20 , and the moist compressed air WA is dehumidified by the dehumidification process, so that the first tank 10 is regenerated.

[0015] At this time, similarly, a part of the dry compressed air DA is heated by the heating unit 70 through the regeneration air supply flow path 90 and supplied to the first tank 10 , thereby performing the regeneration process.

[0016] As described above, the conventional compressed air drying device has the advantage that a part of the dry air generated after the dehumidification process can be used in the regeneration process. However, since the dry air is mixed with the introduced wet air, the entire amount cannot be used without loss.

[0017] Furthermore, in conventional compressed air drying devices, the compressed dry air supplied to the regeneration flow path is released in the form of high-temperature and high-humidity compressed air after being used in the regeneration process, which has a problem of affecting the atmosphere around the muffler during the release.

[0018] In short, the conventional compressed air drying device as described above uses a portion of the discharged compressed air for the dehumidifier regeneration process, usually with a dehumidifier having a dehumidifier density of 7.0 to 9.0 kgf / cm 2 A part of the compressed dry air at the pressure of G is used in the regeneration process and is discharged to the outside for consumption, so there is a problem of extremely large energy consumption. Summary of the invention

[0019] Technical issues to be solved

[0020] The purpose of the air drying system according to an embodiment of the present invention is that multiple air dryer units receive the supply of high-temperature dry air required for regeneration from another dedicated regeneration air dryer, thereby not only regenerating the dehumidifier, but also mixing with the wet air in the inlet pipeline of the air dryer to achieve dehumidification, so that a certain amount of dry air is continuously supplied, and therefore compressed dry air can be continuously supplied without loss to automated equipment that requires dry air, semiconductor preparation lines, coating lines, chemical process equipment that causes chemical reactions when in contact with moisture, etc.

[0021] According to the air drying system of the embodiment of the present invention, a purpose is to prevent the discharge of high-temperature and humid compressed air generated after the regeneration of the dehumidifier from occurring in multiple air dryer units, so as to minimize the impact on the surrounding environment.

[0022] The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned contents, and a person skilled in the art can clearly understand other objects not mentioned from the following description.

[0023] Technical Solution

[0024] In order to solve the technical problems mentioned above, an air drying system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a regeneration-only dryer and at least one air drying unit, wherein the air drying unit includes: a pair of dehumidification boxes of main air dryers, in which a dehumidification process and a regeneration process are alternately performed; a main compressor, wherein the main compressor is used to pressurize the humid air and supply it to the inlet pipe; a first direction conversion valve section, wherein the first direction conversion valve section allows the path of the humid air supplied from the inlet pipe to be transferred to the dehumidification box that performs the dehumidification process in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers, or allows the path of the regenerated air discharged from the dehumidification box that performs the regeneration process in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers to be transferred to the cooler; a second direction conversion valve section, wherein the second direction conversion valve section allows the path of the regenerated air discharged from the dehumidification box that performs the regeneration process in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers to be transferred to the cooler; and a second direction conversion valve section. The compressed dry air supplied from the dehumidification box in the dehumidification box of the air dryer that performs the dehumidification process is transferred to the discharge pipeline, or the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer is transferred to the dehumidification box in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers that performs the regeneration process; and a heating unit, the heating unit is used to heat the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer; a cooler, the cooler is used to separate moisture from wet steam and prepare condensed water, the wet steam is the regeneration-only dry air heated by the heating unit, and the moisture of the dehumidifier filled in the dehumidification box in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers is stripped off, thereby generating wet steam in a high-temperature state, the regeneration-only dryer transfers the regeneration-only dry air to the dehumidification box in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers that performs the regeneration process.

[0025] The air drying system further includes a third direction conversion valve portion, the humid air is supplied through the third direction conversion valve portion, and the third direction conversion valve portion can be connected to the main compressor.

[0026] The air drying system may further include a regeneration-only compressor, which supplies compressed air to the regeneration-only dryer.

[0027] Wherein, the air drying system may further include a moisture separator, which is connected to the cooler and is used to separate the condensed water.

[0028] The regeneration dedicated compressor has a pressure of 0.2 to 0.7 kgf / cm higher than the pressure of the wet air supplied from the inlet pipe. 2 G pressure is used to compress the regeneration-dedicated dry air, and the cooling dry air flow path through the cooler can be connected to the introduction pipeline.

[0029] The regeneration-only dry air system may further include a first opening and closing valve and a second opening and closing valve so that the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer is transmitted in either the discharge pipe or the heating unit.

[0030] The processing capacity of the compressed air passing through the dehumidification boxes of the pair of main air dryers should be the same as or lower than the dryness of the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer.

[0031] The dew point temperature x of the compressed dry air of the main air dryer or the regeneration dedicated dryer may be -40°C to -100°C.

[0032] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a compressed air drying method according to another aspect of the present invention comprises: a supply step: the supply step uses a main compressor to pressurize humid air and supply it to an inlet pipeline; a dehumidification step, the dehumidification step discharges dry air to an outlet pipeline, the dry air is generated by passing the humid air supplied through the inlet pipeline through a pre-set dehumidification box of a pair of dehumidification boxes filled with dehumidifiers so that the moisture of the humid air is adsorbed by the dehumidifiers; a heating process, the heating process receives another regeneration-dedicated dehumidifier from a regeneration-dedicated dryer in order to heat the regeneration dehumidifier The dehumidifier absorbs the moisture contained in other dehumidification boxes that have performed the dehumidification process during the dehumidification process, and the heated regeneration-specific dry air is supplied to and passed through the dehumidification boxes that have performed the other dehumidification processes, thereby heating the dehumidifier that absorbs the moisture and stripping the moisture; and a cooling process, the cooling process is 1 to 3 hours. After the heating process is completed, the power supply of the heating unit is cut off, thereby cooling the hot air in the wet steam state to normal temperature while stopping the operation.

[0033] Among them, it may also include a setting step, wherein the setting step sets the first opening and closing valve to the discharge pipe path, so that the path of the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer is transmitted in any one direction of the discharge pipe or the heating part, so that during the cooling process, the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer is transmitted to the discharge pipe.

[0034] The dehumidification process of discharging the generated dry air to the discharge pipe may further include a shutoff step of shutting off the first on-off valve so that the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer is not supplied to the discharge pipe.

[0035] The method may further include a cooling step, wherein the wet steam after the cooling process is cooled by a cooler; and a separation step, wherein the moisture separated by the cooler is separated by a moisture separator.

[0036] Effects of the Invention

[0037] According to an air drying system of an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of air dryer units receive the supply of high-temperature dry air required for regeneration from another dedicated regeneration air dryer, thereby not only regenerating the dehumidifier but also mixing with the wet air in the inlet pipe of the air dryer to achieve dehumidification, thereby continuously supplying a certain amount of dry air, thereby being able to continuously supply compressed dry air without loss to automated equipment that requires dry air, semiconductor preparation lines, coating lines, chemical processes that cause chemical reactions when in contact with moisture, etc.

[0038] According to an air drying system of an embodiment of the present invention, high-temperature and high-humidity compressed air generated after regeneration of a dehumidifier is suppressed from being discharged from a plurality of air dryer units, so as to minimize the impact on the surrounding environment.

[0039] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned contents, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other effects not mentioned from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 The conventional compressed air drying device is schematically shown, and is a structural diagram showing a state in which the first box 10 performs a compressed air dehumidification process and the second box 20 performs a dehumidifier regeneration process. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing a state in which the second tank 20 performs a compressed air dehumidification process and the first tank 10 performs a dehumidifier regeneration process.

[0041] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an air drying system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an air drying system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 5 The figure schematically shows a state where a dehumidification process and a regeneration process are performed simultaneously in the air drying system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 6 The present invention is a diagram illustrating a dehumidification process using an air drying unit and a regeneration-only dryer in an air drying system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 7The figure schematically shows a state where a dehumidification process and a regeneration process are performed simultaneously in an air drying system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an air drying system according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0048] 100, 200, 400: Master compressor

[0049] 101 (101a, 101b, 101c, 101d), 201 (201a, 201b, 201c, 201d): first direction switching valve unit

[0050] 102 (102a, 102b, 102c, 102d), 202 (202a, 202b, 202c, 202d): second direction switching valve unit

[0051] 103, 203: First opening and closing valve

[0052] 106, 206: Second on-off valve

[0053] 300 (300a, 300b, 300c, 300d): third direction switching valve unit

[0054] 108, 208: Fourth control valve

[0055] 110, 210: Dehumidification box of main air dryer (first dehumidification box)

[0056] 120, 220: Dehumidification box of main air dryer (second dehumidification box)

[0057] 130, 230: Heating unit

[0058] 140, 240: Cooler

[0059] 150, 250: Moisture separator

[0060] 151, 251: Exhaust trap

[0061] 500: Regeneration dedicated dryer

[0062] 600: Regeneration-specific compressor DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] If you refer to the following and attached Figure 1The purpose and effect of the present invention and the technical structure used to achieve the same will be clear with the detailed description of the embodiments. In describing the present invention, when it is judged that the detailed description of the known function or structure may unnecessarily confuse the gist of the present invention, the detailed description is omitted. Moreover, the terms described below are defined as terms considering the functions in the present invention, and may vary according to the intention or convention of the user or operator.

[0064] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and can be embodied in various different forms. However, the embodiments are provided to make the disclosure of the present invention more complete and to fully inform the ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the overall content of this specification.

[0065] In the overall specification, if a part is said to "include" or "have" a certain constituent element, then unless otherwise stated, it means that other constituent elements are also included, rather than excluding other constituent elements. In addition, the terms "...part" or "...unit" recorded in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or work, which can be embodied by hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software.

[0066] In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention, each constituent element, functional block or means may be composed of one or more lower constituent elements, and the electrical, electronic, and mechanical functions performed by each constituent element may be embodied by various well-known components or mechanical elements such as electronic circuits, integrated circuits, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits)), and may be embodied in separate independent ways or in a way that two or more are integrated into one.

[0067] Hereinafter, an air drying system and a compressed air drying method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0068] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an air drying system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Reference Figure 3 The air drying system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least two air drying units.

[0070] Figure 3The figure is a diagram illustrating a condition in which two air drying units are connected in parallel to a regeneration-only dryer. The air drying unit shown in the figure includes a pair of dehumidification boxes 110 and 120 of a main air dryer; a main compressor 100, which pressurizes humid air and supplies it to an inlet pipe; a first direction switching valve section 101 (101a, 101b, 101c, 101d); a second direction switching valve section 102 (102a, 102b, 102c, 102d); a heating section 130 and a cooler 140.

[0071] like Figure 3 As shown, if the dehumidification process and the regeneration process in one air drying unit are described, a pair of dehumidification boxes 110 and 120 alternately perform the dehumidification process and the regeneration process. The dehumidification box is filled with a dehumidifier that combines with moisture in the humid air and absorbs moisture, so moisture is removed inside the dehumidification box that performs the dehumidification process.

[0072] The main compressor 100 is used to pressurize the humidified air and supply it to the inlet pipe. The main compressor 100 applies 7.0 to 9.0 kgf / cm 2 The humid air supplied from the inlet pipe is pressurized by the pressure of G, and the pressurized humid air is supplied to the dehumidification box of the main air dryer.

[0073] The regeneration-only compressor 600 makes the pressure of the regeneration-only dry air 0.2-0.7 kgf / cm higher than the pressure of the wet air pressurized by the main compressor 100 and supplied from the inlet pipe. 2 The regeneration dedicated dry air is compressed at a pressure of G.

[0074] The regeneration dedicated compressor 600 can be used at 7.2 to 9.7 kgf / cm 2 The regeneration-only dry air is supplied at a pressure of G. The regeneration-only compressor 600 can supply a pressure about 3 to 7% higher than the pressure of the main compressor 100, so the wet air flowing into the introduction line can be used together with the regeneration-only dry air in the dehumidification process.

[0075] In order to perform a continuous dehumidification process, a regeneration process for regenerating the dehumidifier is performed in a dehumidification box other than the dehumidification box that is performing the dehumidification process. That is, in one dehumidification box, during the dehumidification process, in another dehumidification box that has completed the dehumidification process, a heating process is performed to remove the moisture adsorbed on the dehumidifier by high-temperature compressed dry air to restore the original dehumidifier performance, and a cooling process is performed to cool the heated dehumidification box.

[0076] That is, in one air drying unit, the dehumidification process and the regeneration process are performed alternately.

[0077] Then, the first direction conversion valve section 101 (101a, 101b, 101c, 101d) allows the path of the humid air supplied from the humid air inlet pipe of the dehumidifier box to be transferred to the dehumidifier box that performs the dehumidification process in the dehumidifier box of the pair of main air dryers, or allows the path of the regenerated air discharged from the dehumidifier box that performs the regeneration process in the dehumidifier box of the pair of main air dryers to be transferred to the cooler 140.

[0078] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an air drying system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] Reference Figure 4 It can be confirmed that two air drying units are connected in parallel to a main compressor and a regeneration-only dryer.

[0080] The air drying system may also include a third directional conversion valve unit, through which the humid air is supplied to the dehumidification flow path. At this time, the third directional conversion valve unit is connected to the main compressor unit, thereby achieving dehumidification of the humid air supplied from multiple humid air supply flow paths.

[0081] Furthermore, the whole system can be operated by adjusting the pressure between a main compressor section and a regeneration-only compressor section. By this, a uniform pressure can be transmitted to the air drying units connected in parallel, and the service life of each compressor section can be increased.

[0082] Figure 5 The figure is a diagram illustrating the flow of dry air dedicated to regeneration in the process of generating compressed dry air and regenerating a dehumidification box in the air drying system 1100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Reference Figure 5 It can be confirmed that in the two air drying units, the path of the wet air supplied from the inlet pipe of the main air dryer is supplied to each dehumidification box performing the dehumidification process. Figure 5 It can be confirmed that a cooling step for switching the direction can be confirmed in the regeneration process, and the cooling step directs the heating process of the dehumidification box that has completed the dehumidification process and the hot regeneration air used toward the cooler 140.

[0084] exist Figure 5 It can be confirmed that each switching valve is configured to switch the paths of the wet air and the regeneration air supplied from the inlet pipe. However, the first direction switching valve unit 101 (101a, 101b, 101c, 101d) is not limited to the one shown in the figure, and any direction switching valve can be used as long as it allows the wet air and the regeneration air to be transmitted to each flow path without interfering with each other.

[0085] Then, the regeneration dedicated dryer 500 transfers the regeneration dedicated dry air to the dehumidification box that performs the regeneration process among the pair of dehumidification boxes in the air drying unit.

[0086] Reference Figure 5 It can be confirmed that the regeneration-only dry air supplied by the regeneration-only dryer 500 moves through the heating unit 130 to the dehumidification box that completes the dehumidification process during the regeneration process.

[0087] As can be confirmed in the attached drawings, the compressed dry air generated in the regeneration dedicated dryer 500 can be supplied to the dehumidification box that completes the dehumidification process that requires the regeneration process as the regeneration process dedicated air of the main air dryer. In addition, the humid air introduced into the dehumidification process and the compressed dry air whose moisture is removed to a certain extent by the cooler 140 etc. can be put into the dehumidification process together, thereby reducing the load of the dehumidification box that performs dehumidification.

[0088] The regeneration-only dry air supplied to the regeneration process is preferably supplied at a high pressure compared to the wet air supplied to the inlet line of the air dryer unit. The air drying system 1100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a regeneration-only compressor 600 for supplying compressed air to the regeneration-only dryer 500 .

[0089] Specifically, the regeneration dedicated compressor 600 makes the pressure of the regeneration dedicated dry air 0.2 to 0.7 kgf / cm higher than the pressure of the wet air supplied from the inlet pipe. 2 The regeneration-dedicated dry air is generated by the pressure of G, and after the regeneration process of the dehumidification box of the main air dryer is performed, the cooling dry air flow path passing through the cooler 140 is connected to the introduction pipeline, so that the dry air used for regeneration can be mixed.

[0090] For example, the air drying system according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided with two air drying units. It is important that the processing flow of each air dryer unit is reflected in the design by increasing the capacity by about 30%. The pressure of the main compressor is about 7.0 kgf / cm 2 In the state of G operation, the flow rate of the other regeneration dedicated compressor 600 is about 6,000Nm 3 / h, equivalent to about 7.2-7.5kgf / cm 2 G pressure, compressed air higher than the operating pressure of the air dryer unit, is used to generate dry air with the help of the regeneration dedicated air dryer and used in the regeneration process of the dehumidification box of the main air dryer, and then mixed with the inlet pipe of the main air dryer, so it is necessary to consider the additional 6,000N m 3 / h.

[0091] Through this, about 3,000N m 3 / h of regeneration dedicated dry air and dehumidification box of the main air dryer of each air drying unit about 10,000N m 3 / h of wet air is mixed in the introduction pipe and flows into the dehumidification box with 13,000N m 3 / h flow rate to form dry air (Dry Air, refer to Figure 5 ) and can be discharged through the outlet line.

[0092] Then, in Figure 5 In the embodiment, taking an air drying unit as an example, the second direction conversion valve section 102 (102a, 102b, 102c, 102d) allows the compressed dry air supplied from a dehumidification box that performs a dehumidification process in a pair of dehumidification boxes to be transmitted to the discharge pipe, or allows the regeneration-specific dry air supplied from the regeneration-specific dryer 500 to be transmitted to a dehumidification box that performs a regeneration process in the pair of dehumidification boxes.

[0093] Reference Figure 5 The diagram shows the situation where the direction is changed so that the compressed dry air that has completed the dehumidification process is discharged to the discharge pipe, and it can be confirmed that the regeneration-specific dry air heated for the regeneration process is transferred to the dehumidification box that has completed the dehumidification process during the regeneration process.

[0094] exist Figure 5 In the figure, it can be confirmed that, referring to the air drying unit on the left side, each switching valve is provided to switch the path of the compressed dry air discharged from the discharge pipe and the regeneration dedicated air heated by the dehumidifier during regeneration. However, the second direction switching valve unit 102 (102a, 102b, 102c, 102d) is not limited to the case shown in the figure, and any direction switching valve that allows the compressed dry air and the heated regeneration dedicated air to flow to each flow path without interfering with each other can be used.

[0095] Then, the heating unit 130 is used to heat the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer 500. The heating unit 130 heats the regeneration-only dry air at about 200 to 280° C. to remove moisture attached to the dehumidifier of the dehumidifier box performing the regeneration process, and heats the dehumidifier during the regeneration process of about 1 to 3 hours.

[0096] Then, the cooler 140 separates moisture from the wet steam and generates condensed water, and discharges the condensed water into the atmosphere using a trap. The wet steam is the regeneration-specific dry air heated by the heating unit 130, and the moisture of the dehumidifier filled in the dehumidification box performing the regeneration process in the pair of dehumidification boxes is stripped off, thereby generating wet steam in a high-temperature state.

[0097] The regeneration-only dry air used in the regeneration process is mixed with the flow path of the wet air in the dehumidification process, and the dehumidification process can be performed together to generate mixed compressed dry air. At this time, when the high-temperature supersaturated wet air is supplied to the dehumidification box in the dehumidification process, it can become a factor that greatly reduces the dehumidification efficiency. In addition, it is necessary to discharge the compressed dry air at room temperature to the discharge pipe. Therefore, if the uncooled high-temperature and high-pressure air of about 200 to 280°C is put into the dehumidification process, the dehumidification capacity of the dehumidifier is reduced, and the required dryness cannot be met, making it impossible to supply the dry air generated after the dehumidification process at an appropriate temperature of room temperature.

[0098] In order to prevent this situation, the air dryer unit according to an embodiment of the present invention cools the wet steam, that is, cools the wet steam in a high-temperature state stripped from the dehumidifier filled in the dehumidification box that undergoes a regeneration process through the cooler 140, separates the moisture contained in the wet steam and condenses the water and discharges it into the atmosphere, while the compressed air from which the moisture has been stripped is mixed into the inlet pipe of the dehumidification box of the main air dryer that performs the dehumidification process, and can be supplied to the dehumidification box that performs the dehumidification process together.

[0099] The air dryer unit according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a moisture separator 150 connected to the cooler 140 for separating the condensed water.

[0100] As for the moisture separator 150, the regeneration-specific dry air of the regeneration process with greatly increased relative humidity passes through the moisture separator 150, and the moisture is condensed and separated, so that the condensed water is discharged into the atmosphere through the trap, and is mixed with the wet air in the wet air inlet line in a state of separated low concentration containing moisture, and can be supplied to the dehumidification box of the main air dryer for the dehumidification process.

[0101] In a state where the moisture separator 150 is included, the wet air inlet line (Inlet line) of the air drying system 1100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is interconnected with the moisture separator 150, so that the regeneration-dedicated dry air passing through the moisture separator 150 can be supplied to other dehumidification boxes performing the dehumidification process together with the wet air flowing in from the wet air inlet line (Inlet line).

[0102] Figure 6 The present invention is an exemplary diagram illustrating a case where only a dehumidification process is performed in the air drying system 1100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] After the heating process of the dehumidifier box is completed, a cooling process of 1 to 3 hours is performed, in which the temperature of the dehumidifier box performing the regeneration process is cooled to normal temperature by interrupting the operation of the heating unit 130. Since the temperature of the dehumidifier filled in the heated dehumidifier box is a high temperature state of about 200 to 280°C, only when it is cooled back to the normal state can the dehumidification efficiency of the incoming wet air be improved and the generation efficiency of the dry air be improved.

[0104] The cooling process may further include a moisture removal process of supplying cooled wet steam to the moisture separator 150 to remove moisture. If the wet steam in the inlet line is mixed with the wet steam in the state of containing moisture, the operation time of the dehumidification box performing the dehumidification process may be reduced, which is not conducive to the adsorption efficiency and life of the dehumidifier. Therefore, condensed water is generated by cooling the wet steam and separated and discharged so as not to exceed the appropriate humidity limit of the wet air flowing in.

[0105] In addition, the air drying system 1100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a first opening and closing valve 103 and a second opening and closing valve 106, so that the path of the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer 500 is transmitted to any one direction of the discharge pipe or the heating unit 130. The first opening and closing valve 103 and the second opening and closing valve 106 allow the dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer to be supplied to the discharge pipe or used in the regeneration process.

[0106] Figure 5 or Figure 7 To illustrate, in the air drying system 1100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, after completing a regeneration process of about 1 to 3 hours, the dry air dedicated to regeneration is mixed with the compressed dry air that has completed the dehumidification process in the dehumidification box that performs the dehumidification process, and moves to the discharge pipe.

[0107] When the operation of the heating unit 130 is interrupted, the supply of the regeneration-only dry air to the dehumidification box in the regeneration process through the first opening and closing valve 103 can be cut off, so that the regeneration-only dry air is directly connected to the discharge pipe and discharged.

[0108] The air drying system according to the embodiment of the present invention can continuously provide dry air with a dew point temperature close to about -100°C to a location such as a semiconductor manufacturing facility that requires highly dry air. Figure 5 or Figure 7As shown in the figure, since the regeneration-only dry air is directly connected to the discharge pipe, dry air with a dew point temperature equivalent to about -40°C can be supplied. In food storage facilities or warehouses, where it is okay to supply dry air with a relatively high dew point temperature or when a large amount of dry air is urgently needed, the regeneration-only dry air can be supplied through the discharge pipe to maintain the appropriate dryness.

[0109] When regeneration-only dry air is supplied to the dehumidification process, or when cooling is performed during the regeneration process and regeneration-only dry air is directly supplied to the discharge pipe, the air inlet pipe or discharge pipe of the air drying unit generally has a pressure of about 7.0 to 9.0 kgf / cm 3 G pressure, in order to be higher than this by about 0.2 to 0.7 kgf / cm 2 The regeneration-only dry air is compressed by the pressure G, and the regeneration-only compressor 600 can compress the regeneration-only dry air.

[0110] The air drying system 1100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can make the regeneration dedicated dryer 500 continuously operate and discharge a sufficient amount of compressed dry air to the discharge pipe, thereby realizing a highly efficient dehumidification process. In order to stably provide a required amount of compressed dry air, the dew point temperature of the compressed dry air passing through the dehumidification box that performs the dehumidification process in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers and the dew point temperature of the regeneration dedicated dry air supplied from the regeneration dedicated dryer 500 should be designed to be equal to or lower than the dryness of the main air dryer.

[0111] The dryness of the compressed dry air to be supplied to the regeneration dedicated dryer 500 should be designed to be flexible according to the dryness required for the dry air generated by the dehumidification box of the main air dryer. In particular, the dryness is designed to be the same or lower so that not only the continuous dehumidification process can be performed, but also the regeneration dedicated dryer 500 can be operated to supply the air to the discharge pipe or put into the dehumidification process at the same time according to the situation.

[0112] The discharge flow path for discharging dry compressed air may be located in an indoor environment that is not directly exposed to the outside environment. However, if it is directly exposed to the outside environment, considering the natural conditions that may be at a temperature of about -20 to -30°C due to cold currents, the dew point temperature of the compressed dry air discharged to the discharge pipe is preferably lower than -40°C.

[0113] In addition, although compressed dry air with a dew point temperature of about -100°C is not necessary in daily life, in certain fields such as the semiconductor process field, a lower dryness than this may be required depending on the situation. In other cases, the dew point temperature x of the compressed dry air is preferably within the range of -40°C to -100°C.

[0114] According to other embodiments of the compressed air drying method of the present invention, the dehumidification process discharges dry air (Dry Air) into an exhaust pipe. The dry air is generated by passing humid air (Wet Air) supplied through an inlet pipe of an air dryer through a pre-set dehumidification box of a pair of dehumidification boxes filled with dehumidifiers, so that moisture in the humid air is adsorbed by the dehumidifier.

[0115] In the dehumidification process, the humid air at room temperature is dried by the dehumidifier filled in the dehumidification box. For example, for about 10,000 N m 3 The dehumidification process of wet air of / h is carried out within a range of about 4 hours. This specification is the preferred specification in terms of economy, installation area and maintenance management, and is therefore widely used.

[0116] The heating process includes a heating process, in which the regeneration dehumidifier receives a supply of additional regeneration-dedicated dry air from the regeneration-dedicated dryer 500 and is heated by a heating unit 130 arranged in a heating pipeline in order to heat the regeneration dehumidifier. The dehumidifier adsorbs moisture contained in other dehumidification boxes that have performed a dehumidification process during the dehumidification process, and the heated regeneration-dedicated dry air is supplied to and passed through the other dehumidification boxes that have completed the dehumidification process, thereby heating the dehumidifier that adsorbs moisture and stripping the moisture.

[0117] About 8 to 15% of the dry air corresponding to the completion of the existing dehumidification process is released into the atmosphere after being used for regeneration. However, in the air drying system 1100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the regeneration-only dry air is transferred and heated through another regeneration-only dryer 500 and a regeneration-only compressor 600. Therefore, the regeneration process can be carried out without using a part of the high-pressure dry air of the outlet line of each air dryer unit, and the dry air used for regeneration can be reused, thereby significantly reducing the loss of compressed air.

[0118] The regeneration dedicated compressor 600 can be used at 7.2 to 9.7 kgf / cm 2 The regeneration-only dry air is supplied at a pressure of G. The regeneration-only compressor 600 can supply a pressure higher by about 3 to 7%P than the pressure of the main compressors 100, 200, 400.

[0119] That is, the main compressor pressurized humid air is supplied to the inlet pipe, applying about 7.0 to 9.0 kgf / cm 2The regeneration dedicated compressor 600 pressurizes the wet air supplied from the inlet pipe at a pressure of G, and supplies the pressurized wet air to the dehumidification box of the main air dryer. In the regeneration dedicated compressor 600, the pressure of the regeneration dedicated dry air is 0.2 to 0.7 kgf / cm higher than the pressure of the wet air pressurized by the main compressor 100 supplied from the inlet pipe. 2 The regeneration-specific dry air is compressed at a pressure of G, thereby eliminating energy waste in the dehumidification process.

[0120] Furthermore, a cooling process is included, and the cooling process takes 1 to 3 hours. After the heating process is completed, the power supply of the heating unit 130 is cut off, so that the hot air in the wet steam state is cooled to normal temperature in a state where the operation is stopped. Since the temperature of the dehumidifier filled in the dehumidification box that has become hot due to heating is a high temperature state of about 200 to 280° C., only when it is cooled again to a normal state can the dehumidification efficiency of the incoming wet air be improved and the generation efficiency of the dry air be improved.

[0121] In the cooling process, a moisture removal process for removing moisture may be further included, wherein the moisture removal process supplies the cooled wet steam to the moisture separator 150 and separates the moisture, discharges the condensed water to the atmosphere through a trap, and reuses the separated compressed air. If the wet steam in the inlet line of the air dryer is mixed with the wet steam in the state of containing moisture, the operation time of the dehumidification box performing the dehumidification process may be reduced, which is not conducive to the adsorption efficiency and life of the dehumidifier. Therefore, condensed water is generated by cooling and separated and discharged so as not to exceed the appropriate humidity limit of the wet air flowing in.

[0122] At this time, the pressure of the regeneration-dedicated dry air that has passed through the moisture removal step needs to exceed the pressure of the wet air supplied through the inlet line of the air dryer in order to facilitate introduction into the wet steam inlet line.

[0123] As described above, the present invention receives air required for regeneration (heating, cooling) of the air drying unit by receiving air having a pressure higher than the operating pressure applied to the inlet pipe (maximum about 0.2-0.7 kgf / cm 2 G or so) is used for regeneration (heating, cooling), instead of extracting a part of it from the discharge pipe of the air dryer for use, and sending it to the intake pipe of the wet air after regeneration to mix with the wet air, so that the whole amount of dry air generated in the dehumidification box can be reused together with the increased regeneration-dedicated air, thus realizing a system with no air loss.

[0124] Among them, it may also include a setting step, wherein the setting step sets the first on-off valve 103 and the second on-off valve 106 to the discharge pipeline path, so that the path of the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer 500 is transmitted to any one direction of the discharge pipeline or the heating part 130, so that during the cooling process, the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer 500 is transmitted to the discharge pipeline.

[0125] In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the dehumidification process of discharging the generated dry air to the discharge pipe may include a shutoff step of shutting off the first on-off valve so that the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer is not supplied to the discharge pipe. This is to supply only highly dry air through the discharge pipe.

[0126] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method may include the steps of cooling the wet steam after the cooling process by a cooler and separating the moisture separated by the cooler by means of a moisture separator.

[0127] Specifically, the moisture contained in the wet steam can be separated to reduce the humidity through a cooling step and a separation step. The cooling step cools the wet steam that has undergone the cooling process through a cooler, and the separation step separates the moisture separated by the cooler through a moisture separator.

[0128] By separating the moisture with the aid of a cooler, the air with reduced moisture content or humidity is mixed with the air introduced into the pipeline and put into the dehumidification process, thereby reducing the load of the dehumidification box that performs the dehumidification process in order to increase the amount of dry air discharged.

[0129] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 7 First, the wet air introduced into the pipeline is mixed with the dry air for regeneration that has passed through the cooler, and then moves to the first dehumidification box 110 for the dehumidification process. The compressed dry air dried by the first dehumidification box 110 is discharged to the discharge pipe. At the same time, the dry air for regeneration supplied from the dryer for regeneration 500 is heated by the heating unit 130, and then supplied to the second dehumidification box 120, and the moisture is stripped from the dehumidifier filled in the second dehumidification box 120 and moves to the cooler 140. The cooled dry air for regeneration that has been dehydrated by the cooler and the discharge trap is mixed with the wet air introduced into the pipeline.

[0130] When like Figure 5 and Figure 7 When the same process is carried out, the approximately 6,000 N m 3 / h, respectively about 3,000N m 3 The flow rate of / h is put into the regeneration process (heating, cooling) of the dehumidification boxes of each parallel main air dryer.

[0131] After the above process is performed, in order to separate the moisture in the generated wet steam, it passes through the cooler 140, 240 and the moisture separator 150, 250. At this time, the condensed water separated by the discharge trap 151, 251 connected to the moisture separator 150, 250 is discharged, and the air separated by the condensed water is mixed at the wet air inlet (introduction pipeline) of the dehumidification box of each main air dryer of the air dryer unit performing the dehumidification process, so that the entire amount of the regeneration air used for regeneration can be used in the dehumidification process, thereby maximizing the energy reduction efficiency.

[0132] In summary, in the exemplary system, about 6,000 Nm of fuel is supplied from the regeneration-only dryer 500 and the regeneration-only compressor 600. 3 The compressed air of / h is divided into two halves and used as the inflow wet air flow rate of about 10,000N m 3 / h, the flow rate required for regeneration is mixed to generate about 13,000 N m 3 / h flow rate of dry air. Although not shown in the figure, Figure 3 or Figure 4 As shown, if the amount of regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer 500 and the regeneration-only compressor 600 is increased, an air drying system can be provided in which the number of dehumidification boxes that perform the dehumidification process is increased accordingly.

[0133] Figure 8 FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an air drying system according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 , the wet air inflow pipeline can be pressurized by multiple main compressors. The third valve unit forms a flow path to provide a suitable operating pressure through the operation of other main compressors when any one of the main compressors is malfunctioning. Although not shown in the figure, the regeneration-only compressor is also configured in multiples, and through the fourth opening and closing valve unit similar to the third opening and closing valve unit, when any one of the regeneration-only compressors is malfunctioning or maintenance work is required, the operating pressure required for the regeneration-only dry air can be provided by the operation of other regeneration-only compressors.

[0134] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in this specification and the accompanying drawings. Although specific terms are used, they are used in a general sense only to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and to help understand the invention, and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition to the embodiments disclosed herein, other variations based on the technical ideas of the present invention may also be implemented, which is obvious to ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs.

Claims

1. An air drying system, the air drying system is used to continuously supply dry air, characterized in that: The system includes at least one air drying unit and a regeneration-only dryer, wherein the air drying unit includes: a pair of dehumidification boxes of a main air dryer, in which a dehumidification process and a regeneration process are alternately performed; a main compressor, which is used to pressurize humid air and supply it to an inlet pipe; a first direction conversion valve section, which allows the path of the humid air supplied from the inlet pipe to be transferred to the dehumidification box that performs the dehumidification process in the dehumidification boxes of the pair of main air dryers, or allows the path of the regenerated air discharged from the dehumidification box that performs the regeneration process in the dehumidification boxes of the pair of main air dryers to be transferred to a cooler; a second direction conversion valve section, which allows the path of the regenerated air discharged from the dehumidification box that performs the regeneration process in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers to be transferred to a cooler; and a second direction conversion valve section. The compressed dry air supplied from the dehumidification box of the wet process is transferred to the discharge pipeline, or the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer is transferred to the dehumidification box that performs the regeneration process in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers; and a heating unit, the heating unit is used to heat the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer; a cooler, the cooler is used to separate moisture from wet steam and prepare condensed water, the wet steam is the wet steam in a high-temperature state generated by stripping moisture from the dehumidifier filled in the dehumidification box that performs the regeneration process in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers by the regeneration-only dry air heated by the heating unit, the regeneration-only dryer transfers the regeneration-only dry air to the dehumidification box that performs the regeneration process in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers, The air drying system further includes a third direction switching valve portion, The humid air is supplied through a third direction switching valve portion, and the third direction switching valve portion is connected to the main compressor.

2. The air drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dew point temperature (y) of the regeneration-only dry air supplied from the regeneration-only dryer is the same as or lower than the dew point temperature (x) of the compressed dry air passing through the dehumidification box that performs the dehumidification process in the dehumidification box of the pair of main air dryers, and the dew point temperature of the compressed dry air is -40°C to -100°C.

3. The air drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air drying system further comprises a moisture separator, which is connected to the cooler and is used for separating the condensed water.

4. The air drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a regeneration-only compressor for supplying compressed air to the regeneration-only dryer. The regeneration-only compressor compresses the regeneration-only dry air so that the pressure of the regeneration-only dry air is 0.2 to 0.7 kgf / cm higher than the pressure of the wet air supplied from the introduction pipe. 2 The pressure of G is connected to the introduction pipe through the cooling and drying air flow path of the cooler.

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