Air dryer with built-in steam separator

Abstract

To provide a refrigeration type air dryer capable of removing excess moisture by a single body without adding a steam separator.SOLUTION: A steam separator, a heat exchanger and a cooler are provided, the compressed air is passed through the steam separator, the high temperature side of the heat exchanger, the cooler and the low temperature side of the heat exchanger in this order to be dehumidified, the steam separator is arranged in the cooler, and drain from the steam separator is discharged to a drain storage part of the cooler through a tube.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator, and more particularly to a technology for improving the performance of an air dryer. [Background technology]

[0002] In a compressed air circuit, after the air is compressed by a compressor, the compressed air is dehumidified using an air dryer to improve the quality of the compressed air. When using an air dryer, using a steam separator such as a cyclone separator in the upstream stage can remove excess moisture in advance, thereby increasing the efficiency of the air dryer. However, depending on the installation location, there may not be enough space to install a steam-water separator in front of the air dryer, and some users may choose to postpone installation of the steam-water separator. Therefore, there was a need for a structure that could remove excess moisture using only an air dryer.

[0003] Various techniques have been proposed to address these problems. For example, a technique for improving the operating efficiency of a refrigerated air dryer (see Patent Document 1) has been proposed and is known. More specifically, this technique provides a cyclone separator and an air filter upstream of the refrigerated air dryer in a compressed air pressure circuit for generating compressed air via the refrigerated air dryer. However, this requires the installation of a cyclone separator, which is a gas-liquid separator, separately from the air dryer, and does not yet solve the above problem. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-22114 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an air dryer that can remove excess moisture using a refrigeration-type air dryer alone and can improve the efficiency of the air dryer without the need for an external steam separator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a refrigerated air dryer that dehumidifies compressed air, and includes a water-steam separator, a heat exchanger, and a cooler. The compressed air passes through the water-steam separator, the high-temperature side of the heat exchanger, the cooler, and the low-temperature side of the heat exchanger in this order to be dehumidified. The water-steam separator is disposed in the cooler, and drain from the water-steam separator is discharged via a tube into a drain accumulation section of the cooler.

[0007] The present invention also employs a means in which the tip of the tube is inserted into the drain accumulation portion.

[0008] Furthermore, in the present invention, the steam-water separator is a cyclone separator, and the drain in the cyclone separator is discharged when a certain amount of drainage has accumulated.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means for discharging drainage from the cyclone separator through a float-type on-off valve.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention employs a means in which a portion of the tube is in contact with the cooling fins or refrigerant pipes of the cooler.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention employs a measure in which the steam-water separator is surrounded by a heat insulating material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the air dryer with built-in steam-water separator of the present invention, excess moisture can be removed using the refrigeration-type air dryer alone, thereby improving the efficiency of the air dryer without the need for an external steam-water separator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view showing an embodiment of an air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the float-type on-off valve in the air dryer with built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of an air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of an air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The greatest feature of the air dryer with built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention is that excess moisture can be removed using only the air dryer. Hereinafter, an embodiment of an air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The overall configuration and the configuration of each part of the air dryer with built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention are not limited to the examples described below, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, i.e., within the scope of shapes, dimensions, structures, etc. that can achieve the same effects.

[0015] The present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an embodiment of an air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a float-type on-off valve in an air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention, in which (a) is a schematic diagram showing the inside of a cyclone separator, (b) is a schematic diagram showing the float-type on-off valve in a closed state, and (c) is a schematic diagram showing the float-type on-off valve in an open state. FIG. 3 shows modified examples of the air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention, in which (a) is a schematic diagram showing an example in which the steam-water separator is covered with a heat insulating material, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing an example in which the steam-water separator is covered with a heat insulating material except for the drain holding portion. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention, in which the steam-water separator is separated from the cooler.

[0016] The air dryer 1 with a built-in steam-water separator is a refrigerated air dryer with a steam-water separator built into a housing 10, and has a steam-water separator 40, a heat exchanger 20, and a cooler 30. The parts common to general refrigerated air dryers are explained below. The air dryer portion of the air dryer 1 with built-in steam separator is mainly composed of a heat exchanger 20 and a cooler 30. The heat exchanger 20 consists of a high-temperature section 21 and a low-temperature section 22. The high-temperature section 21 and the low-temperature section 22 are in contact over a wide area. The high-temperature section 21 is a section through which high-temperature compressed air from an air compressor or the like passes, and exchanges heat with the low-temperature section 22 to lower the temperature of the incoming air. The low-temperature section 22 is a section through which the compressed air that has passed through the cooler 30 passes, and is a section that exchanges heat with the high-temperature section 21 to raise the temperature of the compressed air that has passed through the cooler 30. The cooler 30 is a part that lowers the temperature of the compressed air, condenses the water vapor in the compressed air, and discharges it as drain D, thereby reducing the amount of moisture in the compressed air. To lower the temperature of the compressed air, low-temperature water, chlorofluorocarbon, or the like is circulated through the refrigerant pipe 32. To enhance the cooling effect, cooling fins 31 are provided around the refrigerant pipe 32. When the compressed air in the cooler 30 comes into contact with the cooling fins 31, it becomes cold and condenses, generating drain D. The generated drain D accumulates in a drain accumulation section 33 at the bottom of the cooler 30. The drain passes through a drain pipe 34 and is discharged by a drain trap 70 as needed.

[0017] The air-water separator 40 will now be described. Air compressed by an air compressor contains floating moisture separate from water vapor. By separating and removing the floating moisture in the air-water separator 40, it is possible to avoid discharging excess moisture and improve the efficiency of the air dryer. As the steam-water separator 40, a cyclone separator with little pressure loss is suitable. The cyclone separator mainly comprises a swirl section 43 and a drain holding section 44 . Compressed air enters through air inlet 41 and swirls at high speed in swirling flow section 43. The centrifugal force caused by the swirling motion pushes dust and moisture in the air outward, and passes through the inner wall of the case and accumulates as drain D in drain holder 44. The drain D accumulated in the drain holder 44 is discharged by a float-type on-off valve 50 located at the bottom of the steam-water separator 40 when it accumulates to a certain amount or more.

[0018] The flow of compressed air inside the air dryer 1 with built-in steam separator will be described with reference to FIG. Roughly speaking, compressed air is dehumidified by passing through a steam separator, the hot side of a heat exchanger, a cooler, and the cold side of a heat exchanger in that order. The air dryer 1 with built-in air-water separator is entirely enclosed in a housing 10, and dehumidifies compressed air that has entered through an air inlet pipe 11 and sends the air out through an air supply pipe 12. The compressed air that enters through the air inlet pipe 11 enters the air-water separator 40 through the air inlet 41 of the air-water separator 40, where moisture and other substances are removed, and is then sent out through the air outlet 42 and enters the high-temperature section 21 of the heat exchanger 20. The steam separator 40 is disposed in the cooler 30 portion in order to treat the drain D from the steam separator 40 in the same manner as the drain D in the cooler 30. The compressed air that has entered the high-temperature section 21 is cooled to some extent by the adjacent low-temperature section 22 and then enters the cooler 30. In the cooler 30, it is further cooled by the refrigerant pipes 32 and cooling fins 31, and the water vapor in the air condenses to become drain D. Therefore, the amount of water vapor in the compressed air decreases. The compressed air that has passed through the cooler 30 enters the low-temperature section 22 of the heat exchanger 20. The compressed air in the low-temperature section 22 receives heat from the high-temperature section 21, and its temperature rises. The air in the low-temperature section 22 is sent through the air supply pipe 12. It is then sent to the next device, such as an air tank. In this way, by placing the steam separator 40 inside the housing of the air dryer, it is possible to remove moisture contained in the compressed air from the air compressor and reduce the amount of water vapor with a single device, which is advantageous in terms of both space and management.

[0019] The flow of drainage in the air dryer 1 with built-in steam separator will be explained with reference to FIG. In the air dryer 1 with built-in steam separator, drainage is generated by the cooler 30 and drainage is generated by the steam separator 40. The drain generated in the cooler 30 is formed when water vapor in the compressed air condenses, adheres to the cooling fins 31 and the like, trickles down the bottom of the cooler 30, and accumulates in the drain accumulation section 33. The drain generated in the steam-water separator 40 is moisture in the compressed air, and after accumulating in the steam-water separator 40, it is discharged to and accumulates in the drain accumulation section 33 via the tube 46. By having the tip of the tube 46 enter the drain accumulation section 33, the drain D in the tube 46 enters the drain accumulation section 33 without scattering, which is efficient. Furthermore, by disposing the steam-water separator 40 directly above the drain accumulation section 33, the drain D from the steam-water separator 40 falls straight down the tube 46, which is preferable as the drain D does not accumulate midway along the tube 46. Furthermore, the drain D in the tube 46 is at a relatively high temperature. Therefore, if the drain D enters the drain accumulation portion 33 while maintaining that temperature, the temperature of the drain D in the drain accumulation portion 33 may increase, possibly causing unnecessary water vapor to be generated from the drain accumulation portion 33. Therefore, by bringing the side of the tube 46 into contact with the refrigerant pipe 32, the cooling fin 31, or the cooling plate, the temperature of the drain D in the tube 46 drops, and the temperature of the drain D in the drain accumulation section 33 can be kept low, which is preferable. Furthermore, by disposing the water-steam separator 40 above the cooler 30, the tubes 46 become longer, the temperature of the drain decreases within the tubes 46, and high-temperature drain D is prevented from entering the drain accumulation section 33, which is preferable. For this reason, the effect can be maximized by positioning the cooler 30 so that the space of the air dryer 1 with a built-in water-steam separator occupies the entire area from the top to the bottom.

[0020] When the steam-water separator 40 is used alone, a drain trap is often placed below the steam-water separator 40. However, in this embodiment, drainage is performed using the drain trap 70 for the air dryer, so a dedicated drain trap is not required. However, if the amount of drain is small, it is possible that the compressed air itself will flow out from the bottom of the steam separator 40. If this happens, high-temperature compressed air will enter the cooler 30, causing the temperature inside the cooler 30 to rise, which could prevent the cooling function from working properly. Therefore, a float type on-off valve 50 that opens and closes depending on the amount of drainage is disposed inside the steam separator 40. The float type on-off valve 50 is structured so that the valve closes when the drain D in the steam-water separator 40 is less than a certain amount, and opens when the drain D is equal to or greater than the certain amount. This will be explained with reference to FIG. The float type on-off valve 50 comprises a float 51 , a water stop valve 52 , a packing 54 and a spring 55 . The float 51 is a part that detects the amount of water in the drain D. It floats on water and moves up and down depending on the amount of water in the drain D. The stop valve 52 is a valve that allows or stops the flow of drain D. It has a structure that moves up and down, and has a brim-shaped flange portion 53 in the middle portion. The float 51 and the stop valve 52 are integrated together. Therefore, when the amount of drainage is small, the position of the float 51 is low and the position of the stop valve 52 is also low. When there is a large amount of drainage, the position of the float 51 rises accordingly, and the position of the water stop valve 52 also rises accordingly. When the amount of drainage is small, the stop valve 52 drops, causing the flange portion 53 and the packing 54 to come into pressure contact, closing the valve and stopping the drainage D (FIG. 2(b)). When there is a large amount of drainage, the stop valve 52 rises, the flange portion 53 and the packing 54 separate, the valve opens, and the drainage D flows (FIG. 2(c)). In this way, by using the float type on-off valve 50, the valve can be opened and closed depending on the amount of drain. The spring 55 biases the stop valve 52 to press it against the packing 54 when the amount of drain D is small. The force of the spring 55 is weaker than the upward force of the float 51. In this embodiment, the float type on-off valve 50 has been described, but a solenoid valve using a water level sensor may also be used.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, in view of the relationship with drain D, it is appropriate to place the steam separator 40 inside the cooler 30. However, the intake air pipe 11 and the steam separator 40 that follows it are parts through which high-temperature compressed air always passes, so there is a high possibility that they will always be at high temperatures. Furthermore, the inside of the cooler 30 is a part that needs to be cooled efficiently by the refrigerant pipe 32, so it is better to have fewer heat sources. Therefore, if the influence of heat from the steam separator 40 and the like on the cooler 30 can be reduced, it is thought that the effectiveness of the cooler 30 can be improved. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the air inlet pipe 11 and the steam separator 40 are covered with a heat insulating portion 47. A foam sheet or the like can be considered as the heat insulating portion 47. By covering the air inlet pipe 11 and the steam separator 40 with the heat insulating portion 47, it is possible to prevent the heat of the high-temperature compressed air from leaking into the cooler 30. The tube 46 does not have a heat insulating portion 47 because it is necessary to lower the temperature of the drain. As another method, it is possible to cover the steam-water separator 40 except for the bottom portion with a heat insulating portion 47. A drain holder 44 is provided at the bottom of the steam separator 40, where drain D accumulates. The drain D is ultimately discharged into the cooler 30, and therefore, unlike compressed air, should be kept at a low temperature. Therefore, the drain holder 44 and the like are covered with the heat insulating section 47. In this way, the drain can be cooled while preventing heat buildup in the steam-water separator 40, and insulation and cooling can be performed efficiently.

[0022] One method for reducing the thermal influence of the steam-water separator 40 is to provide a steam-water separator isolation wall 60 between the steam-water separator 40 and the cooler 30, as shown in Fig. 4. The steam-water separator isolation wall 60 separates the steam-water separator 40 from the cooler 30, and only the tubes 46 are guided to the cooler 30 via the steam-water separator isolation wall 60. The drain D generated in the steam separator 40 is discharged into the cooler 30 and treated in the same manner as the drain D in the cooler 30, so the drain D discharge structure is the same as in the case of FIG. With this structure, the heat from the intake air pipe 11 and the steam separator 40 does not affect the cooler 30, and the cooler 30 can perform cooling effectively.

[0023] In this way, with the air dryer with built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention, excess moisture can be removed using the refrigeration-type air dryer alone, and the efficiency of the air dryer can be improved without the need for an external steam-water separator.

[0024] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the tip of the tube is placed in the drain accumulation portion, which is preferable because high-temperature drain does not splash.

[0025] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the drain is discharged in a state where a certain amount of the drain has accumulated, and therefore the drain is discharged after the heat of the drain has decreased to a certain extent, which is preferable.

[0026] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by using a float-type on-off valve, drainage can be carried out according to the state of accumulation of drainage, which is preferable because drainage can be carried out in an optimal state.

[0027] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a part of the tube is in contact with the cooling fin, the cooling plate, and the refrigerant pipe, so that the drain inside the tube can be cooled effectively, which is preferable.

[0028] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by covering the steam-water separator with a heat insulating material, it is possible to prevent the heat of the steam-water separator from being dissipated to the cooler, which is preferable. [Industrial Applicability]

[0029] The air dryer with built-in steam separator according to the present invention can remove excess moisture using only a refrigeration-type air dryer, so it is possible to improve the efficiency of the air dryer without attaching an external steam separator, and it is not limited to a specific field but can be used as an air dryer in compressed air pressure circuits in all fields. Therefore, it is believed that the "air dryer with built-in steam separator" according to the present invention has great industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1. Air dryer with built-in steam separator 10. Cabinet 11 Inlet tube 12 Air pipe 20 Heat exchanger 21 High temperature section 22 Low temperature section 30 Cooler 31 Cooling fin 32 Refrigerant pipe 33 Drain accumulation section 34 Drain pipe 40 Steam water separator 41 Air inlet 42 Air outlet 43 Swirl section 44 Drain holder 46 tubes 47 Insulation section 50 Float type on-off valve 51 Float 52 Water stop valve 53 Flange 54 Gasket 55 Spring 60 Steam-water separator isolation wall 70 Drain trap D Drain

Claims

1. A refrigerated air dryer that dehumidifies compressed air, It has a steam separator, a heat exchanger, and a cooler, The compressed air passes through the steam separator, the high-temperature side of the heat exchanger, the cooler, and the low-temperature side of the heat exchanger in this order, where it is dehumidified. the steam separator is disposed within the cooler; The drain from the water-steam separator is discharged to a drain accumulating section of the cooler through a tube.

2. 2. The air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the tube is inserted into the drain accumulation section.

3. 2. The air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to claim 1, wherein the steam-water separator is a cyclone separator, and drainage in the cyclone separator is discharged when a certain amount of drainage has accumulated therein.

4. 4. The air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to claim 3, wherein the drain in the cyclone separator is discharged through a float-type on-off valve.

5. 2. The air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the tube is in contact with a cooling fin or a refrigerant pipe in the cooler.

6. 2. The air dryer with a built-in steam-water separator according to claim 1, wherein the steam-water separator is surrounded by a heat insulating material.

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