KR102409332B1 - A Hybrid Drying Apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In the disclosed hybrid drying apparatus according to the present invention, the drying chamber 110 in which the loading frame 130 in which the object to be dried is loaded is installed is formed, and the drying housing 100 that can be sealed to the outside, and the drying housing 100 are outside. The installed compressor 210, the compressor 210, and the first flow path 310 are connected by the outdoor condenser 220, the outdoor condenser 220, and the compressor 210 installed outside the drying housing 100. The evaporator 240 connected by the two flow paths 320 and installed inside the drying housing 100, the expansion valve 230 installed on the second flow path 320 in front of the evaporator 240, and the compressor 210 and an indoor condenser 250 connected to the outdoor condenser 220 and the third flow path 330 and installed inside the drying housing 100, and a pressure control unit capable of adjusting the internal pressure of the drying housing 100 . Here, the third flow path 330 is branched from the first flow path 310 and merges again into the first flow path 310 , and when the optional functions of hot air drying and vacuum drying or freeze drying of the object to be dried are performed, the third flow path 330 is discharged from the compressor 210 The refrigerant selectively flows into the first flow path 310 or the third flow path 330 . According to the hybrid drying apparatus of the present invention, hot air drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying are performed together (optionally) with a simple structure by adding only one flow path branching from the general refrigeration cycle and additionally installing only a condenser on the added flow path. This has the effect of significantly reducing the manufacturing cost.

Description

Hybrid Drying Apparatus {A Hybrid Drying Apparatus}

The present invention relates to a hybrid drying apparatus capable of selectively performing hot air drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying functions for an object to be dried.

In general, conventional dryers, particularly food dryers, can be classified into a hot air drying method in which food is dried by supplying hot air, and a freeze drying method in which food is frozen and dried for a long time in a low temperature state. Also, in general, hot air drying is a method of drying by supplying hot air under atmospheric pressure.

In the case of food, drying is carried out by applying hot air drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying methods as needed. In general, dryers, especially industrial drying other than household, are machines that consume a large amount of energy in the drying process, and such hot air drying, When vacuum drying and freeze-drying are performed individually, each dryer must be provided separately, which greatly increases cost due to an increase in the number of dryers.

Due to this problem, recently, as in the following prior art literature, a drying apparatus capable of performing both hot air drying and freeze drying with a single drying apparatus has been disclosed. there is a problem.

Accordingly, the present applicant proposes a hybrid drying apparatus capable of performing hot air drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying of an object to be dried through one dryer, and having a simple structure and low cost.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 0789215 (registered on December 20, 2007) Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 2019-0026127 (published on March 13, 2019)

The present invention was devised in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a hybrid drying apparatus capable of selectively performing hot air drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying of an object to be dried with one drying apparatus having a simple structure. .

A hybrid drying apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes: a drying chamber 110 in which a loading frame 130 on which an object to be dried is loaded is installed, a drying housing 100 that can be sealed to the outside; a compressor 210 installed outside the drying housing 100; an outdoor condenser 220 connected to the compressor 210 and a first flow path 310 and installed outside the drying housing 100; an evaporator 240 connected to the outdoor condenser 220 and the compressor 210 by a second flow path 320 and installed inside the drying housing 100; an expansion valve 230 installed on the second flow path 320 in front of the evaporator 240; an indoor condenser (250) connected to the compressor (210) and the outdoor condenser (220) by a third flow path (330) and installed inside the drying housing (100); and a pressure control unit capable of adjusting the internal pressure of the drying housing 100 . Here, the third flow path 330 is branched from the first flow path 310 and merges into the first flow path 310 again, and the compressor 210 performs optional functions of hot air drying and vacuum drying or freeze drying of the object to be dried. ), the refrigerant flows selectively into the first flow path 310 or the third flow path 330 .

A first check valve 410 is installed on the first flow path 310 , and a second check valve 420 and a third check valve 430 are installed at the front and rear ends of the indoor condenser 250 on the third flow path 330 . Each installed, and during freeze-drying operation of the dry matter, the first check valve 410 is opened, the second check valve 420 and the third check valve 430 are closed, and the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor 210 is the first Passing through the flow path 310 and the second flow path 320, the outdoor condenser 220, the expansion valve 230, and the evaporator 240 cool the inside temperature of the drying room, and hot air drying or vacuum drying of the drying product At the time, the first check valve 410 is closed and the second check valve 420 and the third check valve 430 are opened, and the refrigerant passing through the compressor 210 is transferred to the third flow path 330 and the second flow path ( While passing through 320 , hot air is supplied to the inside of the drying chamber through the indoor condenser 250 , the outdoor condenser 220 , the expansion valve 230 , and the evaporator 240 .

A fourth flow path 340 connecting the compressor 210 and the evaporator 240 and a fourth check valve 440 installed on the fourth flow path 340 are further included, the defrosting operation of the evaporator 240 . At the time, the first check valve 410, the second check valve 420, and the third check valve 430 are closed, the fourth check valve 440 is opened, and the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor 210 is the fourth The ice attached to the evaporator 240 is removed through the evaporator 240 while passing through the flow path 340 .

The indoor condenser 250 and the evaporator 240) are installed on the loading frame 130 so as to be adjacent to each other, and the fan 260 is installed adjacent to the indoor condenser 250, so that the fan 260 ), the flow of air is directed toward the lower loading frame 130 while passing through the indoor condenser 250 and the evaporator 240 .

According to the hybrid drying apparatus of the present invention described above, hot air drying, vacuum drying and freeze drying are performed together ( selectively), which has the effect of significantly reducing the manufacturing cost.

In addition, by adding another branching flow path, ice formed in the evaporator can be efficiently removed, thereby further improving the drying efficiency of food.

1 is a front perspective view showing a state in which a door is opened in a hybrid drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a front view of Figure 1;
3 is a configuration diagram for temperature control of a hybrid drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a layout diagram of a temperature control configuration for performing a freeze-drying function of a hybrid drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a layout diagram of a temperature control configuration for performing a hot air drying function of a hybrid drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a layout diagram of a temperature control configuration for performing a defrosting function of a hybrid drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but will be implemented in a variety of different forms, only these embodiments allow the disclosure of the present invention to be complete, and the scope of the invention to those of ordinary skill in the art completely It is provided to inform you. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements.

The hybrid drying apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention refers to a complex drying apparatus capable of selectively performing hot air drying, vacuum drying, or freeze drying of an object to be dried, particularly food (grains, agricultural and marine products, etc.). Here, hot air drying is a method of drying the inside of the drying room in which the object to be dried is loaded by supplying hot air under atmospheric pressure, and vacuum drying is a method of drying by supplying a relatively low temperature hot air than hot air drying in a vacuum or low vacuum state by depressurizing the inside of the drying room. means the way

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Examples.

1 and 2, the hybrid drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a drying housing 100, a temperature control unit and a pressure control unit installed inside and outside the drying housing.

First, the drying housing 100 forms a drying chamber 110 for drying an object to be dried therein, and a main door 150 for entering the interior such as entry and exit of a worker is provided. The drying housing 100 has a structure capable of sealing the drying chamber 110 to the outside, and thus, it is possible to efficiently control the pressure when the internal pressure is adjusted by a pressure controller to be described later.

In addition, a loading frame 130 on which an object to be dried is loaded is installed inside the drying chamber 110 . The loading frame 130 may be installed in a multi-stage tray 132 on which the object to be dried is loaded. The loading frame 130 is provided in a structure in which one side is open and the other side is closed, so that high-temperature hot air or low-temperature cold air generated from a temperature control unit to be described later can be supplied to the inside of the loading frame 130 .

Next, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the temperature control unit is provided inside and outside the drying housing 110, and heats high or low temperature into the drying chamber to perform hot air drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying functions of food. can provide Also, a defrosting function of removing ice attached to the evaporator in the drying housing 100 may be performed.

The temperature control unit is connected by a compressor 210 installed outside the drying housing 100, the compressor 210 and the first flow path 310, and an outdoor condenser 220 installed outside the drying housing 100, an outdoor condenser ( 220) and the compressor 210 and the second flow path 320, the evaporator 240 installed inside the drying housing 100, and the expansion valve installed on the second flow path 320 in front of the evaporator 240 230 , a compressor 210 , and an indoor condenser 250 connected to the outdoor condenser 220 and the third flow path 330 and installed inside the drying housing 100 . Here, the flow path means a pipe through which the refrigerant flows. Fans 270 and 260 are installed adjacent to each of the outdoor condenser 220 and the indoor condenser 250 .

The indoor condenser 250 and the evaporator 240 are disposed inside the drying housing 100 to function as an indoor heat exchanger, and the outdoor condenser 220 is disposed outside the drying housing 100 to function as an outdoor heat exchanger.

The indoor condenser 250 and the evaporator 240 are installed on the loading frame 130 so as to be adjacent to each other. Therefore, the evaporator 240, the indoor condenser 250, and the fan 260 are arranged side by side so as to be adjacent to each other, and the heat generated by the evaporator 240 and the indoor condenser 250 by the operation of the fan 260 is all loaded in the loading frame. It can be smoothly transferred to the to-be-dried object side accommodated in 130 .

The size or number of loading frames 130 may vary depending on the capacity of the drying room. For example, if one loading frame 130 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is installed, the evaporator 240, the indoor condenser ( 250) and a fan 260 may be additionally installed, one each.

As shown, the third flow path 330 is branched from the first flow path 310 and merges into the first flow path 310 again.

Meanwhile, in order to perform a defrosting function, a fourth flow path 340 that is another flow path connecting the compressor 210 and the evaporator 240 is formed.

A valve for controlling the flow of the refrigerant is installed on each flow path. Specifically, a first check valve 410 is installed on the first flow path 310 , and a third check valve 410 is installed on the third flow path 330 at the front and rear ends of the indoor condenser 250 . The second check valve 420 and the third check valve 430 are installed, respectively, and the fourth check valve 440 is installed on the fourth flow path 340 . In addition, a fourth check valve 450 may be installed at the front end of the evaporator 240 on the second flow path 320 .

A pressure control unit (not shown) is provided to adjust the internal pressure of the drying housing 100 .

The pressure control unit is for substantially depressurizing the drying chamber, and since the drying chamber 110 is at atmospheric pressure, a phenomenon in which the indoor air is expanded due to the pressure difference occurs and prevents this. The pressure control unit can be applied as a pressure reducing pump, and by discharging the air in the drying chamber 110 to the outside by the pressure reducing pump, the pressure inside the drying chamber 110 is reduced. can On the other hand, as described above, hot air drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying functions of the dried product can be selectively performed by the drive control of the temperature control unit. The operation of the pressure control unit is variably variable.

That is, the pressure inside the drying chamber can be variably adjusted according to the execution of each function, and for this purpose, a control unit (not shown) installed outside the drying housing 100 provides a valve opening/closing signal for individual execution of each function, as will be described later. Based on the pressure control unit, that is, the driving pressure of the pressure reducing pump can be adjusted. Therefore, when hot air is supplied at atmospheric pressure, hot air drying is performed, and when hot air is supplied in a vacuum or low vacuum state by depressurizing the inside of the drying chamber by the action of a reduced pressure pump, vacuum drying is performed. The inside of the drying chamber is made in a vacuum or low vacuum state.

Hereinafter, a control method for individually implementing each drying method will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 4 , when the freeze-drying function of the object to be dried is operated, the control unit (not shown) opens (ON) the first check valve 410 on the first flow path 310 and opens (ON) the third flow path 330 . ) on the second check valve 420 and the third check valve 430 is closed (OFF) and the fourth check valve 450 on the second flow path 320 is controlled to open (ON). Of course, the fourth check valve 440 on the fourth flow path 340 is closed (OFF).

At this time, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 passes through the first flow path 310 and the second flow path 320 and sequentially passes through the outdoor condenser 220 , the expansion valve 230 , and the evaporator 240 , and the fan 260 )), cold air of approximately -10 degrees to -20 degrees is delivered to the food and freeze-drying can be achieved. Here, the air sucked in by the fan 260 passes through the indoor condenser 250 and the evaporator 240 , and since the refrigerant is not transferred to the indoor condenser 250 , heat exchange does not occur while passing through the indoor condenser 250 . do.

Temperature control of freeze-drying may be performed through variable control of the pressure of the drying chamber by driving the pressure controller, control of the rpm of the compressor, and control of the opening degree of the expansion valve 230 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the hot air drying or vacuum drying function of the object to be dried is operated, the control unit (not shown) closes the first check valve 410 on the first flow path 310 and closes the third The second check valve 420 and the third check valve 430 on the flow path 330 are opened (ON), and the fourth check valve 450 on the second flow path 320 is controlled to open (ON). Of course, the fourth check valve 440 on the fourth flow path 340 is closed (OFF).

At this time, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 passes through the third flow path 330 and the second flow path 320 , and sequentially connects the indoor condenser 250 , the outdoor condenser 220 , the expansion valve 230 , and the evaporator 240 . and, by driving the fan 260, hot air of about 25 degrees to 80 degrees is transferred to the food, so that hot air drying or vacuum drying can be performed. That is, as the refrigerant of the compressor 210 passes through the indoor condenser 250, the amount of heat generated inside the drying chamber increases, and the refrigerant, which has lost some heat through the indoor condenser 250, loses heat again while passing through the outdoor condenser 220. Since it has a relatively small amount of heat absorbed while passing through the expansion valve 230 and the evaporator 240 in this state, hot air is supplied to the drying chamber. Therefore, in the drying chamber, the increase in calorific value due to secondary condensation and endotherm of heat by the evaporator 240 having a relatively small amount of heat absorption are made, and the air sucked by the fan 260 is the indoor condenser 250 and the evaporator 240. As it passes, a blast is created.

As described above, in hot air drying, hot air is supplied to the inside of the drying chamber at atmospheric pressure, and in vacuum drying, hot air is supplied by reducing the pressure inside the drying chamber to a vacuum or low vacuum state. temperature is controlled to be lower. Hot air drying and vacuum drying can be selected according to the type or condition of the object to be dried.

The hot air drying and vacuum drying temperature control may be performed through variable control of the pressure of the drying chamber 110 by driving the above-described pressure control unit, control of the rpm of the compressor driving, adjustment of the opening degree of the expansion valve 230, and the like.

On the other hand, when the refrigerant flows only toward the first flow path 310 and the second flow path 320 for rapid freeze-drying of the dried product, the cooled water may be attached to the pipe of the evaporator 240 to form ice. As shown in FIG. 6 , in the present invention, a defrosting function for removing ice adhering to the pipe of the evaporator 240 may be additionally performed.

When the defrost function is operating, the control unit (not shown) controls the first check valve 410 on the first flow path 310 , the second check valve 420 and the third check valve 430 on the third flow path 330 are all It is closed (OFF) and the fourth check valve 440 on the fourth flow path 340 is controlled to open (ON). Of course, the fourth check valve 450 on the second flow path 320 is also closed (OFF). At this time, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 flows directly into the evaporator 240 while passing through the fourth flow path 340 , and the defrosting operation of the evaporator 240 can be efficiently performed by the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor. have.

On the other hand, when such a defrosting operation is performed, water falls to the lower portion of the evaporator 240. A defrost water collecting plate may be provided at the lower end of the evaporator 240 to collect such defrosting water, and the defrost water collected on the defrosting water collecting plate. is discharged to the outside of the drying room through a separate pipe.

As described above, according to the present invention, by adding only one flow path branching from the general refrigeration cycle, additionally installing only a condenser on the added flow path, and installing only a check valve for controlling the flow of refrigerant on each flow path, hot air with a simple structure Since drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying can be performed together (optionally), there is an advantage in that the manufacturing cost can be significantly reduced. In addition, by adding another branching flow path, ice formed in the evaporator can be efficiently removed, thereby further improving the drying efficiency of food.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings and the above-described preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto, and is defined by the following claims. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art can variously change and modify the present invention within the scope without departing from the spirit of the claims to be described later.

100: drying housing 130: loading frame
210: compressor 220: outdoor condenser
230: expansion valve 240: evaporator
250: outdoor condenser 260, 270: fan
310 to 340: first to fourth euros
410 to 450: first to fifth check valves

Claims (4)

A drying chamber 110 in which a loading frame 130 on which the object to be dried is loaded is installed is formed, and the drying housing 100 can be sealed to the outside;
a compressor 210 installed outside the drying housing 100;
an outdoor condenser 220 connected to the compressor 210 and a first flow path 310 and installed outside the drying housing 100;
an evaporator 240 connected to the outdoor condenser 220 and the compressor 210 by a second flow path 320 and installed inside the drying housing 100;
an expansion valve 230 installed on the second flow path 320 in front of the evaporator 240;
an indoor condenser (250) connected to the compressor (210) and the outdoor condenser (220) by a third flow path (330) and installed inside the drying housing (100);
and a pressure control unit capable of adjusting the internal pressure of the drying housing 100;
The third flow path 330 is branched from the first flow path 310 and merges again into the first flow path 310, and the compressor 210 when performing the optional functions of hot air drying and vacuum drying or freeze drying of the object to be dried. The refrigerant from the flow selectively flows into the first flow path 310 or the third flow path 330,
A first check valve 410 is installed on the first flow path 310 , and a second check valve 420 and a third check valve 430 are installed at front and rear ends of the indoor condenser 250 on the third flow path 330 . Each is installed
During the freeze-drying operation of the dried product, the first check valve 410 is opened and the second check valve 420 and the third check valve 430 are closed, and the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor 210 is transferred to the first flow path 310 . And while passing through the second flow path 320, the outdoor condenser 220, the expansion valve 230, and the evaporator 240 to cool the internal temperature of the drying chamber,
During hot-air drying or vacuum drying of the building material, the first check valve 410 is closed and the second check valve 420 and the third check valve 430 are opened, and the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor 210 passes through the third flow path. Passing through the 330 and the second flow path 320, the indoor condenser 250, the outdoor condenser 220, the expansion valve 230, and the evaporator 240 to supply hot air to the inside of the drying chamber,
A fourth flow path 340 connecting the compressor 210 and the evaporator 240 and a fourth check valve 440 installed on the fourth flow path 340 are further included,
During the defrosting operation of the evaporator 240, the first check valve 410, the second check valve 420, and the third check valve 430 are closed, and the fourth check valve 440 is opened, and the compressor ( A hybrid drying apparatus, characterized in that the refrigerant that has passed through the 210) removes ice attached to the evaporator (240) through the evaporator (240) while passing through the fourth flow path (340).
delete delete According to claim 1,
The indoor condenser 250 and the evaporator 240) are installed on the loading frame 130 so as to be adjacent to each other, and the fan 260 is installed adjacent to the indoor condenser 250, so that the fan 260 ), a hybrid drying device, characterized in that the flow of air is directed to the lower loading frame 130 through the indoor condenser 250 and the evaporator 240 by the operation.

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