Compressed Air Drying System Regeneration Cycle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional compressed air drying apparatuses suffer from energy loss and environmental impact due to the discharge of high-temperature and high-humidity compressed air during the regeneration process, as they cannot utilize the entire compressed air without mixing it with input wet air, leading to inefficient energy usage and peripheral environment influence.
Innovation Solution
An air drying system that includes a regeneration special dryer and multiple air dryer units, where dry air from the special dryer is used to regenerate the dehumidifying agent and then joined with wet air for continuous dehumidification, preventing the discharge of high-temperature and high-humidity air, and utilizing separate regeneration special dry air at higher pressures to enhance dehumidification efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If conventional compressed air drying apparatus uses heated type regeneration, then energy consumption is reduced compared to unheated type, but high-temperature and high-humidity compressed air is discharged causing environmental impact and energy waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful high-temperature and high-humidity discharged air into a useful resource by introducing it back into the dehumidification tank. This regenerated air serves as a heating source for the dehumidifying agent while also providing moisture for regeneration, thereby eliminating waste discharge and reducing overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers the thermal energy and moisture content from the air that would otherwise be discarded during regeneration. By routing this air back through the dehumidification process and utilizing its thermal energy to regenerate the dehumidifying agent, the system prevents energy waste and environmental harm simultaneously.
2Reliability
If conventional apparatus discharges regenerated air to exterior, then regeneration process is completed, but energy waste occurs and peripheral environment is influenced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a continuous cycle where the air discharged from regeneration is immediately put to useful effect by introducing it back into the dehumidification tank. This eliminates idle discharge time and ensures continuous utilization of thermal energy, maintaining both regeneration reliability and energy efficiency.
3Device complexity
If unheated type regeneration is used, then no heating source is required, but large amount of compressed air is consumed for regeneration leading to high energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system makes the dehumidification process self-sufficient by using the thermal energy from its own discharged air to drive the regeneration process. This eliminates the need for external heating sources while preventing the high compressed air consumption characteristic of unheated regeneration, achieving energy autonomy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system ensures continuous supply of dry air to facilities requiring it, minimizes energy waste, and reduces the environmental impact by preventing the discharge of high-temperature and high-humidity air, thereby improving dehumidification efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
an absorption type in which compressed air including moisture is passing through a tank in which a dehumidifying agent is filled, and the moisture included in the compressed air is absorbed in the dehumidifying agent
Implementation Method 2
a heating unit 70 is installed in the regenerated air supplying path 90, and through the path 90, the dried compressed air DA supplied to the second tank 20 is heated to a temperature of 200 to 250° C. to supply the regenerated air to the second tank 20
Implementation Method 3
the dried regenerated air DA heated for a preset time is supplied to the second tank 20 and the dehumidifying agent is regenerated, the power of the heating unit 70 is shut off according to a preset time, and the dried regenerated air in a room temperature state is continuously supplied to the second tank 20 to cool down the dehumidifying agent
Data Source
AI summary
An air drying system includes a regeneration special dryer and at least one air dryer unit. The air dryer unit contains a pair of first and second air dryer dehumidification tanks in which a dehumidification process and a regeneration process are alternately performed; a main compressor to supply compressed wet air to an inlet line; a first direction switching valve unit configured to transfer the compressed wet air from the inlet line to first dehumidification tank performing dehumidification; a second direction switching valve unit configured to transfer the compressed dry air from the first dehumidification tank or transfer regeneration special dry air from a regeneration special dryer to second dehumidification tank performing the regeneration; a heating unit configured to heat the regeneration special dry air supplied from the regeneration special dryer; and a cooler configured to detach moisture from dehumidifying agent filled in the second dehumidification tank.