Compressed air dehumidification device unit

Abstract

To provide a compressed air dehumidifying device unit which can appropriately use discharged air of a condenser of a refrigeration cycle device, so as to re-heat compressed air that is discharged from a compressed air dehumidifying device and is dehumidified.SOLUTION: There is provided a compressed air dehumidifying device unit in which a refrigeration cycle device 10 and a compressed air dehumidifying device 20 are stored inside a casing 50, wherein a compressed air outlet 24 and an outlet pipe 25 are arranged above the inside the casing 50, a condenser 12 is arranged below the compressed air outlet 24, a cooling fan 13 of the condenser 12 is arranged so as to feed air toward inside the casing 50, and an exhaust port 51 of the discharged air is provided above the casing 50 so that discharged air generated by passing the air blown by the cooling fan 13 through a heat exchange part 12a of the condenser 12 and heating the air passes through a space where the compressed air outlet 24 and the outlet pipe 25 are arranged, and is exhausted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a compressed air dehumidifying device unit housed inside a casing, which includes a refrigeration cycle device comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, a dehumidifying device housing serving as a pressure vessel provided with a compressed air inlet into which compressed air is introduced and a compressed air outlet from which the dehumidified compressed air is discharged, and the evaporator of the refrigeration cycle device installed inside the dehumidifying device housing so as to cool the compressed air introduced into the dehumidifying device housing and dehumidify the compressed air by condensing moisture in the compressed air.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional compressed air dehumidifying device, there is a dehumidifying device main body having an inlet for introducing compressed air, a cooling unit for cooling the compressed air introduced from the inlet to condense moisture in the compressed air and dehumidify the compressed air, and an exhaust port for exhausting the compressed air dehumidified by the cooling unit, an evaporator disposed in the cooling unit inside the dehumidifying device main body, and a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve disposed outside the dehumidifying device main body, and a cooling circuit for circulating a refrigerant in the order of the evaporator, the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve. The present applicant has proposed a device (see Patent Document 1) provided with a reheater for heating the compressed air exhausted from the exhaust port by utilizing the heat dissipation of the cooling circuit.

[0003] In addition, as a conventional vertically placed compressed air dehumidifying device, a heat exchanger is provided in two stages, a first heat exchanger section and a second heat exchanger section. The two heat exchanger sections are arranged vertically adjacent to each other and are provided inside an outer wall cylindrical body. A first chamber 26 is located below the two heat exchanger sections, where the air outlet of the second heat exchanger section opens and the inlet of the reheating flow path opens, and a drain section is provided at the lower end. A second chamber is located above the two heat exchanger sections to retain the compressed air immediately before being discharged. An extended ventilation path section is extended downward so that the air outlet of the second heat exchanger section is located below the inlet of the reheating flow path. A demister is arranged at the lower end inside the extended ventilation path section through which the compressed air passes. This device (see Patent Document 2) has been proposed by the applicant of the present application.

[0004] Furthermore, as a conventional compressed air dehumidifying device equipped with a temperature sensor, it has a dehumidifying device main body having an inlet for introducing compressed air, a cooling section for cooling the introduced compressed air to condense the moisture in the compressed air to dehumidify the compressed air, and an exhaust port for exhausting the dehumidified compressed air. It also has a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator arranged in the cooling section of the dehumidifying device main body, and a cooling circuit having a refrigerant circulation pipe for circulating the refrigerant in the order of the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the evaporator. In the compressed air dehumidifying device, a temperature sensor is attached to a portion of the refrigerant circulation pipe on the refrigerant outlet side of the evaporator and in contact with the compressed air after passing through the evaporator (see Patent Document 3). This device has been proposed by the applicant of the present application.

[0005] Furthermore, as a conventional compressed air dehumidifying device capable of maintaining the required dew point, there is a dehumidifying device main body having an inlet for introducing compressed air, a cooling unit for cooling the introduced compressed air to condense the moisture in the compressed air and dehumidify the compressed air, and an exhaust port for exhausting the dehumidified compressed air, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator disposed in the cooling unit of the dehumidifying device main body, and a cooling circuit for circulating the refrigerant in the order of the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the evaporator. In the compressed air dehumidifying device, based on the refrigerant temperature on the refrigerant outlet side of the evaporator, during the operation of the compressor, when the refrigerant temperature becomes lower than a predetermined temperature, the operation of the compressor is stopped, and based on the compressed air temperature passing through the evaporator, during the stop of the compressor operation, when the compressed air temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature, a control unit is provided to control the restart of the compressor operation (see Patent Document 4), which has been proposed by the applicant of the present application.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The problem to be solved regarding the compressed air dehumidifying device unit is that in the case of a unit in which the refrigeration cycle device and the compressed air dehumidifying device are incorporated in one casing, there has been no proposal that can appropriately utilize the exhaust heat of the exhaust air by the cooling fan of the condenser of the refrigeration cycle device to reheat the compressed air discharged from the compressed air outlet of the compressed air dehumidifying device that dehumidifies by utilizing the cooling action of the refrigeration cycle.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a compressed air dehumidifying device unit that can appropriately utilize the exhaust heat of the condenser of a refrigeration cycle device so as to reheat the dehumidified compressed air discharged from the compressed air outlet of the compressed air dehumidifying device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The present invention has the following configuration in order to achieve the above object. According to one form of the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention, a refrigeration cycle device including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, a dehumidifying device housing as a pressure vessel provided with a compressed air inlet into which compressed air is introduced and a compressed air outlet from which the dehumidified compressed air is discharged, and the evaporator of the refrigeration cycle device installed inside the dehumidifying device housing so as to cool the compressed air introduced into the dehumidifying device housing and dehumidify it by condensing moisture in the compressed air, a compressed air dehumidifying device unit housed inside a casing, wherein the compressed air outlet and an outlet pipe extending from the compressed air outlet are arranged at the upper part inside the casing, the condenser of the refrigeration cycle device is arranged below the compressed air outlet, and a cooling fan of the condenser is arranged so as to blow air into the casing, and the exhaust air generated by heating the air passing through the heat exchanger part of the condenser by the blowing of the cooling fan passes through the space where the compressed air outlet and the outlet pipe are arranged and is exhausted, and an exhaust port of the casing for the exhaust air is provided at the upper part of the casing.

[0010] Further, according to one form of the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention, the compressed air dehumidifying device can be characterized in that it is installed vertically inside the casing.

[0011] Further, according to one form of the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention, the condenser is arranged along the vertical surface of the casing, and the refrigerant heated by being compressed by the compressor is piped so as to flow in from the upper side of the condenser and flow out from the lower side.

[0012] Further, according to one form of the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention, the condenser is installed vertically, and two of the cooling fans are arranged side by side vertically corresponding to the heat exchanger portion of the condenser.

[0013] Further, according to one form of the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention, the distribution board of the refrigeration cycle device is arranged with a cooling gap so as to take in air for cooling above the condenser.

[0014] Further, according to one form of the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention, a shielding member is provided between the distribution board and the condenser to prevent the exhaust air from the cooling fan from directly hitting the distribution board.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention, there is a particularly advantageous effect that the exhaust heat of the condenser of the refrigeration cycle device can be appropriately utilized to reheat the dehumidified compressed air discharged from the compressed air outlet of the compressed air dehumidifying device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, an exemplary form of the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings (Figs. 1 to 5).

[0018] The compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention includes a refrigeration cycle device 10 having a compressor 11, a condenser 12, an expansion valve 14, and an evaporator 15, a dehumidifying device housing 21 as a pressure vessel provided with a compressed air inlet 22 into which compressed air is introduced and a compressed air outlet 24 from which the dehumidified compressed air is discharged, and an evaporator 15 of the refrigeration cycle device 10 installed inside the dehumidifying device housing 21 so as to cool the compressed air introduced into the dehumidifying device housing 21 and condense the moisture in the compressed air to dehumidify it. That is, the evaporator 15 of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is built into the compressed air dehumidifying device 20, and the compressor 11, condenser 12, and expansion valve 14 of the refrigeration cycle device 10 are installed outside the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 and housed inside the casing 50.

[0019] Also, in the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention, the compressed air outlet 24 and an outlet pipe 25 extending from the compressed air outlet 24 are arranged at the upper part inside the casing 50, the condenser 12 of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is arranged below the compressed air outlet 24, and the cooling fan 13 of the condenser 12 is arranged so as to blow air (outside air) into the casing 50.

[0020] In the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention, the exhaust air generated by the air being heated as it passes through the heat exchanger section 12a of the condenser 12 by the blowing of the cooling fan 13 is exhausted through the space where the compressed air outlet 24 and the outlet pipe 25 are disposed. Thus, the exhaust port 51 in the casing 50 of the exhaust air is provided at the upper part of the casing 50.

[0021] According to the compressed air dehumidifying device unit of the present invention, there is a particularly advantageous effect that the waste heat of the condenser 12 of the refrigeration cycle device 10 can be appropriately utilized so as to reheat the dehumidified compressed air discharged from the compressed air outlet 24 of the compressed air dehumidifying device 20. That is, the dehumidified compressed air discharged from the compressed air outlet 24 of the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 is in a cooled state when being dehumidified by the cooling action of the evaporator 15, but can be reheated by applying the exhaust air heated by the waste heat of the condenser 12 to the portions of the compressed air outlet 24 and the outlet pipe 25. According to this, since the compressed air can be reheated and the compressed air at a desired temperature can be discharged and supplied as product air, the waste heat of the condenser 12 can be effectively utilized and energy saving can be achieved. By the way, for example, the compressed air cooled by the refrigerant in a heat exchanger such as the second heat exchanger section 40 described later and discharged has a relative humidity of 100% at the air outlet 47, and the relative humidity decreases by passing through the reheating flow path 32 and being reheated, but in order to prevent recondensation, it is desirable to reheat up to the outside air temperature. According to the present invention, since the waste heat of the condenser 12 of the refrigeration cycle device 10 can be utilized as described above, effective reheating can be achieved so as to prevent recondensation.

[0022] Further, in this exemplary embodiment, the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 is installed vertically inside the casing 50. That is, the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 of the vertical type, which is long in the vertical direction, is housed in a state of being erected inside the vertically elongated casing 50. And the casing 50 of this exemplary embodiment has a box shape that is a vertically elongated rectangular parallelepiped.

[0023] According to this, it is a form in which the exhaust air of the condenser 12 can flow smoothly, and since the installation floor area can be reduced, it can be installed compactly. That is, by adopting a vertical form, the installation space can be effectively utilized, and since the heated air generates an upward airflow, the exhaust air of the condenser 12 can flow smoothly. For this reason, the exhaust air of the condenser 12 can be smoothly applied to the parts of the compressed air outlet 24 and the outlet pipe 25, and the dehumidified compressed air discharged from the compressed air outlet 24 can be efficiently heated (reheated). Note that the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention is not limited to the vertical placement of the compressed air dehumidifying device 20, and if the positional relationship between the condenser 12 and the compressed air inlet 22 and the compressed air outlet 24 is arranged as in this exemplary embodiment, a certain effect can be obtained.

[0024] Also, in this exemplary embodiment, the condenser 12 is arranged following the vertical surface of the casing 50, and the refrigerant heated by being compressed by the compressor 11 is piped so as to flow in from the upper side of the condenser 12 and flow out from the lower side as schematically shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 1. Note that the above-mentioned vertical surface is not limited to the form that becomes a vertical plane during installation, but is a surface in a state of being erected so as to be substantially in a vertical form, and may be an actually formed wall surface or a virtual surface.

[0025] According to this, the refrigerant heated by being pressurized by the compressor 11 and having the highest temperature is supplied to the high-temperature and high-pressure region which is the upper part of the heat exchanger section 12a of the condenser 12. And the upper exhaust air (the first exhaust air F1), which is the air that has passed through to cool the upper part (high-temperature and high-pressure region) of the heat exchanger section 12a, is compared with the lower exhaust air (the second exhaust air F2) that has passed through and heat-exchanged with other parts (the middle-temperature and middle-pressure region which is the lower part) of the heat exchanger section 12a, and the temperature is higher. Since the air whose temperature has become higher than the surroundings flows as an upward airflow, since the upper exhaust air has a higher temperature than the lower exhaust air, the flow of the exhaust air becomes smooth, and there is an advantage that exhaust can be performed efficiently.

[0026] And in this exemplary embodiment, the condenser 12 is installed vertically, and two cooling fans 13a and 13b are arranged side by side vertically corresponding to the heat exchanger section 12a of the condenser 12. In this exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the casing 50 is formed in a box shape that is a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped, and is arranged facing the front surface with the heat exchanger section 12a of the condenser 12 exposed, and two cooling fans 13a and 13b are arranged on the inner side of the casing 50. Thereby, the two cooling fans 13a and 13b blow air so as to draw cooling air (outside air) into the inside of the casing 50, and exhaust air (first exhaust air F1, second exhaust air F2), which is the air that has passed through the heat exchanger section 12a, is exhausted from an exhaust port 51 provided at the upper part of the casing 50.

[0027] According to this, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 1, the first exhaust air F1, which is the exhaust air by the upper cooling fan 13a, is exhausted above the casing 50, and the second exhaust air F2, which is the exhaust air by the lower cooling fan 13b, is exhausted below the casing 50 rather than the exhaust air by the upper cooling fan 13a, so that the flow of the exhaust air can be guided. In this exemplary embodiment, the exhaust port 51 is composed of a top surface exhaust port 51a and a rear surface exhaust port 51b, and is provided at the top surface and the upper part of the rear surface of the casing 50 as shown in FIG. 1. By providing the exhaust ports 51a and 51b in this way, the first exhaust air F1 and the second exhaust air F2 are exhausted so as not to interfere with each other as much as possible and not to have as much ventilation resistance as possible. Further, these exhaust ports 51a and 51b can be provided in a form with a wide opening area and a high opening ratio so as not to cause as much ventilation resistance as possible, for example, by a grid-like member. This grid-like member functions to protect the exhaust ports 51a and 51b and ensure safety. Note that the casing 50 of this exemplary embodiment has a form in which the vertical wall panels 50a surround the vertical surfaces such as the side surfaces, excluding the front surface where the heat exchanger section 12a is exposed and the upper part of the rear surface where the rear surface exhaust port 51b is provided.

[0028] That is, in this exemplary form, the compressed air outlet 24 and the outlet pipe 25 are arranged above the compressed air inlet 22 and the inlet pipe 23, the outlet pipe 25 extends from the top surface to the outside, and the inlet pipe 23 extends from the back surface to the outside. Therefore, in relation to the arrangement form of the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 in the casing 50, the first exhaust air F1 by the upper cooling fan 13a can be induced to hit the parts of the compressed air outlet 24 and the outlet pipe 25, and the second exhaust air F2 by the lower cooling fan 13b can be induced to hit the parts of the compressed air inlet 22 and the inlet pipe 23. Therefore, the parts of the compressed air outlet 24 and the outlet pipe 25 can be appropriately heated, and the parts of the compressed air inlet 22 and the inlet pipe 23 can be appropriately cooled. Note that the compressed air outlet 24 of this exemplary form is provided at the uppermost part of the side peripheral surface of the dehumidifying device housing 21, and the outlet pipe 25 of this exemplary form is provided in a form that extends horizontally from the compressed air outlet 24 and then bends upward. These parts are non-insulated areas and are configured to facilitate heat exchange. Also, the compressed air inlet 22 of this exemplary form is provided below the compressed air outlet 24 at the upper part of the side peripheral surface of the dehumidifying device housing 21, and the inlet pipe 23 of this exemplary form is provided in a form that extends horizontally. These parts are non-insulated areas and are configured to facilitate heat exchange.

[0029] Also, in this exemplary form, the distribution board 16 of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is arranged with a cooling gap 52 to take in air for cooling above the condenser 12. Note that in this exemplary form, the condenser 12 and the distribution board 16 are exposed on the front surface (front) of the casing 50. By the air being sucked in by the cooling fan 13 from the front and taken in, heat exchange is performed so that the heat exchanger part 12a of the condenser 12 is cooled, and the distribution board 16 is also cooled by the influence of the air flow generated by the cooling fan 13.

[0030] That is, by providing the cooling gap 52, heat transfer from the condenser 12 to the switchboard 16 is inhibited, and the air outside the machine (outside air) is drawn in to be caught in the airflow (first exhaust air F1) generated by the cooling fan 13, generating a secondary airflow F3 as shown in Fig. 1. The secondary airflow F3 passes through the switchboard 16, including the portion on the back side of the switchboard 16 where the inverter heat sink 17 is located, as an airflow that cools the switchboard 16, thereby effectively cooling the switchboard 16.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a shielding member 53 is disposed between the switchboard 16 and the condenser 12 to prevent the exhaust air from the cooling fan 13 from directly hitting the switchboard 16. As shown in Fig. 1, the shielding member 53 in this embodiment is disposed between the upper cooling fan 13a of the condenser 12 and the heat sink 17 of the switchboard 16 in the form of a plate inclined upwards so as to function as a straightening plate and to gradually narrow the upward flow of air (first exhaust air F1) from the upper cooling fan 13a.

[0032] This effectively blocks the radiant heat generated by the condenser 12, and the Venturi effect, which occurs when the air flow is narrowed and the flow speed is increased, strengthens the flow of the secondary air flow F3 generated by the first exhaust air F1 generated by the cooling fan 13, thereby enhancing the cooling effect.

[0033] Next, an example of a configuration of a compressed air dehumidifier unit according to the present invention, in which the exhaust air of the condenser 12 is utilized to cool the compressed air introduced into the compressed air dehumidifier 20, will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings (FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0034] In the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention, a compressed air inlet 22 and an inlet pipe 23 extending from the compressed air inlet 22 are arranged at the upper part inside a casing 50, a condenser 12 of a refrigeration cycle device 10 is arranged below the compressed air inlet 22, and a cooling fan 13 of the condenser 12 is arranged to blow air toward the inside of the casing 50. Exhaust air generated by the air passing through and being heated by a heat exchanger section 12a of the condenser 12 by the blowing of the cooling fan 13 is exhausted through a space where the compressed air inlet 22 and the inlet pipe 23 are arranged. An exhaust port 51 of the casing 50 for the exhaust air is provided at the upper part of the casing 50.

[0035] According to this, there is a particularly advantageous effect that the exhaust air of the condenser 12 of the refrigeration cycle device 10 can be appropriately utilized to cool the compressed air introduced from an air compressor of the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 to the compressed air inlet 22. That is, the compressed air introduced into the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 from the compressed air inlet 22 is in a heated state due to the compression action of the air compressor, but it can be cooled by applying the exhaust air blown by the cooling fan 13 of the condenser 12 to the portions of the compressed air inlet 22 and the inlet pipe 23. Therefore, the compressed air introduced into the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 can be cooled, the exhaust air of the condenser 12 can be effectively utilized, and energy saving can be achieved.

[0036] Also, in this exemplary embodiment, as described above, the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 is of a vertically placed type, and the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 having a vertically long shape is housed in a state of being erected inside a casing 50 formed in a vertically long shape. According to this, as described above, since the installation floor area can be reduced, it can be installed compactly, and the exhaust air of the condenser 12 can flow smoothly. For this reason, the exhaust air of the condenser 12 can be smoothly applied to the compressed air inlet 22 and the inlet pipe 23, and the compressed air introduced into the compressed air outlet 24 can be efficiently cooled. Note that the compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to the present invention is not limited to the vertically placed compressed air dehumidifying device 20, and a certain effect can be obtained as long as the positional relationship between the condenser 12, the compressed air inlet 22, and the compressed air outlet 24 is arranged as described above.

[0037] Also, in this exemplary embodiment, between the upper and lower cooling fans 13a and 13b, an air guiding member 55 for branching the exhaust air from the upper cooling fan 13a so as to heat the compressed air outlet 24 and the outlet pipe 25 and guiding the exhaust air from the lower cooling fan 13b so as to cool the compressed air inlet 22 and the inlet pipe 23 is disposed. Note that the air guiding member 55 in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is formed in a flat plate shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is needless to say that a form for branching the exhaust air from the upper and lower cooling fans 13a and 13b as effectively as possible in relation to the exhaust port 51 may be appropriately and selectively set.

[0038] According to this, the exhaust air from the upper cooling fan 13a with a high temperature can efficiently heat (reheat) the compressed air (product compressed air) discharged through the compressed air outlet 24 and the outlet pipe 25, and the appropriately dried and temperature-adjusted product compressed air can be supplied to the pneumatic equipment. Also, the exhaust air from the lower cooling fan 13b with a temperature lower than that of the exhaust air from the upper cooling fan 13a can efficiently cool the compressed air introduced into the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 through the compressed air inlet 22 and the inlet pipe 23, and the dehumidifying efficiency of the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 can be enhanced. For this reason, the thermal efficiency of this device system is improved, and energy conservation can be realized.

[0039] Next, as a specific example, examples of the temperatures of each part will be shown and the situation where heat exchange occurs in each part will be described. For example, when the outside air temperature is 30°C, the temperature of the introduced compressed air introduced into the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 is at most about 80°C, the exhaust air temperature of the upper cooling fan 13a is 60 - 70°C, the exhaust air temperature of the lower cooling fan 13b is 40 - 60°C, and the temperature of the discharged compressed air discharged from the compressed air outlet 24 is 20°C, the high-temperature exhaust air of the upper cooling fan 13a can efficiently heat (reheat) the discharged compressed air, and the relatively low-temperature exhaust air of the lower cooling fan 13b can efficiently cool the introduced compressed air. Also, the heat sink 17 of the inverter disposed in the switchboard 16 will have its temperature reach, for example, 50 - 60°C, and since the aforementioned secondary air flow F3 is outside air and is, for example, 30°C, it will be effectively cooled.

[0040] Next, a form example of the compressed air dehumidifying device according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the attached drawings (Figs. 4 and 5).

[0041] The compressed air dehumidifying device 20 according to the present invention dehumidifies the primary compressed air introduced from a compressed air device (compressed air source) such as an air compressor by heat exchange, and discharges (supplies) the dehumidified secondary compressed air to pneumatic equipment. Inside the dehumidifying device housing, a heat exchanger is provided in two stages, a first heat exchanger section 30 and a second heat exchanger section 40. The first heat exchanger section 30 is arranged such that the pre-cooling flow path for the primary compressed air and the reheating flow path 32 for the secondary compressed air intersect so as to pre-cool the primary compressed air and reheat the secondary compressed air. The second heat exchanger section 40 is provided to cause condensation by cooling the compressed air pre-cooled by the first heat exchanger section 30 with a cooling medium to dehumidify it.

[0042] The first heat exchanger section 30 and the second heat exchanger section 40 are arranged adjacent to each other in a vertically long shape and are provided inside a dehumidifying device housing 21 as a vertically long pressure vessel. The dehumidifying device housing 21 of this embodiment is provided in the form of a cylindrical body whose both ends are closed by a lower end head 28a and an upper end head 28b. Further, in this embodiment, an inlet for the primary compressed air introduced from the compressed air device (compressed air inlet 22) and an outlet for discharging the dehumidified secondary compressed air to pneumatic equipment (compressed air outlet 24) are provided at the upper part of the dehumidifying device housing 21. The compressed air outlet 24 is provided above the compressed air inlet 22 and opens into a second chamber 27 described later. Note that 21a and 21b are partition walls. The second heat exchanger section 40 is supported inside the dehumidifying device housing 21, and the partition wall 21a partitions the first heat exchanger section 30 and a first chamber 26 described later, and the partition wall 21b partitions the first heat exchanger section 30 and the second chamber 27.

[0043] By arranging the compressed air inlet 22 and the compressed air outlet 24 in the upper part of the dehumidifying device housing 21 in this way, for each step of heat exchange, a flow path can be configured such that the upper side becomes the side with a higher temperature of the compressed air. Therefore, due to the property of the specific gravity of air (compressed air) where the higher the temperature, the lighter it becomes, the flow of the compressed air is more likely to be smooth, and heat exchange can be efficiently performed. As a result, the compressed air can be efficiently dehumidified.

[0044] 26 is the first chamber, which is located below the first heat exchanger section 30 and the second heat exchanger section 40, and is a chamber where the air outlet 47 of the second heat exchanger section opens and the inlet 34 of the reheating flow path opens. Drain water generated by condensation is provided so as to be discharged from a drain outlet 29 provided at the lower end.

[0045] That is, this first chamber 26 is provided on the lower end side, which is one end side of the dehumidifying device housing 21, and serves as a retention space for guiding the compressed air discharged from the second heat exchanger section 40 to the reheating flow path 32 of the first heat exchanger section 30. Also, at the lower end of the first chamber 26 of this embodiment, a drain hole of the drain outlet 29 is provided at the center of the bottom of the concave inner surface formed by the pressure vessel end plate (lower end plate 28a), and it is provided so as to be connected to a drain discharge device. Thereby, the condensed water (drain water) generated by condensation can be suitably drained from the bottom of the lower end plate 28a, which is the lower side end plate of the dehumidifying device housing 21.

[0046] Also, 27 is the second chamber, which is located above the first heat exchanger section 30 and the second heat exchanger section 40, and is a chamber where the outlet 35 of the reheating flow path opens and the compressed air outlet 24 for discharging the secondary-side compressed air to the pneumatic equipment opens, and is provided so as to retain the compressed air immediately before being discharged.

[0047] That is, this second chamber 27 is provided on the upper end side which is the other end side of the dehumidifying device housing 21, and serves as a retention space for guiding the compressed air discharged from the reheating flow path 32 of the first heat exchanger section 30 to the compressed air outlet 24. Thus, since the first chamber 26, the second chamber 27, and the reheating flow path 32 are provided, the compressed air will flow upward from the bottom through the reheating flow path 32, whereby the compressed air is reheated and flows into the second chamber 27 and is discharged from the compressed air outlet 24.

[0048] And in the form example of the compressed air dehumidifying device according to the present invention, a temperature sensor 60 with a sensing section 61 disposed at the air outlet 47 of the second heat exchanger section 40 on the side of the first chamber 26 is provided. That is, the temperature sensor 60 of this form example is configured such that the sensing section 61 is disposed in the lower part inside the dehumidifying device housing 21, in a space where the compressed air is cooled by the cooling medium in the second heat exchanger section 40 and is in the state where the temperature has dropped the most.

[0049] According to this, the temperature sensor 60 will directly measure the temperature (dew point temperature) in the state where the compressed air is cooled the most and the moisture in the compressed air is dehumidified by condensation, and the dew point temperature can be detected most accurately. And for example, when the operating condition of the compressed air dehumidifying device system of this form example becomes low level or stops, the low-temperature compressed air with the lowest temperature will maintain the settled state because its density is high and it is heavy. Also, since the dehumidifying device housing 21 is vertically long, the convection phenomenon is less likely to occur, and the low-temperature compressed air is likely to maintain the settled state. For this reason, the low-temperature compressed air will stably stay at or near the air outlet 47 of the second heat exchanger section 40 in the first chamber 26 where the temperature sensor 60 is arranged, and will be in a state less likely to be affected by disturbances. Therefore, the temperature sensor 60 arranged as in this form example can accurately and stably monitor the dew point temperature, and can preferably function to continue the stable operation of the device system.

[0050] In this exemplary embodiment, in the first chamber 26, an extended ventilation passage portion 45 is provided which extends downward such that the air outlet 47 of the second heat exchanger portion is positioned below the inlet 34 of the reheating flow path. Further, in this exemplary embodiment, a demister 48 is provided at the lower end portion within the extended ventilation passage portion 45 to separate moisture in the compressed air by allowing the compressed air discharged at the air outlet 47 of the second heat exchanger portion to pass therethrough. The demister 48 used in this exemplary embodiment is formed by appropriately laminating and shaping a highly breathable coarse dust filter formed by braiding thin metal wire materials such as stainless steel so that coarse voids are uniformly provided as raw materials.

[0051] According to this demister 48, when moisture in the compressed air collides with the metal wire material, it can act to aggregate the moisture from the compressed air and separate it as water particles, combine the water particles into larger water droplets, and further collect the water to generate a water flow. According to this, the water separated from the compressed air becomes a larger mass and drips from the air outlet 47 of the second heat exchanger portion, preventing the once-separated moisture from returning into the dehumidified secondary-side compressed air and enhancing the dehumidification effect.

[0052] Further, since the air outlet 47 of the second heat exchanger portion is positioned below the inlet 34 of the reheating flow path by the extended ventilation passage portion 45, the distance between the air outlet 47 and the inlet 34 of the reheating flow path can be made longer. When the compressed air exits from the air outlet 47 of the second heat exchanger portion into the first chamber 26, the flow velocity of the compressed air can be sufficiently reduced, and water particles and water flow can be efficiently separated from the flow of the compressed air. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the once-separated moisture from being drawn back and drawn into the dehumidified secondary-side compressed air, thereby enhancing the dehumidification effect. Furthermore, by bending (including inversion) the flow of the compressed air by the extended ventilation passage portion 45, moisture can be separated by inertial force, and the dehumidification effect can be enhanced.

[0053] According to the above effects, by the synergistic effect of the form of the extension ventilation passage portion 45, which has a relatively simple configuration, and the demister 48, compressed air and moisture can be efficiently separated while suppressing an increase in ventilation resistance (pressure loss).

[0054] And in this exemplary form, the sensing portion 61 at the tip of the temperature sensor 60 is inserted into the demister 48 so as to be in contact with the member constituting the demister 48. The demister 48 of this exemplary form is formed in a coarse dust filter shape by a metal wire as described above, and the sensing portion 61 of the temperature sensor 60 is arranged in a state of being in contact with the metal wire.

[0055] According to this, the temperature sensor 60 can detect the dew point temperature more accurately and stably. That is, the demister 48 is cooled by the low-temperature compressed air in the state where the temperature has dropped the most after being cooled by the second heat exchanger portion 40 passing through, and has the same temperature as the low-temperature compressed air. And since the sensing portion 61 is in contact with the member constituting the demister 48, which is a solid and has a high thermal conductivity compared to the compressed air, the temperature sensor 60 is less likely to be affected by the uneven airflow and can detect the averaged temperature more accurately and stably.

[0056] Also, in this exemplary form, as shown in FIG. 5, the temperature sensor 60 is mounted by fixing the base portion 62 of the temperature sensor 60 to a part of the dehumidifying device housing 21 that forms the first compartment 26. That is, in the temperature sensor 60 of this exemplary form, the sensing portion 61 is inserted from the outside of the dehumidifying device housing 21 and is screwed into the female screw portion provided in the dehumidifying device housing 21 at the base portion 62, so that it can be attached to and detached from the member constituting the dehumidifying device housing 21. According to this, the temperature sensor 60 can be easily attached and detached, and can be easily maintained and managed.

[0057] Further, in this exemplary embodiment, a control device (not shown) for controlling the operation of the refrigeration cycle device 10 may be provided based on the detection information (monitoring information) by the temperature sensor 60. For example, based on the detection information by the temperature sensor 60, during the operation of the compressor 11 of the refrigeration cycle device 10, when the detected temperature (compressed air temperature) drops below the required temperature, the rotational speed of the electric motor that drives the compressor 11 is reduced by inverter control, and when the compressed air temperature exceeds the required temperature, a control device may be provided to control the rotational speed of the electric motor that drives the compressor 11 to increase by inverter control. That is, based on the precise monitoring information by the temperature sensor 60 according to the present invention, the cooling load by the refrigeration cycle device 10 can be controlled more precisely. Further, for example, based on the detection information by the temperature sensor 60, during the operation of the compressor 11 of the refrigeration cycle device 10, when the detected temperature (compressed air temperature) drops below a predetermined temperature, the operation of the compressor 11 is stopped, and during the operation stop of the compressor 11, when the compressed air temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature, a control device that controls the restart of the operation of the compressor 11 may be used. Note that once the operation of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is stopped, energy loss is likely to occur for restarting, so it is preferable to control the rotational speed of the electric motor by inverter control. Further, the control of the operation of the refrigeration cycle device 10 includes not only the control of the compressor 11 but also the control of other components such as the control of the cooling fan 13 of the condenser 12. By the way, for example, when the sensing unit 61 is at the upper part of the dehumidifying device housing 21, in a no-load situation where the operation of the device system stops and the supply of compressed air stops, heat gradually rises to and stays at the upper part of the dehumidifying device housing 21, so there is a possibility of false detection that the required temperature is exceeded. On the other hand, according to the present invention, by arranging the sensing unit 61 at the lower part of the dehumidifying device housing 21, the possibility of such false detection can be eliminated.

[0058] Next, a more specific configuration example of the compressed air dehumidifying device according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 will be described. In this exemplary embodiment, regarding the configurations of the first heat exchanger section 30 and the second heat exchanger section 40, the second heat exchanger section 40 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end, and a first heat exchanger section 30 including a plurality of pipes (reheat pipes 33 that constitute the reheat flow path 32) arranged to surround the cylindrical side wall in a crescent shape from one side is arranged side by side with the second heat exchanger section 40, so that they are arranged vertically adjacent to each other and are provided inside a dehumidifying device housing 21 provided in a vertically long container shape.

[0059] In the first heat exchanger section 30 of this exemplary embodiment, a pre-cooling flow path 31 for compressed air, which is constituted by a space where the compressed air inlet 22 opens and also opens to the air inlet 44 of the second heat exchanger section, and a reheat flow path 32 passing vertically through the pre-cooling flow path 31 are provided. The reheat flow path 32 is constituted by a plurality of reheat pipes 33 provided in a pipe shape, and is provided so as to communicate the first chamber 26 and the second chamber 27. In this first heat exchanger section 30, in order to enhance the heat exchange performance, actually, as shown in FIG. 5, a large number of reheat pipes 33 are arranged.

[0060] Further, in this exemplary embodiment, the second heat exchanger section 40 includes a built-in cylindrical main body 41 that is vertically and eccentrically built inside the dehumidifying device housing 21, a refrigerant pipe 15a through which a cooling medium passes inside the built-in cylindrical main body 41, and heat exchange fins 15b attached to the refrigerant pipe 15a. As shown in FIG. 4, 41b is the upper end mirror plate portion of the built-in cylindrical main body and closes the built-in cylindrical main body 41.

[0061] Furthermore, in the second heat exchanger section 40 of this exemplary embodiment, it includes a plurality of refrigerant pipes 15a for circulating a cooling medium and a large number of heat exchange fins 15b attached to the refrigerant pipes 15a, and also includes a plurality of plates 43 arranged at intervals to bend the flow of compressed air in the cooled flow path 42 in a zigzag manner. In addition, the configuration of the refrigerant pipes 15a and the heat exchange fins 15b of this second heat exchanger section 40 can be, for example, the evaporator 15 of the refrigerator (refrigeration cycle device 10 (see FIG. 4)) as in this exemplary embodiment, and the compressed air can be efficiently cooled by the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant pipes 15a.

[0062] That is, in this exemplary embodiment, the cooling medium is the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle device 10, and the evaporator 15 is arranged as a component of the second heat exchanger section 40. However, the invention is not limited to this. When the cooling water supplied from a cold water source is used as the cooling medium, the supply amount of the cooling water to the second heat exchanger section 40 can be appropriately controlled via a flow control valve or the like based on the detection information by the temperature sensor 60, and of course, the operation (cooling load) of the compressed air dehumidifying device 20 can be appropriately controlled.

[0063] The extended ventilation path section 45 is in a form in which the built-in cylindrical main body 41 is extended downward and opened at the lower end except for the part where the refrigerant pipe 15a extends continuously to the outside, and a horizontal cross-section in a form where the side that is eccentric and close to the inner wall of the dehumidifying device housing 21 is cut out is provided in a D shape (see FIG. 3 of Patent Document 2). The extended ventilation path section 45 of this exemplary embodiment is formed by a cylindrical member 46 with a D-shaped horizontal cross-section, and is open except for the support portion that supports the demister 48 on the surface that becomes the lower end surface. Note that the support portion for supporting the demister 48 in this exemplary embodiment is formed in a lattice shape and is provided to increase the opening ratio.

[0064] According to this extended ventilation passage portion 45, the refrigerant pipe 15a that must extend from the inside to the outside of the dehumidifying device housing 21 can be suitably arranged. Further, the D-shaped cylindrical member 46 forming this extended ventilation passage portion 45 is composed of a side wall peripheral surface portion 46a corresponding to the arc portion of the D-shaped horizontal cross section and a side wall flat surface portion 46b corresponding to the chord portion of the D-shaped horizontal cross section, and by appropriately guiding the flow of compressed air, it is in a form capable of enhancing the dehumidifying effect. Note that 41a is a partition plate and is an end plate portion that closes a part of the lower end of the built-in cylindrical main body 41, and thereby the extended ventilation passage portion 45 having a D-shaped horizontal cross section can be reasonably formed.

[0065] Furthermore, according to the extended ventilation passage portion 45 of this embodiment, the side wall flat surface portion 46b that forms the chord portion in the extended ventilation passage portion 45 having a D-shaped horizontal cross section, and at the lower end side of the side wall flat surface portion 46b (see FIG. 4 of Patent Document 2), it can be appropriately configured to include a side surface opening portion 47b that constitutes a part of the air outlet 47 of the second heat exchanger portion.

[0066] In this way, in addition to the lower end opening portion 47a of the lower end surface of the D-shaped cylindrical member 46, the side surface opening portion 47b can be appropriately formed in the side wall flat surface portion 46b, so that the air outlet 47 of the second heat exchanger portion can be enlarged, the increase in ventilation resistance can be appropriately suppressed, and the performance can be improved.

[0067] Note that the side surface opening portion 47b is formed on the surface on the opposite side of the position where the plurality of reheating pipes 33 are arranged so as to be as far away as possible from the inlet 34 of the reheating flow path (the surface on the side where the outer peripheral surface of the built-in cylindrical main body 41 is closest to the inner peripheral surface of the dehumidifying device housing 21 due to the second heat exchanger portion 40 being provided at an eccentric position within the dehumidifying device housing 21). According to this, since the side surface opening portion 47b is formed in the side wall flat surface portion 46b that is notched in a D shape, a sufficient interval from the inner peripheral surface of the dehumidifying device housing 21 can be maintained, and it is possible to prevent the flow velocity of the blown compressed air from increasing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water particles from being drawn into the flow of compressed air and swirling up and re-scattering, and the dehumidifying performance can be improved.

[0068] In addition, in the compressed air dehumidifying apparatus of this exemplary embodiment, while enhancing the dehumidifying performance to a required level or higher as described above, it can be placed vertically, and by being in a vertical form, the installation positions regarding the directions of the compressed air inlet 22 and the compressed air outlet 24 can be freely selected around the axis of the dehumidifying apparatus housing 21. For this reason, the degree of freedom of the piping connected to the compressed air inlet 22 and the compressed air outlet 24 is improved. For example, when configuring a form in which two of the compressed air dehumidifying apparatuses of this exemplary embodiment are connected, compared with the conventional horizontally placed ones, the connected piping can be shortened, and there is an advantage that a more reasonable configuration becomes possible.

[0069] As described above, various preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to these exemplary embodiments, and it goes without saying that many modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0070] 10 Refrigeration cycle device 11 Compressor 12 Condenser 12a Heat exchanger section 13 Cooling fan 13a Upper cooling fan 13b Lower cooling fan 14 Expansion valve 15 Evaporator 15a Refrigerant piping 15b Heat exchange fins 16 Switchboard 17 Heat sink 20 Compressed air dehumidifying apparatus 21 Dehumidifying apparatus housing 21a Partition section 21b Partition section 22 Compressed air inlet 23 Inlet piping 24 Compressed air outlet 25 Outlet piping 26 First chamber 27 Second chamber 28a Lower end mirror plate Upper end mirror plate of 28b 29 Drain outlet 30 First heat exchanger section 31 Flow path for precooling 32 Flow path for reheating 33 Reheating pipe 34 Inlet of the flow path for reheating 35 Outlet of the flow path for reheating 40 Second heat exchanger section 41 Built-in cylindrical body 41a Partition plate 41b Upper end mirror plate of the built-in cylindrical body 42 Flow path to be cooled 43 Plate 44 Air inlet of the second heat exchanger section 45 Extended ventilation path section 46 D-shaped cylindrical member 46a Peripheral side wall surface 46b Flat side wall surface 47 Air outlet of the second heat exchanger section 47a Lower end opening 47b Side opening 48 Demister 50 Casing 50a Vertical wall panel 51 Exhaust port 51a Exhaust port on the top surface 51b Exhaust port on the back surface 52 Cooling gap 53 Shielding member 55 Air guiding member 60 Temperature sensor 61 Sensing part 62 Root part F1 First exhaust air F2 Second exhaust air F3 Secondary air flow

Claims

1. A refrigeration cycle device including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, a dehumidifying device housing as a pressure vessel provided with a compressed air inlet into which compressed air is introduced and a compressed air outlet from which the dehumidified compressed air is discharged, and the evaporator of the refrigeration cycle device installed inside the dehumidifying device housing so as to cool the compressed air introduced into the dehumidifying device housing and dehumidify the compressed air by condensing moisture in the compressed air, a compressed air dehumidifying device unit housed inside a casing, wherein the compressed air outlet and an outlet pipe extending from the compressed air outlet are arranged at an upper part inside the casing, the condenser of the refrigeration cycle device is arranged below the compressed air outlet, and a cooling fan of the condenser is arranged so as to blow air into the casing, a compressed air dehumidifying device unit, characterized in that an exhaust port in the casing for the exhaust air is provided at an upper part of the casing such that the exhaust air generated by the air being heated as it passes through the heat exchanger section of the condenser by the blowing of the cooling fan passes through the space where the compressed air outlet and the outlet pipe are arranged and is exhausted.

2. The compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressed air dehumidifying device is installed vertically inside the casing.

3. The compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the condenser is arranged following the upright surface of the casing, and the refrigerant heated by being compressed by the compressor is piped so as to flow in from above the condenser and flow out from below.

4. The compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the condenser is installed vertically, and two cooling fans are arranged side by side vertically corresponding to the heat exchanger section of the condenser.

5. The compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a switchboard of the refrigeration cycle device is arranged with a cooling gap so as to take in air for cooling above the condenser.

6. The compressed air dehumidifying device unit according to claim 5, characterized in that a shielding member is arranged between the switchboard and the condenser to prevent the exhaust air from the cooling fan from directly hitting the switchboard.

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