Alumina molecular sieve dehumidifying apparatus
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 徐要礼
- Filing Date
- 2026-06-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-04
AI Technical Summary
第一，能耗极高，除湿需先降温析湿、再升温送风，冷热抵消造成大量能源浪费，以1800㎡、层高3m的洁净车间为例，空调总制冷量需求750kW，其中除湿负荷达796kW，采用一级能效水冷螺杆机组时制冷小时耗电约130度，除湿小时耗电高达138度，除湿能耗占比超过空调总能耗的50%，运行成本高昂；第二，系统复杂，需配套冷水机组、冷冻/热水管路、循环泵阀等多套系统，初期投资大、管路布置复杂，占用大量机房空间，第三，运维烦琐，盘管易积灰结垢，需定期清洗除垢；水路系统需维护冷媒、水处理药剂，保养工序多、成本高
1.本发明提供了一种氧化铝分子筛除湿设备，节能效果显著，通过活性氧化铝吸附除湿，可将回风相对湿度降低10%～20%，单次吸附即可满足多数洁净车间的湿度要求，直接省却冷冻除湿与热水再热的能耗，并且结构简单，改造成本低，设备为一体式模块化结构，零部件少、加工简单，可根据现有回风管道尺寸定制，直接嵌装于管道内，无需改动原有空调系统的主体结构与管路，改造周期短、投资成本低。
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of cleanroom air dehumidification technology, specifically to an alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device. Background Technology
[0002] In scenarios such as electronics manufacturing, chip production, nanomaterials research and development, and precision laboratories, cleanrooms require extremely high precision in controlling environmental temperature and humidity. Excessive humidity directly affects product yield, experimental accuracy, and equipment lifespan. Currently, the mainstream solution in the industry is a central air conditioning refrigeration dehumidification system: outdoor fresh air is filtered through primary and secondary filters to reach the cleanliness level, then flows through chilled water coils to cool to below the dew point, causing water vapor to condense and precipitate, thus completing dehumidification; the dehumidified low-temperature air is then heated through heating coils to finally reach the supply air temperature and humidity standards. Although this solution is technically mature and can achieve centralized control over a large area, it has significant drawbacks: First, the energy consumption is extremely high. Dehumidification requires cooling to remove moisture and then heating to supply air, resulting in a significant waste of energy due to the offsetting effect of hot and cold air. For example, in a cleanroom with a floor height of 1800㎡ and a ceiling height of 3m, the total cooling capacity requirement of the air conditioning is 750kW, of which the dehumidification load reaches 796kW. When using a first-level energy-efficient water-cooled screw chiller, the power consumption per hour for cooling is about 130 kWh, and the power consumption per hour for dehumidification is as high as 138 kWh. The energy consumption for dehumidification accounts for more than 50% of the total energy consumption of the air conditioning, resulting in high operating costs. Second, the system is complex, requiring multiple systems such as chiller units, chilled / hot water pipes, and circulating pumps and valves. The initial investment is large, the piping layout is complex, and it occupies a lot of machine room space. Third, the operation and maintenance are cumbersome. The coils are prone to dust and scale accumulation, requiring regular cleaning and descaling. The water system requires maintenance of refrigerant and water treatment agents, resulting in many maintenance procedures and high costs.
[0003] Therefore, this invention proposes a novel dehumidification device that significantly reduces dehumidification energy consumption and simplifies system structure and operation and maintenance processes while meeting the humidity requirements of cleanrooms. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device that uses the adsorption effect of activated alumina as the core to pre-dehumidify air conditioning return air, significantly reducing or even completely replacing the energy consumption of traditional refrigeration dehumidification. At the same time, the device adopts a modular design, making it easy to install and maintain, and suitable for various cleanroom construction and renovation scenarios.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device includes an outer frame, a screen clamping assembly, and activated alumina molecular sieve filler. The screen clamping assembly includes two parallel and spaced-apart screens, forming a filling cavity between the two screens. The activated alumina molecular sieve filler is uniformly filled into the filling cavity. The four edges of the screens are fixed and pressed against the inner sidewall of the outer frame by pressure strips, forming an integrated molecular sieve dehumidification module. The outer circumference of the outer frame is adapted to the inner diameter of the air conditioning return air duct to be installed. When the device is embedded in the air conditioning return air duct, the plane of the screen is perpendicular to the airflow direction in the duct.
[0006] Furthermore, the screen is a metal woven wire mesh, and its mesh size is smaller than the minimum particle size of the activated alumina molecular sieve packing.
[0007] Furthermore, the outer frame is made of spliced aluminum alloy profiles.
[0008] Furthermore, the activated alumina molecular sieve is γ-type activated alumina with a specific surface area of 200-360 m² / g, and contains microporous structures with pore sizes less than 2 nm and mesoporous structures with pore sizes of 2 nm to 50 nm.
[0009] Furthermore, the pressure strip is continuously provided along the four sides of the outer frame, and the pressure strip presses the edge of the screen window tightly against the inner wall of the outer frame to form an edge sealing structure.
[0010] A dehumidification method for an alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device, characterized in that the method specifically includes the following steps: Step 1: Return air conveying; The circulating return air in the cleanroom is drawn into the air conditioning return air duct and flows axially along the duct to the alumina molecular sieve dehumidification equipment. Step 2: Airflow enters; The dehumidifying airflow passes vertically through the mesh of the screen on the air inlet side, and is evenly dispersed into the activated alumina molecular sieve packing layer between the two layers of screen, making full contact with the molecular sieve particles. Step 3: Adsorption and dehumidification; After polar water molecules in the airflow enter the porous structure of the molecular sieve, they are fixed and removed through physical adsorption and surface chemical action. After adsorption, the relative humidity of the air is reduced by 10% to 20%, which meets the humidity requirements of the workshop. Step 4: Dry the outflow; The dehumidified dry air passes through the mesh of the screen on the air outlet side, leaves the dehumidification equipment, and enters the subsequent units of the air conditioning unit along the return air duct; Step 5: Module maintenance; When the activated alumina molecular sieve becomes saturated and the outlet humidity exceeds the threshold, the entire module is removed from the pipeline and replaced with a fresh molecular sieve module to restore dehumidification performance.
[0011] Furthermore, in step 3, during the adsorption and dehumidification process, the physically adsorbed water molecules are adsorbed onto the unsaturated Al³⁺ sites and O²⁻ / OH⁻ sites on the alumina surface through van der Waals forces and electrostatic interactions. At the same time, the micropores and mesopores generate a capillary coagulation effect, accommodating a large number of water molecules. The chemical assistance effect enhances the adsorption stability by having some water molecules form hydrogen bonds with the hydroxyl groups on the alumina surface or by dissociating and coordinating at the bridging oxygen sites.
[0012] This invention provides an alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device. It has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention provides an alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device with significant energy-saving effect. Through activated alumina adsorption dehumidification, the relative humidity of return air can be reduced by 10% to 20%. A single adsorption can meet the humidity requirements of most cleanrooms, directly saving the energy consumption of refrigeration dehumidification and hot water reheating. Moreover, the structure is simple and the modification cost is low. The device has an integrated modular structure with few parts and simple processing. It can be customized according to the existing return air duct size and directly embedded in the duct. There is no need to modify the main structure and pipeline of the original air conditioning system. The modification cycle is short and the investment cost is low.
[0013] 2. This invention provides an alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device that is easy to operate and maintain, and has low cost. The device has no moving parts or water system, and does not require dedicated personnel for daily operation. Only periodic monitoring of the outlet humidity is needed, and the entire module can be replaced when the molecular sieve is saturated. The maintenance process is simple, and the operation and maintenance cost is far lower than that of traditional refrigeration dehumidification systems. In addition, it has a wide range of applications and can be adapted to return air ducts of different cross-sectional sizes and different air volume levels. It can be widely used in various clean places with high humidity requirements, such as electronic chip factories, pharmaceutical clean rooms, precision laboratories, and nanomaterial production workshops. Attached Figure Description
[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the working steps of the alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0015] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Example 1:
[0016] like Figure 1-2As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides an alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device. The alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device has a rectangular modular structure and is mainly composed of four parts: an outer frame, a screen, an activated alumina molecular sieve filler, and a pressure strip. The outer frame is a rectangular frame, and its external dimensions are adapted to the internal cross-sectional dimensions of the air conditioning return air duct to be installed, so that it can be tightly embedded in the inner wall of the duct. This implementation uses an aluminum alloy frame, combining structural strength and corrosion resistance. A wooden frame can also be used depending on requirements. Two parallel layers of screens are installed inside the frame. The screens are made of stainless steel woven mesh with pores smaller than the minimum particle diameter of the activated alumina molecular sieve packing, ensuring smooth airflow while preventing molecular sieve particles from leaking out. The cavity between the two screens is a filling chamber, uniformly filled with activated alumina molecular sieve packing to form a uniformly thick adsorption filter layer. Pressure strips are continuously installed along the four inner edges of the frame, pressing and fixing the edges of both screens to the inner wall of the frame, achieving edge sealing and preventing molecular sieve leakage from the assembly gaps between the screens and the frame, ensuring long-term operational stability. During installation, the entire unit is embedded into the return air duct of the air conditioning unit, with the plane of the screens perpendicular to the airflow direction of the duct at 90°. This allows the return airflow to pass vertically through the filter layer, ensuring full contact between the airflow and the molecular sieve and maximizing adsorption efficiency.
[0017] The activated alumina molecular sieve packing material uses γ-type activated alumina γ-Al2O3, with a surface area of 200-360 m² / g. It contains a large number of micropores and mesopores, providing ample adsorption sites and capillary aggregation space. The alumina surface is distributed with positively charged unsaturated Al³+ Lewis acid sites, negatively charged O²- / OH- sites, and a large number of surface hydroxyl groups (-OH), which have a strong adsorption affinity for polar water molecules. Example 2:
[0018] like Figure 1-2 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides an alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device. The complete dehumidification process of the device is performed according to the following steps: Step 1: Return air conveying; The air that has completed its circulation in the cleanroom is drawn into the air conditioning return air duct, forming a clean airflow that flows along the axial direction of the duct and continuously flows to the alumina molecular sieve dehumidification equipment installed in the duct. Step 2: Airflow enters; After the dehumidifying airflow reaches the equipment position, it penetrates vertically through the mesh of the screen on the air inlet side, and after being evenly dispersed by the mesh, it enters the active alumina molecular sieve packing layer between the two layers of screen, so that the airflow and the molecular sieve particles are fully and completely in contact. Step 3: Adsorption and dehumidification; Polar water molecules in the airflow enter the porous structure of the molecular sieve and are adsorbed and fixed through a dual action, thus completing the dehumidification of the air. Physical adsorption (dominant role): Water molecules are adsorbed on the positively charged Al³+ sites and negatively charged O²- / OH- sites on the surface of alumina through van der Waals forces and electrostatic interactions. At the same time, the micropores and mesopores produce a capillary coagulation effect, which can significantly increase the adsorption capacity in medium and high humidity environments, fixing a large number of water molecules inside the porous structure. Surface chemical action plays an auxiliary role. Some water molecules form hydrogen bonds with the hydroxyl groups (-OH) on the surface of alumina, or undergo dissociation coordination at the oxygen bridging sites of Al-O-Al to generate Al-OH2⁺ and OH⁻, or form hydrated alumina (AlOOH), which further enhances the stability and adsorption capacity of the adsorption. After the above adsorption process, the relative humidity of the air can be reduced by 10% to 20%, which meets the humidity control requirements of the clean room. Step 4: Dry the outflow; After dehumidification, the dry airflow passes through the mesh of the air outlet screen, leaves the dehumidification equipment, and continues to flow along the return air duct to the subsequent units of the air conditioning unit. Since the humidity has reached the standard, there is no need to go through the refrigeration dehumidification and reheating process, and it can be directly sent into the workshop for recycling. Step 5: Module maintenance; During continuous operation of the equipment, the adsorption sites of activated alumina are gradually occupied by water molecules, and the adsorption efficiency gradually decreases. When the humidity sensor in the pipeline detects that the humidity of the air at the equipment outlet exceeds the set threshold, it is determined that the molecular sieve is close to adsorption saturation. At this time, the pipeline inspection port is opened, the entire molecular sieve module is pulled out from the return air pipeline, and a new module filled with fresh molecular sieve is replaced. The dehumidification performance can be quickly restored. The saturated module that is replaced can be reused after high-temperature activation and regeneration, further reducing operating costs.
[0019] The following points should be noted in this article: 1. The accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein only relate to the structures involved in the embodiments disclosed herein; other structures can be referred to in general design.
[0020] 2. Where there is no conflict, the embodiments of this disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.
[0021] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. An alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device, comprising an outer frame, a screen clamping assembly, and activated alumina molecular sieve packing, characterized in that: The screen clamping assembly includes two parallel and spaced screens, forming a filling cavity between the two screens. The activated alumina molecular sieve filler is uniformly filled in the filling cavity. The four edges of the screens are fixed and pressed against the inner sidewall of the outer frame by pressure strips, forming an integrated molecular sieve dehumidification module. The outer circumference of the outer frame is adapted to the inner diameter of the air conditioning return air duct to be installed. When the device is embedded in the air conditioning return air duct, the plane of the screen is perpendicular to the airflow direction in the duct.
2. The alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The screen is made of woven metal mesh, and its mesh size is smaller than the minimum particle size of the activated alumina molecular sieve packing.
3. The alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer frame is made of spliced aluminum alloy profiles.
4. The alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The activated alumina molecular sieve is γ-type activated alumina with a specific surface area of 200-360 m² / g, and contains microporous structures with pore sizes less than 2 nm and mesoporous structures with pore sizes of 2 nm to 50 nm.
5. The alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure strip is continuously installed along the four sides of the outer frame, pressing the edge of the screen window tightly against the inner wall of the outer frame to form an edge sealing structure.
6. A dehumidification method for the alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The method specifically includes the following steps: Step 1: Return air conveying; The circulating return air in the cleanroom is drawn into the air conditioning return air duct and flows axially along the duct to the alumina molecular sieve dehumidification equipment. Step 2: Airflow enters; The dehumidifying airflow passes vertically through the mesh of the screen on the air inlet side, and is evenly dispersed into the activated alumina molecular sieve packing layer between the two layers of screen, making full contact with the molecular sieve particles. Step 3: Adsorption and dehumidification; After polar water molecules in the airflow enter the porous structure of the molecular sieve, they are fixed and removed through physical adsorption and surface chemical action. After adsorption, the relative humidity of the air is reduced by 10% to 20%, which meets the humidity requirements of the workshop. Step 4: Dry the outflow; The dehumidified dry air passes through the mesh of the screen on the air outlet side, leaves the dehumidification equipment, and enters the subsequent units of the air conditioning unit along the return air duct; Step 5: Module maintenance; When the activated alumina molecular sieve becomes saturated and the outlet humidity exceeds the threshold, the entire module is removed from the pipeline and replaced with a fresh molecular sieve module to restore dehumidification performance.
7. The dehumidification method of the alumina molecular sieve dehumidification device according to claim 6, characterized in that: In step 3, during the adsorption and dehumidification process, the physically adsorbed water molecules are adsorbed onto the unsaturated Al³⁺ sites and O²⁻ / OH⁻ sites on the alumina surface through van der Waals forces and electrostatic interactions. At the same time, the micropores and mesopores generate a capillary condensation effect, accommodating a large number of water molecules. The chemical assistance effect enhances the adsorption stability by forming hydrogen bonds with the hydroxyl groups on the alumina surface through some water molecules, or by dissociating and coordinating at the bridging oxygen sites.