Dehumidifier

Abstract

To provide a dehumidifier with reduced initial cost and power consumption that can supply low dew point air.SOLUTION: In a dehumidifier, an adsorption rotor 1 with water content adsorption capacity is divided into at least a treatment zone 4, a regeneration zone 5 and a purge zone 6, air to be treated is branched into treatment air a and purge air b, the treatment air is passed through the treatment zone, air after passing through the treatment zone is delivered to a supply destination, the purge air is passed through the purge zone, air after passing through the purge zone is passed through a heater 3 and is passed through the regeneration zone as regeneration air c, air after passing through the regeneration zone is discharged, and the treatment air or the purge air is passed through a temperature regulator 2 and is cooled or heated, thereby achieving energy saving by suppressing heat quantity required for regeneration without deteriorating dehumidification performance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dehumidifier that uses a dehumidifying rotor as an adsorption rotor and is capable of supplying low dew point air with reduced power consumption. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the demand for lithium batteries has increased, and so has their production. The raw material, lithium, reacts with moisture in the air, which can cause the performance of the resulting lithium batteries to deteriorate. For this reason, lithium battery production lines must be kept dry. Methods for maintaining this dry state include purging the production plant with dry nitrogen and using dehumidifiers with dehumidifying rotors containing moisture-absorbing materials such as hydrophilic zeolite or silica gel.

[0003] As the use of lithium batteries expands to automobiles such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, the scale of production factories has increased and methods using dehumidifiers have become more common.

[0004] In the case of dehumidifiers, high-temperature air is used to regenerate the dehumidifying rotor, but efforts are being made to minimize the energy required to create that air. Reductions in initial costs are also desired.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a dehumidifier that uses a cascade heat pump to increase the regeneration temperature and a single dehumidification rotor to provide low dew point air, reducing initial costs. This dehumidifier is more energy efficient than conventional dehumidifiers that use electric heaters.

[0006] However, heat pumps have higher initial costs than electric heaters, and there is a limit to how high the regeneration temperature can be raised. For this reason, even when using electric heaters, studies are being conducted to find more energy-efficient flow.

[0007] In recent years, rising energy prices, tight electricity supply and demand, and the movement toward carbon neutrality have accelerated, creating even greater demand for energy conservation.

[0008] Patent document 2 discloses a dehumidifier that can prevent sensible heat loss caused by the heat from the regeneration zone of the dehumidification rotor being transferred to the dehumidification zone, and can prevent a decrease in the dehumidification capacity of the dehumidification zone caused by moisture absorption in the purge zone.

[0009] Patent Document 3 discloses a gas removal system in which a purge zone is installed between the regeneration zone and the gas reduction zone, and purge air is circulated between the two purge zones (first purge zone and second purge zone) in a closed system. In the first purge zone, purge air cooled by a cooling device is used to cool the rotor before it moves from the regeneration zone to the gas reduction zone, thereby suppressing heat transfer from the regeneration zone to the gas reduction zone and increasing the water vapor adsorption capacity in the gas reduction zone. In the second purge zone, the rotor is heated by purge air obtained by cooling the rotor, which heats the rotor before it enters the regeneration zone, thereby raising the rotor temperature and reducing the amount of heat required in the regeneration zone.

[0010] Patent Document 4 discloses a dehumidification system that has one purge zone and circulates purge air. In this circulation path, a cooler is installed before the purge zone to lower the dew point of the purge air, making it difficult for moisture to be adsorbed in the purge zone, thereby increasing the dehumidification capacity and enabling low-temperature regeneration.

[0011] In this way, development of dehumidification flows that save energy is underway. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7142976 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-341217 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-24665 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-44387 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] In dehumidification systems using adsorption rotors with a treatment zone, regeneration zone, and purge zone, both the process air and the purge air are typically cooled by passing them through a cooler (Figure 1). Cooling the process air serves two purposes: pre-dehumidification, which involves cooling the process air below its dew point before cooling to lower the absolute humidity through condensation, and raising the relative humidity of the cooled process air to nearly 100% RH to improve dehumidification efficiency. Cooling the purge air also serves two purposes: reducing heat transfer from the regeneration zone to the process zone and increasing adsorption capacity; pre-dehumidifying the purge air to a low dew point, preventing moisture adsorption in the purge zone, thereby improving dehumidification capacity; and using the low-dew-point air that has passed through the purge zone as regeneration air to improve regeneration efficiency. Cooling both the process air and the purge air improves performance. However, the air that has passed through the purge zone is lower in temperature, requiring more heat for regeneration and consuming more power from the cooler.

[0014] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a dehumidifier that has a simpler configuration than conventional dehumidifiers, reduces initial costs, reduces the amount of heat required for regeneration without reducing dehumidification performance, and is capable of supplying low dew point air with low energy consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] The dehumidifier of the present invention divides an adsorption rotor capable of adsorbing moisture into at least a treatment zone, a regeneration zone, and a purge zone, branches the air to be treated into treatment air and purged air, passes the treatment air through the treatment zone, sends the air after passing through the treatment zone to its destination, passes the purged air through the purge zone, passes the air after passing through the purge zone through a heating device and passes it through the regeneration zone as regeneration air, discharges the air after passing through the regeneration zone, and passes the treatment air or purged air through a temperature adjustment device to cool or heat it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] In the dehumidification device of the present invention, by passing only the treated air or the purged air through the cooler, it is possible to reduce the amount of heat required for regeneration and save energy without reducing the dehumidification performance with a simple configuration.

[0017] Passing only purge air through the cooler has the effect of eliminating the need to cool the treatment air, which saves energy. In addition, cooling the purge air increases the cooling effect of the rotor, and because the purge air is dehumidified, the amount of moisture adsorbed by the rotor in the purge zone is reduced, thereby increasing the adsorption effect in the treatment zone.

[0018] Passing only process air through the cooler has the effect of saving energy by eliminating the need to cool the purge air. Also, not cooling the purge air increases the purge outlet temperature, allowing the regeneration heater output to be reduced, which has the effect of saving energy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a conventional general dehumidification flow (Comparative Example 1). [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the dehumidifying device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a dehumidifying apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a dehumidifying device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a dehumidifying device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a dehumidifying device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a dehumidifying apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows the dehumidification flow of a conventional two-stage adsorption rotor (Comparative Example 2). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The dehumidifier of the present invention divides an adsorption rotor capable of adsorbing moisture into at least a treatment zone, a regeneration zone, and a purge zone, branches the air to be treated into treatment air and purge air, passes the treatment air through the treatment zone, sends the air after passing through the treatment zone to its destination, passes the purge air through the purge zone, passes the air after passing through the purge zone through a heating device and passes it through the regeneration zone as regeneration air, discharges the air after passing through the regeneration zone, and passes the treatment air or purge air through a temperature adjustment device to cool or heat it. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. [Example]

[0021] A first embodiment of the dehumidifier of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flow diagram of FIG. 2. The first embodiment includes an adsorption rotor 1, a temperature control device 2, and a heating device 3. The adsorption rotor 1 is a honeycomb rotor made of inorganic fibers such as glass fiber, carrying an adsorbent such as zeolite or silica gel. The adsorption rotor 1 is divided into a treatment zone 4, a regeneration zone 5, and a purge zone 6, which are rotated in this order by a geared motor (not shown). The temperature control device 2 is a cooler such as a chilled water coil, a brine coil, or a heat pump evaporator, and a heater such as an electric heater, a steam heater, a hot water heater, or a heat pump condenser. The heating device 3 is an electric heater, a steam heater, a hot water heater, or a heat pump condenser. Unless otherwise specified, the temperature control device 2 will be described below as a cooler.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, air A to be treated is branched into treated air a and purge air b before passing through adsorption rotor 1, and these are sent to treatment zone 4 and purge zone 6, respectively. Treated air a passes through treatment zone 4, becomes air from which moisture has been removed, and is sent as supply air SA to its destination, such as production equipment or a dry room. Purge air b before passing through purge zone 6 is passed through temperature control device 2 to be cooled. This air is passed through purge zone 6, and the air that has passed through purge zone 6 is passed through heater 3 before passing through regeneration zone 5. The air that has passed through regeneration zone 5 is released outside the dehumidifier, such as into the atmosphere, and exhausted.

[0023] The first embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above and will be described in detail below. Moisture-laden air A to be treated is branched into treated air a, which is introduced into treatment zone 4, and purge air b, which is introduced into purge zone 6. Treated air a passes through treatment zone 4, where moisture is adsorbed and removed by the adsorbent supported on the adsorption rotor 1, and dry air is supplied to the destination. Purge air b is cooled by temperature control device 2 and then passes through purge zone 6. By passing the cooled air through purge zone 6, the adsorbent of the adsorption rotor 1, whose temperature has risen in the regeneration zone 5, is cooled and its adsorption performance is restored. The air that has passed through purge zone 6 is sent to heater 3 and heated to a temperature (e.g., 80 to 200°C) sufficient to desorb moisture from the adsorbent of the adsorption rotor 1. Hereinafter, all temperatures are in degrees Celsius.) and sent to regeneration zone 5 as regeneration air c. The air that has passed through regeneration zone 5 is discharged outside the dehumidifier to the atmosphere or the like.

[0024] As described above, in the dehumidification apparatus of Example 1, the cooling effect of the rotor is enhanced by cooling the purge air b with the temperature adjustment device 2. Because the purge air b is dehumidified, the amount of moisture adsorbed by the rotor in the purge zone 6 is reduced, and the adsorption effect in the treatment zone 4 is enhanced. By using the low dew point air that has been dehumidified by cooling and passed through the purge zone 6 as regeneration air, regeneration efficiency is also improved. Furthermore, because the treatment air a is not cooled with the temperature adjustment device 2, the power consumption of the temperature adjustment device 2 is reduced, and the cooling capacity can be reduced.

[0025] In the flow shown in Figure 2, by rotating the adsorption rotor 1 in the reverse direction, the adsorption rotor 1 rotates in the order of treatment zone 4, purge zone 6, and regeneration zone 5. By using the temperature control device 2 as a heater to heat the purge air b, the temperature of the purge air b before it enters the regeneration zone 5 can be raised, and the adsorption rotor 1 can be preheated in the purge zone 6. It is also possible to regenerate the adsorption rotor 1 in two stages, in the purge zone 6 and the regeneration zone 5, to enhance the moisture desorption effect.

[0026] (Comparative Example 1) Figure 1 shows a conventional general dehumidification flow (Comparative Example 1). Explanation of parts that overlap with Figure 2 will be omitted. In Figure 1, air to be treated A passes through temperature control device 2, and then branches into treated air a and purge air b, which are passed through treatment zone 4 and purge zone 6, respectively. As a result, both treated air a and purge air b are cooled, and the cooling capacity of temperature control device 2 becomes larger than in Example 1, resulting in higher initial costs and running costs.

[0027] Here, it is common knowledge for those skilled in the art that the process air before passing through the treatment zone is pre-dehumidified by a cooler to reduce the absolute humidity, and the temperature is lowered to increase the relative humidity before being introduced into the treatment zone, and this is a matter of course, as described in Patent Documents 1 to 4. Conversely, the idea of ​​not cooling the process air before passing through the treatment zone works in the direction of worsening dehumidification performance, and therefore it is difficult for those skilled in the art to give up their fixed ideas and not easily come up with this idea.

[0028] According to the first embodiment, the processing air a does not pass through the temperature control device 2, so the processing outlet temperature is high. Therefore, it is suitable for use in drying applications. By controlling the temperature of the purge air b to the limit that suppresses moisture adsorption in the purge zone 6 and also cools the purge zone 6, it is possible to further enhance the energy-saving effect of the temperature control device 2. [Example]

[0029] A second embodiment of the dehumidifier of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flow diagram of Figure 3. Explanations of parts that overlap with the previous embodiment will be omitted. In the second embodiment, the air to be treated A is branched, and the treated air a that is passed through the treatment zone 4 is cooled by the temperature adjustment device 2 and passed through the treatment zone 4, while the purge air b is passed through the purge zone 6 as is without being cooled.

[0030] The second embodiment of the present invention has the above-described configuration and will be described in detail below. For example, the treated air A is outside air mixed with return air from a dry room. When the temperature is 25°C and the absolute humidity is 0.6 g / kg (DA), the temperature of the air passing through the temperature control device 2 drops to 14°C. That is, in the second embodiment (FIG. 3), the treated air a passes through the temperature control device 2 and becomes air at 14°C and 0.6 g / kg (DA), and is introduced into the treatment zone 4. On the other hand, the purge air b does not pass through the temperature control device 2, and is introduced into the purge zone 6 at 25°C and 0.6 g / kg (DA). The air passing through the purge zone 6 becomes air at 70°C and 0.4 g / kg (DA), and is introduced into the heating device 3.

[0031] This is compared with Comparative Example 1 (Figure 1), which shows a conventional general dehumidification flow. In Figure 1, air A to be treated at 25°C and 0.6g / kg (DA) passes through temperature control device 2 and becomes air at 14°C and 0.6g / kg (DA), and is then branched into treated air a and purge air b. The purge air b, whose temperature has been reduced, passes through a purge zone and becomes air at 59°C and 0.3g / kg (DA), and is then introduced into heating device 3.

[0032] The temperature after passing through the purge zone is 11°C higher in Example 2 than in Comparative Example 1. The dehumidification amount in purge zone 6 (the change in absolute humidity before and after passing through the purge zone) is only 0.2 g / kg (DA) in Example 2 and 0.3 g / kg (DA) in Comparative Example 1. Therefore, by not passing purge air b through the temperature control device 2, higher temperature air is obtained after passing through the purge zone, and the dehumidification amount in purge zone 6 is reduced. If the temperature of purge air b is high, the cooling effect of the adsorption rotor 1 is reduced, which works to deteriorate the adsorption performance. Furthermore, moisture adsorption in purge zone 6 becomes difficult, and low dew point air is not generated in purge zone 6, which also works to deteriorate the desorption performance. However, when the dew point of the treated air A is low, such as -20°C DP, even if the dehumidification amount in the purge zone decreases, the treated air is dry air, so the impact on desorption performance is small. In the above case, the dew point of the supply air SA is in the ultra-low dew point region of around -70°C DP in both Comparative Example 1 and Example 2, so there is no significant difference in practice and it can be said that the dehumidification performance is almost the same. Therefore, when the air to be treated A has a low dew point, it is very effective to not pass the purge air b through the temperature control device 2. Furthermore, by reducing the amount of dehumidification in the purge zone 6, there is also the effect of increasing the amount of dehumidification in the treatment zone 4. Since the temperature control device 2 only needs to cool the air to be treated a, the cooling capacity can also be reduced.

[0033] As described above, according to the second embodiment, by not cooling the purge air b, the temperature of the air after passing through the purge zone 6 becomes higher than when the purge air b is cooled. This allows the output of the heating device 3 to be reduced, resulting in energy savings. Furthermore, since the temperature control device 2 only needs to cool the process air a, the cooling capacity of the temperature control device 2 can also be reduced.

[0034] Compared to the conventional general flow (Comparative Example 1) in which the purge air b is also cooled as shown in Figure 1, Example 2 has a slight decrease in performance, but this is not enough to affect practical use, and the energy saving advantage is significant.

[0035] Here, it is common knowledge and obvious to those skilled in the art that the process air and purge air before passing through the process zone and purge zone are pre-dehumidified by a cooler to reduce the absolute humidity, lower the temperature, and increase the relative humidity before being introduced into the process zone and purge zone, as shown in Figure 1. The idea of ​​not cooling the purge air before passing through the purge zone works in the direction of worsening dehumidification performance, and is therefore difficult for those skilled in the art to give up their fixed ideas and not easily come up with. [Example]

[0036] A third embodiment of the dehumidifier of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flow diagram in Figure 4. Explanations of parts overlapping with the previous embodiments will be omitted. In the third embodiment, the air to be treated A is cooled by a temperature adjustment device 2 and branched into air to be passed through the treatment zone 4 and the purge zone 6 (treatment air a + purge air b), and mixing air d (hereinafter referred to as "mixing air d") to be mixed with the air after passing through the purge zone to form regeneration air. The air after passing through the treatment zone 4 is sent to its destination as supply air SA. The air after passing through the purge zone 6 is mixed with the mixing air d branched from the air to be treated A, passes through the heating device 3, and passes through the regeneration zone 5 as regeneration air c. The air after passing through the regeneration zone 5 is discharged to the atmosphere or other areas outside the dehumidifier and exhausted.

[0037] The third embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above and will be described in detail below. The treated air A, for example, is outside air. It passes through the temperature control device 2 and becomes 10°C and 7 g / kg (DA) (relative humidity 92% RH). The cooled treated air A is branched into treatment air a, purge air b, and blending air d at a flow rate ratio of 9:1:2. That is, the flow rate ratio of regeneration air c is 3, which is the sum of the flow rate ratio of blending air d (2) and the flow rate ratio of purge air b (1). Therefore, the flow rate ratio of treatment zone 4: regeneration zone 5: purge zone 6 is 9:3:1. The air at the purge zone outlet becomes 120°C and 6 g / kg (DA), and is mixed with blending air d and heated to the regeneration inlet temperature of 160°C by the heater 3. The temperature of the air after passing through the regeneration zone 5 is 50°C, and the supply air SA after passing through the treatment zone 4 becomes -52°C (DP).

[0038] This is compared with Figure 1, which shows a conventional general dehumidification flow (Comparative Example 1). In Figure 1, the air to be treated A passes through temperature control device 2 and becomes air at 10°C and 7 g / kg (DA) (relative humidity 92% RH), and is branched so that the flow rate ratio of treated air a:purged air b is 3:1. Therefore, the flow rate ratio is treatment zone 4:regeneration zone 5:purge zone 6 = 3:1:1. The air at the outlet of the purge zone is 60°C and 0.6 g / kg (DA) (-20°C DP) and is heated to the regeneration inlet temperature of 160°C by heater 3. The temperature of the air after passing through regeneration zone 5 is 40°C, and the supply air SA after passing through treatment zone 4 is -48°C DP.

[0039] Although the treated air A and regeneration inlet temperature are the same in Example 3 and Comparative Example 1, Example 3 has a lower dew point of the supply air SA and better performance. This is thought to be because in Example 3, the flow rate of the purge air is reduced to one-third of that in the Comparative Example, reducing moisture adsorption to the rotor. In Comparative Example 1, a large amount of moisture is adsorbed in purge zone 6 before entering treatment zone 4, resulting in a reduced amount of adsorption in treatment zone 4. The regeneration outlet temperature in Example 3 is 10°C higher than in Example 1. The air on the regeneration outlet side is highly humid, and a low regeneration outlet temperature can cause condensation on the regeneration outlet side. Therefore, Example 3, which has a high regeneration outlet temperature, is effective in preventing condensation on the regeneration outlet side. The heating capacity of the heating device 3 is the same in Comparative Example 1 and Example 3.

[0040] As described above, according to the third embodiment, mixing air d, which is a branch of a portion of the air A to be treated, is mixed with the air that has passed through the purge zone to produce regeneration air c, thereby reducing the flow rate of purge air b and reducing moisture adsorption to the rotor in the purge zone 6. This improves the adsorption performance of the adsorption rotor 1 in the treatment zone 4, thereby improving dehumidification performance. [Example]

[0041] A fourth embodiment of the dehumidifier of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flow diagram in Figure 5. Explanations of parts that overlap with the previous embodiments will be omitted. In the fourth embodiment, the air to be treated A is branched into treated air a and branched air e, the treated air a is passed directly through the treatment zone 4, and the air after passing through the treatment zone 4 is sent to its destination as supply air SA. The branched air e is cooled by the temperature adjustment device 2 and is used as purge air b to be passed through the purge zone 6, and as mixing air d, which is partially branched and mixed with the air after passing through the purge zone.

[0042] As in Example 1, the cooling effect of the rotor is enhanced by cooling the purge air b with the temperature adjustment device 2. Furthermore, since the purge air b is dehumidified by cooling and the flow rate of the purge air b is reduced as in Example 3, the amount of moisture adsorbed by the rotor in the purge zone 6 is reduced, thereby enhancing the adsorption effect in the treatment zone 4. Furthermore, since the treatment air a is not cooled with the temperature adjustment device 2, the cooling capacity of the temperature adjustment device 2 can be reduced. Furthermore, as in Example 1, in Example 4, the treatment air a does not pass through the temperature adjustment device 2, so the treatment outlet temperature is high. Therefore, it is suitable for use in drying applications. [Example]

[0043] A fifth embodiment of the dehumidifier of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flow diagram in Figure 6. Explanations of parts that overlap with the previous embodiments will be omitted. In the fifth embodiment, the air to be treated A is branched into purge air b and branch air e, and the purge air b passes directly to the purge zone 6. The branch air e is cooled by the temperature adjustment device 2 and branched into two: treatment air a which is passed through the treatment zone 4, and mixing air d which is mixed with the air after passing through the purge zone.

[0044] As in Example 2, by not cooling the purge air b, the purge outlet temperature is higher than when the purge air b is cooled. This allows the output of the heating device 3 to be reduced, resulting in energy savings. Furthermore, since it is sufficient to cool only the branch air e, the cooling capacity of the temperature control device 2 can also be reduced. Furthermore, as in Example 3, by reducing the flow rate of the purge air b, the amount of moisture adsorbed by the rotor in the purge zone 6 is reduced, and the adsorption effect in the treatment zone 4 is enhanced.

[0045] Flow of Examples 1 to 5 In this case, when a two-stage adsorption rotor is configured to supply air with a lower dew point to the destination, the first adsorption rotor 7 is arranged in the front stage and the second adsorption rotor 1 is arranged in the rear stage. Although it depends on the conditions of the air A to be treated, the dew point of the supply air SA in the single-stage adsorption rotor 1 in Examples 1 to 5 is limited to about -50°C. However, when a two-stage adsorption rotor is configured, the dew point of the supply air SA can be made an ultra-low dew point of -80°C DP or even -90°C DP. [Example]

[0046] A sixth embodiment of the dehumidifier of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flow chart in FIG. 7. Explanations of parts overlapping with the previous embodiments will be omitted. In the sixth embodiment, a first adsorption rotor 7 is disposed upstream of the adsorption rotor 1 (second adsorption rotor 1) of the second embodiment. Other components include a temperature control device 2, a second heating device 3, and a first heating device 10. The upstream first adsorption rotor 7 is divided into at least a first treatment zone 8 and a first regeneration zone 9. The second adsorption rotor 1 and the first adsorption rotor 7 are each driven to rotate by a geared motor (not shown) or the like. Alternatively, the temperature control device 2 may be a second temperature control device, and a first temperature control device may be added upstream of the first treatment zone 8 of the first adsorption rotor 7.

[0047] As shown in Figure 7, the treated air A' passes through the first treatment zone 8 of the first adsorption rotor 7 in the preceding stage. After passing through the first treatment zone, the air is mixed with return air RA(f) from a supply destination (room) such as a production facility or dry room to become treated air A, which is then sent to the second adsorption rotor 1. Before passing through the second adsorption rotor 1, the treated air A is branched into treated air a and purge air b. The treated air a is cooled by passing through a temperature control device 2 and passes through the second treatment zone 4. The air from which moisture has been removed by passing through the second treatment zone 4 is sent to the supply destination (room). After passing through the second purge zone 6, the purge air b is passed through the second heating device 3 and passes through the second regeneration zone 5 as regeneration air c. The air that passes through the second regeneration zone 5 is mixed with some of the outside air OA(g) and passes through the first heating device 10. It is heated to a temperature sufficient to desorb moisture from the first adsorption rotor 7, and then passes through the first regeneration zone 9 and is discharged to the atmosphere or other parts of the dehumidifier. Heat exchange between the outside air OA(g) and the exhaust air EA that passed through the first regeneration zone 9 may be performed using a heat exchanger. The air g mixed with the regeneration air is not limited to outside air OA; other air, such as return air RA, may also be used. A flow without mixing the outside air OA(g) may also be used. Furthermore, the return air RA(f) may not be mixed between the first adsorption rotor 7 and the second adsorption rotor 1, but may be mixed with the air to be treated A' and introduced into the first adsorption rotor 7. Alternatively, the return air RA from the supply destination may be discharged from the supply destination without being mixed.

[0048] The sixth embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above and will be described in detail below. When the moisture-laden air A' to be treated is at 10°C and 7 g / kg (DA), it passes through the first treatment zone 8 of the first adsorption rotor 7, where the moisture is adsorbed and removed by the adsorbent. The air A to be treated, mixed with return air RA(f) from the supply destination, becomes 25°C and 0.6 g / kg (DA). Treated air a, branched from the air to be treated A, passes through the temperature control device 2, becomes 10°C and 0.6 g / kg (DA), and passes through the second treatment zone 4. After passing through the second treatment zone 4 and having moisture adsorbed and removed by the adsorbent, the supply air SA becomes ultra-low dew point air of 15°C and -73°C DP, and is sent to the supply destination. Purge air b is at 25°C and 0.6 g / kg (DA), and after passing through the second purge zone 6, becomes 66°C. After passing through the second purge zone 6, the air passes through the second heater 3 where it is heated to 140°C, and then passes through the second regeneration zone 5 where it desorbs moisture from the adsorbent. The air that has passed through the second regeneration zone 5 is mixed with outside air OA(g), heated by the first heater 10, passes through the first regeneration zone 9 of the first adsorption rotor 7 where it desorbs moisture from the adsorbent, and is then discharged outside the dehumidifier, such as into the atmosphere.

[0049] (Comparative Example 2) Figure 8 shows a conventional dehumidification flow (Comparative Example 2) using a typical two-stage adsorption rotor, in which a first adsorption rotor 7 is placed in the first stage of the conventional dehumidification flow (Figure 1, Comparative Example 1). Explanations of parts overlapping with Figure 7 will be omitted. In Figure 8, the treated air A is cooled by passing through the temperature control device 2, then branched into treated air A and purge air B, which then pass through the second treatment zone 4 and second purge zone 6 of the second adsorption rotor 1. As in Figure 7, when the treated air A' is 10°C and 7 g / kg (DA), it passes through the first treatment zone 8 of the first adsorption rotor 7 and is mixed with return air RA(f) from the supply destination (room), resulting in a treated air A of 25°C and 0.6 g / kg (DA). The treated air A passes through the temperature control device 2, becomes 10°C and 0.6 g / kg (DA), and branches into treated air A and purge air B, which then pass through the second treatment zone 4 and second purge zone 6, respectively. The supply air SA that passes through the second treatment zone 4 and is sent to the destination is at 14°C, -75°C DP. The air that passes through the second purge zone 6 is at 58°C.

[0050] Example 6 (FIG. 7) is compared with Comparative Example 2 (FIG. 8), which shows the dehumidification flow of a conventional two-stage adsorption rotor. The temperature after passing through the second purge zone 6 is 8°C higher in Example 6 than in Comparative Example 2. As in Example 2, not passing purge air b through the temperature control device 2 results in higher-temperature air after passing through the purge zone. Therefore, the heating capacity of the second heating device 3 can be reduced in Example 6. If the temperature of the air passing through the second purge zone 6 is high, the cooling effect of the second adsorption rotor 1 is reduced, which works to deteriorate desorption performance. However, in Example 6, the low-dew-point air (-20°C DP) is obtained by mixing dry air dehumidified in the previous stage with return air RA from the supply destination, so the impact on desorption performance is small. In the above case, the dew point of the supply air SA is 2°C higher in Example 6. However, since this is in the ultra-low dew point region, there is no significant difference in practice, and the dehumidification performance can be said to be almost the same. Therefore, when the air to be treated A is low-dew-point air, not passing purge air b through the temperature control device 2 is effective. It is also possible to reduce the cooling capacity of the temperature adjustment device 2. Although the temperature of the supply air SA is 1°C higher in Example 1, if the temperature is adjusted to, for example, 25°C at the supply destination, this also has the effect of reducing the air conditioning load at the supply destination.

[0051] In the above example, under high humidity conditions, such as when the air to be treated is at 10°C and 7 g / kg (DA) (relative humidity 92% RH), the regeneration outlet side of the adsorption rotor is not yet warmed immediately after the dehumidifier starts operating, which can cause condensation in the air passing through the regeneration zone and reduce dehumidification performance. Therefore, when the device starts operating, the rotation speed is reduced below the optimal speed to warm the regeneration outlet side and increase the regeneration outlet temperature to prevent condensation in the air passing through the regeneration zone. After the regeneration outlet side has warmed up, the rotation speed is returned to the optimal speed for steady-state operation.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the purge air b, which is a branch of the treated air A, is passed through the purge zone 6. However, this is not limited to this example. Other air sources, such as outside air (OA), air that has passed through the treatment zone 4, or return air (RA) from the supply destination, may also be used. The air passed through the treatment zone 4 or purge zone 6 may be connected to a pipe that passes outside air (OA) or return air (RA). This pipe may be equipped with a flow control device such as a valve or damper, or a flow path switching device such as a three-way valve, to adjust the flow rate of air flowing through each zone or to switch the type of air. Furthermore, a temperature control device 2 may be provided before the treatment zone 4 and the purge zone 6, respectively, to cool or heat the treated air (a), the purge air (b), or both, as needed. Similarly, in Examples 3 to 5, the location of the temperature control device 2 is not limited to that shown in Figures 4 to 6. Air (a), (b), (d), and (e) may be cooled individually or in combination. Furthermore, the adsorption rotors 1 and 7 may be provided with separate zones. The air that passes through the treatment zone 4 may be discharged rather than supplied to the supply destination. The air that has passed through the regeneration zone 5 may be supplied to the destination without being discharged, and is not limited to this. When configured as a two-stage adsorption rotor, the flow of the second adsorption rotor 1 is not limited to the flow of Example 2, and may be combined with the flows of Examples 1 and 3 to 5. [Industrial Applicability]

[0053] The present invention provides a dehumidifier that reduces costs and enables energy-saving operation without sacrificing dehumidifying performance for manufacturing processes that require dry conditions, such as the production of lithium batteries. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 adsorption rotor (second adsorption rotor) 2 temperature control device 3 heating device (second heating device) 4 treatment zone (second treatment zone) 5 regeneration zone (second regeneration zone) 6 purge zone (second purge zone) 7 adsorption rotor (first adsorption rotor) 8 treatment zone (first treatment zone) 9 regeneration zone (first regeneration zone) 10 heating device (first heating device) A treated air A' treated air a treated air b purged air c regeneration air d mixing air e for mixing with air after passing through the purge zone to form regeneration air branched air f return air from supply destination g outside air to be mixed with regeneration air

Claims

1. A dehumidification device comprising an adsorption rotor capable of adsorbing moisture, the adsorption rotor being divided into at least a treatment zone, a regeneration zone, and a purge zone which rotate in this order, air to be treated being branched into treatment air and purge air, the treatment air being passed through the treatment zone, the air having passed through the treatment zone being sent to a supply destination, the purge air being passed through the purge zone, the air having passed through the purge zone being passed through a heating device and passed through the regeneration zone as regeneration air, and either or both of the treatment air and the purge air being passed through a temperature adjustment device.

2. 2. A dehumidifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adsorption rotor is rotated in reverse to rotate through the treatment zone, the purge zone and the regeneration zone in this order, and the purge air is heated by the temperature control device.

3. a dehumidification device comprising an adsorption rotor capable of adsorbing moisture, the adsorption rotor being divided into at least a treatment zone, a regeneration zone, and a purge zone which rotate in that order, air to be treated being branched into treatment air, purged air, and mixing air, the treatment air being passed through the treatment zone, the air which has passed through the treatment zone being sent to a supply destination, the purged air being passed through the purge zone, the mixing air and the air which has passed through the purge zone being mixed, the air being passed through a heating device, and the resulting regeneration air being passed through the regeneration zone, and at least one of the treatment air, the purged air, and the mixing air being passed through a temperature adjustment device.

4. The dehumidifier according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the temperature adjustment device is a cooler.

5. 4. The dehumidifying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the air passed through the temperature adjusting device is the purge air and the mixing air.

6. 4. A dehumidifying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the air passed through the temperature adjusting device is the processing air and the mixing air.

7. a second adsorption rotor that is an adsorption rotor of the dehumidifier according to claim 1 or 3, comprising: a first adsorption rotor and a second adsorption rotor each having a moisture adsorption capacity; the first adsorption rotor is divided into at least a first treatment zone and a second regeneration zone; the second adsorption rotor is divided into at least a second treatment zone, a second regeneration zone, and a second purge zone; air to be treated is passed through the first treatment zone; the air that has passed through the first treatment zone is sent to the second treatment zone and / or the second purge zone of the second adsorption rotor; the air that has passed through the second treatment zone is sent to a supply destination; the air that has passed through the second purge zone is passed through a second heating device and passed as regeneration air to the second regeneration zone; the air that has passed through the second regeneration zone is passed through a first heating device and passed to the first regeneration zone; the air that has passed through the first regeneration zone is discharged; and the second adsorption rotor is the adsorption rotor of the dehumidifier according to claim 1 or 3.

8. 8. The dehumidifying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the return air from the supply destination is mixed with the air that has passed through the first treatment zone.

9. The outside air is mixed with the air that has passed through the second regeneration zone, and the mixed air is passed through the first heating device and then passed through the first regeneration zone.

8. The dehumidifying device according to claim 7, wherein

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