Hollow Fiber Adsorbent for Compressed Air Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional compressed air drying systems face issues with air loss and high energy consumption due to the use of granular adsorbent materials and refrigerant dryers, which result in inefficient dewpoint reduction and increased operating costs.
Innovation Solution
A hollow fiber adsorbent compressed dry air system that employs low-pressure adsorption and high-temperature regeneration, reducing air loss and energy consumption by using hollow fibers with a dendritic porous structure and high specific surface area, eliminating the need for refrigerant dryers and minimizing equipment size and dusting problems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If granular adsorbent materials and refrigerant dryers are used for compressed air drying, then dewpoint reduction is achieved, but air loss and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs hollow fiber adsorbent materials with a porous structure to replace conventional granular adsorbents. The porous structure provides high specific surface area for adsorption while maintaining low mass transfer resistance, enabling effective dewpoint reduction with lower energy consumption during regeneration cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters by using room temperature adsorption at relatively low pressure followed by high temperature regeneration. This parameter change allows the hollow fiber adsorbent to achieve effective moisture removal without the high energy consumption associated with conventional methods
2Reliability
If granular adsorbent materials are used, then adsorption function is provided, but dusting problems and equipment size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hollow fiber adsorbent materials with a porous structure that prevents dusting while maintaining effective adsorption function. The porous structure provides high specific surface area for moisture capture without the mechanical dusting problems associated with granular materials
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite hollow fiber structures combining porous material with hollow fiber geometry, creating a material that simultaneously provides adsorption functionality and eliminates dusting issues inherent in conventional granular adsorbents
3Productivity
If operating pressure is increased to improve adsorption efficiency, then drying performance improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hollow fiber porous materials that maintain high adsorption efficiency at relatively low operating pressures. The porous structure with low mass transfer resistance allows effective drying performance without requiring high operating pressures that would increase energy consumption
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
The system achieves a dewpoint of <−40° C. to −70° C. with reduced energy consumption and air loss, improving adsorption efficiency and air quality while lowering operating pressures and costs.
Implementation Method 1
the compressed air is de-humidified by a refrigerant dryer for reducing the dewpoint to be around 2° C. Then, the compressed air is further processed by an adsorbent dryer for reducing the dewpoint of the air to be between −40 ̃−70° C.
Implementation Method 2
the other hollow fiber adsorbent housing, when heated by the other heating device thereof, performs a desorption regeneration procedure in a high temperature condition
Implementation Method 3
the other hollow fiber adsorbent housing, when heated by the other heating device thereof, performs a desorption regeneration procedure in a high temperature condition
Data Source
AI summary
A hollow fiber adsorbent compressed dry air system including an intake unit, a first adsorption/regeneration unit, a second adsorption/regeneration unit, a switch unit and an exhaust unit is disclosed. The first adsorption/regeneration unit has a hollow fiber adsorbent housing and a heating device disposed in the surrounding of the adsorbent housing. The second adsorption/regeneration unit has another hollow fiber adsorbent housing and another heating device disposed in the surrounding of the another adsorbent housing. One of the hollow fiber adsorbent housings performs drying procedure to the compressed air in the room temperature, and the other hollow fiber adsorbent housing, when heated by the heating device thereof, performs a desorption regeneration procedure in a high temperature condition. The switch unit alternately switches the drying procedure and the desorption regeneration procedure to the first adsorption/regeneration unit and the second adsorption/regeneration unit. The exhaust unit outputs dried product air.