Four-zone rotating wheel dehumidification system coupled with heat pump waste heat recovery

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of rotary wheel dehumidification, and particularly discloses a four-zone rotary wheel dehumidification system coupled with heat pump waste heat recovery, which comprises a deep dehumidification unit used for sequentially performing continuous cycle operation of adsorption, regeneration, deep desorption and precooling on entering air until the humidity of discharged air reaches the use standard; the waste heat recovery unit communicates with the deep dehumidification unit and is used for recovering low-grade heat energy of the deep dehumidification unit and then heating and improving the low-grade heat energy into high-grade heat energy, and the high-grade heat energy heats regenerated air in the deep dehumidification unit; and the air duct is communicated with the refrigerant pipeline, the deep dehumidification unit and the waste heat recovery units, and is used for conveying air between the waste heat recovery units and providing a transmission channel for heat energy transmission between the deep dehumidification unit and the waste heat recovery units. According to the dehumidification system, through the technical scheme of four-area structure rotating wheel design, heat pump waste heat recovery unit integration and multi-strand airflow collaborative circulation, the collaborative effect of deep dehumidification and energy-saving operation is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rotary dehumidification technology, specifically to a four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most rotary dehumidification systems used in industrial and warehousing sectors (such as cold storage) employ a single electric heating method to provide heat energy for rotor regeneration, resulting in high energy consumption and significantly increased operating costs. Furthermore, traditional rotors are often designed with two or three zones, capable only of basic adsorption and regeneration. The high temperature after rotor fan-shaped regeneration can negatively impact subsequent adsorption, and some difficult-to-desorb moisture cannot be effectively removed, leading to insufficient dehumidification precision, low rotor regeneration efficiency, and difficulty in controlling the absolute humidity of the outlet air at extremely low levels. In addition, traditional systems lack effective waste heat recovery designs, resulting in the direct emission of low-grade heat energy within the system, leading to low energy utilization efficiency. Moreover, some dehumidification systems lack thermal coupling designs with other equipment on-site, failing to fully utilize inexpensive heat sources and causing energy waste.

[0003] While existing technologies can achieve basic air dehumidification, their shortcomings in energy consumption control, dehumidification accuracy, and comprehensive energy utilization mean they cannot meet the needs of scenarios such as cold storage for high-precision dehumidification and low-energy operation. Furthermore, their high-energy-consumption operation mode contradicts the industry's trend of energy conservation and emission reduction.

[0004] Therefore, this application proposes a four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery, which can improve system energy efficiency and reliability to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide a four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery. This system addresses the technical problems of high energy consumption, low dehumidification accuracy, and poor energy utilization efficiency in existing technologies. Through a technical solution of four-zone rotary structure design + heat pump waste heat recovery unit integration + multi-stream airflow coordinated circulation, it achieves a synergistic effect of deep dehumidification and energy-saving operation.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems by adopting the following technical solutions: This invention provides a four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery, including... The deep dehumidification unit is used to perform continuous cycle operations of adsorption, regeneration, deep desorption, and pre-cooling on the incoming air until the humidity of the discharged air meets the usage standards. The waste heat recovery unit is connected to the deep dehumidification unit. It is used to recover the low-grade heat energy of the deep dehumidification unit and then heat it to improve it into high-grade heat energy. The high-grade heat energy is used to heat the regenerated air in the deep dehumidification unit. The air duct and refrigerant piping are connected to both the deep dehumidification unit and the waste heat recovery unit, and are used to transport air between the waste heat recovery units and provide a transmission channel for heat energy transfer between the deep dehumidification unit and the waste heat recovery unit.

[0007] Preferably, the deep dehumidification unit includes a rotary dehumidifier; the rotary dehumidifier uses high-performance moisture-absorbing material, and the rotary dehumidifier is sequentially configured with a treatment zone, a regeneration zone, a heating zone, and a pre-cooling zone along the circumference of the rotor; the treatment zone is used to adsorb water vapor in the air flowing into the treatment zone; the regeneration zone is used to heat the rotor for the first time and discharge the water vapor in the rotor; the heating zone is used to heat the rotor for the second time and remove the water vapor that failed to be discharged after the first heating; the pre-cooling zone is used to cool the area of ​​the rotor after heating.

[0008] Preferably, the deep dehumidification unit is installed next to the enclosed space where indoor air needs to be dehumidified, and the air dehumidified by the deep dehumidification unit is either outdoor fresh air or indoor return air from the enclosed space.

[0009] Preferably, the air duct and refrigerant pipeline include a processing fan and processing pipeline; the processing fan and processing pipeline are used to transport outdoor fresh air or indoor return air to the processing area for dehumidification and drying, and the dried air is divided into at least two paths. One path of air is processed to the target temperature for use in the sealed space and then sent into the sealed space; the other path of air is transported to the pre-cooling zone of the rotor and exchanges heat with the rotor fan surface rotating from the high-temperature heating zone to cool the high-temperature rotor fan surface. This path of air is preheated during the heat exchange and then sent back to the waste heat recovery unit.

[0010] Preferably, the waste heat recovery unit includes a condenser, a regeneration fan, an evaporator, and a heat energy transmission pipeline; the heat energy transmission pipeline is connected to the condenser, the regeneration fan, the evaporator, the heating zone, and the regeneration zone, forming a circulation pipeline; the condenser heats the outdoor fresh air and / or the air flowing out of the pre-cooling zone and then delivers it to the heating zone; the evaporator is used to receive the air flowing out of the regeneration zone or the air mixed between the regeneration zone and the heating zone, and to perform cooling and dehumidification treatment; the regeneration fan discharges the air treated by the evaporator outdoors along the heat energy transmission pipeline.

[0011] Preferably, it also includes a heater for auxiliary heating of the air flowing out of the condenser; the heater is installed on the heat energy transmission pipeline and located between the condenser and the impeller.

[0012] Preferably, the waste heat absorbed by the evaporator during the cooling and dehumidification process is circulated to the condenser via a heat pump and released to heat the regenerated air.

[0013] Preferably, the heat recovered by the waste heat recovery unit also includes waste heat from compressor exhaust, solar energy collected by solar collectors, and industrial waste heat generated by other production equipment on site, and the heat recovered by the waste heat recovery unit is used to heat the air flowing into the heating zone.

[0014] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the present invention provides a four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) The dehumidification system provided by the present invention can save energy and reduce operating costs: the system recovers low-grade heat energy in the system through the heat pump system and converts it into high-grade heat energy to drive the rotor regeneration. At the same time, it is compatible with external cheap heat sources such as cold storage compressor exhaust, solar energy, and industrial waste heat, replacing the traditional pure electric heating mode and greatly reducing system energy consumption. Moreover, the four-zone design of the rotor pre-cools and preheats the rotating fan surface through the pre-cooling zone and the preheating zone, avoiding the large temperature difference when it directly enters the processing zone and the high-temperature regeneration zone, which causes the cold and heat to cancel each other out and waste heat energy. At the same time, it achieves deep regeneration, further reducing the ineffective consumption of regeneration heat source, effectively improving energy utilization efficiency, and significantly reducing the long-term operating cost of the equipment.

[0015] (2) The dehumidification system provided by the present invention can continuously control the absolute humidity of the outlet air at an extremely low level, providing a high-precision and stable temperature and humidity environment for cold storage and other scenarios, effectively ensuring the quality and safety of stored items; at the same time, the stable temperature and humidity environment can eliminate the damage caused by freeze-thaw cycles to cold storage and other equipment, extend the service life of the equipment, and reduce the maintenance and replacement costs of the equipment.

[0016] (3) The dehumidification system provided by the present invention has high dehumidification accuracy and strong operational stability: the innovative four-zone design of the rotor cools the high-temperature fan surface after regeneration through the pre-cooling zone, avoiding its impact on the adsorption effect of the treatment zone. At the same time, the high-temperature counter-current airflow in the heating zone achieves deep desorption of difficult-to-desorb water, greatly improving the rotor regeneration efficiency and system dehumidification accuracy; and in scenarios such as cold storage, it can realize closed-loop circulation dehumidification of return air, reducing the temperature and humidity fluctuations caused by the introduction of outdoor fresh air, and ensuring long-term stable operation of the system.

[0017] (4) The dehumidification system provided by the present invention has strong compatibility and wide applicability: it provides a variety of alternative optimization schemes for deep dehumidification unit, waste heat recovery unit and auxiliary heating, which can be flexibly adjusted according to different usage scenarios (cold storage, industrial workshop, warehouse, etc.) and different heat source conditions, and is compatible with various inexpensive heat sources on site. It is suitable for a variety of scenarios with requirements for dehumidification accuracy and energy consumption control, and has strong practicality.

[0018] (5) The dehumidification system provided by the present invention has comprehensive energy utilization, which is in line with industry trends: it realizes the recovery and reuse of low-grade heat energy in the system, and can also be coupled with the use of waste heat from other equipment on site, solar energy and other clean energy, thereby improving the overall energy utilization efficiency and conforming to the development trend of energy conservation, consumption reduction and green low-carbon in the industrial field. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, 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: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the rotary dehumidification system of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the application scenario of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] Example 1 like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery.

[0022] The system mainly consists of a deep dehumidification unit, a waste heat recovery unit, air ducts, and refrigerant pipelines.

[0023] In practical applications, the units are tightly coupled through air ducts and refrigerant pipelines to form a coordinated organic whole.

[0024] The deep dehumidification unit is the core unit of the system, and the core equipment is a rotary dehumidifier. The rotary wheel uses high-performance moisture-absorbing material and is innovatively designed with a four-zone structure, namely the processing zone (zone 1), the regeneration zone (zone 2), the heating zone (zone 3), and the pre-cooling zone (zone 4). The heating zone (zone 3) is part of the regeneration zone (zone 2) and is used for deep regeneration of the rotary wheel.

[0025] By setting up four zones, the air in the sealed space that needs internal dehumidification is subjected to continuous cycle operations of adsorption, regeneration, deep desorption, and pre-cooling in sequence, ensuring that the absolute humidity of the outlet air is controlled at an extremely low level.

[0026] In practical applications, the core of the waste heat recovery unit is a heat pump system, which is integrated with the deep dehumidification unit. Its main function is to recover low-grade heat energy in the system and upgrade it to high-grade heat energy through heat pump technology to heat the regenerated air. At the same time, it is compatible with external inexpensive heat sources, which greatly reduces the system's energy consumption.

[0027] Air ducts and refrigerant piping: These serve as the connection and transmission carriers of the system. Air ducts facilitate air transport between units, while refrigerant piping provides a channel for heat energy transfer in the heat pump system, ensuring coordinated operation of all units.

[0028] The entire dehumidification system uses outdoor fresh air or indoor return air from the warehouse or cold storage as the treated air, and outdoor air or air from inside the system as the regenerated air. Through the coordinated operation of the dual airflow loops on the treatment side and the regeneration side, it achieves deep dehumidification of the treated air and continuous and efficient regeneration of the rotor. The specific process is as follows: Treatment side airflow circuit (deep dehumidification process) Outdoor fresh air or indoor return air is used as the treated air. It is sent into the treatment air path of the deep dehumidification unit by the treatment fan and flows through the treatment zone (zone 1) of the rotor. Most of the water vapor in the air is adsorbed by the high-performance moisture-absorbing material in the rotor, and the treated air is deeply dried.

[0029] After deep drying, the air is divided into two paths: the main path is cooled to the target temperature of the application environment and then sent to the end-use environment such as cold storage; the branch path is introduced into the pre-cooling zone (zone 4) of the rotor, where it exchanges heat with the rotor fan surface that has just rotated out of the high-temperature heating zone (zone 3) to cool the high-temperature rotor fan surface and prevent the high-temperature fan surface from entering the processing zone and affecting the adsorption effect. At the same time, the air in this branch path is preheated during the heat exchange process, completing the initial recovery of heat energy.

[0030] Regeneration side airflow loop (rotor regeneration and waste heat recovery process) The regeneration core utilizes the heat pump system of the waste heat recovery unit to convert low-grade heat energy into high-grade heat energy, providing a heat source for the rotor regeneration and achieving energy-saving operation.

[0031] The regenerated air (outdoor / system internal air) first enters the condenser of the heat pump system in the waste heat recovery unit, where it is initially heated by the low-grade heat energy recovered by the heat pump. If the temperature after initial heating does not meet the requirements for rotor regeneration, it is supplemented by an auxiliary heater to form basic regeneration gas. The basic regeneration gas enters the regeneration zone (zone 2) of the rotor, where it exchanges heat with the rotor blades that have adsorbed moisture, causing most of the moisture in the rotor's moisture-absorbing material to desorb, and the rotor initially regains its drying capacity.

[0032] The preheated air flowing out of the precooling zone (zone 4) can be reintroduced into the condenser of the heat pump system for secondary heating, forming a high-temperature regeneration airflow (low-grade heat energy is converted into high-grade heat energy to raise the temperature). This high-temperature airflow enters the heating zone (zone 3) of the rotor, passing through the rotor fan in the reverse direction, completely desorbing the stubborn moisture that is difficult to remove from the regeneration zone (zone 2), achieving deep regeneration of the rotor and fully restoring its moisture absorption capacity; while the humid heat regeneration exhaust gas that has completed deep desorption is guided to the evaporator of the heat pump system for cooling and dehumidification. The heat pump system recovers the cold energy and low-grade waste heat from the humid heat exhaust gas, and the recovered heat energy is used again to heat the regeneration air. The cooled exhaust gas can be used for internal system circulation or discharged outdoors as needed.

[0033] Example 2 like Figure 2 As shown, this invention enables recirculating dehumidification of return air and recycling of heat energy in dehumidification scenarios. Taking cold storage applications as an example, its rotor is configured with four functional areas: a processing zone, a regeneration zone, a heating zone, and a pre-cooling zone. The heating zone is part of the regeneration zone and is used for deep regeneration of the rotor. The specific process is as follows: The cold storage return air is sent into the rotary processing area as processed air. After the moisture is absorbed by the moisture-absorbing material, it becomes dry return air. This dry return air is then divided into two parts. One part is cooled to the set temperature of the cold storage and then sent directly back into the storage to maintain a dry environment inside the storage.

[0034] On the regeneration side, the regenerated air is heated by the heat pump condenser and then enters the rotor regeneration zone to achieve moisture desorption and deep regeneration of the rotor. The hot and humid exhaust gas discharged from the regeneration zone enters the heat pump evaporator, where it is cooled and dehumidified to release low-grade waste heat. This waste heat is recovered by the heat pump and reused to heat the regenerated air.

[0035] Another part of the dry return air enters the rotor pre-cooling zone, where it exchanges heat with the rotor fan surface, which is still at a high temperature after regeneration, to cool the fan surface and prevent it from affecting the adsorption effect when it enters the treatment zone. This part of the dry return air is preheated while cooling the fan surface, forming a high-temperature airflow.

[0036] The high-temperature airflow is then introduced into the heat pump condenser for secondary heating, forming a high-temperature regeneration airflow (low-grade heat energy is converted into high-grade heat energy to achieve temperature increase). This high-temperature regeneration airflow passes through the rotor fan surface in the opposite direction and enters the rotor's heating zone, completely desorbing the stubborn moisture that is difficult to remove in the regeneration zone (where the temperature is lower than that of the heating zone). The rotor achieves deep regeneration and fully restores its moisture absorption capacity. Furthermore, this high-temperature regeneration airflow, together with another part of the dry return airflow, flows to the pre-cooling zone, forming an independent circulation loop that does not participate in the regeneration-side airflow.

[0037] Throughout the entire cold storage operation, the processing side forms an independent closed loop of "cooling fan surface - heating fan surface - secondary heating of fan surface", while the regeneration side realizes the recovery and reuse of waste heat. The two work together, and the four-zone circulation of the rotary wheel continues. The cold storage return air achieves closed-loop circulation dehumidification, eliminating the need to continuously introduce a large amount of outdoor fresh air. The system efficiently recovers and utilizes heat energy, with no additional energy waste.

[0038] The technical solution of the present invention may also include various alternative or optimized implementation methods.

[0039] For example, in addition to rotary dehumidification, deep dehumidification units can also consider liquid dehumidification or combined dehumidification solutions under certain conditions.

[0040] In addition to relying on the low-grade heat energy recovered by the heat pump within the system, the waste heat recovery unit prioritizes the use of external, inexpensive heat sources, including waste heat from the compressor exhaust of the cold storage refrigeration system, solar energy collected by solar collectors, and industrial waste heat generated by other production equipment on site, thereby further reducing system operating energy consumption and improving energy utilization efficiency.

[0041] 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 four-zone rotary dehumidifier system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery, comprising: The deep dehumidification unit is used to perform continuous cycle operations of adsorption, regeneration, deep desorption, and pre-cooling on the incoming air until the humidity of the discharged air meets the usage standards. The waste heat recovery unit is connected to the deep dehumidification unit. It is used to recover the low-grade heat energy of the deep dehumidification unit and then heat it to improve it into high-grade heat energy. The high-grade heat energy is used to heat the regenerated air in the deep dehumidification unit. The air duct and refrigerant piping are connected to both the deep dehumidification unit and the waste heat recovery unit, and are used to transport air between the waste heat recovery units and provide a transmission channel for heat energy transfer between the deep dehumidification unit and the waste heat recovery unit.

2. The four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The deep dehumidification unit includes a rotary dehumidifier; the rotary dehumidifier uses high-performance moisture-absorbing materials, and the rotary dehumidifier is sequentially configured along the circumference of the rotor as a treatment zone, a regeneration zone, a heating zone, and a pre-cooling zone; the treatment zone is used to adsorb water vapor in the air flowing into the treatment zone; the regeneration zone is used to heat the rotor for the first time to remove water vapor from the rotor; the heating zone is used to heat the rotor for the second time to remove water vapor that failed to be removed after the first heating, and the temperature of the regeneration zone is lower than the temperature of the heating zone; the pre-cooling zone is used to cool down the area of ​​the rotor after heating.

3. The four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The deep dehumidification unit is installed next to the enclosed space where indoor air needs to be dehumidified, and the air dehumidified by the deep dehumidification unit is either outdoor fresh air or indoor return air from the enclosed space.

4. A four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The air duct and refrigerant pipeline include a processing fan and processing pipeline; the processing fan and processing pipeline are used to transport outdoor fresh air or indoor return air to the processing area for dehumidification and drying, and the dried air is divided into at least two paths. One path of air is processed to the target temperature for use in the sealed space and then sent into the sealed space; the other path of air is transported to the pre-cooling zone of the rotor and exchanges heat with the rotor fan surface rotating from the high-temperature heating zone to cool the high-temperature rotor fan surface. This path of air is preheated during the heat exchange and then sent back to the waste heat recovery unit.

5. A four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The waste heat recovery unit includes a condenser, a regeneration fan, an evaporator, and a heat energy transmission pipeline. The heat energy transmission pipeline is connected to the condenser, the regeneration fan, the evaporator, the heating zone, and the regeneration zone, forming a circulation pipeline. The condenser heats the outdoor fresh air and / or the air flowing out of the pre-cooling zone and then delivers it to the heating zone. The evaporator is used to receive the air flowing out of the regeneration zone or the air mixed between the regeneration zone and the heating zone, and to perform cooling and dehumidification treatment. The regeneration fan discharges the air treated by the evaporator outdoors along the heat energy transmission pipeline.

6. A four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery as described in claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a heater for auxiliary heating of the air flowing out of the condenser; the heater is installed on the heat transfer pipe and located between the condenser and the impeller.

7. A four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The waste heat absorbed by the evaporator during the cooling and dehumidification process is circulated to the condenser via a heat pump and released to heat the regenerated air.

8. A four-zone rotary dehumidification system with coupled heat pump waste heat recovery as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The heat recovered by the waste heat recovery unit also includes waste heat from compressor exhaust, solar energy collected by solar collectors, and industrial waste heat generated by other production equipment on site. All the heat recovered by the waste heat recovery unit is used to heat the air flowing into the heating zone.

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