Air cycle heat pump dryer
OwnerGeorge Samuel Levyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention is a method and apparatus for drying wet objects, comprising passing air through the wet objects thereby having air absorb moisture from said wet objects; compressing the air adiabatically, thereby heating it; extracting heat from the air by passing it through the hot side of a heat exchanger thereby cooling it; expanding the air adiabatically, thereby cooling it further, below its dew point; separating the condensate from the air; restoring to the air all or part of the heat by passing it through the second side of the heat exchanger; and redirecting all or part of the air back to the wet objects thereby forming a loop in the flow of the air.
Claims20
A dryer for drying wet objects using an air cycle, comprising
- a. a tumbler enclosure holding a tumbler and having an air input and an air output;
- b. a compressor having an input and an output, said compressor input connected to said tumbler enclosure output;
- c. a heat exchanger, said heat exchanger having a hot side and a cold side, each said side having an input and an output, said hot side input connected to said compressor output;
- d. an expander having an input and an output, said expander's input connected to said heat exchanger's hot side output;
- e. an air-vapor separator having an air input, an air output and a liquid output, said separator's air input connected to said expander's output;
- f. said separator's air output connected to said heat exchanger's cold side input;
- and
- g. said heat exchanger cold side output connected to said tumbler enclosure's input;
- wherein air flows in a loop, from said tumbler enclosure where said air acquires moisture, to said compressor where said air is essentially adiabatically compressed and heated, then flows to said heat exchanger where said air is cooled, then flows to said expander where said air is essentially adiabatically expanded and further cooled, then flows to said separator where condensate is removed and said air is dried, then flows back to said heat exchanger where said air is heated, then finally flows back to said tumbler enclosure where said air captures moisture, thereby completing said loop.
A method for drying wet objects, comprising
- a. passing air through said wet objects thereby having air absorb moisture from said wet objects;
- b. compressing said air, thereby heating it;
- c. extracting heat from said air by passing said air through the hot side of a heat exchanger, thereby cooling said air, and furthermore said heat exchanger having a cold side;
- d. expanding said air, thereby cooling it further, below its dew point;
- e. separating condensate from said air;
- f. restoring all or part of said heat to said air by passing said air through said heat exchanger's cold side, thereby warming said air;
- and
- g. redirecting all or part of said air back to said wet objects thereby forming a loop in the flow of said air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.