Key information

Title
System and process for drying loose bulk material, and a drying unit therefore
Application number
20160293
Case type
National
Status
20.05.2019 Patent meddelt (B1)
Filed
19.02.2016
Effective date
19.02.2016
Publicly available
21.08.2017
Next annual fee due
28.02.2027
Applicant
FLOAT BIOPRO AS (NO)
Owner
FLOAT BIOPRO AS (NO)
Inventor
Svein Inge Ringdal (NO) et al.
Agent
ZACCO NORWAY AS (NO)
Granted
20.05.2019
Patent number
343722
Expiry date
19.02.2036

Abstract and drawing

Disclaimer: This text has been machine-scanned and may contain errors – please refer to "Publications" for legally binding content.
The application relates to a system for lowering the moisture content in loose bulk material by using heated, dry airflow, the system comprises an air inlet and air dehumidification unit (1), an air heating unit (2), a drying unit (3), a heat exchanger unit (4), a (suction) fan and air channels for closed transport of an air flow through the system, wherein the (suction) fan is arranged to cause air (22) to flow into the air inlet and air dehumidification unit (1) and to maintain an air flow through the system; the air inlet and air dehumidification unit (1) comprises an evaporator, in which a refrigerant absorbs heat from the air (22) flowing into the air inlet and air dehumidification unit (1), (thereby dehumidifying the air flowing into the system); the air heating unit (2) comprises a condenser, in which the refrigerant releases the heat absorbed at the evaporator, resulting in a warm, dry air flow (10); and the heat exchanger unit (4) is arranged to transfer heat from the air flow leaving the drying unit (3) to the dehumidified air flowing from the air inlet and air dehumidification unit (1). The application also describes a drying process and a drying unit for drying loose bulk material.

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Date
 Date Doc. No. Process Case number In/Out Journal description To/from
 24.05.2019 13-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 UT PT Registreringsbrev Nasjonal Patent (15) (PT20160293)
29.03.2019 12-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 UT PT Meddelelse om patent ZACCO NORWAY AS
 22.03.2019 11-02 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Patenttegninger ZACCO NORWAY AS
 22.03.2019 11-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) ZACCO NORWAY AS
 18.03.2019 10-05 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Hovedbrev ZACCO NORWAY AS
 18.03.2019 10-04 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Krav med sporing ZACCO NORWAY AS
 18.03.2019 10-03 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Beskrivelse ZACCO NORWAY AS
 18.03.2019 10-02 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Beskrivelse med sporing ZACCO NORWAY AS
 18.03.2019 10-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) ZACCO NORWAY AS
 17.12.2018 09-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 UT Realitet patent ZACCO NORWAY AS
 28.02.2018 08-07 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Krav norsk ZACCO NORWAY AS
 28.02.2018 08-06 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Krav ren engelsk ZACCO NORWAY AS
 28.02.2018 08-05 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Krav merket engelsk ZACCO NORWAY AS
 28.02.2018 08-04 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Beskrivelse ren ZACCO NORWAY AS
 28.02.2018 08-03 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Beskrivelse merket ZACCO NORWAY AS
 28.02.2018 08-02 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Hovedbrev ZACCO NORWAY AS
 28.02.2018 08-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) ZACCO NORWAY AS
 02.01.2018 07-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 UT PT Batch Varsel om betaling av første årsavgift (3317)
21.12.2017 06-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) Zacco Norway AS
 30.09.2017 05-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 UT Realitet patent Zacco Norway AS
 26.01.2017 04-03 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Patenttegninger Zacco Norway AS
 26.01.2017 04-02 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Hovedbrev Zacco Norway AS
 26.01.2017 04-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) Zacco Norway AS
 18.09.2016 03-02 Saksbehandling 20160293 UT PT report 11:50:32
18.09.2016 03-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 UT Realitet patent Zacco Norway AS
 22.02.2016 02-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 UT Infobrev til oppfinner Zacco Norway AS
 19.02.2016 01-06 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Fig 1-2
19.02.2016 01-05 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Overdragelsesdokument
19.02.2016 01-04 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Fig 3-5
19.02.2016 01-03 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Beskrivelse
19.02.2016 01-02 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Fullmakt
19.02.2016 01-01 Saksbehandling 20160293 INN Søknadsskjema Patent

Description, claims and drawings

Disclaimer: This text has been machine-scanned and may contain errors – please refer to "Publications" for legally binding content. Description
Field of the inventionThe invention relates to a system for lowering the moisture in loose bulk material using heated air flow. The loose bulk material may comprise e.g. wood chips, corn and various kinds of fruit, suitable for drying. The invention also concerns a method for lowering the moisture in such loose bulk materials.Background of the inventionDrying is used in a variety of industries such as agricultural, timber, textile, chemical, paper, etc. Drying is an energy-intensive process and optimization of systems and processes to achieve more cost-effective drying processes will result in significant reduction of energy consumption, which may provide considerable cost savings.In conventional systems for drying, i.e. kilning apparatus, the drying air is directly heated by using oil or gas burners. In addition to reducing the energy consumption in drying systems, there is also a desire that such systems should be environmentally friendly, with no or minimal emissions of combustion products originating from the burning of fossil fuels.US 4532720 A discloses a drying process and its apparatus utilizing a refrigeration cycle. The drying apparatus is constructed to interpose a heat exchanger between an evaporator and a heater so that air in a drying chamber may be dried and heated in a cycle of introducing hot air in the drying chamber into the heat exchanger to pre-cool hot air, guiding pre-cooled air to the evaporator to dry it due to dehumidification by cooling, introducing cooled and dried air into the heat exchanger again to increase the temperature, introducing the air to the heater to further heat it and returning dried and heated air to the interior of the drying chamber.GB 2064099 A discloses a conventional refrigeration-type dehumidifier having an air cooler such as an evaporator for cooling the air in order to condense out the required amount of moisture, followed by a heater to heat the airstream to the required temperature. According to GB 2064099 A, an air-to-air heat exchange system is provided which transfers heat from the airstream before the air cooler to the airstream after the air cooler. In so doing, the air-to-air heat exchange system reduces the load both on the air cooler and on the heater. The dehumidifier may be part of an air conditioning system or part of a drier. In the case of a drier, hot air passes over the material to be dried and is then recirculated via the dehumidifier.GB 2186959 A discloses a dehumidifier incorporating a heat exchanger. The dehumidifier comprises an airto-air heat exchanger having first and second air flow paths arranged orthogonally with respect to one another. US 2013/0160970 A1 discloses a dehumidifier comprising a suction unit which humid air is sucked in, a dehumidifying unit having a chiller and for cooling down the humid air sucked in and for dehumidifying by condensing the moisture in the humid air, a discharge unit having a heat radiator and for heating and discharging dry air as dehumidified at the dehumidifying unit, a refrigerant circulating system for cooling down the humid air at the dehumidifying unit and for heating the dry air at the discharge unit, and a heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between the humid air and the dry air as dehumidified at the dehumidifying unit.WO 98/22765 A1 discloses a method for drying moisturise organic material, such as food pellets for hatchery fish, with warm dry air or gas in an approximately closed circulation system for the drying medium, comprising cooling of the drying medium, condensing of water/fluid given off from the material and reheating of the drying medium, and transfer of a part of the heat from the cooling side of the drying medium to the heating side by a simple indirect heat exchangeWO 93/21489 A1 discloses a dryer designed as a closed system in which heated air used to dry the materials is continuously recycled within the drying compartment of the dryer without being discharged to the atmosphere. A regenerative heat exchanger and an atmospheric cooler/condenser are provided in the dryer and condense and remove moisture from the saturated air and transfer the heat of condensation back into the air before the air is reheated and recycled back to the materials to be dried.The growing demand for renewable energy sources has led to an increased focus on bioenergy resources. The use of forest resources for bioenergy is therefore expected to increase considerably. The prevailing use of biofuel is the direct combustion of wood, wood chips and pellets for heating in stationary plants, either in conventional wood stoves, central heating systems or remote heating plants. Different wood chips heating installations require different moisture content in the wood. Some heating installations have optimal efficiency at moisture content below 30 %, while others may require 40-50 %. Dry wood chips will give a complete combustion with lesser emissions and provide better effect on the boiler. Trees on root normally have a moisture content of approximately 50 % of the total weight, meaning half the weight of the tree is water and the rest is dry matter. Thus, the use of forest resources as bioenergy involves drying and intermediate storing of the energy wood chips. Helin, M.2005, “Wood as a fuel & drying of wood chips” North Karelia Polytechnic gives an example which illustrates the effect of correct moisture in the wood chips. The amount of heat out of 1 loose-m3 of wood chips with two different moisture contents using a 50 kW boiler:Moisture content 50%, net heating value ≈ 800 kWh/loose-m3.The boiler efficiency at 50% moisture is ≈ 62%.The available energy (heat) is 0.62 x 800 kWh ≈ 500 kWh.Moisture content 30 %, net heating value ≈ 890 kWh/loose-m3.The boiler efficiency at 30% moisture is ≈ 78 %.The available energy (heat) is 0.78 x 890 kWh ≈ 700 kWhUsing wood chips with 30 % moisture instead of 50 % moisture will thus result in 40 % more heating energy in a 50 kW boiler.Most small-scale and medium-sized wood chips heating installations have optimal combustion at moisture content of 20-25 %. In production of pellets and wood powder for gasification the requirement is 10-12 % moisture. Traditional drying of wood chips involves storing logs for drying in cold open air or covered until moisture content in the logs is about 30 %, before wood-chipping. The time for such drying is however very long. The cost for artificial drying may be high compared to the gain of energy in the dried wood chips. Thus, there will be a positive energy balance only if the energy used for artificial drying the wood chips is less than the resulting energy content in the wood chips. Economical methods for drying wood chips may involve usage of waste heat from the process industries, incinerations plants or power plants. However, when there is no such waste heat available, the drying of wood chips must be carried out by lowest possible consumption of supplied energy in the form of electrical power or other energy source.Therefore there is a demand for equipment/systems for drying wood chips in a cost effective method.A heat pump provides heat in a very efficient way compared to using the same amount of power by heating with a panel heater. The performance of a heat pump is given by the term coefficient of performance (COP), which is used to describe the ratio of useful heat movement per work input. At outside temperature of e.g.10 C a typical air-source heat pump has a COP of 3 to 4. The present inventors found that when utilizing the heat (energy) at both the cold and the warm side of a heat pump very good results are achievable. As a warm dry air stream is passed through moist loose material a large amount of humidity will be supplied to the drying air. By passing this warm, humid air through a heat exchanger in thermal communication with cold air flowing into the system, it is possible to recover most of the remaining heat. By further passing the air leaving the heat exchanger, to the cold side (outdoor unit) of the heat pump it is possible to utilize even more of the heat in this air stream, especially when the outside temperature is cold. The present inventors found that by combining these findings in an optimal system it is possible to attain a drying process which utilizes the supplied energy optimally, resulting in a very cost effective method for drying loose bulk material.Another advantage of the present invention in relation to known drying system is that the present system eliminates the need for a separate air dehumidifier.In this context, loose bulk material refers to materials in granular or particular form or a mass of relatively small solids. Examples of loose bulk materials are grains (wheat, maize, rice, barley, oats, rye, sorghum, soybeans, etc.), wood chips, and agricultural products like fruits which must be dried during processing.The European standard series EN 15234, “Solid biofuels - Fuel quality assurance” is provided as general requirements and additional product standards, and consists of 6 Parts. Part 4: Wood chips for non-industrial use (EN 15234-4:2012) covers the raw material supply, production and delivery chain. The said part defines inter alia dimensions for wood chips, specifying P-classes defining particle sizes, size fractions and dimensions, e.g. in class P16 the main fraction (at least 75% of the total mass) must be between 3.15 and 16 mm. Particles smaller than 3.15 are defined as fines fraction and this amount must be less than 12 weigh-%. The sizes/dimensions for the coarse fraction are also defined. Other P-classes are P31.5: at least 75 weight-% is between 8-31.5 mm;P45: at least 75 weight-% is between 8-45 mm; and P65: at least 75 weight-% is between 8-63 mm. The above said loose bulk material should be considered to include all wood chips dimensions defined in the said P-classes.Further, in this context the expressions drying, dehumidifying and lowering the moisture are used interchangeably and should have the same meaning unless explicitly otherwise stated.Summary of the inventionIn a first aspect the present invention provides a system for lowering the moisture content in loose bulk material by using heated, dry air, the system comprisesat least one heat pump outdoor unit, at least one air heating unit, at least one drying unit, at least one heat exchanger unit, at least one fan and air channels for a closed transport of an airflow through the system, wherein the at least one fan is arranged to cause ambient air to flow into the at least one heat pump outdoor unit and to maintain an airflow through the system;the at least one heat pump outdoor unit comprises an evaporator, in which a refrigerant absorbs heat from the air flowing into the heat pump outdoor unit(s);the at least one air heating unit is a heat pump indoor unit with a condenser, in which the refrigerant releases the heat absorbed at the evaporator;the at least one heat exchanger unit is arranged to transfer heat from an airflow leaving the at least one drying unit to a dehumidified air flowing from the at least one heat pump outdoor, forming a pre-heated airflow; andthe pre-heated airflow is conducted to the at least one air heating unit, where the airflow is heated to an airflow, which is passed into the at least one drying unit.In an embodiment, the heat pump outdoor unit(s) is at least partly/semi-encased. In a further embodiment, the air heating unit and the heat exchanger each are encased, e.g. in cabinets, ensuring a closed transport of the air flowing through the system.In an embodiment, the drying unit comprises a compartment with at least one inlet for receiving and distributing the warm, dry airflow coming from the air heating unit, a drying chamber containing/holding the loose bulk material, and at least one outlet for humid air.In a preferred embodiment, the drying unit is a pipe comprising an stationary outer pipe comprising a first end wall with an opening for charging the moist loose bulk material, a second end wall with an opening for discharging dried loose bulk material, and at least one opening in the pipe side wall for inlet of the warm, dry air, the drying unit further comprises a rotatable drying chamber coaxially arranged inside the outer pipe, having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the outer pipe, and the side wall is at least partially perforated, wherein the space defined between the inner side wall of the outer pipe and the drying chamber defines the compartment for receiving and distributing the warm, dry air, and an inner chamber coaxially arranged inside the said drying chamber for collecting and discharging humid air, via at least one pipe extending through the end wall of the outer pipe.In a further embodiment, the outer pipe is divided two or more sections, dividing the said compartment into an equal number of spaces, and each of the said sections have at least one inlet for drying air, preferably one inlet arranged on each opposite side wall of the pipe sections. In an embodiment, the inner chamber is divided in two or more inner chamber sections by means of partition walls, and where a pipe for discharging the humid air extends from each said inner chamber section through the end wall of the outer pipe.In an embodiment, the drying unit may be tilted by elevating one end, thereby facilitating filling and discharging of the loose bulk material. The system may be operated continuously, semi-continuously or batchwise. The drying unit may comprise sensors for measuring temperature and/or relative humidity.In a second aspect the invention concerns a process for lowering the moisture content in loose bulk material by the use of heated air flow, comprising- providing an airflow of ambient air into at least one heat pump outdoor unit and dehumidifying the air, while absorbing heat from the ambient air as it flows into the at least one heat pump outdoor unit by means of an refrigerant in an evaporator;- passing on the dehumidified airflow from the at least one heat pump outdoor unit into at least one heat exchanger before it is led into at least one air heating unit, while releasing heat from the refrigerant in the at least one air heating unit by means of a condenser, thus heating the dehumidified airflow,- passing on the dehumidified and heated airflow from the at least one air heating unit to at least one drying unit containing the loose bulk material,- passing the dehumidified and heated airflow through the loose bulk material, while recovering heat from the at least one drying unit by means of the at least one heat exchanger, and releasing said recovered heat from into the dehumidified airflow passed from the at least one heat pump outdoor unit.In a preferred embodiment, the airflow leaving the heat pump outdoor unit is passed into the heat exchanger before it is conducted into the air heating unit.The process is continuous, semi-continuous or batch.In a third aspect the invention concerns a drying unit for drying loose bulk material by using an warm, dry airflow, the drying unit comprising a system for lowering the moisture content in loose bulk material, according to the first aspect of the invention, comprising a stationary outer pipe comprising a first end wall with an opening for charging the loose bulk material, a second end wall with an opening for discharging dried loose bulk material, and at least one opening in the pipe side wall for supplying drying air; a rotatable drying chamber coaxially arranged inside the outer pipe having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the outer pipe, and the side wall is at least partially perforated, wherein the space defined between the inner side wall of the outer pipe and the drying chamber defines a compartment for receiving and distributing the drying air, andan inner chamber coaxially arranged inside the said drying chamber for collecting and discharging humid air via at least one pipe extending through the end wall of the outer pipe.In an embodiment, the outer pipe is divided in two or more sections, dividing the compartment into an equal number of volumes, where each section have at least one inlet for drying air, preferably one inlet arranged on each opposite side wall of the pipe sections.In a further embodiment, the inner chamber is divided in two or more inner chamber sections by means of partition walls, and where a pipe for discharging the humid air extends from each inner chamber section through the end wall of the outer pipe.In a preferred embodiment, the drying unit is arranged in a frame structure with means for elevating one end.In an embodiment, the drying unit is equipped with sensors for measuring temperature and/or relative humidity. The drying unit may be operated continuous, semi-continuous or batch.In a specific embodiment, the present drying system comprises a heat pump, including an outdoor part, an indoor part and refrigerant fluid cycle, a heat exchanger, a fan, and a drying chamber. The said outdoor part is at least partly encased, while the indoor part and heat exchanger are fully encased. All units are provided with fitted connections to air channels. Air channels are provided between the heat pump outdoor part encasement and the encasement surrounding the heat exchanger (upstream the drying unit), between the encasement surrounding the heat exchanger and the encasement surrounding the heat pump indoor part, further between the encasement surrounding the heat pump indoor part and the drying unit, between the drying unit to the encasement surrounding the heat exchanger (downstream the drying unit) and between the encasement surrounding the heat exchanger and the heat pump outdoor part encasement. By this arrangement a closed transport of the air flowing through the system is ensured.In a specific embodiment, of the process the fan generates an airflow through the drying system. The air admission is at the partly encased heat pump outdoor unit radiator, through which the air flows and thereby is cooled and thus dehumidified, producing a cold, dry airflow. The cold, dehumidified air flows via air channels to the heat exchanger, in which the cold dehumidified air may be preheated by heat exchanging with the warm and humid air coming from the drying unit, thereby recovering the heat and latent heat by condensing the said humid air. The dry, preheated air is passed via an air channel to the encased heat pump indoor part, where the preheated, dry air is heated before being channeled to the drying unit. The warm, dry air firstly enters an air distributing chamber in the drying unit, before being passed via perforated plates/walls into the drying chamber holding the loose bulk material to be dried. By this arrangement the warm, dry air is evenly distributed throughout the loose bulk material. The airflow is collected after passage through the loose bulk material and discharged from the drying unit via at least one outlet, and further channeled to the heat exchanger. After being heat exchanged the airflow may be channeled to the partly encased heat pump outdoor part or discharged to the surroundings.Brief description of the drawingsFigure 1 is a schematic diagram of the system according to the present invention.Figure 2 illustrates in general a heat pump’s vapor-compression refrigerator cycle.Figure 3a shows an embodiment of the drying unit according to the present invention, Figure 3b shows the interior of the embodiment in Fig.3a.Figure 4a-c illustrates an end view, an outer side view and a section C-C of the side view from above, of an embodiment of the drying unit according to the present invention.Detailed description of preferred embodimentsAn object of the present invention is to provide a cost effective drying process for drying loose bulk materials using the lowest possible amount of energy supply. In the drying system according to present invention as much as possible of the heat supplied to the system is recovered, with minimal heat loss during the drying process.The above said object is achieved by means of a system for lowering the moisture content in loose bulk material by using heated dry air, the system (schematically illustrated in Fig.1) comprises an air inlet and air dehumidification unit (i.e. heat pump outdoor unit) 1, an air heating unit 2, a drying unit 3, a fan 14 and a heat exchanger 4, wherein the air inlet and air dehumidification unit 1 comprises an evaporator, where the evaporator contains a refrigerant 21 absorbing heat from the air 22 as the air flows into the air inlet and air dehumidification unit 1, the air heating unit 2 comprises a condenser, in which the refrigerant 21 releases the heat absorbed by the evaporator, and the heat exchanger 4 is arranged to release heat in the dehumidified air 8 from the air inlet and air dehumidification unit 1. The drying system and drying process according to the present invention also implies drying the loose bulk material with as dry air as possible by dehumidifying the drying air before heating the air. The evaporator in the air inlet and air dehumidification unit 1 comprises a heat pump outdoor unit, see fig.2. The air inlet and air dehumidification unit 1, i.e. the heat pump outdoor unit, should be at least semi-enclosed/encased, e.g. in a cabinet, confining a volume into which the air entering the system flows. As heat is transferred from the air entering the system to the refrigerant 21 in the evaporator, the heat pump outdoor unit functions as an air dehumidifier, thus the system according to the invention eliminates the need for a separate air dehumidifier. Conventional drying systems include dehumidifiers that require power supply. The present invention using the heat pump outdoor unit for this purpose results in an even more effective drying process, compared to previously known system. The condenser in the air heating unit 2 is part of a heat pump indoor unit. The said indoor unit is preferably fully enclosed in a cabinet, defining a volume. The cabinets enclosing the said units may be any kind of cases or boxes building-in the units, and should have closable access doors. The evaporator and condenser are part of the refrigerator cycle 21 in the heat pump, the refrigerator cycle 21 further comprises an expander and compressor, as illustrated in fig.2.The schematic diagram in fig 1 illustrates the drying system. The drying air flows through the system, i.e. between the units in the system, in conduits, ensuring a closed and controlled transport of the air flow. The conduits are preferably thermally insulated thereby minimizing heat loss. The drying system comprises a fan, lowering the pressure in the drying system and causing air to flow into and throughout the system. The fan may be any type of fan or blower which may be arranged to cause the air to flow into the system and throughout the system, e.g. an axial-flow fan or centrifugal fan, and is in this context generally referred to as “fan”. The fan may be integrated in the heat exchanger unit 4, or any other appropriate location in the system maintaining the function of the fan.As ambient air 15 and/or warm air from an alternative source 16 enters the air inlet and air dehumidification unit 1 the air 22 passes through the evaporator radiator/coils of a heat pump outdoor unit (see fig.2), and the air thus becomes cooled. The inlet and air dehumidification unit 1 is at least partly enclosed in a cabinet, limiting a volume into which the air enters the drying system. By this arrangement all air flowing into the system will be cooled by the evaporator. When the air is cooled to temperatures below the dew point, the humidity in the air condenses 17, resulting in a cold, dry air 8 flowing from the air inlet and air dehumidification unit 1.The cold, dry air 8 leaving the air inlet and air dehumidification unit 1 is passed to the heat exchanger 4 in which the cold, dry air is pre-heated by recovering heat from the airflow 12 discharged from the drying unit 3. The pre-heated, dry air 9 is further conducted to the air heater unit 2, where the dry pre-heated air 9 is heated resulting in a warm, dry air flow 10, which is passed into the drying unit 3 and through the loose bulk material to be dried. As the warm air 10 has a deficiency of humidity, its capacity to absorb moisture from the wood chips is very high.The air 11 leaving the drying unit 3 is warm and relatively humid. This heat is recovered by passing the said air 11/12 into the heat exchanger 4. After being heat exchanged, the air 13 may still possess some residual heat. If the ambient temperature is lower than the temperature in the air 13 leaving the heat exchanger, the air 13 from the heat exchanger should be conducted to the air inlet 1 and air dehumidification unit 1, possibly mixed with ambient air 15 and/or other warm air 16, providing more heat to be transferred to refrigerant in the evaporator in the air inlet and air dehumidification unit 1. By this arrangement as much as possible of the remaining heat is recovered, resulting in an extremely energy-efficient drying process. The airflow 13 from the heat exchanger 4 may also be discharged to the surroundings 19.The present system comprises a drying unit 3, a heat pump comprising an evaporator and a condenser, a heat exchanger 4, and a fan 14 driving the air flow throughout the system. The system comprises at least one of each said units, i.e. each drying unit 3 is associated with at least one heat pump, at least one heat exchanger and at least one fan. It is possible to include a different number of each unit in the system, and units may be arranged in series, e.g.2, 3, 4 or even more of one or more units. Each heat pump and/or heat exchanger and/or fan may be connected to more than one drying unit, e.g.2-4 drying units. Utilizing more than one heat pump, heat exchanger and fan may result in shorter drying time, however, the energy consumption will be higher when operating several such units. The number of units in the system should therefore be balanced and optimized to obtain the most energy efficient system.In a preferred embodiment the drying unit 103 is a pipe or drum, see figure 3-4. Figures 3-4 only shows the drying unit 3, however the system comprises the other units, i.e. air inlet and air dehumidification unit 1, air heating unit 3, heat exchanger unit 4 and fan 14, as previous described and schematically shown in fig.1, and the numerals in fig.1 will be referred to. The drying unit 103 according to the embodiment in fig.3-4 comprises an outer pipe 100 with end walls 107, 108 at each opposite end, the end walls are provided with openings/hatches 109, 110 for respectively loading/charging wet loose material and discharging/emptying dried loose material. Inside the outer pipe 100 a chamber 102 containing/holding the loose bulk material to be dried is coaxially arranged. The chamber 102 is a tumbler with perforated side wall. The chamber 102 is rotatable and may be rotated during the entire drying process, periodically or occasionally, e.g. at predefined time intervals to prevent formation of air channels through the loose bulk material during the passage of dry warm air. The diameter of the chamber 102 containing the loose material is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer pipe 100. By this arrangement a volume/compartment 111 (see figures 4a, 4c) is defined between the two surfaces. The warm, dry air 10 from the air heating unit 2 (not shown) is introduced into the said space 111 between the outer pipe 100 and the chamber 102 by pipes extending from the manifold 104 through the outer pipe 100. By this arrangement the warm, dry 10 air is distributed along the whole length of the drying unit before entering the drying chamber 102 through the perforated side wall.An inner chamber 105 is coaxially arranged inside the drying chamber 102. The air flowing through the loose bulk material is sucked into the inner chamber 105, by at least one pipe 112, arranged for collecting and discharging the moist air. The inner chamber 105 is stationary, and has perforated or at least partly perforated side wall, to allow the humid air, i.e. the air which has passed through the loose bulk material, to pass through the side wall and into the inner chamber 105. The at least one pipe 112 for collecting and discharging the moist airflow extends through the end wall 107, and is connected to the heat exchanger unit 4 (not shown) downstream the drying unit 103.The outer pipe 100 is preferably thermally insulated to reduce heat loss to the surroundings during the drying process. The outer pipe 100 may be a sandwich composite material with insulation, e.g.5 cm insulation. The outer pipe 100 may further be divided in a number, i.e. two or more, of sections 100’, 100’’, 100’’’, 100’’’’. The length of each section may be 1-3 meters, e.g.2-3 m. In a specific embodiment, shown in figures 3 and 4, the outer pipe 100 is divided in four sections, the length of each section is about 2.5 m and the inner diameter of the outer pipe 100 is about 3 m. In the said embodiment the diameter of chamber 102 is about 2.8 m, resulting in about 10 cm gap defining the space 111 to which the warm dry air 10 is introduced. The diameter of the inner chamber 105 is about 1.2 m. The segmented pipe sections 100’, 100’’, etc. may comprise inward protruding flange joints, dividing the space/compartment 111 surrounding the drying chamber 102, defining an equal number of volumes 111’, 111’’, 111’’’, 111’’’’ for the warm, dry air introduced in the drying unit. It should be noted that the dimensions of the drying unit according to this embodiment may be designed and adapted depending of desired capacity/volume. If a larger capacity is desired the drying unit 103 may be expanded by providing more sections, and the opposite in the case of smaller volumes.In the embodiment shown in figs. 3a-b and 4a-c the air 10 from the air heating unit 2 is introduced via four pipes extending from the manifold 104 per section 100’,100’’, etc., two at each side, through the insulated composite material outer pipe 100 sections. The inner chamber 105, shown in the embodiment, is also divided in four inner chamber sections 105’, 105’’, 105’’’, 105’’’’, correspondingly to the outer pipe 100 sections. However, the number of outer pipe sections and inner chamber sections may differ. The inner chamber 105 is stationary and each of the four sections is provided with a pipe 112’, 112’’, 112’’’, 112’’’’ for collecting and discharging the moist air. The said pipes for collecting the moist air extends through the end wall 107 and are further connected to the heat exchanger 4.The drying unit 103 in the embodiment shown in figures 3 and 4 is arranged in a framework structure 106. The drying unit 103 may be tilted, e.g.15-30º, by elevating one end. Tilting the drying unit 103, by lifting the end 107 provided with a filling opening/hatch 113, facilitates filling/charging of loose bulk material into the drying unit. The loose bulk material is distributed throughout the holding chamber 102 by gravity forces and by rotating the drum/chamber 102. Discharging/emptying the drying unit 103 may also be facilitated by tilting the drying unit 103 causing the material to be discharged through the opening/hatch 110 in the end wall 108 by gravity forces and rotating the chamber 102.The present drying process may be continuous, semi-continuous or a batch process. The loose bulk material may be transported by using conveying belt/continuous transport bands/belts (not shown). The loose material to be dried may be contained in silos/hoppers arranged such that the charging into the drying unit is possible by gravitational forces. In order to automate the drying process the drying chamber may be equipped with sensors measuring temperature and/or relative humidity. As the drying process is in progress the relative moisture in the drying chamber decreases and the temperature increases, and by monitoring these parameters the drying process may be automated.The present drying system may be used for drying materials in granular or particular form or masses of relatively small solids. The drying system according to the invention may be used for drying- grains, such as wheat, maize, rice, barley, oats, rye, sorghum, soybeans, etc),- wood chips, and- agricultural products like fruits which must be dried during processing.In the following a test system is described.In a test system for drying wood chips the drying unit 3 (see fig.1) comprised a base 5 defining a volume of about 1.6 m3, to which the warm dry 10 air was introduced. The base 5 provided support for a drying bin 6 containing the wood chips, having a volume of about 4.8 m3. The bottom/floor of the drying bin was a perforated steel plate 23 allowing the drying air, introduced into the base 5 below the perforated floor, to be distributed through the perforated plate and through the wood chips contained in the bin 6. The steel plate 23 was densely perforated with 5 mm diameter holes. In the upper part of the drying unit 3 a hood 7 was arranged. The hood was provided with a hole for discharging the moist air, guiding the said moist air to the heat exchanger via conduits. In the hood a screen 20 was arranged to prevent small particles to escape with the airflow. The system also comprised a fan 24 for the possibility to directly discharge the airflow from the dryer unit 3 into the surroundings.A Panasonic CS-NE9PKE heat pump and a Covent type CKAA01 (heat exchanger) provided with a fan were used in the test. The indoor heat pump unit and the heat exchanger were placed in cabinets with tight connections to the air channels. The air was transported through the system in non-insulated conventional air channels, diameter 315 mm. The heat pump outdoor unit was also built in, with an opening allowing air to enter the system.Different types of wood chips were used in the tests. In Table 1 the types of wood chips, the initial moisture content in the wood chips before drying and moisture content after drying is shown.Table 1.Temperature and relative moisture in the drying bin was monitored during the tests by using EL-USB-1 from Lascar electronics. To quantify the moisture content in the wood chips, samples of wood chips were collected and stored in sealed bags at the start of the tests and by the end of the tests. The samples were weighed immediately after sampling. The samples were placed in an oven with controlled temperature at 105 ± 2 ºC for drying. This drying method results in a moisture content approximating 0%. After the complete drying the wood chips were weighted, and the total moisture content in the samples were determined by using the methods according to the standard NS-EN 14774-2:2009. The energy content in the chips is calculated according to NS-EN ISO 17225-1:2014. The amount of power supplied to the heat pump and heat exchanger was also measured. The results from the tests showed an initial average net calorific value (heating value) of 2.3 kWh per kg wood chips. Average net calorific value (heating value) after drying using the test system was 4.2 kWh per kg wood chips. The energy content increased in average about 14 %.Although the present test system was used for drying wood chips, this should not be considered as a limitation of the invention. The drying system and drying process may be used for drying loose bulk materials in general, as stated throughout the specification and defined in the patent claims.
Claims
C l a i m s1. A system for lowering the moisture content in loose bulk material, comprisingat least one heat pump outdoor unit (1), at least one air heating unit (2), at least one drying unit (3), at least one heat exchanger unit (4), at least one fan (14) and air channels for a closed transport of an airflow through the system, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n thatthe at least one fan (14) is arranged to cause ambient air (15,22) to flow into the at least one heat pump outdoor unit (1) and to maintain an airflow through the system;the at least one heat pump outdoor unit (1) comprises an evaporator, in which a refrigerant (21) absorbs heat from the air (15,22) flowing into the heat pump outdoor unit(s) (1);the at least one air heating unit (2) is a heat pump indoor unit with a condenser, in which the refrigerant (21) releases the heat absorbed at the evaporator;the at least one heat exchanger unit (4) is arranged to transfer heat from an airflow (12) leaving the at least one drying unit (3) to a dehumidified air (8) flowing from the at least one heat pump outdoor (1), forming a pre-heated airflow (9); andthe pre-heated airflow (9) is conducted to the at least one air heating unit (2), where the airflow is heated to an airflow (10), which is passed into the at least one drying unit (3).2. A system according to claim 1, where the heat pump outdoor unit(s) (1) is at least partly/semiencased.3. A system according to any of the proceeding claims, where the air heating unit(s) (2) and the heat exchanger(s) (4) each are encased, ensuring a closed transport of the air flowing through the system.4. A system according to any of the preceding claims 1-3, wherein the drying unit(s) (3,103) comprise(s)a compartment (5, 111) with at least one inlet for receiving and distributing a warm, dry airflow (10) coming from the air heating unit (2);a drying chamber (6, 102) containing/holding the loose bulk material; andat least one airflow outlet (7, 112).5. A system according to claim 4, where the drying unit (103) is a pipe comprisinga stationary outer pipe (100) comprisinga first end wall (107) with an opening (109) for charging moist loose bulk material, a second end wall (108) with an opening (110) for discharging dried material, and at least one opening in the pipe side wall for supplying the warm, dry air (10);a rotatable drying chamber (102) coaxially arranged inside the outer pipe (100), having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the outer pipe, and the side wall of the drying chamber (102) is at least partially perforated, wherein the space defined between the inner side wall of the outer pipe (100) and the drying chamber (102) defines the compartment (111) for receiving and distributing the warm, dry air; andan inner chamber (105) coaxially arranged inside the said drying chamber (102) for collecting and discharging, the airflow via at least one pipe (112) extending through the end wall (107) of the outer pipe (100).6. A system according to claim 5, where the outer pipe (100) is divided in two or more sections (100’, 100’’, 100’’’, 100’’’’), dividing the compartment into an equal number of volumes (111’, 111’’, 111’’’, 111’’’’), and each section have at least one inlet for drying air (10).7. A system according to claim any of claims 5-6, where the inner chamber (105) is divided in two or more inner chamber sections (105’, 105’’, 105’’’, 105’’’’) by means of partition walls, and pipes (112’ ,112’’, 112’’’, 112’’’’) for discharging the airflow extends from each inner chamber section through the end wall (107) of the outer pipe (100).8. A system according to any of claims 5-7, where the drying unit (103) may be tilted by elevating one end.9. A system according to any of the preceding claims, where the drying unit (3, 103) is equipped with temperature and/or humidity sensors.10. A process for lowering the moisture content in loose bulk material by the use of dry, heated airflow, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n comprising- providing an airflow of ambient air into at least one heat pump outdoor unit and dehumidifying the air, while absorbing heat from the ambient air as it flows into the at least one heat pump outdoor unit by means of an refrigerant in an evaporator;- passing on the dehumidified airflow from the at least one heat pump outdoor unit into at least one heat exchanger before it is led into at least one air heating unit, while releasing heat from the refrigerant in the at least one air heating unit by means of a condenser, thus heating the dehumidified airflow;- passing on dehumidified and heated airflow from the at least one air heating unit to at least one drying unit containing the loose bulk material;- passing the dehumidified and heated airflow through the loose bulk material, while recovering heat from the at least one drying unit by means of the least one heat exchanger, and releasing said recovered heat into the dehumidified airflow passed from the at least one heat pump outdoor unit.11. A process according to claim 10, where the process is continuous, semi-continuous or batch.12. A drying unit for drying loose bulk material by using an airflow, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y comprising a system for lowering the moisture content in loose bulk material, according to claims 1-9; an outer pipe (100) comprising a first end wall (107) with an opening (109) for charging loose bulk material, a second end wall (108) with an opening (110) for discharging dried loose bulk material, and at least one opening in the pipe side wall for supplying drying air;a rotatable drying chamber (102) coaxially arranged inside the outer pipe (100) having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the outer pipe, and the drying chamber (102) side wall is at least partially perforated, andthe space defined between the inner side wall of the outer pipe (100) and the drying chamber (102) defines a compartment (111) for receiving and distributing the drying air; andan inner chamber (105) coaxially arranged inside the said drying chamber (102) for collecting and discharging the airflow via at least one pipe (112) extending through the end wall (107) of the outer pipe (100).13. The drying unit according to claim 12, where the outer pipe (100) is divided in at least two sections (100’, 100’’, 100’’’, 100’’’’), dividing the compartment (111) into an equal number of spaces (111’, 111’’, 111’’’, 111’’’’), and each section have at least one inlet for drying air.14. The drying unit according to any of claims 12-13, where the inner chamber (105) is divided in at least two inner chamber sections (105’, 105’’, 105’’’, 105’’’’) by means of partition walls, and pipes (112’ ,112’’, 112’’’, 112’’’’) for discharging the airflow extends from each inner chamber section through the end wall (107) of the outer pipe (100).15. The drying unit according to any of claims 12-14, where the drying unit is arranged in a frame structure (106) with means for elevating one end.16. The drying unit according to any of claims 12-15, where the drying unit is equipped with temperature and/or humidity sensors.Norske Patentkrav1. Et system for å senke fuktighetsinnholdet i løst bulkmateriale, omfattende minst én varmepumpe utedel (1), minst én luftvarmeenhet (2), minst én tørkeenhet (3), minst én varmevekslerenhet (4), minst én vifte og luftkanaler for lukket transport av en luftstrøm gjennom systemet, k a r a k t e r i s e r t v e d a tden minst ene viften (14) er anordnet til å bevirke at omgivende luft (15, 22) strømmer inn i den minst ene varmepumpe utedel (1) og å opprettholde en luftstrøm gjennom systemet, den minst ene varmepumpe utedel (1) omfatter en fordamper (1), i hvilken et arbeidsmedium (21) absorberer varme fra den omgivende luft (22) som strømmer inn i varmepumpe utedel(ene) (1);den minst ene luftvarmeenhet (2) er en varmepumpe innedel med en kondenser, i hvilken arbeidsmediet (21) avgir varmen absorbert ved fordamperen;den minst ene varmevekslerenheten (4) er anordnet til å overføre varme fra en luftstrøm (12) som forlater den minst ene tørkeenheten (3) til en avfuktet luft (8) som strømmer fra den minst ene varmepumpe utedel (1), og som danner en forvarmet luftstrøm (9); ogden forvarmede luftstrømmen (9) blir ledet til den minst ene luftvarmeenhet (2), hvor luftstrømmen varmes til en luftstrøm (10), som blir ført inn i den minst ene tørkeenheten (3).2. System ifølge krav 1, hvor at luftpumpe utedelen(e) (1) er i det minste delvis innebygget.3. System ifølge hvilket som helst av de foregående krav, hvor hver av luftvarmeenheten(e) (2) og varmevekseleren (4) er innebygget, som sikrer en lukket transport av luften som strømmer gjennom systemet.4. System ifølge hvilket som helst av de foregående krav 1-3, hvor tørkeenheten(e) (3,103) omfatter et rom (5, 111) med minst ett innløp for mottak og distribusjon av en varm, tørr luftstrøm (10) som kommer fra luftvarmeenheten(e) (2);et tørkekammer (6, 102) som holder det løse bulkmaterialet; ogminst ett luftstrømuttak (7, 112).5. System ifølge krav 4, hvor tørkeenheten (103) er et rør omfattende et stasjonært ytre rør (100) som omfatteren første endevegg (107) med en åpning (109) for mating av fuktig, løst bulkmateriale, og en andre endevegg (108) med en åpning for uttak av tørket materiale, og minst en åpning i rørets sidevegg for tilførsel av varm, tørr luft (10);et roterbart tørkekammer (102) koaksialt anordnet inne det ytre rør (100), som har en mindre diameter enn den indre diameter av ytre røret, og tørkekammerets (102) sidevegg er i det minste delvis perforert, hvor rommet som er definert mellom den indre sidevegg av ytre røret (100) og tørkekammeret (102) definerer rommet (111) for mottak og distribusjon av varm, tørr luft (10); og et indre kammer (105) koaksialt anordnet inne i tørkekammeret (102) for samling og utslipp av luftstrømmen via minst ett rør (112) som strekker seg ut endeveggen (107) av det ytre rør (100).6. System ifølge krav 5, hvor det ytre røret (100) er delt i to eller flere seksjoner (100', 100", 100"', 100""), som deler rommet (111) i et likt antall av volumer (111', 111", 111", 111""), og hver seksjon har minst en innløp for tørkeluft (10).7. System ifølge et hvilket som helst av kravene 5-6, hvor det indre kammer (105) er delt inn i to eller flere indre kammerseksjoner (105', 105", 105"', 105"") ved hjelp av skillevegger, og rørene (112', 112", 112"', 112'''') for utslipp av luftstrømmen strekker seg fra hver indre kammerseksjon gjennom endeveggen (107) av det ytre rør (100).8. System ifølge et hvilket som helst av kravene 5-7, hvor tørkeenheten (103) kan skråstilles ved å løfte en ende.9. System ifølge et hvilket som helst av de foregående krav, hvor tørkeenheten (3, 103) er utstyrt med temperatur og/eller fuktighet sensor(er).10. En fremgangsmåte for å senke fuktighetsinnholdet i et løst bulkmateriale ved bruk av tørr, oppvarmet luftstrøm, k a r a k t e r i s e r t v e d- å tilveiebringe en luftstrøm av omgivende luft inn i minst én varmepumpe utedel (1) og avfukting av luften, mens den absorberer varmen fra luften som strømmer inn i den minst ene varmepumpe utedel ved hjelp av et arbeidsmedium i en fordamper,- lede den avfuktede luftstrømmen fra den minst ene varmepumpe utedel inn i minst én varmeveksler, før den føres inn i en minst én luftvarmeenhet, samtidig som det frigjør varme fra arbeidsmediet i den minst ene luftvarmeenheten ved hjelp av en kondensator, slik at den avfuktede luftstrømmen oppvarmes,- lede avfuktet og oppvarmet luftstrøm fra den minst ene luftvarmeenhet til minst én tørkeenhet som inneholder det løse bulkmaterialet,- lede den avfuktede og oppvarmede luftstrømmen gjennom det løse bulkmaterialet, samtidig som - varmen fra den minst ene tørkeenheten gjenvinnes ved hjelp av minst én varmeveksler og nevnte gjenvunnet varme slippes i den avfuktede luftstrømmen som er ledet fra den minst ene luftinntak og luftavfuktningsenheten.11. Fremgangsmåte ifølge krav 10, hvor at fremgangsmåten er kontinuerlig, halv-kontinuerlig eller batch.12. En tørkeenhet for tørking av løst bulkmateriale ved bruk av en luftstrøm,k a r a k t e r i s e r t v e d a t den omfatter et system for å senke fuktighetsinnholdet i løst bulkmateriale ifølge kravene 1-9;et ytre rør (100) omfattende en første endevegg (107) med en åpning (109) for fylling av løst bulkmateriale, en andre endevegg (108) med en åpning for tømming av tørket løst bulkmateriale, og minst én åpning i rørets sidevegg for tilførsel av tørkeluft;et roterbart tørkekammer (102) som er koaksialt anordnet inne i ytterrøret (100) med en diameter som er mindre enn den indre diameter av ytterrøret (100), og tørkekammerets (102) sidevegg er i det minste delvis perforert, og rommet definert mellom den indre sidevegg av det ytre rør (100) og tørkekammeret (102), definerer et rom (111) for mottak og distribusjon av tørkeluften; og et indre kammer (105) koaksialt anordnet inne i tørkekammeret (102) for samling og utslipp av luftstrømmen via minst ett rør (112) som strekker seg ut endeveggen (107) av det ytre rør (100).13. Tørkeenhet ifølge krav 12, hvor det ytre røret (100) er delt i minst to seksjoner (100', 100", 100"', 100""), og deler rommet (111) inn i et likt antall rom (111', 111", 111'", 111""), og hver seksjon har minst en innløp for tørkeluft.14. Tørkeenhet ifølge et hvilket som helst av kravene 12-13, hvor det indre kammer (105) er delt inn i minst to indre kammerseksjoner (105', 105", 105"', 105"") ved hjelp av skillevegger, og rørene (112', 112", 112'", 112"") for utslipp av luftstrømmen strekker seg fra hver indre kammerseksjon gjennom endeveggen (107) av det ytre rør (100).15. Tørkeenhet ifølge et hvilket som helst av kravene 12-14, hvor tørkeenheten er anordnet i en rammestruktur (106) med midler for å løfte en ende.16. Tørkeenhet ifølge et hvilket som helst av kravene 12-15, hvor tørkeenheten er utstyrt med temperatur og/eller fuktighet sensor(er).
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Patent classes

IPC classesF26B 21/02F26B 21/08F26B 3/06CPC classesF26B 21/02F26B 21/08F26B 3/06

Citations

US 4532720 A (A)GB 2064099 A (A)GB 2186959 A (A)US 20130160970 A1 (A1)WO 9822765 A1 (A1)WO 9321489 A1 (A1)

Applicants, owners and inventors

Owners
FLOAT BIOPRO AS
Storgata 25 6002 ÅLESUND NO (ÅLESUND Municipality, Møre og Romsdal county)Org. number: 979734603Inventors
Svein Inge Ringdal
Borgundveien 21 6003 ÅLESUND NO (ÅLESUND Municipality, Møre og Romsdal county)
Kåre Mikalsen
Vikagata 26 6010 ÅLESUND NO (ÅLESUND Municipality, Møre og Romsdal county)

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ZACCO NORWAY AS
ZACCO NORWAY AS

Org. number: 982702887

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Postboks 488 0213 OSLO NO (OSLO Municipality, Oslo county)
Org. number: 982702887
Reference: P61502851NO00

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