Air duct and drying device comprising same

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of drying, and provides an air duct structure aiming at the problems that an air inlet of a circulating air duct of an existing dryer is only arranged at the tail end of the top of a drying box, and airflow is distributed unevenly due to the fact that airflow rebounds after colliding with the tail of the drying box, the air duct structure comprises a box body, and a side plate and a top plate are arranged in the box body. A plurality of air supply channels formed in the side plates at intervals in the vertical direction can convey hot air, a plurality of ventilation gaps formed in the top plate at intervals in the horizontal direction provide a plurality of air outlets, and the problem that airflow is gathered at the tail of the drying box and rebounds, and consequently the airflow is uneven can be effectively solved; a circulating air return pipeline arranged in the box body penetrates through the side plates, and the top plate, the side plates, the circulating air return pipeline and the box body are encircled to form an air return duct. And the circulating air return pipeline is communicated with the air return duct, so that airflow recycling can be promoted. The utility model further provides a drying device comprising the air duct structure. According to the air duct structure and the drying device, airflow can be evenly distributed, the drying quality is good, and the drying efficiency is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of drying technology, and more specifically, to an air duct and a drying device including the air duct structure. Background Technology

[0002] In modern production, dryers are needed for the processing of agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables, Chinese medicinal herbs, food products such as meat and fish, and products such as timber. Air source heat pump dryers are a type of efficient, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly drying equipment that is widely used.

[0003] For example, patent publication number "CN208154951U" discloses an air-source heat pump dryer, including a heat pump dryer, a heat exchange chamber, and a sealed drying chamber mounted on a frame. The sealed drying chamber has a feed door, and the heat exchange chamber has an induced draft fan at its front end, with its rear end connected to the drying chamber via a heat exchanger. The drying chamber has a detachable drying rack inside, with a circulating air duct at its top, which is connected to the heat exchange chamber via a circulating fan. Rollers are installed at the bottom of the frame. This dryer not only improves the baking quality but also avoids the loss of residual heat from the exhaust airflow in the drying room, thus achieving energy saving and emission reduction in baking. However, this dryer still has a drawback: the air inlet of the circulating air duct is only located at the rear end of the top of the drying chamber. The airflow gathers at the rear of the drying chamber, collides, and bounces, leading to uneven airflow distribution and heat redistribution, reducing thermal efficiency and affecting the drying quality. For example, some materials may be over-dried while others are under-dried, resulting in prolonged drying time.

[0004] Therefore, a novel air duct and a drying apparatus incorporating such an air duct structure are provided, which can achieve uniform airflow distribution, good drying quality, and high efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem that in existing dryers, the air inlet of the circulating air duct is only located at the tail end of the top of the drying chamber, resulting in uneven airflow distribution due to airflow collision and rebound at the tail end of the drying chamber. This application provides an air duct and a drying device including the air duct structure, which can achieve the technical effects of uniform airflow distribution, good drying quality, and high efficiency.

[0006] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: an air duct structure, including a box body, wherein a side plate and a top plate are provided inside the box body; the side plate is provided with multiple air supply ducts at intervals along the vertical direction, and the top plate is provided with multiple ventilation gaps at intervals along the horizontal direction; a circulating return air duct is also provided inside the box body, the circulating return air duct passes through the side plate, and the top plate, the side plate, the circulating return air duct and the box body together form a return air duct.

[0007] Preferably, the top plate is provided with a plurality of sliding plates, which are slidably connected to the top plate respectively, and the plurality of sliding plates correspond one-to-one with a plurality of ventilation gaps. The sliding plates are used to adjust the size of the ventilation gaps.

[0008] Preferably, the top plate has multiple grooves, each groove corresponding to a sliding plate, and the opening ends of the multiple grooves face the ventilation gap; both ends of the multiple sliding plates are equipped with sliders, and the top plate has multiple sliding grooves, the positions of the multiple sliding grooves corresponding to the positions of the multiple sliders, and the sliding grooves are used to accommodate the sliders.

[0009] Preferably, the system also includes a plurality of fans, which are mounted on the side panel and are located at the respective air ducts.

[0010] A drying device includes an air source heat pump unit and a placement rack, and also includes the air duct structure described in any one of the above; the side plate divides the housing into a hot air generation area and a drying area, the air source heat pump unit is disposed in the hot air generation area, the placement rack is disposed in the drying area, and the placement rack is disposed vertically below the top plate.

[0011] Preferably, the air source heat pump unit includes an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve, wherein the compressor and the expansion valve are both disposed between the evaporator and the condenser; the outlet end of the evaporator is connected to the air inlet of the compressor via a pipe, the air outlet of the compressor is connected to the air inlet of the condenser via a pipe, the liquid outlet of the condenser is connected to the inlet end of the expansion valve via a pipe, and the outlet end of the expansion valve is connected to the first inlet end of the evaporator via a pipe.

[0012] Preferably, the hot air generating area is further provided with an induced draft fan, which is installed on the inner side wall of the housing. The air inlet pipe of the induced draft fan extends out from the inner side wall of the housing, and the air outlet pipe of the induced draft fan is connected to the second inlet end of the evaporator. One end of the circulating return air duct is connected to the air inlet end of the induced draft fan, and the other end of the circulating return air duct extends out from the side plate and is connected to the return air duct.

[0013] Preferably, a control panel is embedded in the outer wall of the housing, and the control panel is electrically connected to the evaporator, the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the induced draft fan.

[0014] Preferably, the drying zone is further equipped with a temperature and humidity sensor, which is electrically connected to the control panel.

[0015] Preferably, there are multiple placement racks; each placement rack includes a support body and multiple drying nets, with the multiple drying nets arranged sequentially in the support body along the vertical direction; the bottom of the support body is provided with multiple locking casters.

[0016] The technical solution of this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] (1) An air duct structure, wherein multiple air supply ducts spaced vertically on the side panels can deliver hot air; multiple ventilation gaps spaced horizontally on the top panel provide multiple air outlets, which can effectively avoid the problem of airflow gathering and rebounding at the rear of the drying box when only one ventilation outlet is opened, causing uneven airflow; the circulating return air duct installed inside the box is connected to the return air duct, which can promote the circulation of airflow. This air duct structure can make the airflow distribution uniform, reduce airflow stagnation, and prevent local overheating, resulting in good drying quality and high drying efficiency.

[0018] (2) Multiple grooves in the top plate are equipped with sliding plates. These sliding plates slide within the grooves on the top plate via sliders at both ends, allowing them to move in and out of the grooves and thus adjust the size of the ventilation gap. By adjusting the size of the ventilation gap, the airflow distribution can be optimized to adapt to the ventilation conditions required by different materials, ensuring uniform heating of the materials and improving drying efficiency. Generally, larger ventilation gaps are suitable for larger particles or looser materials, while smaller ventilation gaps are suitable for fine particles or densely packed materials.

[0019] (3) Multiple fans are installed on the side panel, and each fan is located at a different air duct. The fans generate airflow through rotating blades, which can effectively push hot air.

[0020] (4) A drying device, including the aforementioned air duct structure that can make the airflow evenly distributed; an air source heat pump unit installed in the hot air generation zone can generate hot air, and a placement rack installed in the drying zone can be used to place materials to be dried.

[0021] (5) Heat is extracted from the ambient air by the air source heat pump unit, and the refrigerant is circulated between the evaporator, compressor, condenser and expansion valve to achieve heat transfer. The induced draft fan set in the hot air generation area makes the air flow through the evaporator, which helps the evaporator to absorb and utilize the surrounding heat more effectively, thereby improving the evaporation efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the drying device in Example 1 (including the air duct structure);

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified structural diagram of part A in the middle;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A magnified structural diagram of part B in the middle section;

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A magnified structural diagram of part C in the middle section;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a front view of the drying apparatus in Example 1;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the air source heat pump unit in Example 1;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the top plate in Example 1;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the electrical connections of the drying device in Example 1.

[0031] Attached reference numerals: 1-Box body, 1a-Hot air generation area, 1b-Drying area, 2-Side panel, 2a-Air supply duct, 3-Top panel, 3a-Ventilation gap, 3b-Return air duct, 3c-Slide rail, 4-Circulating return air duct, 5-Sliding plate, 51-Slider, 6-Fan, 7-Air source heat pump unit, 71-Evaporator, 72-Compressor, 73-Condenser, 74-Expansion valve, 8-Placement rack, 81-Support body, 82-Drying net, 83-Locking casters, 9-Exhaust fan, 91-Inlet duct, 92-Outlet duct, 10-Control panel, 11-Temperature and humidity sensor, 12-First door, 13-Second door, 14-Handle, 15-Power supply. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this utility model described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0033] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. 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.

[0034] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, this embodiment provides an air duct structure, including a housing 1, with side panels 2 and a top panel 3 inside. Multiple air supply ducts 2a spaced vertically on the side panels 2 deliver hot air, while multiple ventilation gaps 3a spaced horizontally on the top panel 3 provide multiple air outlets. This effectively avoids the problem of airflow concentrating and rebounding at the rear of the drying chamber when ventilation is only provided at one end, causing uneven airflow. A recirculating return air duct 4 inside the housing 1 passes through the side panels 2, and the top panel 3, side panels 2, recirculating return air duct 4, and housing 1 together form a return air duct 3b. The recirculating return air duct 4 connects to the return air duct 3b, promoting airflow circulation. This air duct structure ensures uniform airflow distribution, reduces airflow stagnation, and prevents localized overheating, resulting in good drying quality and high drying efficiency.

[0037] In this embodiment, the top plate 3 is equipped with multiple sliding plates 5, which are slidably connected to the top plate 3. Each sliding plate 5 corresponds to a single ventilation gap 3a, and the sliding plates 5 are used to adjust the size of the ventilation gaps 3a. By adjusting the size of the ventilation gaps 3a, the airflow distribution can be optimized to adapt to the ventilation conditions required by different materials, ensuring uniform heating of the materials and improving drying efficiency. Generally, larger ventilation gaps 3a are suitable for larger particles or looser materials, while smaller ventilation gaps 3a are suitable for finer particles or densely packed materials.

[0038] In this embodiment, the multiple grooves in the top plate 3 correspond one-to-one with the multiple sliding plates 5, and the opening ends of the multiple grooves face the ventilation gaps 3a. Each end of the multiple sliding plates 5 is equipped with a slider 51. The top plate 3 has multiple sliding grooves 3c, the positions of which correspond one-to-one with the positions of the multiple sliders 51. The sliding grooves 3c are used to accommodate the sliders 51. The multiple sliding plates 5 slide within the sliding grooves 3c in the top plate 3 via the sliders 51 at both ends, allowing them to move in and out of the grooves, thereby adjusting the size of the corresponding adjacent ventilation gaps 3a. The length of the sliding grooves 3c is appropriate to prevent the sliding plates 5 from sliding out completely and also to prevent them from entering the grooves completely, facilitating the pushing and pulling of the sliding plates 5.

[0039] In this embodiment, a plurality of fans 6 are also mounted on the side plate 2, and the plurality of fans 6 are respectively located at a plurality of air supply ducts 2a. The fans 6 generate airflow through rotating blades, which can effectively push hot air.

[0040] A drying device includes an air-source heat pump unit 7 for generating hot air and a placement rack 8 for placing materials to be dried. It also includes the aforementioned air duct structure that ensures uniform airflow distribution. The side plate 2 divides the housing 1 into a hot air generation zone 1a and a drying zone 1b. The air-source heat pump unit 7 is located in the hot air generation zone 1a, and the placement rack 8 is located in the drying zone 1b, vertically below the top plate 3. The generated hot air enters the drying zone 1b through the supply air duct 2a, and then enters the return air duct 3b through multiple ventilation gaps 3a, preventing airflow from accumulating and rebounding at the rear of the drying chamber. The air is then recycled through the circulating return air duct, resulting in good drying effect and high efficiency.

[0041] In this embodiment, the air source heat pump unit 7 includes an evaporator 71, a compressor 72, a condenser 73, and an expansion valve 74. The compressor 72 and the expansion valve 74 are both disposed between the evaporator 71 and the condenser 73. The outlet end of the evaporator 71 is connected to the air inlet of the compressor 72 through a pipe. The outlet of the compressor 72 is connected to the air inlet of the condenser 73 through a pipe. The liquid outlet of the condenser 73 is connected to the inlet end of the expansion valve 74 through a pipe. The outlet end of the expansion valve 74 is connected to the first inlet end of the evaporator 71 through a pipe.

[0042] The air source heat pump unit 7 utilizes a reverse Carnot cycle. The refrigerant first absorbs heat from the air in the evaporator 71, evaporating to form vapor. The latent heat of vaporization is the recovered heat. Then, it is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas by the compressor 72, and condensed into a liquid in the condenser 73. Simultaneously, the absorbed heat is transferred from the air duct 2a to the drying zone 1b via the fan 6. The refrigerant expands and depressurizes through the expansion valve 74, returning to the expansion valve 74 to absorb heat again and evaporate in the evaporator 71, completing one cycle. This process is repeated, continuously absorbing heat from the outside air and transferring it to the drying zone 1b until the preset temperature is reached. Freon is a commonly used refrigerant.

[0043] In this embodiment, the induced draft fan 9 in the hot air generation area 1a is installed on the inner wall of the housing 1. The inlet pipe 91 of the induced draft fan 9 extends out from the inner wall of the housing 1, and the outlet pipe 92 of the induced draft fan 9 is connected to the second inlet end of the evaporator 71. The induced draft fan 9 causes air to flow through the evaporator 71, which helps the evaporator 71 to absorb and utilize the surrounding heat more effectively, thereby improving the evaporation efficiency. One end of the recirculating return air duct 4 is connected to the inlet end of the induced draft fan 9, and the other end of the recirculating return air duct 4 extends out from the side plate 2 and is connected to the return air duct 3b. The airflow entering the return air duct 3b can be recycled back into the induced draft fan 9 through the recirculating return air duct 4.

[0044] In this embodiment, the control panel 10 embedded in the outer wall of the housing 1 is electrically connected to the evaporator 71, compressor 72, condenser 73, expansion valve 74, and induced draft fan 9. By operating the control panel 10, the start / stop and operating status of the evaporator 71, compressor 72, condenser 73, expansion valve 74, and induced draft fan 9 can be controlled. The control panel 10 includes a controller and a signal processor. The controller can be an 8051 series microcontroller, an STM32 series microcontroller, an FPGA programmable controller, etc., and the signal processor can be an ADSP-21469BBCZ-3 digital signal processor, etc. A power supply 15 is also provided, which is electrically connected to the controller, evaporator 71, compressor 72, condenser 73, expansion valve 74, and induced draft fan 9. The power supply 15 can be a commercially available portable power bank.

[0045] In this embodiment, the temperature and humidity sensor 11 installed in the drying zone 1b is electrically connected to the control panel 10. The temperature and humidity can be conveniently observed in real time through the temperature and humidity sensor 11.

[0046] In this embodiment, there are multiple placement racks 8, which can be placed as needed. The placement rack 8 includes a support body 81 and multiple drying nets 82. The multiple drying nets 82 are arranged vertically in the support body 81, and the material is placed on the drying nets 82. The bottom of the support body 81 is provided with multiple locking casters 83, which can facilitate the placement rack 8 to be moved out or put into the drying area 1b.

[0047] In this embodiment, the housing 1 is also hinged with a first door 12 and a second door 13. The first door 12 is used to open or close the drying zone 1b, and the second door 13 is used to open or close the hot air generating zone 1a. Both the first door 12 and the second door 13 are equipped with handles 14.

[0048] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A duct structure, characterized in that, Includes a housing (1), and the housing (1) is provided with a side panel (2) and a top panel (3); The side plate (2) has multiple air supply ducts (2a) spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the top plate (3) has multiple ventilation gaps (3a) spaced apart in the horizontal direction; The housing (1) is also equipped with a circulating return air duct (4), which passes through the side plate (2). The top plate (3), the side plate (2), the circulating return air duct (4) and the housing (1) together form a return air duct (3b).

2. The air duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top plate (3) is provided with a plurality of sliding plates (5), which are slidably connected to the top plate (3) respectively. The plurality of sliding plates (5) correspond one-to-one with the plurality of ventilation gaps (3a), and the sliding plates (5) are used to adjust the size of the ventilation gaps (3a).

3. The air duct structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top plate (3) has multiple grooves, each groove corresponding to a sliding plate (5), and the opening ends of the multiple grooves face the ventilation gap (3a). Both ends of the plurality of sliding plates (5) are provided with sliders (51), and the top plate (3) has multiple sliding grooves (3c). The positions of the multiple sliding grooves (3c) correspond one-to-one with the positions of the multiple sliders (51). The sliding grooves (3c) are used to accommodate the sliders (51).

4. The air duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a plurality of fans (6), which are mounted on the side plate (2) and are located at the plurality of air supply ducts (2a).

5. A drying apparatus, characterized in that, It includes an air source heat pump unit (7) and a mounting rack (8), and also includes the air duct structure described in any one of claims 1-4 above; The side panel (2) divides the housing (1) into a hot air generating area (1a) and a drying area (1b). The air source heat pump unit (7) is located in the hot air generating area (1a). The placement rack (8) is located in the drying area (1b). The placement rack (8) is located vertically below the top plate (3).

6. The drying apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The air source heat pump unit (7) includes an evaporator (71), a compressor (72), a condenser (73), and an expansion valve (74). The compressor (72) and the expansion valve (74) are both located between the evaporator (71) and the condenser (73). The outlet of the evaporator (71) is connected to the inlet of the compressor (72) via a pipe. The outlet of the compressor (72) is connected to the inlet of the condenser (73) via a pipe. The outlet of the condenser (73) is connected to the inlet of the expansion valve (74) via a pipe. The outlet of the expansion valve (74) is connected to the first inlet of the evaporator (71) via a pipe.

7. The drying apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The hot air generating area (1a) is also provided with an exhaust fan (9), which is installed on the inner wall of the housing (1). The air inlet pipe (91) of the exhaust fan (9) passes through the inner wall of the housing (1), and the air outlet pipe (92) of the exhaust fan (9) is connected to the second inlet end of the evaporator (71). One end of the circulating return air duct (4) is connected to the air inlet of the induced draft fan (9), and the other end of the circulating return air duct (4) passes through the side plate (2) and is connected to the return air duct (3b).

8. The drying apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The outer wall of the housing (1) is fitted with a control panel (10), which is electrically connected to the evaporator (71), the compressor (72), the condenser (73), the expansion valve (74), and the induced draft fan (9).

9. The drying apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The drying zone (1b) is also equipped with a temperature and humidity sensor (11), which is electrically connected to the control panel (10).

10. The drying apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, There are multiple placement racks (8); The placement rack (8) includes a support body (81) and a plurality of drying nets (82), and the plurality of drying nets (82) are arranged in the support body (81) in a vertical direction; The bottom of the bracket body (81) is provided with multiple locking casters (83).

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