Wheel Dryer Bulk Material Drying with Uncooled Adsorbent Regeneration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for drying bulk materials in drying silos require complex designs and high energy consumption, with wheel dryers facing issues of high pressure due to flow resistance and inefficient energy use.
Innovation Solution
The wheel dryer's drum is divided into two areas: one for regenerating the adsorbent and the other for drying or dehumidifying the process air flow, with the hot adsorbent introduced uncooled into the drying area, eliminating the cooling phase and using a partial air flow for regeneration, reducing energy consumption and eliminating the need for a dedicated fan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wheel dryer is designed with multiple circular segments for drying, heating, regeneration, and cooling, then the adsorbent can be fully regenerated and cooled, but the device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel dryer drum is divided into two functional areas: a first area for drying or dehumidifying the process air flow and a second area for regenerating the adsorbent. This segmentation allows each area to perform its specific function efficiently without the complexity of multiple segments required in conventional designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling phase is completely removed from the wheel dryer operation. The adsorbent is taken out of the cooling process and directly introduced uncooled into the drying area, eliminating the need for a dedicated cooling segment and reducing both device complexity and energy consumption.
2Manufacturing precision
If the adsorbent is cooled after regeneration, then the dew point can be uniformly maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hot adsorbent leaving the regeneration area is directly introduced into the drying area without cooling. The thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted is converted into a beneficial effect, pre-heating the process air flow and reducing the energy required for drying while maintaining effective dew point control.
Solution Approach 2:
The adsorbent serves dual purposes: it is regenerated in the second area and then automatically serves as a heat source for the drying process in the first area. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate cooling and heating systems, reducing energy consumption while maintaining process effectiveness.
3Reliability
If high flow resistance is present in the wheel dryer, then the adsorbent can be effectively processed, but high pressure is required
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel dryer is segmented into two areas with optimized airflow paths. The first area handles drying with appropriate flow resistance, while the second area handles regeneration separately. This segmentation allows each area to operate at optimal pressure levels without requiring excessively high pressures throughout the entire system.
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 approach reduces energy consumption by 15-25% and allows for continuous operation with optimal dew point maintenance, making the process more economically efficient and suitable for various environments.
Implementation Method 1
a wheel dryer consisting of an air distribution cover and an air distribution base with a rotating drum arranged in between... the area for drying or dehumidifying the process air flow... the adsorbent being introduced uncooled into the area for drying or dehumidifying the process air flow
Implementation Method 2
the hot adsorbent being introduced uncooled into the area for drying or dehumidifying the process air flow... reduces energy consumption by 15-25%
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for drying bulk material, in particular solids, such as granulates, powder, grains, foils, chips, or the like, preferably plastic granulate, in a drying silo (7) by means of an air flow. The moistened returned air or the process air flow (10) that emerges from the drying silo (7) is dried in a drying cell containing a drying or adsorbent agent and returned in the form of a drying air flow (12) to the bulk goods again. The drying cell is preferably a wheel dryer (11) consisting of an air distribution cover and an air distribution floor having a rotatable drum arranged therebetween. The adsorbent agent is furthermore regenerated in the wheel dryer (11). The drum of the wheel dryer (11) is divided by the air distribution cover and the air distribution floor into two regions through which air is able to flow. One region (5) is used to regenerate the adsorbent agent and the other region (6) is used for drying or dehumidifying the process air flow (10). The region (6) for drying or dehumidifying the process air flow (10) adjoins the region (5) for regenerating the adsorbent agent, wherein the hot adsorbent agent is introduced uncooled into the region (6) for drying or dehumidifying the process air flow (10).