KR20210081670A - Dryer operating method - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for operating a dryer used in a 5G environment connected for Internet of Things. According to one embodiment, the dryer can include: a heater; a tumble connected with an outlet of the heater; a fan connected with an outlet of the tumble; a heat exchanger placed on a flow line of working fluids connected with an outlet of the fan; and a compressor having an inlet connected with the flow line connected with the outlet of the fan, and having an outlet connected with an inlet of the heat exchanger. According to one embodiment, the method for operating a dryer includes the following steps of: operating the heater to heat the working fluids; operating the compressor to decompress the inside of the tumble by discharging some of the working fluids in a circulation line to the outside; drying a material stored in the tumble; and cooling the stored material. Therefore, the present invention is capable of improving the efficiency of the dryer.

Description

How to operate the dryer {DRYER OPERATING METHOD}

The embodiment relates to a method for operating a dryer, and more particularly, to a method for operating a dryer for improving efficiency and performance of the dryer.

The content described in this section merely provides background information for the embodiment and does not constitute the prior art.

A dryer is used to dry an object to be dried, such as laundry. According to a method of obtaining heat for heating an object to be dried, the dryer includes a gas method, an electric heater method, a heat pump method, and the like.

The gas method is a method of heating an object to be dried with heat generated by burning combustible gas. In order to supply gas from the outside, the gas dryer has a disadvantage in that the device becomes large and the structure is complicated.

The electric heater method is a method of heating an object to be dried with heat obtained by using an electric heater. The electric heater type dryer has the advantage that the size of the dryer can be reduced and the structure of the device is simple.

However, since the electric heater type dryer uses electricity, which is an expensive energy source, it has disadvantages in terms of cost and energy efficiency.

The heat pump dryer uses a compressor to transfer heat from a low-temperature thermal reservoir to a high-temperature thermal reservoir to heat the object to be dried with heat obtained.

In the heat pump method, heat can be obtained using a compressor, and electricity can be used to operate the compressor.

However, unlike the electric heater method, which generates heat by converting electricity into heat, the heat pump method collects the heat from the low temperature heat storage tank to the high temperature heat storage tank to obtain heat, so it consumes less power compared to the electric heater method. have.

The demand for electric heater-type dryers having the advantage of low power consumption is continuously increasing, and related research and development are gradually spreading accordingly.

The embodiment proposes a dryer operating method for improving the efficiency and performance of the dryer.

The embodiment proposes a dryer operating method capable of reducing power consumption by reducing initial heating.

The embodiment proposes a dryer operating method using a dryer having a structure having a gas-liquid separator.

The technical task to be achieved by the embodiment is not limited to the technical task mentioned above, and other technical tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiment belongs from the description below.

In order to achieve the above object, the dryer according to an embodiment includes a heating device, a tumbler connected to the outlet of the heating device, a fan connected to the outlet of the tumbler, and a working fluid connected to the outlet of the fan. ) may include a heat exchanger disposed on the flow line, and a compressor having an inlet connected to a flow line connected to an outlet of the fan, and an outlet connected to an inlet of the heat exchanger.

A dryer operating method according to an embodiment includes operating a heating device to heat a working fluid, operating a compressor to discharge some of the working fluid of a circulation line to the outside to depressurize the inside of the tumble, and receiving accommodated in the tumble drying the water, and cooling the aqueous solution.

The dryer further includes a accommodating part accommodating the heat exchanger therein, and the accommodating part is connected to a flow line connected to an outlet of the fan, a flow line connected to an inlet of the heating device is connected, and a flow connected to an inlet of the compressor. The line may be connected.

The dryer may further include a discharge valve connected to the outlet of the heat exchanger.

The dryer operating method may be to open the discharge valve when the pressure inside the tumble is reduced, and to close the discharge valve when drying the contents accommodated in the tumble.

The dryer may further include a discharge line connected to the heat exchanger outlet and disposed with the discharge valve, and a regeneration line having one end branched from the discharge line and the other end connected to the circulation line.

The regeneration line is a working fluid flow line connecting the heating device and the tumbler, a working fluid flow line connecting the tumble and the fan, a working fluid flow line connected to the outlet of the fan, or an operation connected to the inlet of the heating device It may be connected to at least one of the fluid flow lines.

The dryer may further include a control valve disposed in the regeneration line.

The drying method may include closing the control valve in the step of depressurizing the inside of the tumble, and opening the control valve in the step of drying the contents accommodated in the tumble.

In the dryer, a gas-liquid separator having an inlet connected to the heat exchanger outlet and a gas outlet connected to the regeneration line, a steam trap connected to the condensate outlet of the gas-liquid separator, and a flow line connecting the heat exchanger outlet and the gas-liquid separator inlet , or a pressure reducing device provided in at least one of a flow line connecting the gas outlet and the discharge line of the gas-liquid separator, a bypass line having both ends connected to both ends of the pressure reducing device and both ends of the steam trap, and a bypass valve disposed in the bypass line It may further include.

The drying method may be to stop the operation of the heating device in the step of depressurizing the inside of the tumbler.

The dryer operating method may be to introduce at least a portion of the working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger into the circulation line in the step of drying the water accommodated in the tumbler.

The dryer operation method may be to stop the operation of the compressor in the step of cooling the accommodation.

Dryer operating method according to another embodiment includes the steps of heating a working fluid by operating a heating device, stopping the operation of the heating device, and operating a compressor to discharge some of the working fluid of the circulation line to the outside to depressurize the inside of the tumble. It may include the steps of, drying the water contained in the tumbler, and stopping the operation of the compressor and cooling the water.

In the embodiment, both the initial heating using a heating device and the tumble internal decompression using a compressor may be used so that the steam ratio in the circulation line is greater than or equal to a set value.

Accordingly, in the embodiment, the initial heating by the heating device is significantly reduced to reduce power consumption by the heating device, and steam necessary for the operation of the dryer can be obtained by using a compressor, thereby improving the efficiency of the dryer.

In the embodiment, since the drying object is cooled by operating only a fan without introducing external air into the circulation line, without using a heating device and a compressor, the occurrence of steam condensation in the circulation line due to the inflow of external air in the cooling step is effectively reduced can be suppressed

In addition, by simplifying the structure of the dryer, it is possible to facilitate the design of the dryer and reduce the manufacturing cost.

In addition, since the heating device and the compressor are not operated in the cooling step, the efficiency of the dryer can be improved by reducing power consumption.

1 is a view showing an external appearance of a dryer according to an embodiment.
2 is a view showing a structure of a dryer according to an embodiment.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a dryer according to an exemplary embodiment.
4 is a view showing a structure of a dryer according to another embodiment.
5 is a view showing a structure of a dryer according to another embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiment may have various changes and may have various forms, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the embodiment to a specific disclosed form, and it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the embodiment.

Terms such as “first” and “second” may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. These terms are used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. In addition, terms specifically defined in consideration of the configuration and operation of the embodiment are only for describing the embodiment, and do not limit the scope of the embodiment.

In the description of the embodiment, in the case of being described as being formed in "up (up)" or "below (on or under)" of each element, on (above) or under (on or under) ) includes both elements in which two elements are in direct contact with each other or one or more other elements are disposed between the two elements indirectly. In addition, when expressed as "up (up)" or "down (on or under)", the meaning of not only the upward direction but also the downward direction based on one element may be included.

Further, as used hereinafter, relational terms such as "upper/upper/above" and "lower/lower/below" etc. do not necessarily require or imply any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements, It may be used to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element.

1 is a view showing an external appearance of a dryer according to an embodiment. The dryer according to the embodiment may be used, for example, to dry non-dried laundry after washing is completed. Of course, it can also be used to dry clothes that have been wetted with water regardless of washing.

The object to be dried may be accommodated in a tumbler 100 provided in the dryer. Referring to FIG. 1 , the tumbler 100 may be provided in a cylindrical shape, for example, and may be provided to rotate as necessary.

The dryer may be provided with a user interface 10 . The user interface 10 is electrically connected to the controller 900 to be described below, and the user can control the operation of the dryer through the user interface 10 .

For example, the user interface 10 may include a display, a capacitive touch type button, a physical button, a dial, a speaker through which the dryer emits a voice, a microphone used by the user to input a command by voice, and the like.

Accordingly, the user can obtain information necessary for operation from the dryer through text, voice, or the like. In addition, the user may operate the dryer by inputting a command by voice or by manipulating a button, a dial, or the like by hand.

The dryer further includes a transceiver connected to the control unit 900 , and the control unit 900 may communicate with a server, a user terminal, and other external devices through the communication unit.

The communication unit may be configured to include at least one of a mobile communication module and a wireless Internet module. In addition, the communication unit may further include a short-range communication module.

The mobile communication module includes technical standards or communication methods for mobile communication (eg, Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), Code Division Multi Access (CDMA), Code Division Multi Access 2000 (CDMA2000), EV-DO ( Enhanced Voice-Data Optimized or Enhanced Voice-Data Only), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term (LTE-A) Evolution-Advanced), 5G mobile communication, etc.) transmits and receives a radio signal with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network.

The wireless Internet module refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and may be provided in the dryer. The wireless Internet module is configured to transmit and receive wireless signals in a communication network according to wireless Internet technologies.

The dryer can transmit and receive data with a server and various communicationable terminals through a 5G network. In particular, the dryer uses at least one service from among Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), URLLC (Ultra-reliable and low latency communications), and mMTC (Massive Machine-type communications) through 5G network to communicate data with servers and terminals. can do.

Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) is a mobile broadband service through which multimedia content and wireless data access are provided. In addition, more advanced mobile services such as hot spots and broadband coverage for accommodating explosively increasing mobile traffic may be provided through eMBB. Hotspots allow high-volume traffic to be accommodated in areas with low user mobility and high density. Broadband coverage can ensure a wide and stable wireless environment and user mobility.

URLLC (Ultra-reliable and low latency communications) service defines much more stringent requirements than existing LTE in terms of data transmission and reception reliability and transmission delay. 5G service for

mMTC (Massive Machine-type communications) is a service that is not sensitive to transmission delays requiring the transmission of a relatively small amount of data. A much larger number of terminals, such as sensors, can simultaneously access the wireless access network by mMTC than a general mobile phone. In this case, the communication module of the terminal should be inexpensive, and improved power efficiency and power saving technology are required so that it can operate for many years without battery replacement or recharging.

The dryer according to the embodiment may configure a thermodynamic cycle to apply heat to the drying object accommodated in the tumbler 100 .

The working fluid used to implement the thermodynamic cycle of the dryer may be a mixture of air and gaseous water, that is, steam. At this time, the ratio of air and steam in the working fluid may be changed while circulating each component of the dryer.

2 is a view showing a structure of a dryer according to an embodiment.

The dryer may be provided with a flow line through which the working fluid flows. The flow line may connect each component of the dryer to be described below. The flow line may be provided as, for example, a pipe, a hose, a duct, or a combination thereof.

In the dryer having each structure shown in FIG. 2 or less, the flow line of the working fluid may be provided as a circulation line, a non-circulation line, a discharge line 820 or a regeneration line 830 (a regeneration line).

The circulation line is a line connecting the heating device 500 , the tumbler 100 , the fan 200 , and the heat exchanger 300 to each other, and the working fluid may circulate along the circulation line. The fan 200 may blow the working fluid so that the working fluid flows along the circulation line.

The non-circulation line may be branched from the circulation line before the heat exchanger 300 to be connected to the compressor 400 , and may be connected to the compressor 400 and the heat exchanger 300 . The working fluid flowing through the non-circulation line may be introduced into the compressor 400 and compressed, and then may pass through the heat exchanger 300 .

Some of the working fluid of the circulation line may be introduced into a non-circulation line branched from the circulation line. The working fluid introduced into the non-circulation line may be heated by increasing the temperature due to pressurization in the compressor 400 .

The discharge line 820 is connected to the outlet of the heat exchanger 300 , and a discharge valve 810 may be disposed on the discharge line 820 . Also, the discharge line 820 may be connected to the storage unit 800 . The working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 300 may be introduced into the storage unit 800 through the discharge line 820 or may be discharged to the outside.

The heated working fluid of the non-circulating line discharged from the compressor 400 may be introduced into the heat exchanger 300 to exchange heat with the working fluid of the circulating line having a relatively low temperature, and may be discharged from the heat exchanger 300 .

The regeneration line 830 is a flow line of the working fluid connecting the outlet of the heat exchanger 300 and the circulation line. 5, for example, a gas-liquid separator 710, a decompression device 730, a steam trap 720, and the like may be disposed on the regeneration line 830.

The working fluid of the circulation line is heated by the heat exchanger 300 as described above, flows into the tumble 100 and heats the object to be dried contained in the tumble 100, so that the object to be dried can be dried.

After the dryer is operated, in order to quickly and efficiently perform the drying operation, it is necessary to quickly heat the object to be dried in the initial stage of the drying operation.

This initial heating is to heat the working fluid of the circulation line. For initial heating, a heating device 500 may be provided in a circulation line connected to the inlet of the tumbler 100 .

In the initial heating, the drying object of the tumble 100 is continuously heated, and accordingly, the water contained in the drying object continues to evaporate, so that the working fluid of the circulation line and the non-circulation line contains sufficient steam, and heat exchange in the heat exchanger 300 If this is done smoothly, you can quit.

In consideration of the specific design of the dryer, for example, a time for initial heating may be set, and after the set time has elapsed, the initial heating may be terminated.

In another embodiment, the humidity of the working fluid is measured from a humidity sensor disposed at an appropriate position among the circulating line, the non-circulating line, or each component of the working fluid, and when the humidity falls within a set range, the initial heating may be terminated.

The heating device 500 heats the working fluid flowing through the circulation line, the heated working fluid flows into the tumble 100, and the drying object of the tumble 100 is heated by the working fluid and the water contained therein is evaporated. can be vaporized.

When the initial heating is performed using only the heating device 500 , the initial heating may be stopped, for example, when water evaporates from the drying object and steam is present in the circulation line at a rate greater than or equal to the set value. In this case, the ratio of steam means the ratio of steam to air in the working fluid.

The heating device 500 for performing initial heating may be provided as an electric heater, for example. When the heating device 500 is excessively used in the initial heating, the efficiency of the drying device may be reduced due to excessive power consumption.

Therefore, in the embodiment, in order to reduce power consumption by the heating device 500 provided as an electric heater during the initial heating process, the initial heating by the heating device 500 can be reduced as much as possible.

By terminating the initial heating by the heating device 500 and depressurizing the inside of the tumble 100 using the compressor 400 so that the evaporation of water in the tumble 100 occurs actively, steam at a rate greater than or equal to the set value in the circulation line can make it exist.

That is, in the embodiment, both the initial heating using the heating device 500 and the internal pressure reduction of the tumble 100 using the compressor 400 are used, so that the steam ratio in the circulation line is equal to or greater than the set value.

Accordingly, in the embodiment, the initial heating by the heating device 500 is significantly reduced to reduce power consumption by the heating device 500 , and steam required for the operation of the dryer can be obtained using the compressor 400 , so the efficiency of the dryer can improve

Steam generation in the circulation line using the heating device and the compressor 400 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 3 and the like. First, with reference to FIG. 2 , the structure and function of the dryer according to the embodiment will be described in detail.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the dryer according to the embodiment may include a heating device 500 , a tumbler 100 , a fan 200 , a heat exchanger 300 , and a compressor 400 .

The tumbler 100 may be connected to the outlet of the heating device 500 . The structure and function of the tumble 100 are as described above.

The heating device 500 may be disposed between the tumbler 100 and the heat exchanger 300 on the circulation line. The heating device 500 may be provided as, for example, an electric heater.

The heating device 500 may be used for initial heating of the working fluid flowing through the circulation line, for example, as described above. In addition, even after the initial heating is completed, the heating device 500 may be operated again at any time to heat the working fluid of the circulation line.

The fan 200 may be arranged to be connected to the outlet of the tumbler 100 . The fan 200 and the tumbler 100 may be connected to each other through a circulation line of the working fluid. The fan 200 blows the working fluid flowing in from the tumble 100 so that the working fluid circulates through the circulation line.

The heat exchanger 300 may be disposed on a flow line of the working fluid connected to the outlet of the fan 200 . That is, the heat exchanger 300 may be disposed on a circulation line of the working fluid connecting the fan 200 and the tumbler 100 .

In addition, the heat exchanger 300 may be provided so that a non-circulating line of the working fluid connected to the outlet of the compressor 400 passes therethrough.

Due to this structure, heat exchange may occur with each other in the heat exchanger 300 between the working fluid of the circulation line, which is relatively low temperature, and the working fluid of the non-circulation line, which is compressed by the compressor 400 and has a relatively high temperature.

On the other hand, during initial heating, the working fluid of the non-circulating line is further heated, so that heat exchange in the heat exchanger 300 can occur more actively.

The working fluid of the circulation line heated through the heat exchanger 300 may flow into the tumble 100 again, and the object to be dried in the tumble 100 may be heated and dried.

The dryer according to the embodiment may further include a accommodating part 600 accommodating the heat exchanger 300 therein. For example, the accommodating part 600 is provided as a duct, and may constitute a part of the circulation line.

The receiving unit 600 has a large cross-sectional area, thereby increasing the contact area between the working fluid of the circulation line and the surface of the heat exchanger 300, thereby increasing the heat exchange efficiency between the working fluid of the circulation line and the working fluid of the non-circulating line. have.

However, it is appropriate to select the cross-sectional area of the accommodating part 600 in consideration of the overall size of the dryer, the size of the space in which the accommodating part 600 is provided, and the size of the heat exchanger 300 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the accommodating part 600 is connected to a flow line connected to the outlet of the fan 200 , and a flow line connected to the inlet of the heating device 500 is connected, and the compressor ( A flow line connected to the inlet of 400) may be connected.

That is, both a circulating line and a non-circulating line of the working fluid may be connected to the accommodating part 600 . The heat exchanger 300 has, for example, an open type in which a working fluid of a circulation line and a working fluid of a non-circulation line are mixed with each other, and a closed type in which each working fluid is separated from each other. The heat exchanger 300 according to the embodiment may be provided, for example, in a closed type.

When using the closed heat exchanger 300 , the non-circulating line of the working fluid is directly connected to the heat exchanger 300 disposed in the receiving unit 600 , and the working fluid of the non-circulating line is circulated in the receiving unit 600 . They are not mixed with the working fluid of the line and can be separated from each other.

The compressor 400 may have an inlet connected to a flow line connected to an outlet of the fan 200 , and an outlet may be connected to an inlet of the heat exchanger 300 .

The compressor 400 is connected to the non-circulating line of the working fluid, and some of the working fluid flowing through the circulating line may be introduced. The working fluid introduced into the non-circulation line may be introduced into the heat exchanger 300 by increasing the temperature due to pressurization in the compressor 400 .

The type of the compressor 400 is, for example, a reciprocating type, a rotary type, a screw type, a scroll type, a centrifugal type, an axial flow type. type), etc. In consideration of the size and specific characteristics, the compressor 400 may be appropriately selected and used.

The dryer according to the embodiment may further include a storage unit 800 and a control unit 900 .

The storage unit 800 may be connected to the discharge line 820 or the regeneration line 830 . For example, the storage unit 800 may be connected to an outlet of the discharge valve 810 and the steam trap 720 provided in the discharge line 820 , and water discharged from the discharge line 820 may be stored.

The working fluid flowing into the storage unit 800 is condensed while passing through the heat exchanger 300, the gas-liquid separator 710, or the steam trap 720 to become liquid water, that is, condensed water. have. Accordingly, the storage unit 800 may store the incoming condensed water.

The controller 900 may be electrically connected to the heating device 500 , the fan 200 , the compressor 400 , the discharge valve 810 , and the control valve 840 . In addition, the control unit 900 may be electrically connected to other components of the dryer that require electrical control.

The controller 900 may control each component of the dryer, and thus may control the entire operation of the dryer according to the embodiment. For example, the controller 900 applies power to the heating device 500 , controls the operation of the fan 200 , controls the operation of the compressor 400 , or the discharge valve 810 or the control valve 840 . ) can be controlled.

As described above, the control unit 900 may be connected to the user interface 10 and the communication unit to receive a user's command, transmit a notification required to the user, or communicate with an external device such as a server.

The dryer may further include a discharge valve 810 connected to the outlet of the heat exchanger 300 . The discharge valve 810 is electrically connected to the control unit 900 , and the control unit 900 may control opening and closing of the discharge valve 810 .

For example, the control unit 900 opens the discharge valve 810 in the case of depressurizing the inside of the tumble 100 and the discharge valve 810 in drying the contents accommodated in the tumble 100 . ) can be closed.

When the discharge valve 810 is opened while the compressor 400 is operating, a portion of the working fluid of the circulation line is discharged to the non-circulation line, so that the pressure inside the tumble 100 disposed in the circulation line can be reduced.

The dryer may include a discharge line 820 , as described above. The discharge line 820 is connected to the outlet of the heat exchanger 300 , and the discharge valve 810 may be disposed therein. One end of the discharge line 820 may be connected to the heat exchanger 300 , and the other end of the discharge line 820 may be connected to the storage unit 800 .

The working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 300 may be introduced into the storage unit 800 through the discharge line 820 .

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a dryer according to an exemplary embodiment. As described above, the controller 900 may control the operation of the dryer.

The control unit 900 may operate the heating device 500 to heat the working fluid (S110). In step S110, the discharge valve 810 is closed, the compressor 400 does not operate, and the heating device 500 and the fan 200 operate. Therefore, the working fluid of the circulation line does not flow into the compressor 400, and can be heated while continuing to circulate the circulation line.

When the circulation line is properly heated, the control unit 900 may stop the operation of the heating device 500 . The time of stopping the operation of the heating device 500 is, for example, when the heating device 500 has elapsed a set time, or the temperature or humidity at a specific point of the circulation line such as the inside of the tumble 100 becomes more than the set value. can be

The dryer may be provided with a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor at appropriate positions in each line and component to measure temperature and humidity, and the control unit 900 receives the measured values from these temperature sensors and humidity sensors and, accordingly, the heating device It is possible to determine whether the operation of 500 is stopped.

Of course, at the time of stopping the operation of the heating device 500, the steam ratio of the circulation line and the tumbler 100 did not reach the set value.

The control unit 900 may operate the compressor 400 to discharge some of the working fluid of the circulation line to the outside to depressurize the inside of the tumble 100 ( S120 ).

In step S120 , the controller 900 may stop the operation of the heating device 500 , operate the fan 200 , operate the compressor 400 , and open the discharge valve 810 .

Accordingly, as a part of the working fluid of the circulation line is discharged to the non-circulation line, the pressure of the circulation line and the tumble 100 may be lowered.

As the tumble 100 is decompressed, the evaporation temperature of the water contained in the drying object accommodated in the tumble 100 is lowered, and accordingly, the evaporation of water in the tumble 100 occurs actively, and accordingly, in the circulation line and the tumble 100 The steam rate may increase.

However, in step S120 , since a portion of the steam in the circulation line is discharged to the storage unit 800 , the ratio of steam in the circulation line may be lowered. Therefore, in order to maintain the ratio of steam in the circulation line to a set value or more, it is necessary to properly maintain the internal pressure of the tumbler 100 .

The lower the internal pressure of the tumble 100, the lower the vaporization temperature of water, so lowering the internal pressure of the tumble 100 may be advantageous to increase the ratio of steam in the circulation line.

However, when the internal pressure of the tumble 100 is excessively lowered, the power consumption of the compressor 400 may increase. In consideration of these points, the operation of the compressor 400 is controlled so that the internal pressure of the tumble 100 has an appropriate value. It is appropriate to control

When the steam ratio of the circulation line and the tumbler 100 is equal to or greater than the set value, the dryer may proceed with the drying step. Whether the steam ratio is greater than or equal to the set value can be known through a humidity sensor disposed in the circulation line and the tumbler 100 .

In the drying step, the dryer may dry the contents accommodated in the tumbler 100 under the control of the controller 900 ( S130 ). In step S130 , the fan 200 and the compressor 400 operate, the discharge valve 810 is in an open state, and the heat exchanger 300 may operate due to the operation of the compressor 400 .

Accordingly, the working fluid of the circulation line is heated by the heat exchanger 300 , flows into the tumble 100 , and heats the drying object accommodated in the tumble 100 , thereby drying the drying object.

In the step of drying the water contained in the tumble 100, at least a portion of the working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 300 may be introduced into the circulation line.

That is, in step S130, unlike step S120, there is no need to depressurize the circulation line, and since the working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 300 has a lot of heat, this heat can be introduced into the circulation line to improve the efficiency of the dryer. have.

Accordingly, the dryer according to the embodiment may include a regeneration line 830 for introducing the working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 300 into the circulation line in step S130 . The regeneration line 830 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 .

As the drying step (S130) proceeds, the condensed water flows into the storage unit 800, the humidity of the entire circulation line and the amount of water contained in the drying object gradually decrease, so that the drying object may be dried.

When the drying step (S130) is performed and the drying of the object to be dried is completed, the cooling step (S140) may be performed. Whether the drying of the object to be dried is completed may be determined, for example, when a set time has elapsed or the humidity of the object to be dried is less than or equal to a set value.

In the cooling step, the control unit 900 may stop the operation of the compressor 400 and cool the contained water (S140). When the water contained in the object to be dried is sufficiently evaporated and dried, the dryer can cool the object to be dried at a high temperature.

In order to cool the object to be dried, in general, outside air at room temperature is introduced into the circulation line, and the cooling operation is performed using this. In the case of cooling the object to be dried using external air, a flow line, valve, blower, and other devices for introducing external air into the circulation line are required.

Such additional equipment or devices may make it difficult to design the dryer and cause an increase in the manufacturing cost of the dryer.

On the other hand, when the external air at room temperature and the working fluid of the circulation line come into contact with each other, at least a portion of the high-temperature working fluid falls below the dew point temperature due to the temperature difference, and the steam contained in the working fluid is condensed to generate condensed water.

The condensed water may have adverse effects such as penetrating the drying object and moistening the drying object. Therefore, in order to suppress the condensation of steam in the circulation line in the cooling step, the outside air is raised to an appropriate temperature by heating and introduced into the circulation line.

The heating of the outside air is possible with the heating device 500 or the heat exchanger 300 . In order to operate the heat exchanger 300 , it is necessary to operate the compressor 400 in the cooling step.

However, when the heating device 500 or the compressor 400 is operated to heat the outside air in the cooling step, excessive power consumption may occur and the efficiency of the dryer may be reduced.

Therefore, there is a need for a method of cooling the object to be dried without introducing external air into the circulation line in the cooling step and without operating the heating device 500 and the compressor 400 . In the embodiment, a drying object cooling method is implemented in consideration of the above conditions.

In step S140 , that is, in the step of cooling the object to be dried, the operation of the compressor 400 may be stopped, and the working fluid may be circulated in the circulation line using the fan 200 . Since the compressor 400 does not operate, heat exchange in the heat exchanger 300 is gradually reduced, so that the working fluid in the circulation line can be gradually cooled.

In addition, the cooled working fluid circulating in the circulation line may be introduced into the tumble 100 to cool the high-temperature drying object accommodated in the tumble 100 . When the drying object is sufficiently cooled, the control unit 900 may stop the operation of the fan 200 to end the drying operation.

In the embodiment, since the drying object is cooled by operating only the fan 200 without introducing the external air into the circulation line, without using the heating device 500 and the compressor 400, It is possible to effectively suppress the occurrence of steam condensation in the circulation line.

In addition, by simplifying the structure of the dryer, it is possible to facilitate the design of the dryer and reduce the manufacturing cost.

In addition, since the heating device 500 and the compressor 400 are not operated in the cooling step, the efficiency of the dryer can be improved by reducing power consumption.

4 is a view showing a structure of a dryer according to another embodiment.

The dryer may further include a regeneration line 830 as described above. One end of the regeneration line 830 may be branched from the discharge line 820 , and the other end may be connected to a circulation line of the working fluid.

The regeneration line 830 is a working fluid flow line connecting the heating device 500 and the tumble 100, a working fluid flow line connecting the tumble 100 and the fan 200, the fan It may be connected to at least one of a flow line of the working fluid connected to the outlet of 200 , or a flow line of the working fluid connected to the inlet of the heating device 500 .

That is, the regeneration line 830 is, as shown in FIG. 4 , of the four partial lines of the circulation line divided by the heating device 500 , the tumble 100 , the fan 200 and the heat exchanger 300 . It may be connected to at least one.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , a valve for controlling the flow of the working fluid is installed in each of the regeneration lines 830 connected to the four partial lines of the circulation line, and by opening and closing each valve, the circulation line The working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 300 may be introduced into all or part of the four partial lines.

In another embodiment, the regeneration line 830 may be connected to only some of the four partial lines of the circulation line.

Due to this structure, the working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 300 may be introduced into all or part of the four partial lines of the circulation line. Since the working fluid flowing into the circulation line from the heat exchanger 300 has relatively large heat, it is used to heat the working fluid in the circulation line, and thus the efficiency of the dryer can be improved.

In the decompression step (S120), the working fluid is prevented from flowing into the circulation line from the regeneration line 830 for decompression, and in the drying step, the working fluid is introduced from the regeneration line 830 into the circulation line to improve the efficiency of the dryer. proper.

To this end, the dryer may further include a control valve 840 disposed in the regeneration line 830 . The control valve 840 may be electrically connected to the control unit 900 , and opening and closing may be controlled by the control unit 900 .

The control unit 900 closes the control valve 840 in the step of depressurizing the inside of the tumble 100 ( S120 ), and the control in the step ( S130 ) of drying the contents accommodated in the tumble 100 . The valve 840 may be opened.

For effective pressure reduction in the circulation line and the tumble 100 , in step S120 , the control valve 840 may be closed to block the inflow of the working fluid from the regeneration line 830 to the circulation line. This is because when the working fluid flows from the regeneration line 830 to the circulation line, the introduced working fluid can increase the pressure of the circulation line and the tumble 100 .

In step S130, the control valve 840 is opened to introduce the working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 300 into the circulation line, thereby heating the working fluid of the circulation line, thereby improving the efficiency of the heat exchanger 300 can do it

On the other hand, condensed water and steam coexist in the working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 300 , and steam having a high heat content is introduced into the circulation line through the regeneration line 830 , and the heat content is small, which greatly affects the heating of the circulation line. It is appropriate to discharge the condensed water that does not contribute to the storage unit 800 .

Therefore, the regeneration line 830 needs to be provided with a device for separating condensed water and steam, discharging the condensed water to the storage unit 800 , and introducing the steam into the circulation line. Such a device includes, for example, a gas-liquid separator 710 and a steam trap 720, which will be described with reference to FIG. 5 .

5 is a view showing a structure of a dryer according to another embodiment. As described above in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 , for effective pressure reduction in the circulation line and the tumble 100 , the control valve 840 is closed in step S120 to introduce the working fluid from the regeneration line 830 to the circulation line. can be blocked. This is because when the working fluid flows from the regeneration line 830 to the circulation line, the introduced working fluid can increase the pressure of the circulation line and the tumble 100 .

In step S130, the control valve 840 is opened to introduce the working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 300 into the circulation line, thereby heating the working fluid of the circulation line, thereby improving the efficiency of the heat exchanger 300 can do it

On the other hand, the discharge valve 810 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is opened in step S120 but closed in step S130 to effectively discharge condensed water to the storage unit 800 and introduce steam into the circulation line.

Meanwhile, in the dryer shown in FIG. 5 , the discharge line 820 connected to the outlet of the discharge valve 810 may be connected to the storage unit 800 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the dryer may include a gas-liquid separator 710 , a steam trap 720 , a pressure reducing device 730 , a bypass line 740 , and a bypass valve 750 . .

In the gas-liquid separator 710 , an inlet may be connected to an outlet of the heat exchanger 300 , and a gas outlet may be connected to the regeneration line 830 . In addition, the condensate outlet of the gas-liquid separator 710 may be connected to the steam trap 720 and the storage unit 800 .

In the gas-liquid separator 710 , the introduced working fluid may be separated into liquid condensed water and gaseous steam. The condensed water separated by the gas-liquid separator 710 may be introduced into the storage unit 800 , and the steam separated from the gas-liquid separator 710 may be introduced into the circulation line through the regeneration line 830 .

The working fluid flowing into the circulation line from the gas-liquid separator 710 may be used to dry the object to be dried of the tumbler 100 while circulating the circulation line. Accordingly, when the condensed water flows into the circulation line, significant latent heat of evaporation is additionally required to evaporate the condensed water, which is not advantageous compared to the case where the regeneration line 830 is not provided.

Therefore, in the embodiment, only steam that does not require latent heat of evaporation can be introduced into the circulation line by using the gas-liquid separator 710 . Since only steam is introduced into the circulation line, it is not necessary to apply additional heat equivalent to the latent heat of evaporation of the condensate to the working fluid of the circulation line, thereby improving the efficiency of the dryer.

As described above, at least one gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator 710 is disposed in four partial lines of the circulation line divided by the heating device 500 , the tumble 100 , the fan 200 and the heat exchanger 300 . can be

The steam trap 720 may be connected to the condensate outlet of the gas-liquid separator 710 . The steam trap 720 may be disposed on a flow line connecting the condensate outlet of the gas-liquid separator 710 and the storage unit 800 .

Steam and condensed water may not be completely separated in the gas-liquid separator 710 , and part of the condensed water discharged from the gas-liquid separator 710 may be vaporized due to a temporary pressure drop inside the flow line, thereby generating steam again.

For this reason, the working fluid discharged from the gas-liquid separator 710 may include not only condensed water but also steam. Therefore, by disposing the steam trap 720 in the flow line connected to the condensate outlet, it is possible to suppress the discharge of steam to the storage unit 800 .

Condensed water from the working fluid flowing into the steam trap 720 passes through the steam trap 720 and flows into the storage unit 800 , and the steam does not pass through the steam trap 720 . Steam that has not passed through the steam trap 720 may be introduced into the circulation line through the gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator 710 .

In an embodiment, by providing a steam trap 720 connected to the condensate outlet of the gas-liquid separator 710, the storage unit 800 allows only condensed water to be discharged from the gas-liquid separator 710, thereby improving the efficiency of the dryer. .

The pressure reducing device 730 is a flow line connecting the outlet of the heat exchanger 300 and the inlet of the gas-liquid separator 710 or a flow line connecting the gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator 710 and the discharge line 820 . At least one may be provided.

Since the working fluid of the non-circulating line passing through the heat exchanger 300 and flowing into the gas-liquid separator 710 is compressed by the compressor 400 , it is in a high temperature and high pressure state compared to the working fluid of the circulation line.

Therefore, the steam introduced into the circulation line through the regeneration line 830 needs to have the same or similar pressure and temperature as the working fluid of the circulation line, pressure reduction and temperature drop are required.

In the embodiment, the pressure reducing device 730 is installed in at least one of the partial lines before or after the gas-liquid separator 710 among the regeneration line 830, and the steam discharged through the gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator 710 and introduced into the circulation line. temperature and pressure can be lowered to fit the circulation line.

The pressure reducing device 730 may include, for example, an expansion valve, a throttling device, a capillary device, and the like. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be provided with various devices capable of reducing the pressure and temperature of the working fluid.

Both ends of the bypass line 740 may be connected to both ends of the pressure reducing device 730 and both ends of the steam trap 720 . The bypass valve 750 may be disposed on the bypass line 740 .

When the pressure reducing device 730 or the steam trap 720 is in an emergency state such as malfunction or abnormal operation, it is necessary to bypass them to flow the working fluid.

In such an emergency state, the bypass valve 750 may be opened and the working fluid may be bypassed with respect to the pressure reducing device 730 or the steam trap 720 through the bypass line 740 .

Although only a few have been described as described above in relation to the embodiments, various other forms of implementation are possible. The technical contents of the above-described embodiments may be combined in various forms unless they are incompatible with each other, and may be implemented in a new embodiment through this.

10: user interface 100: tumblr
200: fan 300: heat exchanger
400: compressor 500: heating device
600: receiving unit 710: gas-liquid separator
720: steam trap 730: pressure reducing device
740: bypass line 750: bypass valve
800: storage unit 810: discharge valve
820: discharge line 830: regeneration line
840: control valve 900: control unit

Claims (13)

A drying method comprising:
the dryer,
heating device;
a tumbler connected to the outlet of the heating device;
a fan connected to the outlet of the tumble;
a heat exchanger disposed on a flow line of a working fluid connected to an outlet of the fan; and
The inlet is connected to the flow line connected to the outlet of the fan, and the outlet is connected to the inlet of the heat exchanger.
including,
heating the working fluid by operating the heating device;
depressurizing the inside of the tumble by operating the compressor to discharge some of the working fluid of the circulation line to the outside;
drying the water contained in the tumbler; and
cooling the aqueous solution
How to operate a dryer comprising a. According to claim 1,
the dryer,
Further comprising a receiving portion for accommodating the heat exchanger therein,
The receiving unit,
A flow line connected to the outlet of the fan is connected,
A flow line connected to the inlet of the heating device is connected,
A method of operating a dryer in which a flow line connected to the inlet of the compressor is connected. According to claim 1,
the dryer,
The method of operating a dryer, further comprising a discharge valve connected to the outlet of the heat exchanger. 4. The method of claim 3,
When the pressure inside the tumble is reduced, the discharge valve is opened,
Closing the discharge valve when drying the water accommodated in the tumbler, dryer operating method. 4. The method of claim 3,
the dryer,
a discharge line connected to the outlet of the heat exchanger and provided with the discharge valve; and
A regeneration line having one end branched from the discharge line and the other end connected to the circulation line
Further comprising, the dryer operating method. 6. The method of claim 5,
The playback line is
A working fluid flow line connecting the heating device and the tumbler, a working fluid flow line connecting the tumble and the fan, a working fluid flow line connected to an outlet of the fan, or connected to an inlet of the heating device A method of operating a dryer, which is connected to at least one of the flow lines of the working fluid. 6. The method of claim 5,
the dryer,
The dryer operating method further comprising a control valve disposed in the regeneration line. 8. The method of claim 7,
Closing the control valve in the step of depressurizing the inside of the tumble,
In the step of drying the accommodation accommodated in the tumble, the control valve is opened. 6. The method of claim 5,
the dryer,
a gas-liquid separator having an inlet connected to the heat exchanger outlet and a gas outlet connected to the regeneration line;
a steam trap connected to the condensate outlet of the gas-liquid separator;
a pressure reducing device provided in at least one of a flow line connecting the outlet of the heat exchanger and the inlet of the gas-liquid separator or a flow line connecting the outlet of the gas-liquid separator and the discharge line;
a bypass line having both ends connected to both ends of the pressure reducing device and both ends of the steam trap; and
a bypass valve disposed on the bypass line
Further comprising, the dryer operating method. According to claim 1,
In the step of depressurizing the inside of the tumble,
To stop the operation of the heating device, the dryer operating method. According to claim 1,
In the step of drying the water accommodated in the tumble,
at least a portion of the working fluid discharged from the heat exchanger is introduced into the circulation line. According to claim 1,
In the step of cooling the aqueous solution,
To stop the operation of the compressor, the dryer operating method. heating device;
a tumbler connected to the outlet of the heating device;
a fan connected to the outlet of the tumble;
a heat exchanger disposed on a flow line of a working fluid connected to an outlet of the fan; and
The inlet is connected to a flow line connected to the outlet of the fan, and the outlet is connected to the inlet of the heat exchanger.
As a dryer operating method using a dryer comprising:
heating the working fluid by operating the heating device;
stopping the operation of the heating device and discharging a portion of the working fluid of the circulation line to the outside by operating the compressor to depressurize the inside of the tumble;
drying the water contained in the tumbler; and
stopping the operation of the compressor and cooling the contained water;
How to operate a dryer comprising a.

Images