Dehumidifying method and dehumidifying device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dehumidifying devices with desiccant wheels face challenges in supplying air with low relative humidity for applications beyond refrigerated warehouses, as the cooling step by the air cooler increases relative humidity, making it difficult to achieve low humidity without reducing thermal efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A dehumidifying method and device that uses a desiccant wheel with a heat pump system, including a temperature increasing step to raise the supply air temperature using regeneration air or outside air, which reduces relative humidity without affecting the heat pump's coefficient of performance, and optionally pre-cools the supply air to enhance dehumidification efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the air cooler cools the supply air after the desiccant wheel, then the supply air temperature is reduced, but the relative humidity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the air handling process into separate functional sections: the desiccant wheel section for dehumidification and the air cooler section for temperature reduction. By segmenting these functions, the system can cool the air without re-introducing moisture that would occur if cooling happened before dehumidification, thus resolving the contradiction between temperature reduction and humidity control
Solution Approach 2:
The desiccant wheel performs dehumidification before the air cooler performs cooling. This preliminary action of removing moisture prior to cooling prevents the subsequent cooling step from increasing relative humidity, thereby resolving the technical contradiction
2Quantity of substance
If the desiccant wheel adsorbs water vapor from supply air, then the relative humidity is reduced, but the supply air temperature increases due to exothermic reaction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of the exothermic reaction (temperature increase) into a beneficial element by using the warmed air to improve the efficiency of the desiccant wheel. The temperature increase from adsorption is utilized to enhance the desiccant's performance rather than being merely discarded as a negative side effect
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the supply air through controlled cooling after adsorption. By adjusting the cooling degree and timing, the system optimizes the balance between removing the heat generated during adsorption and maintaining low relative humidity, thus resolving the contradiction between humidity reduction and temperature control
3Quantity of substance
If a temperature increasing step is added to raise supply air temperature after cooling, then relative humidity is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the temperature increasing function with the existing heat pump system by using the regeneration air heater. Instead of adding a separate heating device, the system combines the heating function into the regenerative cycle, thereby reducing device complexity while still achieving the goal of lowering relative humidity through temperature increase
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
Enables the supply of air with low relative humidity to consumers in a simple and cost-effective manner without reducing the thermal efficiency of the dehumidifying device, effectively addressing the limitations of existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
a desiccant wheel which has an adsorption surface supporting an adsorption material or a hydrophilic adsorption surface on the disc-shaped wheel surface. Such a desiccant wheel is capable of adsorbing water vapor on the adsorption surface from supply air
Implementation Method 2
In the adsorption step, adsorption heat is generated due to exothermic reaction and increases the temperature of supply air
Implementation Method 3
a heat pump device including an air cooler for cooling the dehumidified supply air after the adsorption step
Implementation Method 4
an air heater for pre-heating regeneration air
Data Source
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AI summary
A dehumidifying method includes: a dehumidifying step of causing an adsorption surface of a desiccant wheel to adsorb water vapor in the supply air; a cooling step of cooling the supply air dehumidified in the dehumidifying step with an air cooler constituting a part of a heat pump device; a first temperature increasing step of increasing a temperature of the supply air cooled in the cooling step with a temperature increasing medium to reduce a relative humidity of the supply air; a supplying step of supplying an air conditioning chamber with the supply air having a reduced relative humidity; a second temperature increasing step of increasing a temperature of the regeneration air with an air heater constituting a part of the heat pump device to reduce a relative humidity of the regeneration air; and a desorbing step of desorbing the water vapor adsorbed on the adsorption surface from the adsorption surface with the heated regeneration air.