압축공기용 흡착식 드라이어의 진공을 이용한 저온재생에 관한 연구

Abstract

Compressed air is an important utility supply in various industries, such as the energy supply for pneumatic devices and compressed air for paint spraying. In this process, moisture is a major cause of corrosion in pipes, valve failures, poor paint coating condition, and malfunction of pneumatic devices. Many companies are aiming to produce more dried compressed air. Air in the atmosphere contains water vapor. When air is compressed, water vapor is concentrated and a large amount of moisture is included in the compressed air. Various types of dryers are used to remove this moisture and supply dry compressed air, including refrigeration air dryers and adsorption dryers. The most energy-consuming process in the process of drying high-purity compressed air is the regeneration process of the adsorbent. Therefore, the purpose of the experiment is to reduce the energy required in the regeneration process by adjusting the pressure to utilize waste heat that can be used in the regeneration process. In this study, the regeneration performance of the adsorbent was analyzed when the waste heat, which is easily obtained in the process of producing high- quality compressed air that is widely used in industrial plants, was applied to the regeneration process of the adsorption air dryer. As a result, the optimum vacuum pressure conditions for smooth regeneration were found. When the regeneration temperature is constant, the regeneration performance of the adsorbent improved as the vacuum increased. When the regeneration temperature of the adsorbent was 60°C, the regeneration conditions through vacuum were close to -500 mmHg. The regeneration performance of the adsorbent improved as the regeneration temperature increased when the vacuum was constant. However, above a certain temperature condition, the regeneration performance did not change significantly.