U.S. patent application number 12/747006 was filed with the patent office on 2010-11-04 for dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use.
Invention is credited to Jose Vilani Oliveira, JR..
Application Number | 20100275621 12/747006 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40755192 |
Filed Date | 2010-11-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100275621 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Oliveira, JR.; Jose Vilani |
November 4, 2010 |
DEHUMIDIFICATION OR DEHYDRATION UNIT FOR APICULTURAL USE
Abstract
A dehumidification or dehydration Unit is comprised by a coil or
heat exchanger of evaporation (1), a coil or heat exchanger of
condensation (2), an expansion valve (3), a rejected heat air
stream (4) by the condensation coil (2), a compressor (5) or
another equipment for increasing pressure, a ventilator (6) is
provided for rejection of heat to environment from the parts of the
condensation coil (2) and a circuit or substance (7) that is to be
dehydrated or demisted. A ventilator unit (8) for recirculation of
air and a gutter (9) for collection of condensate in the coil,
which is collected by the condensate drain (10), are also provided.
An air duct (12) is provided for rejection of heat. The
condensation coil (2) is divided by a border or wall (16), to use
part of the heat for the reheating of the cold and dry air.
Inventors: |
Oliveira, JR.; Jose Vilani;
(Rio de Janeiro, BR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FILDES & OUTLAND, P.C.
20916 MACK AVENUE, SUITE 2
GROSSE POINTE WOODS
MI
48236
US
|
Family ID: |
40755192 |
Appl. No.: |
12/747006 |
Filed: |
December 10, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
December 10, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/BR07/00335 |
371 Date: |
June 9, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/93 ; 165/59;
62/324.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A23L 21/25 20160801;
F26B 21/086 20130101; A23L 3/40 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/93 ; 62/324.5;
165/59 |
International
Class: |
F25D 17/06 20060101
F25D017/06; F25B 13/00 20060101 F25B013/00; F24F 7/007 20060101
F24F007/007 |
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. Dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use,
comprised by a coil or heat exchanger of evaporation or cold, coil
or heat exchanger of condensation or hot, expansion valve, airflow
of rejected heat by the condensation coil, compressor or another
equipment for increasing pressure, fan for heat rejection to the
environment of the part of the condensation coil, environment,
chamber, circuit or substance that will be dehydrated or
dehumidified, fan of air recirculation of the unit, gutter for
condensate collect formed in the evaporation or cold coil, where
the condensate will be collected by the drain, duct of return of
humid air, air duct of heat rejection, temperature sensor of the
environment or chamber, connected to the duct of dry air, air inlet
for heat rejection, characterized for the fact of having a dividing
wall or border of the condensation coil to use part of the heat of
the condensation coil or hot for the reheating of the cold and dry
air.
16. Dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use, in
accordance with claim 15, characterized for possessing adjustment
in the dividing border or wall.
17. Dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use, in
accordance with claim 15, characterized for possessing a fixed
dividing border or wall.
18. Dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use, in
accordance with claim 15, characterized for possessing two coils or
heat exchangers of condensation or hot, one being dedicated to the
reheating of cold and dry air, and the other dedicated to reject
heat for the environment.
19. Dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use, in
accordance with claim 15, characterized for possessing several
coils or heat exchangers of condensation or hot, being part of the
coils dedicated to the reheating of cold and dry air, and another
part to reject heat for the environment.
20. Dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use, in
accordance with claim 15, characterized for possessing several
coils or heat exchangers of evaporation or cold.
21. Dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use, in
accordance with claim 15, characterized for working with several
dehumidification units in series.
22. Dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use, in
accordance with claim 15, characterized for working with several
dehumidification units in parallel.
23. Dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use, in
accordance with claim 15, characterized for working in opened
circuit.
24. Dehumidification or dehydration unit for apicultural use, in
accordance with claim 15, characterized for working in closed
circuit.
25. Use of a dehumidification or dehydration unit, in accordance
with claim 15, characterized for dehydrating pollen, honey and its
derivatives.
26. Use of a dehumidification or dehydration unit, in accordance
with claim 15, characterized for dehydrating spores, fruits, foods,
mushrooms, other products and substances, environments, seeds,
grains, medicaments and compounds formulations, amongst others.
27. Process of dehumidification or dehydration of air or other
gaseous fluid in a dehumidification or dehydration unit,
characterized for dehumidifying or drying the air or another
gaseous fluid through the cooling of this fluid below the dew point
temperature, forcing the condensation of the humidity or the water
vapor promoted by the passage through a cold coil or cold heat
exchanger of evaporation of the refrigeration cycle, being the
water condensed, withdrawal or eliminated to a reservoir while the
cold and dry air is then forced to pass for a part, conveniently
calculated and adjusted, of the coil or heat exchanger of
condensation or hot of the same refrigeration cycle, where the air
or dry and cold fluid is sufficient and convenient warmed, reusing
part of the heat that would be rejected by the refrigeration cycle
and producing dry air with low relative humidity.
28. Process of dehumidification or dehydration, in accordance with
claim 27, characterized for dehumidifying or drying through the
exchange of humidity between a fluid or dehumidified, dry air, at a
temperature above its dew point and closed to the ambient, of low
relative humidity and a circuit, chamber, system, substance,
spores, mushrooms, fruits, grains, nuts, foods, products,
medicaments and compounds formulations, honey, pollen and its
derivatives, amongst others, with higher relative humidity, due to
the difference of potential of humidity between them and the dry or
dehumidified air.
Description
[0001] The present patent of invention has as objective an
equipment or system to extract the humidity or the water contained
in environments, circuits, products or systems, in closed or opened
cycle.
[0002] It is already known and widely used dehumidifiers, driers or
dehydrators of environments, ovens, circuits, products or systems,
that basically consist of environment heaters or ovens, either for
electric resistance, heat exchanger with warm fluid in its
interior, cycle of heat pump or inverted cycle of refrigeration.
All these systems or circuits raise the temperature of air and,
consequently, they diminish the relative humidity, generating a
vapor pressure for the warm fluid and increasing the capacity of
this fluid, normally air, to absorb more water of the environment,
circuit or system. This type of dehumidification has as great
inconvenience the temperature higher than of the environment, which
causes irreversible losses of thermosensible substances,
properties, vitamins and proteins. In the case where in this
environment there are people, as in laboratories and clean rooms,
the thermal discomfort caused by the heat would be very great.
Another state of the art is the dehumidification or dehydration of
air through the condensation of the water contained in this air of
the circuit, system or volume of control, through the use of the
refrigeration or heat exchanger with frozen water or a frozen
fluid, where the reduction of the temperature below of the dew
point is promoted, in this manner the water vapor contained in air
condenses, lowering the absolute humidity or the amount of water
per air volume. Normally, this cooled air has to be warmed to
diminish the relative humidity and thus to get dry air. To return
this air to the ambient temperature, of comfort or work, normally
an electric resistance or a heat exchanger with hot water or
another hot fluid is used. Considering this situation energy is
spent twice, one to cool the air and another one to heat it, once
usually there are independent systems to perform this function.
Moreover, expensive systems of instrumentation and control of
temperature are necessary for the correct adjustment and control of
the system.
[0003] Another type of dehumidifier, dehydrator or drier is the
chemical type through cylinder or rotating wheel of a hygroscopic
or highly desiccant element, in some cases lithium chloride--ClLi
or Silica gel. The principle of functioning of this widely used
equipment for humidity control in controlled environments consists
of a transversal section of the wheel or cylinder where there is
the humid airflow passage, and in another section it is the airflow
passage of regeneration or reactivation of the desiccant element.
The process is continuous in regeneration or reactivation as well
as in the dehumidification, once as the wheel or cylinder turns,
there will have a section ready to absorb humidity while a humid
section exists that is being regenerated. The process consists of
an airflow to be dehumidified that it is forced to permeate the
desiccant element of the section of the wheel or cylinder, causing
the water to be absorbed by the hygroscopic element, where the air
is left dry, with decreased relative humidity. The water absorbed
for the wheel or cylinder needs to be removed of the impregnated
chemical element so that it can receive again humid air when to
reach the dehumidification section. Regeneration or reactivation
occurs in another section of the wheel. Normally a warm external
airflow at high temperature and raised airflow are used in the
regeneration of the desiccant element. Normally, it is necessary a
heat exchanger warmed by vapor and a fan insufflating air. The
inconvenience of this system is the high cost of operation and
installation, besides needing high investment in equipment,
systems, accessories and control, besides utilities as boiler to
generate vapor.
[0004] PI9303857-7 deposited in the INPI, whose title
Dryer-Dehumidifier of grains, leaves and fruits, uses in the same
system and in series, the process of condensation of water vapor
contained in air through the coil of the evaporator of the
refrigeration cycle and, after that, the process of heating the
air, with the reuse of all heat generated for the condensation coil
of the same cycle and for the compressor. In this manner, water
condenses in the evaporation coil and diminishes the absolute
humidity. The heating of the cold and dehumidified air flow occurs
in the condensation coil and the compressor. This system,
differently of the previous ones, reuses the heat, which normally
would be totally rejected for the environment, to heat the
dehumidified air, lowering the relative humidity for raising the
temperature of air.
[0005] All system or refrigeration cycle removes heat of one
environment (hot source) and needs to reject this heat to other
environment (cold source), according to Law of the Thermodynamics.
This function of rejecting the heat is made by the condensation
coil and, it is added to the removed heat of the environment (hot
source), the energy supplied for the compressor and a small
quantity of energy generated due to internal frictions. The heat
has to be rejected so that the system or refrigeration cycle can
again remove the heat of the hot source, closing the cycle.
Obviously, there is the need of rejecting this calorific energy for
another environment, and that it is not the same environment that
is being cooled.
[0006] In the proposed process of the application PI9303857-7 cited
above, the addition of the calorific energies of the environment to
be dehumidified/refrigerated occurs in the circuit of the system,
with the calorific energies of the compressor and with a small
worthless quantity promoted by friction. As no rejection of heat
occurs and as the time goes by, more energy is added to the system
due to the continuous work of the motor-compressor. Inevitably,
this addition of calorific energy of the system will cause the
heating of the air that passes through all the set. This system
becomes a heat pump instead of a refrigeration cycle. Even for the
pump cycle works, it is necessary to reject a quantity of heat for
a cold source. Therefore, there is the need for a cold or ambient
air input for mixture with the air of the system, lowering the
temperature of the system and rejecting heat. In this manner, the
system is not closed anymore causing inconveniences when foods,
spores, honey and other substances or products are dehumidified,
due to the highest risk of air contamination of the system by the
external air, and consequently, of the product to be dehumidified
or dehydrated, despite the inevitable heating. Normally, this high
temperature is controlled with a thermostat to turn off the
compressor and, to cause an interruption in the process,
intermittent without temperature uniformity, lowering the yield.
Depending on the dimensions of the equipment, a great oscillation
in the system with delayed time of answer occurs due to the long
time of stopping of the refrigeration/dehumidification cycle,
resting only the forced ventilation activated.
[0007] Even considering the wide use of these types of
dehumidifiers, driers and dehydration units, some inconveniences
can be attributed to them, as for example the loss and
deterioration of thermosensible proteins, vitamins, spores, enzymes
and substances or products, modification of the organoleptic
characteristics, evaporated or burnt vitamins, substances and
proteins, contamination of the air of the circuit or system by
external air, besides the high cost of operation, maintenance and
acquisition. In the apiculture, in special with the honey, the
exposition to high temperatures causes the irreversible rising of
Hydroximethylphurphural (HMF), ending up with an acidic honey. The
legislation, not only the Brazilian as the foreign one, stipulates
the maximum parameters of Hydroximethylphurphural in the honey. In
case where it is above of a established value the honey must be
discarded or this honey of inferior quality will be mixed with one
of superior quality, lowering the quality of the final product.
Some honeys need to be dehumidified once the legislation obliges
that the honey must be commercialized with relative humidity
inferior of 18%. Moreover, honeys with more than 20% of relative
humidity have greater potential of fermentation. Some harvests of
honey are harvested from 20% to 23% of RH and, some will be mixed
other honeys with lower content of relative humidity, in this
manner harming the honey with low humidity and superior quality and
price, lowering its market value. One technique to dehydrate the
honey uses dehumidification with hot and dry airflow, what
increases the honey temperature and increases the level of HMF
irreversibly. Another used technique is dehumidification with
environment refrigeration where the product is stored. It is very
long process once the exchange area is small, unhygienic once the
honey is exposed to an environment susceptible to dust and
dirtiness. Another great inconvenience is the acceleration of the
process of crystallization of the honey, which occurs at low
temperatures. Currently it is estimated that 25% of the honeys
harvested in Brazil have relative humidity above 18%.
[0008] The dehydration of pollen, which is a product that
necessarily has to be dehydrated, must be performed in order of not
creating fungi and mildew. As the honey, this process must occur as
close as possible to the ambient temperature in order of not to
break volatile enzymes, to modify the original characteristics and
loss of thermosensible proteins and vitamins as vitamins A and E,
amongst others. The equipment traditionally used to dehydrate the
pollen is the oven, which heats the product and has as inconvenient
the cited ones above.
[0009] Research laboratories, for example, need to dehydrate
thermosensible spores and other substances and products for tests
and research, for medicaments and compounds formulations, and
others. Beside the risk of the partial or total loss of these
substances by the heat, there is the risk of contamination of the
substance itself not only by the external air but also of the
environment by the substance; in case of it is harmful.
[0010] Taking these problems into account and with the intention of
surpassing them a new system of dehumidification or dehydration was
searched and developed, objective of present application, which
possesses a fundamental difference and which consists of effecting
the calculation and the thermal balance between the heat removed
for the evaporation coil, the heat in the condensation coil, the
amount of heat that needs to be rejected for the environment, the
latent and sensible heat of dehumidification, initial and final
temperatures of the desired airflow, using to advantage only one
quantity conveniently calculated of the condensation coil for
reheating the dry and cold air, and rejecting for the environment
the heat in excess.
[0011] This form of construction of the system or equipment to
dehumidify solves all the cited inconveniences, once only a
convenient calculated part of the condensation coil is used to heat
the dry and cold air, to reach the desired temperature and low
levels of relative humidity. Besides of propitiating the best
energy exploitation of the cycle, not only in terms of energy but
also heat.
[0012] The principle of dehumidification or dehydration of the
dehumidification unit, not only for a closed circuit system as for
an opened one, is the same. If it is for a closed circuit, the
airflow is dehumidified in the dehumidification or dehydration
unit, goes to the place where is desired to keep the controlled
humidity low, gains humidity, returns to the dehumidification unit,
leaves water in the unit and restarts the cycle. In the case of
open system the air or an amount of it is admitted in the
dehumidification unit and goes for another environment returning
partially or not. The principle of functioning of the
dehumidification or dehydration unit, subject-matter of the present
application, consists of the passage of the humid airflow for the
evaporation or cold coil, where occur the dehumidification or
drying of air or another gaseous fluid through the cooling of this
fluid below the dew point temperature, forcing the condensation of
the humidity or of the water vapor promoted by the passage for a
cold coil or cold heat exchanger of evaporation of the
refrigeration cycle, being the water condensed, removed or
eliminated for a reservoir while the dry and cold air is then
forced for passing for a part, conveniently calculated and adjusted
of the coil or heat exchanger of condensation or hot of the same
refrigeration cycle, where the dry and cold air or fluid is
sufficiently and conveniently warmed, reusing part of the heat that
would be rejected by the refrigeration cycle and producing dry air
with low relative humidity, in order to take into account the
requirements of dehumidification or drying of the place,
environment, circuit, chamber, system, substance, food or product,
amongst others, being that the reheated dry air or fluid reaches
low relative humidity at temperatures above of its dew point, using
the residual heat of the refrigeration cycle, that was not reused
to heat the dry and cold air, that is rejected for a colder
environment than the hot condenser or coil, and independent of the
dry and dehumidified airflow, without the flow crossing and the
contaminating of the place, circuit, chamber, system, substance,
food or product, amongst others, being the rejection of the heat of
the refrigeration cycle not used to advantage in the reheating of
the dry and cold air, that occurs through another part or another
coil or condensation or hot heat exchanger, keeping the system
balanced thermally, continuous, without functioning interruptions
and taking into account the Laws of the Thermodynamics.
[0013] The dehumidification unit with two condensation coils can
also be constructed conveniently calculated and adjusted so that
one works dedicated to reject the produced heat of the
refrigeration circuit for the environment and the other coil
dedicated for the heating or reheating of cold and dry air.
[0014] This system has as great advantage the fact of being
continuous, due to the fact that once adjusted, determined or
calculated the proportion or size of the condensation coil to
effect the desired heating of cold and dry air, the
dehumidification occurs without interruptions. According to the
need of the final temperature of dry air, the area of exchange of
the condensation coil can be adjusted, and consequently, the amount
of heat that is yielded by it to the dry airflow. One of the
applications of this dry air to the ambient temperature is its use
in towers, closed chambers, circuits, clean areas without the
necessity of external air addition, where the product that one
desires to dehumidify is placed, diminishing the contamination
risk.
[0015] The dehumidification process is as follow: dry air permeates
the product or substance and due to differential pressure of water
vapor, the substance, with greater humidity, and air with low
humidity, releases the water to the dry air, extracting humidity of
it. A relevant aspect and that must be obeyed so that the system
functions in equilibrium, is to reject the heat for the environment
of the remaining part and not used of the condensation coil for a
fan or airflow. The use of a part or section of the condensation
coil to promote sufficient air heating is the great advance
resulting in a better energy exploitation in face of the use of
part of the heat normally rejected for the environment by the
refrigeration cycle to heat the cold air of the closed circuit,
getting the maximum exploitation, performance and yield of the
refrigeration cycle. There is an energetic gain in this system once
energy is saved when maximizing the energetic use reducing the
rejection of heat to the minimum as possible for the continuous
functioning of the system.
[0016] On the other hand, the new constructive aspect makes the
dehumidification unit simpler and more compact, once the
condensation and evaporation coils are placed face to face,
simplifying the assembly and maintenance.
[0017] In the tests carried out with pollen using this new
dehumidification, dehydration or drying process, subject-matter of
the present application, the dehumidification unit was much more
efficient in the maintenance of vitamin contents if compared with
the traditional equipment of drying with oven (heating), as the
MU7201461-0, AUTOMATIC POLLEN DRIER AND HONEY DEHUMIDIFIER. The
results of the tests of the Dehumidification Unit for the
maintenance of the vitamin A after the drying was superior about
47%, in more than 22% for the vitamin E and, and more than 100% for
vitamin C, when compared with the traditional process of drying
with oven, with the reduction also in the losses of thermosensible
proteins. The drying time or dehumidification was faster about 20%,
diminishing the processing time and saving energy. Therefore, the
performance of this new system is superior in all aspects comparing
with the traditional process.
[0018] In the honey case, the tests carried out with the
DEHUMIDIFICATION OR DEHYDRATION UNIT, all the natural
characteristics of the product were integrally kept, without
modification after the dehydration. The levels of HMF, organoleptic
properties, enzymes, vitamins and sugars had not gotten altered in
all the samples, while the conventional processes modify
significantly the product. The best maintenance of the properties
and characteristics of the product during the drying also occurred
with other foods, fruits and substances dehumidified with this new
equipment and process. This equipment is of vital importance for
the increase of the exportations and production of honeys as well
as of the proper domestic commercialization taking care of the
demanded standards of quality in Brazil and the exterior. The
DEHUMIDIFICATION OR DEHYDRATION UNIT can also be used in the
dehydration or drying of spores, fruits, foods, mushrooms, other
products and substances, environments, seeds, grains, medicaments
and compounds formulations, amongst others, once it will be able to
promote the dehumidification or dehydration in a less aggressive
way and with less degradation of the dehydrated substance or
product, when compared with dehydration processes that use
heat.
[0019] The attached drawing schematically shows the disposal of the
parts that constitute the dehumidification unit, objective of the
present application in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 shows the schematic view of the system.
[0021] According to as much is illustrated in the related FIGURE
above, the dehumidification or dehydration unit, subject-matter of
the present application, consists of a coil or heat exchanger of
evaporation or cold (1), coil or heat exchanger of condensation or
hot (2), expansion valve (3), airflow of rejected heat (4) through
the condensation coil (2), compressor or another equipment for
increasing pressure (5), fan for heat rejection to the environment
of the part of the condensation coil (6), environment, chamber,
circuit or substance that will be dehydrated or dehumidified (7),
fan of air recirculation of the unit (8), gutter for condensate
collect (9) formed in the evaporation or cold coil (1), where the
condensate will be collected by the drain (10), duct of return of
humid air (11), air duct of heat rejection (12), air inlet (13) for
heat rejection, dividing wall or border of the condensation coil
(16), temperature sensor (14) of the environment or chamber,
connected to the duct of dry air (15).
[0022] Dry air coming from the duct of dry air (15) permeates the
product or substance that is in the chamber or environment (7) and
due to differential pressure of water vapor, the substance, with
greater humidity, and the dry or with low humidity air, cedes the
water to the dry air, extracting the humidity and drying the
product. The humid air leaves the chamber (7), goes through the
duct of humid air (11) to the recirculation fan of air (8). The
humid air meets the evaporation or cold coil (1) and due to the
temperature, that must be lower than of the dew point of this air,
the water vapor contained in this air condenses and is collected by
the gutter (9) and the condensate is collected by the drain (10).
The cooled air goes now to the condensation or heating coil (2)
where it gains heat to reach the desired temperature and enters in
the duct (15) dried, being able to reach in some conditions 0% of
relative humidity at ambient temperature. The dividing border or
wall (16) of the condensation coil (2), divides this coil in such a
manner that part of the heat, previously known, is used to heat the
cooled air and the remaining part is rejected to the environment by
the airflow (4) that comes by the duct (12) impelled by the fan (6)
for air admission at external ambient temperature by the air inlet
(13). Dry air returns to the initial point by the duct (15) to
again removing the humidity of the substance or product in the
chamber or environment (7). The sensor of temperature (14) can be
used to verify the temperature of the process, to control and to
adjust the border or wall (16) to control the amount of heat
admitted for temperature balance. This control can be automatic or
manual.
[0023] When is desired to work at constant temperature, constant
operation conditions, for the same substance or for a substance or
product whose characteristics do not vary much, the border or wall
(16) can be fixed or the Dehumidification Unit can be configured to
operate with two condensation or hot coils conveniently calculated
and dimensioned, respecting the same configuration of assembly
previously presented and the thermal balancing of the refrigeration
circuit, being one mounted in the duct of dry and cold air (15) in
front of the evaporation or cold coil (1) and the other coil
mounted in the air duct of heat rejection (12), both the coils in
series in the refrigeration circuit. With this, it is eliminated
the dividing border or wall (16) since the coils are independent
and the ducts play the role of dividing wall.
[0024] Logically, the dehumidification or dehydration unit can be
obtained in several sizes, capacities and action to take care of
the necessities of the users of this type of equipment. Besides
being able to work with several types of refrigeration systems as,
for example, water frozen vulgarly known per "chillers", or
compression of gases, among others. The Dehydration or
Dehumidification Unit, depending on the refrigeration system
utilized possesses all the controls, sensors and security systems
for the perfect functioning of the unit.
[0025] For applications where great capacities is needed, several
Dehumidification Units can be configured in series or parallel,
depending on the necessity.
* * * * *