A silica gel particle heating regeneration drying apparatus and a silica gel particle drying method
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202611326972.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-08-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-23
Smart Images
Figure CN122955476A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the fields of silica gel air drying and silica gel heating regeneration, and is a silica gel particle heating regeneration and drying equipment and a silica gel particle drying method. Background Technology
[0002] Silica gel particles are a highly active porous adsorbent material with the chemical formula mSiO2·nH2O (amorphous hydrated silica). They appear as transparent or translucent spheres, and color-changing silica is produced by adding cobalt chloride as an indicator. The surface of silica gel particles has abundant micropores and is rich in silanol groups, enabling them to adsorb water molecules. Classified by micropore size, Type A fine-pore silica gel has a pore size of 2–5 nm, exhibiting strong adsorption at low humidity and is commonly used for moisture protection in electronics, precision instruments, and pharmaceuticals. Type B coarse-pore silica gel has a pore size of 10–20 nm, exhibiting high adsorption capacity at high humidity and is commonly used for dehumidification in containers, clothing, and large spaces such as food processing areas. Silica gel dehumidification is essentially a physical adsorption process, not a reversible chemical reaction. Heating regeneration is the reverse process of adsorption; the core principle is to use heat energy to "drive" water molecules out of the silica gel pores. According to national standard (GB / T 34709-2017), industry standards, and practical applications, the dehumidification temperature for silica gel granules should be less than 40°C, and the heating and regeneration temperature and time should be controlled within 93–149°C / 2–4h. Currently, silica gel desiccants are mainly dried naturally in the air. This method has the following problems: slow dehumidification efficiency; inaccurate control of air humidity; inability to know whether the current drying capacity of the silica gel desiccant meets the requirements; and the need to replace the silica gel desiccant with new desiccant or to heat it separately after it becomes saturated. To address these issues, a silica gel granule heating and regeneration drying device has been developed. The innovative features of this device are: rapid and precise humidity control; timely detection of whether the drying capacity meets the requirements; and integrated dehumidification, heating, and regeneration without the need for additional equipment. This device is particularly suitable for applications requiring dry storage in sealed spaces, such as 3D printing consumables, food and medicine preservation, and clothing and footwear.
[0003] This invention relates to a silica gel particle heating and regeneration drying device, comprising an electrical control system and a heating and regeneration drying unit. The device operates in two states: air drying and heating and regeneration. The electrical control system mainly consists of a display section, an input section, an interface section, and a microcontroller section. The heating and regeneration drying unit mainly consists of a shell section, a desiccant tank section, a heat insulation section, and a high-temperature protection section. The device operates by having the user input an air humidity value. A sensor collects the air humidity value and feeds it back to the microcontroller. If the air humidity is higher than the user-input value, the microcontroller activates the fan. As the air drawn in by the fan passes through the desiccant tank section, the moisture in the air is absorbed by the silica gel particles, and then the dry air is discharged. The process continues until the air humidity reaches the user-specified value, at which point the operation stops. When the silica gel particles are saturated with moisture, the user connects the heating and regeneration drying unit to the heating and regeneration interface of the electrical control system. This activates the heating wire and fan inside the drying tank. The silica gel particles release the absorbed moisture upon heating, and the air drawn in by the fan is discharged from the bottom, thus achieving the heating and regeneration of the silica gel particles.
[0004] The equipment operates in air drying mode: The user sets the air humidity value, and the sensor periodically detects the air humidity. When the current air humidity is higher than the user-set value, the microcontroller turns on the fan. The fan draws in air through the drying barrel below, where the silica gel particles absorb the moisture in the air. The dry air is then discharged from the bottom of the drying barrel through the gaps between the silica gel particles and the air guide tube inside the barrel. The drying continues until the sensor detects that the air humidity is lower than the user-set value, at which point the microcontroller turns off the fan, and the equipment stops working.
[0005] The equipment operates in heating and regeneration mode: After the silica gel particles in the drying chamber become saturated with moisture, they are connected to the heating and regeneration interface of the electrical control system, and the user activates the silica gel heating and regeneration function. During operation, the microcontroller activates the heating wire and fan, causing the silica gel particles to release the absorbed moisture upon heating. Simultaneously, air drawn in by the fan passes through the drying chamber below, carrying away the moisture discharged from the silica gel particles through the gaps between the particles and the air duct inside the chamber, thus achieving the heating and regeneration of the silica gel particles.
[0006] Electrical control system: The display shows the current temperature and humidity, the set humidity value, and the device's operating status. The input section allows users to select the set humidity and turn the heating regeneration function on or off using input keys. The interface section includes a sensor interface and a heating regeneration interface. Inserting a sensor will allow the system to read the current ambient temperature and humidity. The heating regeneration drying device must be connected to the heating regeneration interface to achieve the regeneration function. The microcontroller section controls the device to operate in either air drying mode or heating regeneration mode based on the temperature and humidity feedback from the sensors and the keys on the input section.
[0007] The drying drum consists of a fan, drying drum, drying drum lid, heating wire, heating wire support, air duct, and color-changing silica gel granules. The drying drum has an observation hole with a transparent lens; if using color-changing silica gel granules, the user can observe the color of the internal silica gel granules to determine if the moisture absorption capacity is saturated. The heating wire inside the drying drum provides the temperature required for heating and regeneration. The heating wire support is used to fix the shape of the heating wire and ensure that the temperature is quickly and evenly distributed inside the drum. The hollow air duct has a fine porous structure evenly distributed inside the drum. The drying drum lid has fine ventilation holes and is connected to the drum via nuts. The drying drum is the core component of the equipment. During operation, the fan draws in air, which passes through the drying drum, allowing the silica gel granules inside to quickly absorb moisture from the air or expel moisture released during heating, thus achieving the drying and silica gel granule functions.
[0008] Insulation components: The drying barrel is surrounded by an insulation sleeve, and the lid of the drying barrel has a ring-shaped insulation pad. Its main functions are: 1. To prevent the high temperature inside the drying barrel from being transferred to the fan and outer shell during operation, which would cause high-temperature failure; 2. To slow down the heat loss inside the drying barrel during the heating and regeneration of silica gel particles, thereby ensuring that the temperature inside the barrel quickly reaches the requirements for heating and regeneration of silica gel particles.
[0009] High-temperature protection components: Figure 3 There is a temperature protection switch between the insulation part and the outer shell, which is connected in series with the heating wire in the circuit. When the surface temperature of the insulation pad exceeds the temperature switch setting value due to reasons such as fan failure and inability to dissipate heat or excessive heating time, the heating function is disconnected to avoid overheating and damage to other equipment parts.
[0010] Drying method for silica gel granules using heating regeneration and drying equipment (reference) Figure 4 The silica gel granules should have a diameter of 3-5mm or larger; smaller granules will hinder air exchange. They are filled into the drying chamber. The cross-sectional area of the drying chamber is sc㎡. Heating wires are distributed across the cross-section of the drying chamber. The maximum area effectively heated and regenerated with respect to the heating wires during the heating time is approximately a circle with a radius of 1cm. The number of evenly distributed heating wires on the cross-section should be no less than N=S / 3.14. Air ducts are distributed across the heating and regeneration cross-section. The diameter of the air ducts is 0.4cm. The maximum area effectively ventilated with respect to the air ducts during the heating time is approximately a circle with a radius of 2cm. The number of evenly distributed air ducts on the cross-section should be no less than M=S / 12.56. During heating and regeneration, the microcontroller activates the heating wires and fan. The heating and regeneration time is 2.5 hours, and the heating wire temperature is controlled at 100℃. The adsorption capacity of the silica gel granules regenerated through this heating process can reach more than 90% of their unused value.
[0011] Figure 4 Here is an example of a silica gel particle heating, regeneration, and drying equipment (unit: cm): The drying drum has a cross-sectional area of 9.7 x 9.7 cm and a length of 15 cm. The heating wire and air duct are installed according to... Figure 4The distribution and experimental sealed space were 55*70*45 cm. At room temperature of 25°C and humidity of 60%, new silica gel particles were used to maintain the humidity of the sealed space at 25% for 3 days. After being regenerated by heating with equipment, the above functions were still achieved. Attached Figure Description
[0012] Figure 1 Electronic control system Figure 2 Heating regeneration drying apparatus (front view, sectional view) Figure 3 Heating and regeneration drying unit (top view, bottom view) Figure 4 Distribution diagram of heating wires, heating brackets, and air ducts inside the drying drum. Figure 5 Silica gel particle heating, regeneration, and drying equipment (electrical control system and heating, regeneration, and drying device) Labeling Explanation: 1. Fan top cover; 2. Fan; 3. Temperature control switch; 4. Drying drum upper shell; 5. Annular heat insulation pad; 6. Drying drum lid; 7. Heating wire; 8. Heating wire bracket; 9. Air duct; 10. Drying drum; 11. Lens; 12. Heat insulation sleeve; 13. Drying drum outer shell; 14. Silica gel particles; 21. Screen; 22. Input button; 23. Sensor interface; 24. Heating regeneration interface.
Claims
1. A silica gel particle heating and regeneration drying equipment, characterized by: an electrical control system and a heating and regeneration drying device, the equipment has two working states: air drying state and heating and regeneration state. The electrical control system mainly consists of a display section, an input section, an interface section, and a microcontroller section. The heating and regeneration drying device mainly consists of an outer shell, a desiccant tank, a heat insulation section, and a high-temperature protection section. The equipment works as follows: The user inputs an air humidity value, the sensor collects the humidity reading and sends it back to the microcontroller. If the air humidity is higher than the user-input value, the microcontroller turns on the fan. As the air drawn in by the fan passes through the desiccant tank, the moisture in the air is absorbed by the silica gel particles, and then the dry air is discharged. The process continues until the air humidity reaches the user-specified value, at which point the operation stops. When the silica gel particles are saturated with moisture, the user connects the heating and regeneration drying device to the heating and regeneration interface of the electrical control system. The controller then activates the heating wire and fan in the drying tank. The silica gel particles release the absorbed moisture upon heating, and the air drawn in by the fan is discharged from the bottom, thus achieving the heating and regeneration of the silica gel particles. In air drying mode: The user sets an air humidity value, and the sensor periodically monitors the air humidity. When the current air humidity is higher than the user-set value, the microcontroller turns on the fan. The fan draws in air through the drying tank below, where the silica gel particles absorb the moisture. The dry air is then discharged from the bottom of the drying tank through the gaps between the silica gel particles and the air duct inside the tank. The process continues until the sensor detects that the air humidity is lower than the user-set value, at which point the microcontroller turns off the fan, and the equipment stops working. The equipment operates in heating and regeneration mode: After the silica gel particles in the drying barrel become saturated with moisture, they are connected to the heating and regeneration interface of the electrical control system. The user turns on the silica gel heating and regeneration function. During operation, the microcontroller turns on the heating wire and the fan. The silica gel particles release the absorbed moisture when heated. At the same time, the air drawn in by the fan passes through the drying barrel below and carries away the moisture discharged from the silica gel particles in the barrel through the gaps between the silica gel particles and the air guide pipe inside the barrel, thus realizing the heating and regeneration of the silica gel particles.
2. The silica gel particle heating and regeneration drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: the drying barrel part consists of a fan, a drying barrel, a drying barrel cover, a heating wire, a heating wire support, an air guide pipe, and silica gel particles. The drying barrel body has an observation hole with a transparent lens; if color-changing silica gel particles are used, the user can observe the color of the internal silica gel particles to determine whether the moisture absorption capacity is saturated. The upper and lower surfaces have drying barrel covers with fine ventilation holes to allow air circulation. The drying barrel contains a heating and regeneration drying structure composed of a heating wire, a heating wire support, an air guide pipe, and silica gel particles. The heating wire provides the temperature required for the heating and regeneration of the silica gel particles. The heating wire support is used to fix the shape of the heating wire and to quickly and evenly distribute the heating wire temperature inside the barrel. The air guide pipe is hollow and has a finely porous surface, ensuring air circulation within the barrel. A fan is located at the top of the drying barrel. During operation, the fan draws in air through the drying barrel, allowing the silica gel particles inside to quickly absorb moisture from the air or expel moisture released during heating and regeneration, thus achieving the drying and silica gel particle functions.
3. The silica gel particle heating and regeneration drying equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: the drying barrel contains a heating and regeneration drying structure composed of heating wires, heating wire supports, air guide pipes, and silica gel particles, and a corresponding drying method. The silica gel particles are selected with a diameter of 3-5 mm or more; smaller particles would hinder air exchange, and they are filled within the drying barrel. Assume the cross-sectional area of the drying barrel is Sc㎡. The heating wires are distributed across the cross-section of the drying barrel. The maximum area effectively heated and regenerated with respect to the heating wires during the heating time is approximately a circle with a radius of 1 cm, and the number of evenly distributed heating wires on the cross-section should be no less than N=S / 3.
14. The air guide pipes are distributed across the heating and regeneration cross-section. The air guide pipes are hollow and have fine pores with a diameter of at least 0.4 cm on their surface. The maximum area effectively ventilated with respect to the air guide pipes during the heating time is approximately a circle with a radius of 2 cm, and the number of evenly distributed air guide pipes on the cross-section should be no less than M=S / 12.
56. During heating and regeneration, the microcontroller turns on the heating wires and the fan. The heating and regeneration time is 2.5 hours, and the heating temperature of the heating wires is controlled at 100℃.
4. The silica gel particle heating and regeneration drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: the heat insulation part consists of a heat insulation sleeve around the drying barrel and an annular heat insulation pad on the drying barrel cover, located between the outer shell and the drying barrel, and its main functions are:
1. to prevent the high temperature inside the drying barrel from being transferred to the fan and the outer shell during operation, resulting in high-temperature failure; 2. to slow down the heat loss inside the drying barrel during the heating and regeneration of silica gel particles, thereby ensuring that the temperature inside the drying barrel quickly reaches the requirements for heating and regeneration of silica gel particles.
5. The silica gel particle heating and regeneration drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: the outer shell consists of a fan top cover, a drying barrel upper shell, and a drying barrel outer shell. The fan top cover has many ventilation holes, mainly for protecting the fan and ensuring smooth air intake. The drying barrel upper shell has screw holes for fixing the fan, an opening in the middle to allow air drawn in by the fan to pass through, and a temperature protection switch mounting port. The bottom of the drying barrel outer shell has an air outlet and support feet, allowing air passing through the drying barrel to be smoothly discharged. All four sides are perforated to facilitate rapid heat dissipation during heating and regeneration. The drying barrel outer shell and the drying barrel upper shell must be combined to connect and fix the heat insulation part and the drying barrel part to function effectively.
6. The silica gel particle heating and regeneration drying equipment according to claim 1 is characterized in that: one or more temperature protection switches can be installed in the drying barrel of the equipment, between the heat insulation pad and the outer shell, and in the outer shell, and connected in series with the heating wire in the circuit. When the temperature exceeds the set value of the switch due to reasons such as fan failure and inability to dissipate heat or excessive heating time, the heating function is turned off, thereby avoiding overheating and damage to other parts of the equipment.
7. The silica gel particle heating and regeneration drying equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: the display part of the electrical control system mainly displays the current temperature and humidity, the set humidity value, the equipment working status, etc.; the input part allows the user to select the set humidity and turn on / off the heating and regeneration functions via input keys; the interface part has a sensor interface and a heating and regeneration interface, and the sensor and the heating and regeneration drying device can only work when connected to the corresponding interface; the microcontroller part controls the equipment to work in air drying mode or heating and regeneration mode based on the temperature and humidity feedback from the sensor and the keys on the input part.