Dehumidification system

Abstract

And the energy consumption in a dehumidification system adopting the adsorbent rotating wheel is reduced. The process air (OA) is dehumidified in two steps by means of the adsorbent wheel (20) for the first process step and the adsorbent wheel (50) for the second process step. A sorbent runner equipped with a treatment region (1a) in which treatment air is dehumidified, a regeneration region (1b), a first purge region (1c), and a second purge region (1d) is used as a sorbent runner (50) for a second treatment step. A circulating purge channel (40) is provided for pre-heating and pre-cooling the adsorbent of the adsorbent runner (50) for the second treatment step. Also provided is a regenerated air passage (30) that feeds at least a portion of the treated air that has been dehumidified by the adsorbent runner (20) for the first treatment step as regenerated air to a regeneration region (1b) of the adsorbent runner (50) for the second treatment step.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dehumidification system, and more particularly to a dehumidification system employing a desiccant dehumidification device. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a dehumidification system is known that adsorbs and removes moisture from air (processed air), which is the target of the dehumidification process, by using an adsorbent wheel formed by holding an adsorbent on a rotating wheel, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. In addition, Patent Document 1 also discloses a rotating passage area of the adsorbent wheel that is divided into three areas: a processing area where dehumidification is performed, a regeneration area where adsorbed moisture is removed from the adsorbent, and a purge area where the adsorbent is cooled. The air supply passage that supplies the processed air to the processing area is branched to provide a purge air supply passage that supplies a part of the processed air to the purge area, thereby pre-cooling the adsorbent in the purge area before the adsorbent reaches the processing area by rotational movement.

[0003] In addition, Patent Document 2 also discloses a dehumidification system that employs a similar adsorbent wheel to the above. Further, Patent Document 2 also discloses that the rotating passage area of the adsorbent wheel is divided into four areas: a processing area where dehumidification is performed, a regeneration area where adsorbed moisture is removed from the adsorbent, a first purge area provided between the regeneration area and the processing area and upstream of the regeneration area in the rotational direction of the adsorbent wheel, and a second purge area provided between the regeneration area and the processing area and downstream of the regeneration area in the rotational direction of the adsorbent wheel. In addition, a circulation purge passage is provided that circulates air so that the air alternately passes through the first purge area and the second purge area.

[0004] In the case of employing the adsorbent wheel as described above, it has also been proposed to apply two adsorbent wheels and to pass the air that has passed through the processing area of the first adsorbent wheel (for the first processing step) and has been dehumidified through the processing area of the second adsorbent wheel (for the second processing step) to obtain low dew point air that has been dehumidified to a higher degree, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 3 (see FIG. 12).

[0005] Citation List

[0006] Patent Documents

[0007] PLT 1

[0008] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-148997

[0009] PLT 2

[0010] Japanese Patent No. 6839235

[0011] PLT 3

[0012] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005 - 021840 Summary of the Invention

[0013] Technical Problem

[0014] The advantage of a conventional dehumidification system using two adsorbent wheels as described above is that air with a higher degree of dehumidification can be obtained. However, there is room for improvement in reducing the energy consumption of the entire system. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a dehumidification system having a high energy-saving effect, which can obtain air with a high degree of dehumidification and can suppress energy consumption.

[0015] Solution to the Problem

[0016] The first dehumidification system according to the present invention is a dehumidification system as follows:

[0017] Supply the process air to the adsorbent wheel so that the moisture in the process air is adsorbed onto the adsorbent of the adsorbent wheel, thereby dehumidifying the process air; and

[0018] Let the regeneration air flow onto the adsorbent of the adsorbent wheel that has adsorbed moisture to regenerate the adsorbent; the dehumidification system is equipped with:

[0019] The adsorbent wheel for the first treatment step, which dehumidifies the process air; and

[0020] The adsorbent wheel for the second treatment step, which receives the processed air that has been dehumidified by the adsorbent wheel for the first treatment step and dehumidifies the processed air as process air; and it is characterized in that:

[0021] The adsorbent wheel for the second treatment step is an adsorbent wheel having a rotating passage area divided into four regions, namely a treatment region where the process air is dehumidified, a regeneration region where the adsorbent is regenerated, a first purge region provided between the regeneration region and the treatment region and located upstream of the regeneration region in the rotational direction of the adsorbent wheel, and a second purge region provided between the regeneration region and the treatment region and located downstream of the regeneration region in the rotational direction of the adsorbent wheel;

[0022] A circulation purge channel is provided, which circulates air such that the air alternately passes through a first purge region and a second purge region; and a regeneration air channel is provided, which feeds at least a part of the processed air that has been processed by the adsorbent rotor in the first treatment step as regeneration air to the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step.

[0023] In the first dehumidification system according to the present invention having the above configuration, it is desirable that:

[0024] A second regeneration air channel is further provided, which feeds at least a part of the processed air that has passed through the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step as regeneration air to the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step.

[0025] In addition, the second dehumidification system of the present invention is a dehumidification system as follows:

[0026] Feed the process air to the adsorbent rotor so that the moisture in the process air is adsorbed onto the adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor, thereby dehumidifying the process air; and

[0027] Let the regeneration air flow to the moisture-adsorbed adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor to regenerate the adsorbent; this dehumidification system is equipped with:

[0028] An adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step, which dehumidifies the process air; and

[0029] An adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step, which receives the processed air that has been dehumidified by the adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step and dehumidifies the processed air as process air; and it is characterized in that:

[0030] The adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step is an adsorbent rotor having a rotating passage region divided into four regions, which are a treatment region where the process air is dehumidified, a regeneration region where the adsorbent is regenerated, a first purge region provided between the regeneration region and the treatment region and located upstream of the regeneration region in the rotation direction of the adsorbent rotor, and a second purge region provided between the regeneration region and the treatment region and located downstream of the regeneration region in the rotation direction of the adsorbent rotor;

[0031] A circulation purge channel is provided, which circulates air such that the air alternately passes through the first purge region and the second purge region;

[0032] The adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step is an adsorbent rotor having a rotating passage area divided into the following regions: a treatment region where the process air is dehumidified, a regeneration region where the adsorbent is regenerated, and a purge region provided between the regeneration region and the treatment region where the adsorbent is precooled before entering the treatment region; and

[0033] A regeneration air passage is provided, which feeds at least a part of the air at the purge outlet of the purge region of the adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step as regeneration air to the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step.

[0034] In the second dehumidification system according to the present invention having the above configuration, it is desirable that:

[0035] A second regeneration air passage is further provided, which feeds at least a part of the air at the purge outlet of the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step as regeneration air to the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step.

[0036] Advantages of the invention

[0037] Both dehumidification systems according to the present invention use the adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step and the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step to dehumidify the process air, so that air that has been highly dehumidified can be obtained. As described above, an adsorbent rotor having a rotating passage area divided into four regions is used as the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step, and these four regions are a treatment region, a regeneration region, a first purge region, and a second purge region. In addition, a circulating purge passage is provided, which circulates air so that the air alternately passes through the first purge region and the second purge region. Therefore, the dehumidification system can reduce the overall energy consumption of the system.

[0038] Due to the following points, the dehumidification system according to the present invention can also reduce energy consumption. That is to say, the first dehumidification system of the present invention is provided with a regeneration air passage, which feeds at least a part of the treated air treated by the adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step as regeneration air to the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step. Therefore, the waste heat of the treated air can be effectively utilized to regenerate the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step. At the same time, the second dehumidification system of the present invention is provided with a regeneration air passage, which feeds at least a part of the air at the purge outlet of the purge region of the adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step as regeneration air to the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step. Therefore, the waste heat of the air at the purge outlet can be effectively utilized to regenerate the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step.

[0039] In the first dehumidification system and the second dehumidification system according to the present invention, the regeneration heater of the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step can be of low capacity and miniaturized to further reduce the overall energy consumption of the system. When the aforementioned second regeneration air passage is provided in the first dehumidification system and the second dehumidification system of the present invention, the above effect will become more significant because the regeneration heater of the adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step can also be of low capacity and miniaturized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 A diagram schematically illustrating a dehumidification system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 schematically illustrates Figure 1 the main components of the dehumidification system;

[0042] Figure 3 schematically illustrates Figure 1 other main components of the dehumidification system;

[0043] Figure 4 A diagram schematically illustrating a dehumidification system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 schematically illustrates Figure 4 the main components of the dehumidification system;

[0045] Figure 6 A diagram schematically illustrating an example of a conventional dehumidification system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a dehumidification system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 FIG. Figure 1 FIG. shows the overall configuration of the dehumidification system 100. Figure 2 FIG. shows the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first treatment step and its peripheral components, and Figure 3 FIG. shows the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step and its peripheral components. The adsorbent rotor 20 and the adsorbent rotor 50 are components constituting the dehumidification system 100. Both the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first treatment step and the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step are adsorbent rotors that constitute a so-called desiccant dehumidification device and dehumidify the process air (the air to be subjected to the dehumidification treatment) supplied to the desiccant dehumidification device.

[0047] ​​​​​​The first treatment step uses an adsorbent rotor 20, which is commonly referred to as a dehumidification rotor or a desiccant rotor. The adsorbent rotor 20 is composed of a honeycomb structure formed in a cylindrical shape and has an adsorbent accommodated in the adsorbent rotor 20. For example, as Figure 2 clearly illustrated in. Depending on the ambient temperature and humidity and the ambient air quality, the optimal adsorbent is selected and used from chemical substances such as silica gel, zeolite composites, and lithium chloride. The adsorbent rotor 20 is rotated in the circumferential direction of the adsorbent rotor 20, that is, Figure 2 the direction indicated by the arrow R in, by a driving device composed of a motor M, a driving force transmission belt V, etc. The rotation passage area (the area through which each part of the adsorbent rotor 20 passes as the adsorbent rotor 20 rotates) is divided into two areas, which are hermetically isolated from each other by a housing (not shown) that rotatably accommodates the adsorbent rotor 20. These two areas are a treatment (adsorption) area 1a where the treatment air is dehumidified and a regeneration area 1b. Each adsorbent part of the adsorbent rotor 20 passes through these two areas in the order of la, lb, la... as the adsorbent rotor 20 rotates.

[0048] The air treatment passage 10 communicates with the treatment area 1a while maintaining an airtight seal. The air treatment passage 10 is a passage for supplying treatment air (i.e., the air targeted for dehumidification treatment) to the adsorbent rotor 20 and receiving the treated air SA that has passed through the adsorbent rotor 20. In this example, the treatment air is the outside air OA. On the upstream side of the adsorbent rotor 20, a pre-filter 2 for removing dust and the like from the air, a damper 3, a pre-cooler 4, and a treatment fan 5 are sequentially provided in the air treatment passage 10. On the downstream side of the adsorbent rotor 20, a damper 13, a pre-cooler 14, and a treatment fan 15 are sequentially provided in the air treatment passage 10, and each of the damper 13, the pre-cooler 14, and the treatment fan 15 has the same configuration as the damper 3, the pre-cooler 4, and the treatment fan 5.

[0049] The air treatment passage 10 is connected to an adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step on the downstream side of the treatment fan 15. The adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step is composed of a honeycomb structure formed in a cylindrical shape and has an adsorbent accommodated in the adsorbent rotor 50 in a manner similar to that of the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first treatment step. For example, as Figure 3 illustrated in. The adsorbent rotor 50 is also rotated in the circumferential direction of the adsorbent rotor 50, that is, Figure 3It rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow R. The rotation passage area (the area through which each part of the adsorbent rotor 50 passes as the adsorbent rotor rotates) is divided into four areas, which are hermetically isolated from each other by a housing (not shown) that rotatably accommodates the adsorbent rotor 50. These four areas are the treatment area 1a where the process air is dehumidified, the regeneration area 1b, the first purge area 1c, and the second purge area 1d. Each adsorbent part of the adsorbent rotor 50 passes through these four areas in the order of 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1a... as the adsorbent rotor 50 rotates.

[0050] The air treatment passage 10 communicates with the treatment area 1a while maintaining an airtight seal. The air treatment passage 10 is a passage for supplying process air (i.e., the air targeted for dehumidification treatment) to the adsorbent rotor 50 and receiving the treated air SA that has passed through the adsorbent rotor 50. In this example, the process air dehumidified by the adsorbent rotor 50 is the process air that has been dehumidified by the adsorbent rotor 20 in the first treatment step. The air treatment passage 10 communicates with the space 19 via a post-cooler 16 and a post-heater 17 (both omitted from Figure 3 and a damper 18 on the downstream side of the adsorbent rotor 50. The treated air SA is supplied to the space 19 that requires dehumidified air through the air treatment passage 10. The space 19 is an indoor space for lithium battery production, organic EL screen production, etc.

[0051] In this embodiment, a part of the used air, that is, the treated air SA that has flowed through the space 19, is mixed with the outside air OA and is dehumidified again by the adsorbent rotor 50 in the second treatment step. As Figure 1 shown, the passage 22 for the used air is provided with a damper 21, and the passage 22 for the used air communicates with the air treatment passage 10 on the upstream side of the adsorbent rotor 50.

[0052] At the same time, as Figure 1 and Figure 3 shown, a circulation purge passage 40 is provided. The circulation purge passage 40 is arranged to communicate the first purge area 1c and the second purge area 1d with each other toward the first side surface of the adsorbent rotor 50, and is arranged to communicate the first purge area 1c and the second purge area 1d with each other toward the second side surface of the adsorbent rotor 50. The circulation purge passage 40 is provided with a purge fan 41 that sucks the air in the second purge area 1d and conveys the air to the first purge area 1c, and returns the air that has passed through the first purge area 1c to the second purge area 1d. In addition, the circulation purge passage 40 is also provided with a damper 42 (omitted from Figure 3 ).

[0053] The regeneration air passage 30 communicates with the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step while maintaining an airtight seal. The regeneration air passage 30 is a passage through which air for reusing the adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor 50 flows. The regeneration air passage 30 branches from the air treatment passage 10 through which the air that has been dehumidified by the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first treatment step flows. The regeneration air passage 30 is provided with a damper 31 and a regeneration heater 32 in sequence from the point where the regeneration air passage 30 branches from the air treatment passage 10 toward the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step.

[0054] The regeneration air passage 30 also extends to the side opposite to the branching point of the air treatment passage 10 while maintaining an airtight seal upstream and downstream of the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step. This part of the regeneration air passage 30 communicates with the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first treatment step via a damper 33 and a regeneration heater 34 in sequence while maintaining an airtight seal. The regeneration air passage 30 further extends upstream and downstream of the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first treatment step, and the air is released into the atmosphere via a regeneration fan 35.

[0055] The atmosphere supply passage 36 is connected to the regeneration air passage 30 at a point between the damper 33 and the regeneration heater 34. The atmosphere supply passage 36 is a passage for mixing the atmosphere into the regeneration air flowing through the regeneration air passage 30, and the regeneration air flows from the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step to the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first treatment step through the regeneration air passage 30 (this part constitutes the second regeneration air passage of the present invention). A pre-filter 37 for removing dust and the like from the air and a damper 38 are provided in sequence from the upstream near the upstream end of the atmosphere supply passage 36. Note that the air treatment passage 10 and the regeneration air passage 30 are arranged so that they do not communicate with the circulation purge passage 40.

[0056] In the dehumidification system 100 of the present embodiment, when the dehumidified air is supplied to the space 19, the treatment fans 5 and 15, the regeneration fan 35, and the purge fan 41 are driven, the regeneration heaters 32 and 34 are driven, and the adsorbent rotors 20 for the first treatment step and 50 for the second treatment step rotate with the dampers 3, 13, 18, 21, 31, 33, 38, and 42 in the open state. Thus, the treatment air (outside air) OA to be dehumidified is conveyed through the air treatment passage 10 to the treatment area 1a of the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first treatment step and passes through the adsorbent at the treatment area 1a of the adsorbent rotor 20. At this time, the outside air OA is cooled by the pre-cooler 4.

[0057] When the processing air passes through the adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor 20 in the first processing step, the moisture contained in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent, and the air is dehumidified. The processed air after dehumidification passes through the air processing passage 10, and after being cooled by the pre-cooler 14, it is conveyed as the processing air OA to the processing area 1a of the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second processing step. When the processing air OA passes through the adsorbent at the processing area 1a of the adsorbent rotor 50, the moisture contained in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent, further dehumidifying the air and lowering its dew point.

[0058] When the processing air is dehumidified in two steps in this way, the regeneration heaters 32 and 34 are driven, and the external air in the heated state passes through the adsorbent at the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second processing step and the adsorbent at the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first processing step. Here, the moisture adsorbed by the adsorbents of the adsorbent rotors 50 and 20 is removed. Thus, the adsorbents of the adsorbent rotors 50 and 20 are regenerated into a state where they can be reused for dehumidification. The regeneration air that has passed through the adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor 20 is released into the atmosphere through the regeneration fan 35 as the regeneration exhaust gas EA containing the moisture removed from the adsorbent.

[0059] In the present embodiment, the circulation purge passage 40 and the purge fan 41 are used to perform a pre-cooling process and a pre-heating process on the adsorbent rotor 50 by circulating air. That is, when the purge fan 41 circulates air through the circulation purge passage 40, the air that has passed through the second purge area 1d where the temperature is lower than the high-temperature regeneration area 1b is conveyed to the adsorbent at the first purge area 1c of the adsorbent rotor 50. Here, the adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor 50 does not enter the processing area 1a when it is heated to a high temperature in the regeneration area 1b, but its temperature decreases in the first purge area 1c and then enters the processing area 1a (pre-cooling). The processing air passes through the processing area 1a where the temperature is relatively low, and is effectively dehumidified. In addition, the air that has been raised to a high temperature of 100 degrees Celsius or higher (a temperature higher than that of the processing area 1a) by passing through the first purge area 1c is conveyed to the second purge area 1d. The adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor 50 undergoes a pre-heating process at the second purge area 1d before entering the regeneration area 1b, and thus, the adsorbent regeneration process is also effectively carried out.

[0060] Generally, when air is processed in two steps using an adsorbent rotor for the first processing step and an adsorbent rotor for the second processing step, it is considered difficult to apply an adsorbent rotor provided with a circulation purge passage as the adsorbent rotor for the second processing step to pre-cool and pre-heat the adsorbent. This is because in a conventional dehumidification system equipped with a circulation purge passage, outside air is drawn in as regeneration air, which limits the regeneration performance and thus limits the reduction of the dew point of the processed air. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the low-humidity air that has passed through the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first processing step is used as the regeneration air for the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second processing step to solve this problem, whereby the adsorbent rotor 50 provided with the circulation purge passage 40 can be applied to pre-cool and pre-heat the adsorbent. It should be noted that in the second embodiment to be described later, "the air at the purge outlet of the adsorbent rotor 25 for the first processing step" is used as the regeneration air for the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second processing step, rather than "the low-humidity air that has passed through the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first processing step". Therefore, it becomes equally possible to apply the adsorbent rotor 50 provided with the circulation purge passage 40 to pre-cool and pre-heat the adsorbent.

[0061] In the dehumidification system 100 of the present embodiment, the processed air is dehumidified in two steps using the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first processing step and the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second processing step. Therefore, highly dehumidified air can be obtained. The adsorbent rotor divided into four regions, namely a processing region 1a, a regeneration region 1b, a first purge region 1c, and a second purge region 1d, is used as the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second processing step. In addition, a circulation purge passage 40 is provided, and the circulation purge passage 40 circulates air to alternately pass through the first purge region 1c and the second purge region 1d. Therefore, the dehumidification system 100 can reduce the energy consumption of the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second processing step, thereby reducing the overall energy consumption of the system.

[0062] The dehumidification system 100 of the present embodiment can further reduce the overall energy consumption of the system in the following aspects. That is, the dehumidification system 100 of the present embodiment is provided with a regeneration air passage 30 that conveys at least a part of the processed air that has been dehumidified by the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first processing step to the regeneration region 1b of the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second processing step. Therefore, the waste heat from the processed air can be effectively utilized to regenerate the adsorbent rotor 50. Therefore, the dehumidification system 100 of the present embodiment can adopt a low-capacity micro heater as the regeneration heater 32 for the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second processing step, thereby further reducing the overall energy consumption of the system.

[0063] The dehumidification system 100 of the present embodiment is further provided with a regeneration air passage 30 as the aforementioned second regeneration air passage of the present invention. Therefore, the waste heat from the processed air can be effectively utilized to regenerate the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first treatment step. Therefore, the dehumidification system 100 of the present embodiment can also adopt a low-capacity micro heater as the regeneration heater 34 for the adsorbent rotor 20 for the first treatment step, thereby further reducing the overall energy consumption of the system.

[0064] Next, reference will be made to Figure 4 and Figure 5 to describe the dehumidification system 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The overall configuration of the dehumidification system 200 is illustrated, and Figure 5 the adsorbent rotor 25 for the first treatment step and the peripheral components constituting the dehumidification system 200 are illustrated. If the dehumidification system 200 of the present embodiment is compared with Figures 1 to 3 the dehumidification system 100 of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 as shown in the figure, the configuration of the adsorbent rotor 25 for the first treatment step and the path of the regeneration air passage 30 are different. The remaining parts are the same as those of the dehumidification system 100 of the first embodiment, and thus the components identical to those shown in

[0065] The rotation passage area of the adsorbent rotor 25 for the first treatment step is divided into three airtight and isolated sections, namely a treatment area 1a, a regeneration area 1b, and a purge area 1e. The purge area 1e is an area where the adsorbent part is pre-cooled in the same manner as the first purge area 1c of the first embodiment before the adsorbent part is transferred to the treatment area 1a. Each adsorbent part in the adsorbent rotor 25 passes through the above three areas in the order of 1a, 1b, 1e, 1a... as the adsorbent rotor 25 rotates. At the same time, the regeneration air passage 30 is formed to guide the air at the purge outlet that has passed through the purge area 1e to the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step.

[0066] In the dehumidification system 200 of the present embodiment, the adsorbent part of the adsorbent rotor 25 is pre-cooled through the purge area 1e. Therefore, the air at the purge outlet that has been heated to a certain extent is used to heat the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step and the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 25 for the first treatment step. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the overall energy consumption of the system can be reduced.

[0067] The energy consumption reduction effects of the dehumidification system 100 of the first embodiment and the dehumidification system 200 of the second embodiment will be specifically shown by comparison with a conventional dehumidification system. First, reference will be made to Figure 6 to describe the conventional dehumidification system 300 as the comparison target. Note that, similarly in Figure 6 , elements that are substantially equivalent to the elements shown in Figure 1 and Figure 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted when they are not particularly necessary.

[0068] Figure 6 The dehumidification system 300 shown in also dehumidifies the processed air in two steps using the adsorbent rotor 25 for the first treatment step and the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step. The adsorbent rotor 25 for the first treatment step has a purge area 1e for pre-cooling the adsorbent part in the same manner as the adsorbent rotor 25 for the first treatment step in the dehumidification system 200 of the second embodiment shown in Figure 4 . A part of the processed air (outside air OA) supplied to the adsorbent rotor 25 for the first treatment step is supplied to the purge area 1e. However, the air that has passed through the purge outlet of the purge area 1e is not supplied as regeneration air to the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step. At the same time, the adsorbent rotor 50 for the second treatment step is the same as the adsorbent rotor 50 employed in the dehumidification system 100 shown in Figure 1 and the dehumidification system 200 shown in Figure 4 . However, the circulating purge passage 40 is not provided in the adsorbent rotor 50. Note that the air that has passed through the purge outlet of the purge area 1e flows through the regeneration air passage 30A, is heated by the regeneration heater 34, and is then supplied to the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 25 for the first treatment step. In addition, the outside air OA sucked in from the atmosphere supply passage 36 and heated by the regeneration heater 34 is also supplied to the regeneration area 1b of the adsorbent rotor 25.

[0069] The common driving conditions and independent driving conditions of each dehumidification system in the comparison are as described below.

[0070] Dehumidification conditions in the space 19: The air is dehumidified at a room temperature of 23 degrees Celsius to a standard dew point of less than or equal to -40 degrees Celsius, and the dehumidification amount is greater than or equal to 600 g / h with respect to the environmental conditions with a dew point of -40 degrees Celsius

[0071] Amount of air supplied to the space 19: 11700 m 3 / h (= amount of air discharged from the space 19 of 4000 m 3 / h + amount of recycled used air RA of 7700 m3 / h)

[0072] Dehumidification system 300: The amount of external air introduced is 5800 m 3 / h, and the amount of regeneration exhaust gas EA is 1800 m 3 / h (the amount of regeneration exhaust gas EA = the amount of external air OA introduced into the regeneration air passage 30 / the amount of used air RA)

[0073] Dehumidification system 100: The amount of external air introduced is 5500 m 3 / h, and the amount of regeneration exhaust gas EA is 1500 m 3 / h

[0074] Dehumidification system 200: The amount of external air introduced is 5500 m 3 / h, and the amount of regeneration exhaust gas EA is 1500 m 3 / h

[0075] Table 1 below shows the driving capacitance (kW) of the electrical device as the amount of energy consumed by each system in the system. Note that in Table 1, for the pre-coolers 4 and 14 and the post-cooler 16 that do not use electricity but basically use only water for cooling, the amount of cooling water used per minute (L: liters) is shown below the capacitance in parentheses, and this capacitance is converted from the cooling performance corresponding to the amount of cooling water used.

[0076] [Table 1]

[0077]

[0078]

[0079] According to Table 1, the total driving capacitance of the dehumidification system 300 as a conventional system is 100.4 kW. In contrast, the total driving capacitance of the dehumidification system 100 according to the present invention is 70.7 kW, and the total driving capacitance of the dehumidification system 200 according to the present invention is 71.5 kW. The driving capacitances of the dehumidification system 100 and the dehumidification system 200 are reduced compared to the conventional dehumidification system 300. If the energy-saving effects of the dehumidification systems 100 and 200 relative to the conventional system 300 are shown as the percentage reduction in capacitance, the corresponding values are (100.4 - 70.7) / 100.4 = 0.296, approximately 30%, and (100.4 - 71.5) / 100.4 = 0.288, approximately 29% respectively.

[0080] Also according to Table 1, for the dehumidification system 300 as a conventional system, the total amount of cooling water used is 375 L / min. In contrast, for the dehumidification system 100 of the present invention, the total amount of cooling water used is 322 L / min, and for the dehumidification system 200 of the present invention, the total amount of cooling water used is 319 L / min. The amount of cooling water used by the dehumidification systems 100 and 200 is reduced compared to the conventional dehumidification system 300. If the energy-saving effects of the dehumidification systems 100 and 200 relative to the conventional system 300 are shown as the percentage reduction in the amount of cooling water, the corresponding values are (375–322) / 375 = 0.14 = 14% and (375–319) / 375 = 0.15 = 15%, respectively.

[0081] List of Reference Numerals

[0082] 1a Treatment Area

[0083] 1b Regeneration Area

[0084] 1c First Purge Area

[0085] 1d Second Purge Area

[0086] 1e Purge Area

[0087] 2, 37 Pre-filter

[0088] 3, 13, 18, 21, 31, 33, 38, 42 Damper

[0089] 4, 14 Pre-cooler

[0090] 5, 15 Treatment Fan

[0091] 10 Air Treatment Passage

[0092] 19 Space

[0093] 20, 25 Adsorbent Rotor for First Treatment Step

[0094] 22 Used Air Passage

[0095] 30, 30A Regenerated Air Passage

[0096] 32, 34 Regeneration Heater

[0097] 35 Regeneration Fan

[0098] 40 Circulation Purge Passage

[0099] 41 Purge Fan

[0100] 50 Adsorbent Rotor for Second Treatment Step

[0101] 100, 200, 300 Dehumidification System

[0102] EA regeneration exhaust gas

[0103] OA outside air

[0104] SA treated air

Claims

1. A dehumidification system, the dehumidification system: Feeds the processed air to an adsorbent rotor so that the moisture in the processed air is adsorbed onto the adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor, thereby dehumidifying the processed air; and Flows the regeneration air onto the adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor that has adsorbed moisture to regenerate the adsorbent; the dehumidification system includes: The first treatment step uses an adsorbent rotor, and the adsorbent rotor in the first treatment step dehumidifies the treated air; And The second treatment step uses an adsorbent rotor, and the adsorbent rotor in the second treatment step receives the treated air that has been dehumidified by the adsorbent rotor in the first treatment step and dehumidifies the treated air as the treated air; characterized in that: The adsorbent rotor in the second treatment step is an adsorbent rotor having a rotating passage area divided into four regions, and the four regions are a treatment region where the treated air is dehumidified, a regeneration region where the adsorbent is regenerated, a first purge region provided between the regeneration region and the treatment region and located upstream of the regeneration region in the rotation direction of the adsorbent rotor, and a second purge region provided between the regeneration region and the treatment region and located downstream of the regeneration region in the rotation direction of the adsorbent rotor; the dehumidification system further includes: A circulation purge passage that circulates air so that the air alternately passes through the first purge region and the second purge region; and A regeneration air passage that feeds at least a part of the treated air treated by the adsorbent rotor in the first treatment step as regeneration air to the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor in the second treatment step.

2. The dehumidification system according to claim 1, further comprising: A second regeneration air passage that feeds at least a part of the treated air that has passed through the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor in the second treatment step as regeneration air to the regeneration region of the adsorbent rotor in the first treatment step.

3. A dehumidification system, the dehumidification system: Feeds the processed air to an adsorbent rotor so that the moisture in the processed air is adsorbed onto the adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor, thereby dehumidifying the processed air; and Flows the regeneration air onto the adsorbent of the adsorbent rotor that has adsorbed moisture to regenerate the adsorbent; the dehumidification system includes: The adsorbent rotor in the first treatment step dehumidifies the treated air; And The adsorbent rotor in the second treatment step receives the treated air that has been dehumidified by the adsorbent rotor in the first treatment step and dehumidifies the treated air as the treated air; characterized in that: The adsorbent rotor in the second treatment step is an adsorbent rotor having a rotating passage area divided into four regions, and the four regions are a treatment region where the treated air is dehumidified, a regeneration region where the adsorbent is regenerated, a first purge region provided between the regeneration region and the treatment region and located upstream of the regeneration region in the rotation direction of the adsorbent rotor, and a second purge region provided between the regeneration region and the treatment region and located downstream of the regeneration region in the rotation direction of the adsorbent rotor; the dehumidification system further includes: A circulation purge passage that circulates air so that the air alternately passes through the first purge region and the second purge region; wherein: The adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step is an adsorbent rotor having a rotating passage area divided into the following areas: a treatment area where the process air is dehumidified, a regeneration area where the adsorbent is regenerated, and a purge area provided between the regeneration area and the treatment area where the adsorbent is pre-cooled before entering the treatment area; and the dehumidification system further includes: A regeneration air passage that feeds at least a part of the air at the purge outlet of the purge area of the adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step as regeneration air to the regeneration area of the adsorbent rotor for the second treatment step.

4. The dehumidification system according to claim 3, further comprising: A second regeneration air passage that feeds at least a part of the air at the purge outlet of the regeneration area of the adsorbent rotor that has passed through the second treatment step as regeneration air to the regeneration area of the adsorbent rotor for the first treatment step.

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