Hybrid drying system and method for controlling a hybrid drying system

摘要

Disclosed is a hybrid drying system where a cold-air drier and a desiccant drier are combined to increase drying efficiency (extent of dehumidification/power consumption), thereby shortening drying time and significantly reducing operation costs. The hybrid drying system includes a desiccant drier installed between an evaporator and a condenser and having an absorbing part configured to produce dry air from the cold-air dried air which has passed through the evaporator and a detaching part configured to supply recycled air heated by the condensation heat of the condenser as a recycling heat source; a heat exchanger configured to heat-exchange exterior air with recycled exhaust air with the recycled air to retrieve exhaust heat; and a control unit configured to simultaneously control a cold-air drying operation and a desiccant drying operation according to the humidity and temperature of the drying chamber. The hybrid drying system is operated through a freezing cycle, a drying cycle, a drying chamber circulating cycle, and a recycling cycle.

主权项

1. A hybrid drying system applied to a box-type system, a rotary system, and an automatic feeding system for drying articles to be dried at room temperature, the hybrid drying system comprising:
a drying chamber to house the articles to be dried; a compressor to compress a refrigerant to be drawn from an evaporator; a condenser to receive and condense the refrigerant compressed by the compressor; an expansion valve to expand the refrigerant which has passed through the condenser; the evaporator to heat-change the refrigerant which has passed through the expansion valve and drying chamber air to cold air to perform a cold-air drying operation; a desiccant drier positioned between the condenser and the evaporator, the desiccant drier having an absorbing part to change the cold air which has passed through the evaporator to dry air and a desorbing part to supply recycled air heated by condensation heat of the condenser as a recycling heat source; a heat exchanger to heat-exchange exterior air and recycled exhaust air by using the recycled air, to retrieve exhaust heat; and a control unit to simultaneously control the cold-air drying operation and a desiccant drying operation according to the humidity and temperature of the drying chamber, wherein the hybrid drying system is operated through a freezing cycle, a drying cycle, a drying chamber circulating cycle, and a regenerating cycle, wherein the freezing cycle includes the compressor to compress a refrigerant gas drawn to the evaporator, the condenser to receive the refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor and heat-exchange the refrigerant gas of a high temperature and a high pressure with the recycled air to produce a high pressure refrigerant liquid from a high pressure refrigerant gas, the expansion valve to produce a low pressure refrigerant liquid from the high pressure refrigerant liquid which has passed through the condenser, and the evaporator to heat-exchange the low pressure refrigerant liquid which has passed through the expansion valve with the drying chamber air drawn from the drying chamber to perform the cold-air drying operation, wherein the drying cycle includes the evaporator to heat-exchange the refrigerant liquid which has passed through the expansion valve with the drying chamber air drawn from the drying chamber to perform the cold-air drying operation, the absorbing part of the desiccant dryer to change the cold air which has passed through the evaporator to the dry air in the desiccant drier, an air supply fan to blow the dry air produced in the desiccant drier into the drying chamber, and an air supply line to supply the dry air blown by the air supply fan into the drying chamber, wherein the regenerating cycle includes the heat exchanger to introduce the exterior air as the recycled air via an air filter and heat-exchange the recycled air with the recycled exhaust air to retrieve recycled exhaust heat, the condenser to heat-exchange the recycled air which has passed through the heat exchanger with the condensation heat of the condenser to heat the recycled air, the desorbing part of the desiccant dryer to regenerate the desiccant drier by using the recycled air heated by the condensation heat of the condenser, a regenerating fan to blow the recycled air which has passed through the desiccant drier toward an exhaust side, the heat exchanger to heat-exchange the recycled exhaust air blown by the regenerating fan to retrieve heat into the recycled air, and an outlet to discharge the exhaust air which has passed through the heat exchanger with the recycled exhaust air, and wherein, when an interior of the drying chamber is used as a refrigerating compartment, the freezing cycle and the regenerating cycle of the four cycles in the hybrid drying system are performed and the drying cycle is stopped, and the drying chamber circulating cycle is controlled through an air amount regulating operation.