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US 12,130,083 B1Granted
Heat pump closed loop process drying
OwnerMichael Goldberginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for a closed loop product drying process are disclosed. Heated dry air enters a drying chamber, extracts moisture from a product to be dried, and exits the drying chamber, cooler and wetter. A heat pump air handler dries and warms the air from the drying chamber exhaust, and returns it to the drying chamber, in a closed air loop. The heat pump air handler includes a dehumidifier means in the closed air loop flow path. The dehumidifier means removes entrained moisture from wet air exiting the drying chamber, reheats the air, and returns it to the drying chamber.
Claims20
A closed loop drying system comprising:
- a product drying chamber configured to dry a product and including:
- an inlet configured to receive drying gas at a first temperature;
- and
- an outlet configured to output drying gas at a second temperature, wherein the first temperature is greater than the second temperature;
- a gas drying chamber configured to receive the drying gas at the second temperature from the outlet of the product drying chamber and to provide the drying gas at the first temperature to the inlet of the product drying chamber;
- and
- a heat pump assembly coupled to the gas drying chamber including:
- an evaporator configured to decrease a temperature of the drying gas at the second temperature received by the gas drying chamber to less than or equal to a dew point temperature corresponding to a third temperature,
- wherein the second temperature is greater than the third temperature;
- and
- a condenser configured to increase a temperature of the drying gas at less than or equal to the third temperature to the first temperature;
- wherein the product drying chamber and the gas drying chamber are configured to form a closed loop.
9 more elements
A system comprising:
- a first chamber configured to dry a product and including:
- an inlet configured to receive drying gas at a first temperature;
- and
- an outlet configured to output drying gas at a second temperature, wherein the first temperature is greater than the second temperature;
- a second chamber configured to receive the drying gas at the second temperature from the outlet of the first chamber and to provide the drying gas at the first temperature to the inlet of the second chamber;
- and
- a heat pump assembly coupled to the second chamber including:
- an evaporator configured to decrease a temperature of the drying gas at the second temperature received by the second chamber to less than or equal to a dew point temperature corresponding to a third temperature,
- wherein the second temperature is greater than the third temperature;
- and
- a condenser configured to increase a temperature of the drying gas at less than or equal to the third temperature to the first temperature;
- wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to form a closed loop.
9 more elements
A method of drying a product using a closed loop system, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a product drying chamber, a drying gas at a first temperature via an inlet configured to receive the drying gas at the first temperature;
- applying the drying gas to the product;
- outputting, by the product drying chamber, the drying gas at a second temperature
- via an outlet configured to output the drying gas at the second temperature;
- wherein the first temperature is greater than the second temperature;
- receiving, by a gas drying chamber, the drying gas at the second temperature;
- providing, by the gas drying chamber, the drying gas at the second temperature to a heat pump assembly that is coupled to the gas drying chamber and includes an evaporator and a condenser;
- decreasing, by the evaporator of the heat pump assembly, a temperature of the drying gas at the second temperature received by the gas drying chamber to less than or equal to a dew point temperature corresponding to a third temperature, wherein the second temperature is greater than the third temperature;
- cooling, by the evaporator of the heat pump assembly, the drying gas from the second temperature to less than or equal to the dew point temperature corresponding to the third temperature;
- increasing, by the condenser of the heat pump assembly, a temperature of the drying gas at less than the third temperature to the first temperature;
- and
- heating, by the condenser of the heat pump assembly, the drying gas from less than the third temperature to the first temperature;
- wherein the product drying chamber and the gas drying chamber are configured to form a closed loop.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.