Zeolite Sorption Dryer Regeneration Using Static Heat and Condensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sorption dryers are energy-intensive and inefficient, with existing technologies failing to effectively recover heat and reduce drying time and material costs, particularly in household appliances like tumble dryers and dishwashers.
Innovation Solution
The sorbent is statically heated using heating surfaces, allowing hot water vapor to condense and heat objects, eliminating the need for additional heating and reducing energy consumption by utilizing the stored heat for drying, while using type Y zeolite for stability and efficient desorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the sorbent is heated using circulating hot air, then the sorbent can be desorbed, but the air becomes too hot (> 110°C) towards the end of regeneration and cannot be fed into the crockery container, requiring additional heating components and increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The heating process is segmented into two distinct phases: a regeneration phase where the sorbent is heated to high temperatures to desorb moisture, and a drying phase where the sorbent provides gentle heat to the crockery. This segmentation allows the system to optimize heating for each phase without requiring additional heating components.
Solution Approach 2:
The sorbent serves dual functions: first as the object to be heated during regeneration, and then as a self-regulating heat source during drying. The sorbent's stored heat automatically provides gentle warming to the crockery without requiring external control or additional heating elements.
2Temperature
If additional heating is used to heat washing water and dishes to required temperature, then the drying temperature can be maintained, but the heat given off cannot be used for sorption process and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating functions are merged into a single process: the sorbent simultaneously dries itself and heats the crockery and washing water. The heat that would otherwise be wasted from the sorbent is directly utilized to heat the objects, eliminating the need for separate heating systems and reducing overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat that would be wasted when the sorbent cools down during drying is converted into a beneficial heat source for the crockery and washing water. The sorbent's cooling process, which would normally be a loss, becomes the heating mechanism for the objects, eliminating energy waste.
3Productivity
If the air flow through the zeolite filling is increased to improve drying efficiency, then the drying speed increases, but local overheating occurs within the zeolite filling or in the crockery container
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts the heat transfer rate to the drying needs of the crockery. The sorbent's heat release is naturally regulated by the drying process itself - as the crockery absorbs moisture and releases it to the air, the heat transfer rate automatically adjusts, preventing overheating while maintaining efficient drying speed.
4Productivity
If the sorbent bulk height is reduced to improve air flow, then the drying efficiency improves, but the sorbent temperature becomes excessively high and cannot be used for heating objects
Solution Approach 1:
The sorbent is pre-heated to the optimal temperature during the regeneration phase before the drying phase begins. This preliminary heating ensures that the sorbent has sufficient thermal energy to efficiently dry the crockery without requiring excessive bulk height, while the controlled heat transfer during drying prevents temperature from becoming excessively high.
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 significantly reduces energy consumption, shortens drying time, and eliminates the need for separate heating components, enhancing energy efficiency and maintaining sorbent stability under high temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
the sorbent is not heated in the hot air stream but only via heating surfaces, that is to say purely statically
Implementation Method 2
The steam can condense within the useful volume on all objects that are colder and heat them up
Implementation Method 3
a sorption dryer which absorbs a sorbent containing moisture from an air stream and dries (regenerates) the sorbent
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Method for regenerating a solid sorbent (4) housed within a sorption dryer (3) which had absorbed moisture from an air stream (8) circulated through a usable volume (1), wherein the sorbent (4) is subsequently heated to over 250 °C within the sorption dryer (3) by direct, static heat input without forced air movement, and wherein the water vapor desorbed from the sorbent (4) thereby rises into a usable volume (1) arranged above it, condenses there, and releases its heat of condensation within the usable volume (1) to objects and water located therein.