Energy-efficient regenerative liquid desiccant drying process

Patent · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:863510

Ko, Suk M ^[1]; Grodzka, Philomena G ^[1]; McCormick, Paul O ^[2]

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1. Huntsville, AL
2. Athens, AL

This invention relates to the use of desiccants in conjunction with an open oop drying cycle and a closed loop drying cycle to reclaim the energy expended in vaporizing moisture in harvested crops. In the closed loop cycle, the drying air is brought into contact with a desiccant after it exits the crop drying bin. Water vapor in the moist air is absorbed by the desiccant, thus reducing the relative humidity of the air. The air is then heated by the used desiccant and returned to the crop bin. During the open loop drying cycle the used desiccant is heated (either fossil or solar energy heat sources may be used) and regenerated at high temperature, driving water vapor from the desiccant. This water vapor is condensed and used to preheat the dilute (wet) desiccant before heat is added from the external source (fossil or solar). The latent heat of vaporization of the moisture removed from the desiccant is reclaimed in this manner. The sensible heat of the regenerated desiccant is utilized in the open loop drying cycle. Also, closed cycle operation implies that no net energy is expended in heating drying air.

• Assignee: United States of America as represented by Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4189848
• OSTI ID: 863510
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/34/126/
absorbed
added
air
bin
brought
closed
closed cycle
closed loop
condensed
conjunction
contact
crop
crops
cycle
desiccant
desiccants
dilute
driving
drying
drying cycle
drying process
energy
energy heat
energy-efficient
exits
expended
external
external source
fossil
harvested
heat
heat source
heat sources
heated
heating
humidity
implies
latent
latent heat
liquid
liquid desiccant
loop
manner
moist
moist air
moisture
net
net energy
oop
oop drying
operation
preheat
process
reclaim
reclaimed
reducing
regenerated
regenerative
relates
relative
relative humidity
removed
returned
sensible
sensible heat
solar
solar energy
source
sources
temperature
utilized
vapor
vaporization
vaporizing
water
water vapor
wet