Air dryer with built-in water separator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerated air dryer capable of removing excess moisture by itself without adding an air-water separator. [Solution] The system has a water-steam separator, a heat exchanger, and a cooler, and 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 that 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 the drain retention section of the cooler.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air dryer with a built-in steam 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, by using a water-steam separator such as a cyclone separator in the upstream stage, excess water can be removed 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 water-steam separator in front of the air dryer, and some users may postpone installation of the water-steam separator until later. Therefore, there was a demand for a structure that could remove excess moisture using only an air dryer.

[0003] To address such problems, various techniques have been proposed in the past. For example, a technique for improving the operating efficiency of a refrigerated air dryer (see Patent Document 1) has been proposed and is a publicly known technique. More specifically, this technique provides a cyclone separator and an air filter in a stage preceding the refrigerated air dryer in a compressed air pressure circuit for generating compressed air via the refrigerated air dryer. However, a cyclone separator, which is a gas-liquid separator, must be provided separately from the air dryer, and the above problems are not yet solved. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2024-22114 A 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 having to install an external steam-water 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, which has 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 through a tube into a drain retention section of the cooler.

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

[0008] Furthermore, in the present invention, the steam 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 within the cyclone separator via 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 periphery of the steam-water separator is covered with a heat insulating material. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the air dryer with built-in steam-water separator of the present invention, the refrigeration-type air dryer alone can remove excess moisture, thereby improving the efficiency of the air dryer without the need for an external steam-water separator. [Brief description 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. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a float-type on-off valve in the air dryer with built-in steam-water separator according to the present invention. [Diagram 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 PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The greatest feature of the air dryer with built-in steam 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 idea of ​​the present invention, i.e., within the scope of shapes, dimensions, structures, etc. that can achieve the same functional 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 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 thermal insulating material, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing an example in which the steam-water separator is covered with a thermal insulating material except for a 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 water-steam separator is a refrigeration-type air dryer with a water-steam separator built into a housing 10, and has a water-steam 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 air-water separator mainly comprises 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 water vapor in the compressed air, and discharges it as drain D, thereby reducing the moisture content in the compressed air. In order to lower the temperature of the compressed air, low-temperature water, freon, or the like is circulated through the refrigerant pipe 32. In order 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, the temperature drops and the air 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 appropriate.

[0017] The water-steam separator 40 will now be described. Air compressed by an air compressor contains suspended moisture separate from water vapor. By separating and removing the suspended moisture in the water-steam separator 40, it is possible to prevent excess moisture from being discharged and improve the efficiency of the air dryer. As the steam-water separator 40, a cyclone separator which has little pressure loss is preferable. The cyclone separator mainly comprises a swirling 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. Dust and moisture in the air are pushed outward by centrifugal force caused by the swirling motion, and are collected as drain D in drain holder 44 via the inner wall of the case. 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 within the air dryer 1 with built-in air-water separator will be described with reference to FIG. Roughly speaking, compressed air is dehumidified by passing through a water 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 the 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 entering through the air inlet pipe 11 enters the air-water separator 40 through the air inlet 41 thereof, where moisture and the like are removed, and the air is sent out through the air outlet 42 and enters the high temperature section 21 of the heat exchanger 20. The steam separator 40 is The heat exchanger 20 in the housing 10 is not included. It 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 a certain 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 pipe 32 and the 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 the 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 disposing the air-water separator 40 inside the housing of the air dryer, the removal of moisture contained in the compressed air from the air compressor and the reduction of the amount of water vapor can be performed by 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 described 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, travels along 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. In addition, 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, so that the drain D does not accumulate midway through the tube 46, which is preferable. In addition, the drain D in the tube 46 is at a relatively high temperature. Therefore, if the drain D enters the drain retention portion 33 while maintaining that temperature, the temperature of the drain D in the drain retention portion 33 may increase, and unnecessary water vapor may be generated from the drain retention 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 is lowered, and the temperature of the drain D in the drain accumulation portion 33 can be kept low, which is preferable. Furthermore, by disposing the water-steam separator 40 above the cooler 30, the tube 46 becomes longer, the temperature of the drain is lowered inside the tube 46, and high-temperature drain D is prevented from entering the drain accumulation section 33, which is preferable. Therefore, the effect can be maximized by positioning the space of the cooler 30 so as to occupy the entire space from the top to the bottom of the air dryer 1 with built-in water-steam separator.

[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 by the drain trap 70 for the air dryer, so that 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 may result in the cooling function not working properly. Therefore, a float type on-off valve 50 that opens and closes depending on the amount of drain 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 separator 40 is less than a certain amount, and opens when the drain D is equal to or greater than the certain amount. 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. The float 51 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 and 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. 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 increases accordingly, and the position of the water stop valve 52 also increases 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 manner, by using the float type on-off valve 50, the valve can be opened and closed according to the amount of drainage. The spring 55 biases the stop valve 52 to press 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 of drain D, it is appropriate to place the steam separator 40 inside the cooler 30. However, the air inlet 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. And since the inside of the cooler 30 is a part that needs to be efficiently cooled by the refrigerant pipe 32, 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 considered 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 section 47. The heat insulating section 47 may be a foam sheet or the like. By covering the air inlet pipe 11 and the air-water separator 40 with the heat insulating section 47, it is possible to prevent the heat of the high-temperature compressed air from leaking into the cooler 30. As for the tube 46, since it is necessary to lower the temperature of the drain, the heat insulating portion 47 is not used. As another method, it is possible to cover the steam-water separator 40 except for its bottom portion with a heat insulating portion 47. A drain holder 44 is provided at the bottom of the steam separator 40, and drain D accumulates therein. 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 except for the drain holder 44 is covered with the heat insulating section 47. In this way, the drain can be cooled while preventing heat from being generated in the steam-water separator 40, and insulation and cooling can be performed efficiently.

[0022] One method for reducing the effect of heat from 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 40 and the cooler 30 are separated by the steam-water separator isolation wall 60, and only the tubes 46 are guided to the cooler 30 through 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 air inlet pipe 11 and the steam separator 40 does not affect the cooler 30, and the cooling in the cooler 30 can be performed effectively.

[0023] In this way, with the air dryer with built-in steam-water separator of the present invention, the refrigeration-type air dryer alone can remove excess moisture, improving the efficiency of the air dryer without the need for an external steam-water separator.

[0024] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the tip of the tube is located in the drain retention area, high-temperature drain does not splash, which is preferable.

[0025] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the drain is discharged when a certain amount of the drain has accumulated, which is preferable because the drain is discharged after its heat has decreased to a certain degree.

[0026] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by using a float type on-off valve, drainage can be performed according to the accumulation state of the drain, which is preferable because drainage can be performed 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, it is preferable that the steam-water separator is covered with a heat insulating material, thereby preventing the heat of the steam-water separator from being dissipated to the cooler. [Industrial Applicability]

[0029] The air dryer with built-in water 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 having to attach an external water 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 water separator" according to the present invention has great industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1. Air dryer with built-in steam separator 10. Chassis 11 Air intake pipe 12 Air pipe 20 Heat exchanger 21 High temperature section 22 Low temperature section 30 Cooler 31 Cooling fin 32 Refrigerant pipe 33 Drain retention section 34 Drain pipe 40 Steam water separator 41 Air Inlet 42 Air outlet 43 Swirling 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 refrigeration-type air dryer that dehumidifies compressed air, The device has a water-steam separator, a heat exchanger, and a cooler, The compressed air passes through the water separator, the high temperature side of the heat exchanger, the cooler, and the low temperature side of the heat exchanger in that order, where it is dehumidified. the water-steam separator is disposed in a cooler portion excluding the heat exchanger within the housing; The drain from the steam separator is discharged to a drain retention section of the cooler through a tube, The air dryer with a built-in steam separator is characterized in that a portion of the tube is in contact with a cooling fin or a refrigerant pipe in a cooler.

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

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 inside 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 according to claim 1, wherein the steam-water separator is surrounded by a heat insulating material.

Images