Drying apparatus
By dividing the drying area inside the box and utilizing a hot air circulation drying device, the problems of long drying time and poor effect of traditional wet drying methods are solved, achieving efficient and uniform silicon wafer drying, improving cell quality and reducing production costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TONGWEI SOLAR ENERGY (CHENGDU) CO LID
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
AI Technical Summary
Traditional wet drying methods are time-consuming and have poor drying effects, leading to scorching and defects in silicon wafers, which affects the quality of solar cells and increases production costs.
Design a drying device in which the interior of the chamber is divided into multiple drying zones along the axial direction. Heaters are used to dry both sides of the material, and a hot air circulation is formed through a gas flow mechanism to ensure uniform gas flow and temperature consistency, thereby reducing heat loss.
It improves drying efficiency and uniformity, reduces the risk of silicon wafer scorching, improves cell quality, and reduces production costs.
Smart Images
Figure CN224327462U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of drying technology, and in particular to a drying apparatus. Background Technology
[0002] In the mass production of solar photovoltaic cells, wet drying is mainly used to remove moisture and residual chemicals from the surface of the photovoltaic cells to ensure their quality and performance. However, the relatively long drying time limits the speed and output of mass production.
[0003] In traditional wet drying processes, the air blowing method for drying materials in the drying tank is side-wall blowing. Drying pipes are installed on the inner wall of the drying tank, and air is blown from the inner wall onto baskets containing silicon wafers placed inside. This drying method is time-consuming, has poor drying effect, and the bottom rods of the baskets intermittently produce liquid residue. If droplets fall onto the surface of the silicon wafers and flow into the high-temperature process, the liquid-laden wafers will burn, causing batch rework, contaminating the high-temperature carriers, requiring them to be removed from the line for cleaning, and increasing production costs. Simultaneously, defects such as black edges, black spots, and basket marks will appear during EL testing, affecting the quality of the solar cells. Utility Model Content
[0004] Based on this, this application provides a drying apparatus with high drying efficiency.
[0005] This application provides a drying apparatus, the drying apparatus comprising:
[0006] The chamber contains a plurality of heaters spaced circumferentially within it, with a drying zone formed between adjacent heaters. The heaters are used to dry the items to be dried in the adjacent drying zones.
[0007] A gas flow mechanism includes an exhaust pipe, a fluid conveyor, and multiple connecting pipes. The exhaust pipe is located in the middle of the housing, and its exhaust end is connected to the multiple connecting pipes. Each connecting pipe is connected to the heater, and the fluid conveyor is mounted on the exhaust pipe.
[0008] In some embodiments, the drying apparatus further includes a flow equalization plate disposed between the heater and the drying zone, the flow equalization plate having a plurality of air equalization holes.
[0009] In some embodiments, the gas flow mechanism further includes a dehumidifier disposed on the exhaust pipe, the dehumidifier being used to dehumidify the gas flowing through the exhaust pipe.
[0010] In some embodiments, the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe extends into the interior of the housing, and multiple air inlet holes are provided on the pipe wall near the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe.
[0011] In some embodiments, the length of the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe extending into the chamber is not less than the length of the object to be dried.
[0012] In some embodiments, the area where the air inlet is located corresponds to the area where the object to be dried is placed.
[0013] In some embodiments, the heater includes a housing and a heating element disposed within the housing. The housing has multiple air holes on the side near the drying zone, and the connecting pipe is connected to the housing.
[0014] In some embodiments, the gas flow mechanism further includes a gas distributor disposed at the outlet end of the exhaust pipe, and the exhaust end of the gas distributor is respectively connected to the connecting pipe.
[0015] In some embodiments, the drying device further includes a drain pipe disposed at the bottom of the chamber, the drain pipe being used to drain liquid from the chamber.
[0016] In some embodiments, the drying device further includes a filter plate disposed inside the chamber, with both the heater and the material to be dried disposed on the filter plate, and the filter plate used to filter the liquid flowing out of the material to be dried.
[0017] In some embodiments, the box body is prismatic or cylindrical in shape.
[0018] In some embodiments, the top of the housing is detachably provided with a cover.
[0019] Compared with traditional technologies, this application has at least the following beneficial effects:
[0020] This application divides the chamber into multiple drying zones along the axial direction and uses heaters to simultaneously dry both sides of the items to be dried within each zone. This ensures that the items are fully exposed to the heated airflow, guaranteeing uniform drying, reducing drying dead zones, and improving drying efficiency. Furthermore, this application uses a gas flow mechanism to distribute the gas within the chamber through an exhaust pipe located in the center of the chamber, which then flows back to the heater via a connecting pipe, forming a hot air circulation. This accelerates gas flow and ensures that the heating airflow to the items in each drying zone is similar, resulting in good temperature uniformity and consistent drying within the chamber. Simultaneously, this application utilizes hot air circulation to reduce heat loss, resulting in good energy-saving performance. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the appearance of a drying apparatus provided in one embodiment of this application;
[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a drying device housing provided in one embodiment of this application;
[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying apparatus housing provided in one embodiment of this application;
[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom of the chamber in a drying apparatus provided in one embodiment of this application.
[0025] 100-Box body; 110-Heater; 111-Shell; 112-Heating element; 113-Air vent; 120-Cover plate; 200-Gas flow mechanism; 210-Exhaust pipe; 211-Air inlet; 220-Fluid conveyor; 230-Connecting pipe; 240-Dehumidifier; 300-Flow equalization plate; 400-Gas distributor; 500-Drain pipe; 600-Filter plate; 700-Support mechanism; 710-Base; 720-Support frame; 800-Item to be dried. Detailed Implementation
[0026] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments, and examples. These embodiments and examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. The purpose of providing these embodiments and examples is to enable a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure of the present application. It should also be understood that the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments and examples described herein. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or alterations without departing from the spirit of the present application, and the equivalent forms obtained also fall within the protection scope of the present application. Furthermore, numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a fuller understanding of the present application. It should be understood that the present application can be implemented without one or more of these details.
[0027] It should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.
[0028] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," "fixed," and "set" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0029] In this application, "optionally," "optionally," and "optional" mean that something is optional, that is, it means that it is selected from either "with" or "without." If there are multiple "optional" entries in a technical solution, unless otherwise specified, and there are no contradictions or mutual constraints, each "optional" entry shall be independent.
[0030] In this application, the technical features described in an open-ended manner include both closed technical solutions consisting of the listed features and open technical solutions that include the listed features.
[0031] In this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or quantity, nor should they be construed as implicitly indicating the importance or quantity of the indicated technical features. Moreover, "first," "second," etc., serve only as a non-exhaustive enumeration and should be understood not to constitute a closed limitation on quantity.
[0032] All references to this application are incorporated herein by reference as if each document were individually incorporated herein by reference. Unless they conflict with the purpose and / or technical solution of this application, all cited references are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and for all purposes. When references are cited in this application, the definitions of relevant technical features, terms, nouns, phrases, etc., are also incorporated herein by reference. Examples and preferred embodiments of the cited technical features may also be incorporated herein by reference, but only to the extent that they enable the implementation of this application. It should be understood that when the cited content conflicts with the description in this application, this application shall prevail or modifications shall be made adaptably to the description in this application.
[0033] In traditional wet drying processes, the air blowing method for drying materials in the drying tank is side-wall blowing. Drying pipes are installed on the inner wall of the drying tank, and air is blown from the inner wall onto baskets containing silicon wafers placed inside. This drying method is time-consuming, has poor drying effect, and the bottom rods of the baskets intermittently produce liquid residue. If droplets fall onto the surface of the silicon wafers and flow into the high-temperature process, the liquid-laden wafers will burn, causing batch rework, contaminating the high-temperature carriers, requiring them to be removed from the line for cleaning, and increasing production costs. Simultaneously, defects such as black edges, black spots, and basket marks will appear during EL testing, affecting the quality of the solar cells.
[0034] Based on this, this application provides a drying apparatus, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the drying device includes a housing 100 and a gas flow mechanism 200.
[0035] The chamber 100 is equipped with multiple heaters 110 spaced circumferentially within its interior. Drying zones are formed between adjacent heaters 110, which are used to dry the materials 800 to be dried within these zones. The gas flow mechanism 200 includes an exhaust pipe 210, a fluid conveyor 220, and multiple connecting pipes 230. The exhaust pipe 210 is located in the middle of the chamber 100, and its exhaust end is connected to the multiple connecting pipes 230. Each connecting pipe 230 is connected to a heater 110, and the fluid conveyor 220 is mounted on the exhaust pipe 210.
[0036] This application divides the interior of the chamber 100 into multiple drying zones along the axial direction, and uses heaters 110 to simultaneously dry both sides of the items 800 to be dried within each zone. This ensures that the items 800 are fully exposed to the heated airflow, guaranteeing uniform drying, reducing drying dead zones, and improving drying efficiency. Furthermore, this application uses a gas flow mechanism 200 to distribute the gas within the chamber 100 through an exhaust pipe 210 located in the middle of the chamber 100 to a connecting pipe 230, returning it to the heater 110. This forms a hot air circulation, accelerating gas flow and ensuring that the heating airflow to the items 800 in each drying zone is similar. This results in good temperature uniformity and consistent drying within the chamber 100. Simultaneously, this application utilizes hot air circulation to reduce heat loss, resulting in good energy-saving performance.
[0037] In some embodiments, in the horizontal direction, the central axis of each item 800 to be dried points to the center of the housing 100. The placement of the items 800 as described above ensures that each item 800 is dried in the same state, avoiding the problem of localized over-drying.
[0038] It is understood that in this application, the connecting pipe 230 is connected to the heater 110, and the drying method of the heater 110 is air drying.
[0039] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the drying device also includes a flow equalization plate 300 disposed between the heater 110 and the drying zone. The flow equalization plate 300 has multiple air equalization holes, with the outlet ends of the air equalization holes facing the object to be dried 800. This application provides a flow equalization plate 300 between the heater 110 and the drying zone, which can disperse the hot air blown out by the heater 110, ensuring uniform dispersion of the hot air blown into the drying zone and guaranteeing drying uniformity.
[0040] Optionally, in the horizontal direction, each flow equalizer 300 points towards the center of the housing 100.
[0041] It is understood that the air distribution holes in this application can achieve a uniform distribution of airflow, thereby ensuring that hot air can be blown evenly onto the object to be dried 800, ensuring uniform drying. For example, the air distribution holes can be equally spaced on the flow equalization plate 300.
[0042] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the gas flow mechanism 200 also includes a dehumidifier 240, which is disposed on the exhaust pipe 210 and is used to dehumidify the gas flowing through the exhaust pipe 210. This application utilizes the dehumidifier 240 to dehumidify the gas flowing through the exhaust pipe 210, thereby reducing the humidity within the circulating gas and improving the drying effect.
[0043] Optionally, a dehumidifier 240 is disposed in an exhaust pipe 210. The dehumidifier 240 includes two sieve plates disposed opposite each other, with a desiccant disposed between the two sieve plates.
[0044] It is understood that the dehumidifier 240 in this application only needs to be able to remove moisture from the gas. For example, dehumidifiers such as silica gel, calcium chloride, and calcium oxide can be used in the dehumidifier 240.
[0045] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe 210 extends into the interior of the housing 100, and multiple air inlet holes 211 are provided on the pipe wall near the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe 210. This application provides multiple air inlet holes 211 on the pipe wall near the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe 210 to improve the uniformity of gas entering the exhaust pipe 210 and prevent the gas from flowing too fast, which would affect the uniformity of temperature distribution inside the housing 100.
[0046] Optionally, an adjusting valve is provided at the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe 210. It is understood that the adjusting valve controls whether air enters the exhaust pipe 210. If a larger gas flow is required, the adjusting valve can be used to open the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe 210, allowing gas to be exhausted simultaneously from both the air inlet end and the air inlet port 211. If a larger gas flow is not required, the adjusting valve can be used to close the exhaust pipe 210, allowing gas to be exhausted from the air inlet port 211.
[0047] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the length of the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe 210 extending into the housing 100 is not less than the length of the item to be dried 800. In this application, the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe 210 is higher than the height of the item to be dried 800, ensuring that hot air can sweep over the item to be dried 800 and improve the drying effect of the item to be dried 800.
[0048] In some embodiments, the area where the air inlet 211 is located corresponds to the area where the object to be dried 800 is placed. By aligning the area where the air inlet 211 is located with the position of the object to be dried, this application can guide the hot airflow and improve the drying effect.
[0049] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the heater 110 includes a housing 111 and a heating element 112. The heating element 112 is disposed inside the housing 111. Multiple air-blowing holes 113 are provided on the side of the housing 111 near the drying zone, and a connecting pipe 230 is connected to the housing 111. The air-blowing holes 113 face the object to be dried 800. This application improves the temperature dispersion uniformity and the drying effect of the object to be dried 800 by providing air-blowing holes 113 on the heater 110 to initially disperse the hot airflow. Furthermore, when a flow equalization plate 300 exists between the heater 110 and the object to be dried 800, the hot airflow is dispersed through the air-blowing holes 113 and the air equalization holes on the flow equalization plate 300, effectively improving the gas dispersion uniformity and ensuring that the airflow blown into the object to be dried 800 is uniform and stable.
[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the gas flow mechanism 200 also includes a gas distributor 400, which is disposed at the outlet end of the exhaust pipe 210. The exhaust end of the gas distributor 400 is connected to the connecting pipes 230 respectively. It can be understood that the gas distributor 400 is used to evenly disperse the gas in the exhaust pipe 210 into each connecting pipe 230, thereby improving the uniformity of gas dispersion and avoiding the problem of different hot air flow rates in each drying zone due to uneven air pressure caused by structural differences within the chamber 100.
[0051] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, the drying device also includes a drain pipe 500, which is located at the bottom of the chamber 100 and is used to drain the liquid inside the chamber 100. This application provides a drain pipe 500 at the bottom of the chamber 100 to collect the liquid flowing out of the material to be dried 800, thereby preventing the evaporation of the flowing liquid from affecting the humidity inside the chamber 100 and causing a decrease in drying efficiency.
[0052] Optionally, the bottom of the chamber 100 is conical, and the drain pipe 500 is located at the bottom of the conical structure of the chamber 100. By making the bottom of the chamber 100 into a conical structure, the liquid flowing out of the material to be dried 800 can be collected and discharged through the drain pipe 500, thereby improving the drainage efficiency.
[0053] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the drying device also includes a filter plate 600, which is disposed inside the housing 100. The heater 110 and the material to be dried 800 are both disposed on the filter plate 600. The filter plate 600 is used to filter the liquid flowing out of the material to be dried 800. Optionally, the filter plate 600 can be a plate with filter holes or a support plate with a filter screen. This application utilizes the filter plate 600 to filter the flowing liquid, which can filter out parts that have fallen off or smaller items 800 from the material to be dried, facilitating the collection of the material to be dried 800.
[0054] In some embodiments, the box 100 is prismatic or cylindrical in shape. Optionally, the box 100 is cylindrical in shape. By configuring the box 100 as prismatic or cylindrical, this application can form uniformly spaced drying zones within the box 100, thereby effectively ensuring that the structures of each drying zone are identical and reducing the problem of uneven gas dispersion caused by structural differences.
[0055] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the top of the housing 100 is detachably equipped with a cover plate 120.
[0056] In some embodiments, the exhaust pipe 210 passes through the cover plate 120, and a sealing element is provided at one end of the exhaust pipe 210 that passes through the cover plate 120 to seal the end of the exhaust pipe 210.
[0057] In some embodiments, a gas flow meter is provided on the connecting pipe 230. This application uses a gas flow meter on the connecting pipe 230 to detect the gas flow rate in each connecting pipe 230, thereby detecting the gas flow rate entering each drying zone in real time and ensuring that the gas flow rate in each drying zone is the same.
[0058] In some embodiments, a first temperature detector is also provided in the drying zone. This application uses a first temperature sensor in the drying zone to detect the temperature in the drying zone and observe the temperature of each drying zone, thereby avoiding the problem of large temperature differences in the drying zones.
[0059] In some embodiments, a humidity sensor is installed inside the enclosure 100. This application uses a humidity sensor inside the enclosure 100 to detect the humidity inside the enclosure 100 in real time, thereby avoiding the problem of excessive humidity inside the enclosure 100.
[0060] In some embodiments, humidity sensors are also provided at the air inlet and air outlet of the dehumidifier 240. This application uses humidity sensors at both ends of the dehumidifier 240 to detect the dehumidification effect of the dehumidifier 240. When the humidity at the air inlet and air outlet is close, the dehumidifier in the dehumidifier 240 needs to be replaced.
[0061] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the drying device also includes a support mechanism 700, which is connected to the housing 100 and is used to support the housing 100. Optionally, the support mechanism 700 includes a base 710 and a support frame 720, which is disposed on the base 710 and connected to the housing 100 to support the housing 100.
[0062] In some embodiments, the fluid delivery device 220 includes an air pump or a fan.
[0063] Exemplarily, a method for drying a basket containing silicon wafers using the above-mentioned drying apparatus is provided, comprising the following steps:
[0064] S1. Open the cover plate 120 on the top of the box 100, place the baskets containing silicon wafers into each drying area inside the box 100, and close the cover plate 120 on the box 100 after placement.
[0065] S2. Start the fluid conveyor 220 and heater 110. After the gas is heated by the heater 110, it is blown into the drying zone to dry the silicon wafer. Then, under the negative pressure of the exhaust pipe 210, it is absorbed and dehumidified by the dehumidifier 240 before entering the gas distributor 400. After the gas is distributed, it enters each connecting pipe 230 and circulates to complete the drying.
[0066] In summary, this application divides the interior of the chamber 100 into multiple drying zones along the axial direction, and uses the heater 110 to simultaneously dry both sides of the items 800 to be dried within each drying zone. This ensures that the items 800 are fully exposed to the heated airflow, guaranteeing uniform drying, reducing drying dead zones, and improving drying efficiency. Furthermore, this application uses a gas flow mechanism 200 to distribute the gas within the chamber 100 through an exhaust pipe 210 located in the middle of the chamber 100 to a connecting pipe 230, returning it to the heater 110 and forming a hot air circulation. This accelerates gas flow and ensures that the heating airflow to the items 800 in each drying zone is similar, resulting in good temperature uniformity and consistent drying within the chamber 100. Simultaneously, this application utilizes hot air circulation to reduce heat loss, resulting in good energy-saving performance.
[0067] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0068] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A drying apparatus, characterized in that, The drying device includes: A box (100) is provided with a plurality of heaters (110) spaced apart along the circumference of the box (100), and a drying zone is formed between adjacent heaters (110). The heaters (110) are used to dry the items (800) to be dried in the adjacent drying zones. A gas flow mechanism (200) includes an exhaust pipe (210), a fluid conveyor (220), and multiple connecting pipes (230). The exhaust pipe (210) is located in the middle of the housing (100), and the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe (210) is connected to multiple connecting pipes (230). Each connecting pipe (230) is connected to the heater (110) respectively. The fluid conveyor (220) is located on the exhaust pipe (210).
2. The drying apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drying device also includes a flow equalization plate (300) disposed between the heater (110) and the drying zone, and the flow equalization plate (300) has a plurality of air equalization holes.
3. The drying apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas flow mechanism (200) further includes a dehumidifier (240), which is disposed on the exhaust pipe (210) and is used to dehumidify the gas flowing through the exhaust pipe (210).
4. The drying apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air intake end of the exhaust pipe (210) extends into the interior of the housing (100), and multiple air intake holes (211) are provided on the pipe wall near the air intake end of the exhaust pipe (210).
5. The drying apparatus as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The length of the air inlet end of the exhaust pipe (210) extending into the housing (100) is not less than the length of the object to be dried (800); and / or, The area where the air inlet (211) is opened corresponds to the area where the object to be dried (800) is placed.
6. The drying apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heater (110) includes a housing (111) and a heating element (112). The heating element (112) is disposed inside the housing (111). The housing (111) has a plurality of air blowing holes (113) on the side near the drying zone. The connecting pipe (230) is connected to the housing (111).
7. The drying apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas flow mechanism (200) further includes a gas distributor (400), which is disposed at the outlet end of the exhaust pipe (210), and the exhaust end of the gas distributor (400) is respectively connected to the connecting pipe (230).
8. The drying apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drying device also includes a drain pipe (500), which is located at the bottom of the box (100) and is used to drain the liquid inside the box (100).
9. The drying apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drying device also includes a filter plate (600), which is disposed inside the housing (100). The heater (110) and the object to be dried (800) are both disposed on the filter plate (600). The filter plate (600) is used to filter the liquid flowing out of the object to be dried (800).
10. The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The box (100) is prismatic or cylindrical in shape; and / or, The top of the housing (100) is detachably equipped with a cover plate (120).