Compressed air drying device, air supply system and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a compressed air drying device, an air supply system and a vehicle. The compressed air drying device comprises a drying barrel and a drying assembly. The drying assembly is arranged inside and / or outside the drying cylinder, and the air inlet end of the drying cylinder communicates with the air outlet end of an air compressor in the automobile air suspension system; the air outlet end of the drying barrel communicates with an exhaust port of the air supply system. The drying assembly comprises any one or more of a condensation pipe, a throttling device, an isolation device, a water collecting tank and a buffering cavity. According to the compressed air drying device, the air supply system and the vehicle, the drying device has the characteristics of no drying agent, no regeneration and stable drying effect, the structure of the drying device can be optimized, the drying effect of the drying device is improved, and the operation safety and stability of the drying device in different scenes are guaranteed. The drying device can adapt to air compression of an air supply system for the automobile air suspension under the full-temperature-range working condition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle technology, and more specifically, to a compressed air drying device, an air supply system, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] In automotive air suspension systems, the drying of compressed air is crucial for ensuring the normal operation of components such as suspension valves, airbags, and pipelines. Existing technologies commonly employ desiccant-type drying cylinders to dry the high-temperature and high-humidity compressed air output from the air compressor. The core of this technology relies on the physical adsorption of adsorption desiccants such as molecular sieves and silica gel to remove moisture from the air.

[0003] However, existing desiccant-based drying cylinders have several technical drawbacks in practical use: First, after the desiccant becomes saturated, it needs to be regenerated by backflushing with compressed air, which not only wastes valuable compressed air and increases the workload of the air compressor and the energy consumption of the entire vehicle, but also results in incomplete regeneration and a significant decrease in drying efficiency under low load. Second, the desiccant is easily contaminated by oil mist and particulate impurities in the air compressor's output airflow, leading to blockage of the adsorption pores and irreversible deactivation. Furthermore, long-term exposure to bumps, airflow impacts, and temperature changes during vehicle operation can cause the desiccant to easily pulverize and break down. The resulting particles entering the suspension air circuit can cause valve jamming and airbag leakage. Third, the desiccant adsorption efficiency drops sharply at low temperatures, and water vapor easily condenses and freezes in the air circuit. Simultaneously, the drain outlet of the drying cylinder is prone to freezing and blockage, leading to condensate backflow and a very high failure rate in low-temperature conditions in northern regions. Therefore, researching how to improve the drying effect of drying devices without using desiccants is of great significance.

[0004] Patent CN203899424U discloses an energy-saving treatment system for high-flow-rate compressed air, including a buffer tank and an adsorption dryer connected in sequence to an air compressor, with a pre-cooler and an air-water separator installed between the buffer tank and the adsorption dryer. By dissipating the heat of compression during the air compression process mainly through a cooling tower circulating cooling water, the load on the chiller unit is reduced, making the system more energy-efficient. However, the dryer in this system still does not have an adsorption function and does not avoid the use of desiccant. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a compressed air drying device, an air supply system, and a vehicle to solve the problem that in existing automotive air suspension systems, the drying of compressed air generally uses a desiccant-type drying cylinder, which is prone to contamination or saturation of the desiccant, resulting in poor drying effect of the compressed air in the system. The present invention aims to achieve a drying device that is desiccant-free, requires no regeneration, and has a stable drying effect. It also optimizes the structural design of the drying device, improves its drying effect, and ensures the safety and stability of the drying device in different scenarios.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is implemented as follows:

[0007] The present invention relates to a compressed air drying device, an air supply system, and a vehicle. The compressed air drying device includes a drying cylinder and a drying assembly. The drying assembly is disposed inside and / or outside the drying cylinder. The air inlet of the drying cylinder is connected to the air outlet of the air compressor in the vehicle's air suspension system. The air outlet of the drying cylinder is connected to the exhaust port of the air supply system. The drying assembly includes any one or more of the following: a condenser pipe, a throttling device, an isolation device, a water collection tank, and a buffer chamber.

[0008] Furthermore, the throttling device is a variable diameter throttling device, where the inlet diameter of the throttling device is larger than the outlet diameter.

[0009] Furthermore, the drying assembly includes a throttling device, and at least one throttling device is provided.

[0010] Furthermore, the drying assembly consists of a condenser tube, a throttling device, an isolation device, a water collection tank, and a buffer chamber; one condenser tube, one throttling device, one isolation device, one water collection tank, and one buffer chamber are each provided. One end of the condenser tube is connected to one end of the water collection tank and one end of the buffer chamber in sequence through the throttling device and the isolation device, respectively; the other end of the condenser tube is connected to the air inlet of the drying cylinder, the other end of the water collection tank is connected to the drain outlet on the side wall of the drying cylinder, and the other end of the buffer chamber is connected to the exhaust outlet of the drying cylinder.

[0011] Furthermore, the drying assembly comprises a throttling device, an isolation device, and a water collection tank; one end of the throttling device is connected to the air inlet of the drying cylinder; the other end of the throttling device is connected to one end of the water collection tank and the drain outlet on the side wall of the drying cylinder respectively through the isolation device; the other end of the water collection tank is connected to the drain outlet on the side wall of the drying cylinder.

[0012] Furthermore, two throttling devices are provided, one end of which is connected to the air inlet of the drying cylinder; the other end of which is connected to the isolation device through another throttling device.

[0013] Furthermore, the condenser tube can be any one or more of the following types: spiral, tube-fin, parallel flow, plate-fin, and sleeve-type.

[0014] Furthermore, the isolation device includes a polymer mesh; the polymer mesh is arranged in n layers, where n is a positive integer; the n layers of polymer mesh are stacked to form the isolation device; the outer wall of the isolation device is attached to the inner wall of the drying cylinder.

[0015] An air supply system comprising a compressed air drying device, the device being located within the system.

[0016] A vehicle comprising the aforementioned compressed air drying device, the device being mounted on the vehicle.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the compressed air drying device, air supply system, and vehicle described in this invention have the following advantages:

[0018] By configuring the aforementioned device, the drying equipment can achieve the characteristics of being desiccant-free, requiring no regeneration, and providing stable drying effects. Furthermore, it can optimize the structure of the drying equipment, improve its drying efficiency, and ensure its operational safety and stability under various conditions. Moreover, the drying equipment in this application is compatible with compressed air in automotive air suspension air supply systems operating across the entire temperature range. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drying component of the drying device, Example 1;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drying component of the drying device, Example 2.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drying component of the drying device, example 3.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drying component of the drying device, example 4.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drying component of the drying device, Example 5.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Drying cylinder; 11. Drain outlet; 2. Drying assembly; 21. Condenser; 22. Throttling device; 23. Isolation device; 24. Water collection tank; 241. Drain valve; 25. Buffer chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The inventive concepts of this disclosure will be described below using terminology commonly used by those skilled in the art to communicate the essence of their work to others skilled in the art. However, these inventive concepts may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0027] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0028] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0029] This embodiment is for vehicles, and like conventional vehicles, the overall structure consists of an air compressor and a vehicle body.

[0030] To address the problem that existing automotive air suspension systems commonly use desiccant-based drying cylinders for compressed air drying, which are prone to contamination or saturation of the desiccant, resulting in poor drying performance, this embodiment proposes a compressed air drying device, an air supply system, and a vehicle. The compressed air drying device includes a drying cylinder 1 and a drying assembly 2. The drying assembly 2 is selectively disposed inside and / or outside the drying cylinder 1. The air inlet of the drying cylinder 1 is connected to the air outlet of the air compressor in the automotive air suspension system. The air outlet of the drying cylinder 1 is connected to the exhaust port of the air supply system for discharging the dried gas. The drying assembly 2 includes any one or more of the following: a condenser pipe 21, a throttling device 22, an isolation device 23, a water collection tank 24, and a buffer chamber 25. The throttling device 22 is a variable-diameter throttling device. When the drying assembly 2 includes a throttling device 22, at least one throttling device 22 is provided; the throttling device 22 improves the drying effect. The isolation device 23 is a polymer mesh isolation assembly. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the drying component 2 is arranged inside and / or outside the drying cylinder 1 along the direction of compressed gas flow. The drying component 2 does not contain an adsorption desiccant structure. The arrangement of the drying component 2 can be flexibly selected according to the needs of the application scenario.

[0031] The aforementioned device enables the drying unit to be desiccant-free, regeneration-free, and provide stable drying results. It also optimizes the structure of the drying unit, enhances its drying efficiency, and ensures its operational safety and stability under various conditions. Furthermore, the drying unit in this application is compatible with compressed air in automotive air suspension air supply systems operating across the entire temperature range. Unlike existing technologies that combine waterproof membranes and desiccants, or cooling towers and desiccants, which are still susceptible to limitations due to desiccant usage, this application, by employing a desiccant removal system in conjunction with variable-diameter throttling condensation technology, eliminates the cumbersome process of desiccant regeneration, greatly simplifying system operation and maintenance. It also completely avoids functional losses and system failures caused by desiccant failure, thereby improving the overall system stability and reliability.

[0032] Example 1: The drying assembly 2 consists of a condenser 21, a throttling device 22, an isolation device 23, a water collection tank 24, and a buffer chamber 25. The condenser 21, throttling device 22, isolation device 23, water collection tank 24, and buffer chamber 25 are all located inside the drying cylinder 1. When one of each of these components is provided, one end of the condenser 21 is connected sequentially to one end of the water collection tank 24 and the buffer chamber 25 via the throttling device 22 and the isolation device 23, respectively. The other end of the condenser 21 is connected to the air inlet of the drying cylinder 1 to receive the humid gas output from the air compressor in the automotive air suspension system. The other end of the water collection tank 24 is connected to the drain outlet 11 on the side wall of the drying cylinder 1. The drain outlet 11 is a controllable drain outlet. The other end of the buffer chamber 25 is connected to the exhaust outlet of the drying cylinder 1 to output the dried gas into the air supply system. The drying cylinder 1 is made of metal or plastic.

[0033] By arranging the condenser pipe 21, throttling device 22, isolation device 23, water collection tank 24, and buffer chamber 25 as the drying assembly 2 and sequentially arranged within the drying cylinder 1 along the compressed air flow direction, cooling and drying can be achieved solely through natural air cooling and airflow self-regulation without requiring a regeneration process. This effectively reduces the workload of the air compressor, decreases overall vehicle energy consumption, and is suitable for continuous air supply conditions, completely avoiding the desaturation problem caused by the inability to regenerate in traditional drying methods. The drying device of this application eliminates the need for additional desaturation, significantly reducing operating costs; simultaneously, the device has a simple structure and no complex regeneration air path. Furthermore, the drying cylinder 1 is made of metal or plastic, featuring small size and light weight. Since the drying assembly 2 is integrated within the drying cylinder 1, it occupies less space when installed at the bottom of the vehicle, without affecting the range of new energy vehicles. In addition, the coordinated arrangement of the various devices within the drying assembly 2 ensures that there is no adsorption desaturation structure within the drying cylinder 1, providing a foundation for the functioning of core components such as variable diameter throttling. This is the core structural feature that distinguishes it from traditional drying devices.

[0034] Example 2: The drying assembly 2 consists of a throttling device 22, an isolation device 23, and a water collection tank 24. One end of the throttling device 22 is connected to the air inlet of the drying cylinder 1; the other end of the throttling device 22 is connected to one end of the water collection tank 24 and the drain outlet 11 on the side wall of the drying cylinder 1 via the isolation device 23. The other end of the water collection tank 24 is connected to the drain outlet 11 on the side wall of the drying cylinder 1. Two throttling devices 22 are provided. The two throttling devices 22 are connected in series. One end of one throttling device 22 is connected to the air inlet of the drying cylinder 1; the other end of one throttling device 22 is connected to the isolation device 23 via the other throttling device 22.

[0035] In this embodiment, the condenser 21, throttling device 22, isolation device 23, water collection tank 24, and buffer chamber 25 can be increased or decreased in number, arranged in series / parallel, and their order adjusted as needed. Alternatively, some functional components can be omitted as required, allowing the selected devices to form the drying assembly 2 and create an airflow channel to meet the needs of drying humid gases and separating and draining liquids from gas.

[0036] By flexibly adjusting the number, order, and type of each device within the drying assembly 2, the needs of different users can be effectively met, expanding the applicability of the drying device and ensuring it can satisfy diverse user requirements. Furthermore, it effectively controls the cost of the drying device and improves its operational safety and reliability. In addition, by abandoning the traditional adsorption-type desiccant structure, the inherent technical defects of desiccant contamination and deactivation, pulverization and breakage, and the need for regeneration and gas consumption are fundamentally avoided. The drying device requires no consumable replacement, significantly reducing maintenance frequency and long-term operating costs, and it does not produce desiccant particulate impurities, preventing secondary damage to suspension air circuit components.

[0037] Example 3: Unlike the arrangement of the devices within the drying assembly 2 in Example 1, in this example, the condenser 21, throttling device 22, and buffer chamber 25 in the drying assembly 2 are all located outside the drying cylinder 1. The connection relationships between the devices in the drying assembly 2 are consistent with those in Example 1.

[0038] Example 4: Unlike the arrangement of the devices within the drying assembly 2 in Example 1, in this example, the condenser 21 and the throttling device 22 in the drying assembly 2 are both located outside the drying cylinder 1. The connection relationships between the devices in the drying assembly 2 are consistent with those in Example 1.

[0039] Example 5: Unlike the arrangement of the devices within the drying assembly 2 in Example 1, in this example, the condenser 21 in the drying assembly 2 is located outside the drying cylinder 1. The connection relationships between the devices in the drying assembly 2 are consistent with those in Example 1.

[0040] By implementing the setups in Examples 1-5, the applicability of the drying device in this application can be effectively expanded, enabling it to be flexibly applied in different scenarios and adapted to the needs of different situations. This also greatly improves user satisfaction.

[0041] Specifically, the condenser tube 21 is any one or more types of condenser tubes, including spiral, tube-fin, parallel flow, plate-fin, and sleeve-type. The tube wall of the condenser tube 21 is in contact with the external environment to achieve natural air cooling. It pre-cools the high-temperature and high-humidity compressed air input to the air compressor.

[0042] By employing a dual physical condensation method—pre-cooling the compressed air with condenser tube 21 and using a throttling device 22 for variable-diameter throttling and cooling—the high-temperature, high-humidity air output from the air compressor is pre-cooled and then instantly cooled through variable-diameter throttling, allowing for complete liquefaction of water vapor. Combined with gas-liquid separation via multi-layer polymer mesh, the drying response is lag-free, allowing for immediate output of dry compressed air after the air compressor starts. The drying effect is stable and efficient, perfectly suited to the intermittent, low-flow air usage characteristics of automotive air suspension. Furthermore, the spiral structure of the condenser tube 21, with its wall in contact with the external environment, achieves natural air cooling, providing pre-cooling for the variable-diameter throttling device 22. This is a necessary supporting feature for the throttling device 22 to function effectively. The selection of different types of condenser tubes 21 effectively enhances the flexibility of their installation and allows for customization of drying devices to meet the needs of different users or operating environments, thereby improving user satisfaction and operational stability. It also facilitates control over the manufacturing cost of the device.

[0043] The throttling device 22 is an integrated variable diameter throttling structure. The inlet diameter of the throttling device 22 is larger than the outlet diameter. Preferably, the inlet and outlet of the throttling device 22 are coaxially arranged.

[0044] By incorporating a variable-diameter integrated structure, the throttling device 22 enables instantaneous throttling and adiabatic cooling of the gas entering the drying cylinder 1 after pre-cooling, or the gas output from the condenser tube 21. This ultimately achieves the core function of fully liquefying water vapor in the compressed air to form water droplets. The structural design and installation position of the throttling device 22 effectively liquefies the water vapor in the compressed air, achieving physical drying and avoiding the use of adsorption-type desiccants, thus significantly reducing the operating costs of the drying device. Unlike existing drying devices that use a combination of membranes and desiccants, this application, through the combined use of the throttling device 22 and the condenser tube 21, optimizes the structure of the drying device while eliminating the need for desiccants, improving operational stability and reliability, enhancing ease of use, and extending the device's service life.

[0045] The isolation device 23 includes a polymer mesh. The polymer mesh is arranged in n layers, where n is a positive integer. The n layers of polymer mesh are stacked to form the isolation device 23. The outer wall of the isolation device 23 is attached to the inner wall of the drying cylinder 1, thus forming a partition inside the drying cylinder 1, achieving complete gas-liquid separation between the airflow and the liquefied water droplets, and preventing the water droplets from moving with the airflow.

[0046] By combining the n-layer polymer mesh of the isolation device 23 with a sealed connection to the inner wall of the drying cylinder 1, complete gas-liquid separation can be achieved on the liquefied water droplets after the variable-diameter throttling process. This provides subsequent landing protection for the cooling and liquefaction effect of the variable-diameter throttling process. Specifically, the gas-liquid separation function of the isolation device 23 can effectively block liquefied water droplets, preventing them from entering core components such as the suspension valve body and airbags, indirectly protecting subsequent components of the air suspension system and improving the overall service life and reliability of the system.

[0047] The water collection tank 24 is located on the inner wall of the drying cylinder 1 at the end facing the drain outlet 11. The bottom of the water collection tank 24 is recessed outward along the inside of the drying cylinder 1. A drain valve 241 is installed at the bottom of the water collection tank 24. The drain valve 241 is designed to automatically and controllably discharge the condensate collected inside the water collection tank 24, thereby improving the safety and operational flexibility of the drying device.

[0048] By using the water collection tank 24 as the recessed cavity structure at the bottom of the drying cylinder 1, combined with the controllable drain port 11 at the bottom of the water collection tank 24, the function of centralized collection and directional discharge of variable-diameter throttling liquefied water droplets can be achieved. Specifically, the above configuration can adapt to the entire temperature range under the physical condensation drying method, directly liquefying water vapor and collecting it in the condensate collection area, i.e., the water collection tank 24, and discharging it through the drain valve 241. Since there is no problem of condensation and icing after desiccant adsorption or gas path freezing blockage, even in the low-temperature environment of the north, the device can still maintain stable drying efficiency, significantly reducing the failure rate of the drying device under low-temperature conditions.

[0049] The buffer chamber 25 is located at the end of the isolation device 23 facing the exhaust port of the drying cylinder 1. The buffer chamber 25 includes an arc-shaped groove, one end of which faces the end of the isolation device 23 near the water collection tank 24, and the arc-shaped groove communicates with the exhaust port of the drying cylinder 1. The buffer chamber 25 is used to guide the gas upward through the groove to the exhaust port with the help of the physical isolation of the isolation device 23, while effectively blocking the condensate below, preventing it from being carried away by the airflow and discharged from the exhaust port, and ensuring that the condensate can be discharged directly downward smoothly.

[0050] By setting a buffer chamber 25 at the compressed gas output end of the isolation device 23, a gas-liquid physical isolation structure can be formed in conjunction with the isolation device 23. This effectively blocks condensate, preventing it from being carried away by the airflow and discharged from the outlet, ensuring that the condensate is discharged smoothly downwards, and improving the stability and reliability of gas-liquid separation. It also achieves the dual function of guiding the gas upwards to the outlet of the drying cylinder 1 and preventing condensate from being carried away by the airflow, thus achieving the ultimate enhanced protection of the gas-liquid separation effect after variable diameter throttling liquefaction.

[0051] An air supply system includes a compressed air drying device located within the system.

[0052] A vehicle includes a compressed air drying device mounted on the vehicle.

[0053] In this invention, any vehicle may include the compressed air drying device structure described in this embodiment. In addition to the relevant structures and assembly relationships of the buffer chamber 25 and the water collection tank 24 provided in this embodiment, the vehicle may also include conventional components such as an air compressor and a vehicle body. Since these are all prior art, they will not be described in detail here.

[0054] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compressed air drying device, characterized in that, It includes a drying cylinder (1) and a drying assembly (2); the drying assembly (2) is disposed inside and / or outside the drying cylinder (1), the air inlet of the drying cylinder (1) is connected to the air outlet of the air compressor in the vehicle air suspension system; the air outlet of the drying cylinder (1) is connected to the exhaust port of the air supply system; wherein, the drying assembly (2) includes any one or more of the following: condenser pipe (21), throttling device (22), isolation device (23), water collection tank (24) and buffer chamber (25).

2. The compressed air drying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The throttling device (22) is a variable diameter throttling device, and the inlet diameter of the throttling device (22) is larger than the outlet diameter.

3. The compressed air drying device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drying assembly (2) includes a throttling device (22), and at least one throttling device (22) is provided.

4. The compressed air drying device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drying assembly (2) consists of a condenser (21), a throttling device (22), an isolation device (23), a water collection tank (24), and a buffer chamber (25). Each of the condenser (21), throttling device (22), isolation device (23), water collection tank (24), and buffer chamber (25) is provided with one condenser (21). One end of the condenser (21) is connected to one end of the water collection tank (24) and the buffer chamber (25) respectively through the throttling device (22) and the isolation device (23). The other end of the condenser (21) is connected to the air inlet of the drying cylinder (1), and the other end of the water collection tank (24) is connected to the drain outlet (11) on the side wall of the drying cylinder (1). The other end of the buffer chamber (25) is connected to the exhaust outlet of the drying cylinder (1).

5. A compressed air drying device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drying assembly (2) consists of a throttling device (22), an isolation device (23), and a water collection tank (24). One end of the throttling device (22) is connected to the air inlet of the drying cylinder (1). The other end of the throttling device (22) is connected to one end of the water collection tank (24) and the drain outlet (11) on the side wall of the drying cylinder (1) through the isolation device (23). The other end of the water collection tank (24) is connected to the drain outlet (11) on the side wall of the drying cylinder (1).

6. A compressed air drying device according to claim 5, characterized in that, Two throttling devices (22) are provided. One end of one throttling device (22) is connected to the air inlet of the drying cylinder (1); the other end of one throttling device (22) is connected to the isolation device (23) through the other throttling device (22).

7. The compressed air drying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The condenser tube (21) is any one or more types of condenser tubes, including spiral, tube-strip, parallel flow, plate-fin, and sleeve-type.

8. A compressed air drying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The isolation device (23) includes a polymer mesh; the polymer mesh is arranged in n layers, where n is a positive integer; the n layers of polymer mesh are stacked to form the isolation device (23); the outer wall of the isolation device (23) is attached to the inner wall of the drying cylinder (1).

9. An air supply system, characterized in that, The system includes a compressed air drying device according to any one of claims 1-8, the device being located within the system.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes a compressed air drying device according to any one of claims 1-8, the device being installed on the vehicle.

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