JP6775286B2 - Drying device and drying system equipped with it - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drying device for drying powder or granular material and a drying system including the same.

Conventionally, a drying device for drying a powder or granular material has been known. As such a drying device, a device that supplies the outside air heated by a heater into a hopper that stores the powder or granular material material and dries it is known, but the outside air contains moisture and oxygen. Therefore, it was considered that moisture and oxygen in the outside air are easily adsorbed on the surface of the powder or granular material, and molding defects are likely to occur in the subsequent molding process, and deterioration due to oxidation is likely to occur.
For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a hot air circulation circuit in which a blower that circulates a circulating gas from a hopper dryer is arranged, a nitrogen generator that injects nitrogen generated on the air side of the blower, and a surplus due to mixing of nitrogen are described. A drying device provided with an exhaust port for exhausting the circulated gas has been disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-263549

However, the drying apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which nitrogen is generated from the compressed air taken in through the compressed air inlet in the nitrogen generator, and the generated gas is mixed with the circulating gas. Therefore, in order to increase the concentration of nitrogen in the circulating gas, a large amount of compressed air is required or a large nitrogen generator is required, and the concentration is also improved because the performance of the nitrogen generator is the upper limit. Is desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a drying device capable of effectively drying a powder or granular material and a drying system including the same.

In order to achieve the above object, in the drying apparatus according to the present invention, the suction side is connected to the storage unit for storing the powder or granular material and the exhaust line connected to the exhaust side of the storage unit, while the storage unit is connected. A compressor constituting a gas circulation source in which the discharge side is connected to an air supply line connected to the air supply side, a cooler incorporated in the air supply line and cooling the gas passing through the gas circulation source, and the above. A nitrogen separation membrane that is incorporated into the air supply line on the downstream side of the cooler, separates oxygen from the gas passing through the air supply line, and sends out a nitrogen- enriched gas for drying the powder or granular material to the downstream side. It is characterized by having.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the drying system according to the present invention is provided so as to branch off from the drying device according to the present invention and the downstream portion of the nitrogen separation membrane in the air supply line, and the storage unit. It is characterized in that it is provided with a supply destination side air supply line that communicates with the supply destination of the powder or granular material stored in.
Further, in order to achieve the above object, the drying system according to the present invention is provided so as to branch from the drying device according to the present invention and the downstream portion of the nitrogen separation membrane in the air supply line, and is provided from the material source. It is characterized in that it is provided with a transportation line for pneumatically transporting the powder or granular material to the storage unit.
Further, in order to achieve the above object, the drying system according to the present invention is provided so as to branch from the drying device according to the present invention and the downstream portion of the nitrogen separation membrane in the air supply line, and the storage unit. It is provided so as to branch off from the supply destination side air supply line communicating with the supply destination of the powder or granular material stored in the air supply line and the downstream side portion of the nitrogen separation membrane in the air supply line, and the storage portion is provided from the material source. It is characterized by being provided with a transport line for vigorously transporting the powder or granular material, and a switching valve for switching to a state in which the drying gas is passed through the transport line.

The drying apparatus according to the present invention and the drying system provided with the drying apparatus can effectively dry the powder or granular material by having the above-described configuration.

It is a schematic system block diagram which shows typically an example of the drying apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and the drying system provided with this. (A) to (c) are partially omitted schematic system configuration diagrams schematically showing one modification of an air supply line having a separation membrane applied to the drying apparatus. It is a schematic system block diagram which shows typically an example of the drying apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, and the drying system provided with this. It is a schematic system block diagram which shows typically an example of the drying apparatus which concerns on still another Embodiment of this invention, and the drying system provided with this. It is a schematic system block diagram which shows typically an example of the drying apparatus which concerns on still another Embodiment of this invention, and the drying system provided with this.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In addition, in FIGS. 1 to 5, the pipeline (piping) serving as a path through which the powder or granular material, gas, or the like passes is schematically shown by a solid line.
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a drying device according to the first embodiment and an example of a drying system provided with the drying device.

In the drying device 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the suction side is connected to the storage unit 10 for storing the powder or granular material and the exhaust line 14 connected to the exhaust side of the storage unit 10. , A gas circulation source 17 in which the discharge side is connected to the air supply line 16 connected to the air supply side of the storage unit 10, and a powder or granular material from the gas incorporated in the air supply line 16 and passing through the air supply line 16. It is provided with a separation membrane 25 that separates the drying gas of the above and sends it to the downstream side.
The drying system A according to the present embodiment is provided so as to branch from the drying device 1 and the downstream portion of the separation membrane 25 in the air supply line 16, and is a supply destination of the powder or granular material material stored in the storage unit 10. It is provided with a supply destination side air supply line 33 that communicates with 2. Further, the drying system A is provided so as to branch from the downstream side portion of the separation membrane 25 in the air supply line 16, and includes transport lines 34 and 35 for pneumatically transporting the powder or granular material from the material source 5 to the storage portion 10. ing. Further, in the present embodiment, the drying system A includes a switching valve 32 that can be switched to a state in which the drying gas is passed through the transport lines 34 and 35.

Here, the above-mentioned powder / granular material refers to a powder / granular material, but also includes a fine flaky material, a short fiber piece, a sliver-like material, and the like.
Further, the material may be any synthetic resin material such as resin pellets or resin fiber pieces, metal material, semiconductor material, wood material, chemical material, food material and the like.
Further, as the powder or granular material, for example, in the case of molding a synthetic resin molded product, a natural material (virgin material), a crushed material, a masterbatch material, various additives and the like can be mentioned. Further, the structure may include reinforcing fibers such as glass fiber and carbon fiber.

The supply destination 2 of the storage unit 10 may be, for example, a molding machine such as an injection molding machine. In this embodiment, an example in which the storage unit 10 is directly installed on the molding machine as the supply destination 2 is shown. Further, in the illustrated example, an example in which the lower end portion of the storage portion 10 is connected to the input pipe 3 provided on the molding machine as the supply destination 2 is shown. The molding machine as the supply destination 2 is not limited to an injection molding machine that molds a synthetic resin molded product, but may be an injection molding machine for other materials, or an extrusion molding machine or a compression molding machine for various materials. The mode may be such that the supply destination is another molding machine such as. Further, the supply destination 2 of the storage unit 10 is not limited to a single supply destination, and may be a plurality of supply destinations.

The storage unit 10 includes a hopper body 11 as a storage unit body for storing the powder or granular material, a heating unit 13 for heating the drying gas supplied into the hopper body 11 via the air supply line 16, and a material. It is provided with a collecting unit 12 for collecting the powder or granular material material that has been gas-transported from the original 5.
The heating unit 13 may be formed in a box shape, for example, to which the end of the air supply line 16 is connected and a heating element such as a sheathed heater is built. In this case, since the drying gas supplied through the gas circulation source 17 has a high pressure as described later, the drying gas supplied into the heating unit 13 via the air supply line 16 becomes a heating element. The diameter of the pipe may be enlarged or a diameter-expanded portion may be provided so as to reduce the pressure of the drying gas on the upstream side of the heating portion 13 so as to make effective contact. Further, the drying gas that has passed through the heating unit 13 is introduced into the hopper main body 11 via a ventilation pipe that communicates with the hopper main body 11.

The heating unit 13 is not limited to the box-shaped one as described above, but may be a tubular heating portion having a linear heating element built in in the longitudinal direction, and other various configurations are adopted. Is possible. Further, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heated drying gas introduced into the hopper main body 11 is provided on the downstream side of the heating unit 13. Based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, the energization control of the heating element may be performed so that the heated drying gas reaches a predetermined temperature.

The hopper body 11 has a hopper shape in which the upper portion has a substantially tubular shape and the lower portion has a substantially inverted cone shape.
The lower end of the hopper main body 11 is connected to the input pipe 3 provided on the supply destination 2 described above. The input pipe 3 may be provided in the hopper main body 11. Further, the inside of the hopper main body 11 and the input port of the supply destination 2 are always in communication with each other, that is, the powder or granular material material in the hopper main body 11 is supplied toward the supply destination 2 in a so-called drooling manner. May be. Alternatively, the lower end of the hopper main body 11 may be provided with an appropriate opening / closing mechanism, a cutting portion, or other discharging portion.

Further, a flow rate adjusting valve 19 is provided on the air supply line 16 on the upstream side of the heating unit 13 and on the downstream side of the tempering unit 20 including the separation membrane 25, which will be described later. In the flow rate adjusting valve 19, the pressure on the upstream side of the flow rate adjusting valve 19 is in a substantially predetermined high pressure state, and the powder or granular material stored in the storage unit 10 at a substantially constant flow rate on the downstream side of the flow rate adjusting valve 19. It may be appropriately adjusted so that the drying gas having a flow rate suitable for the drying of the above can flow. The flow rate adjusting valve 19 may be a manually adjustable needle valve (throttle valve) or the like, or may be a flow rate control valve capable of controlling the flow rate adjustment.
Further, the hopper main body 11 is provided with an introduction port for introducing the heating gas for drying in the heating unit 13. In the illustrated example, the introduction port is provided at the lower end of the ventilation pipe which is connected to the downstream side of the heating unit 13 and is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction in the hopper main body 11. The drying gas discharged from the introduction port to the lower end portion in the hopper main body 11 passes through the powder or granular material material layer stored in the hopper main body 11 and is exhausted through the exhaust port provided in the upper end portion. Exhaust toward line 14.

In the illustrated example, an example is shown in which an exhaust port to which the exhaust line 14 is connected is provided at the upper end of the collecting portion 12 provided so as to communicate with the inside of the hopper main body 11 at the upper end of the hopper main body 11.
A downstream transport line 35 provided on the downstream side of the discharge portion of the material source 5 is connected to the collection portion 12. Further, the collecting portion 12 is provided with a separating portion for separating the powder or granular material from the transport gas. Any such separation unit may be used as long as it can separate the powder or granular material and the transport gas, but the powder or granular material as a raw material while passing dust in addition to the transport gas. It may be made of a punching metal or a mesh-like perforated plate-like body that blocks the passage of the gas. Further, the structure may be such that the powder or granular material is separated from the transport gas by a so-called cyclone type without providing such a separation portion.
The powder or granular material material collected by the collecting unit 12 falls into the hopper main body 11 due to its own weight and is stored.

The material source 5 may be a material tank, a measuring hopper for measuring the powder or granular material, a compounding hopper in which a plurality of types of powder or granular material are mixed in a predetermined ratio, or the like. Further, the temporary storage portion provided on the downstream side of these various hoppers may be used as the material source 5. Further, the mode is not limited to the mode in which the transport lines 34 and 35 are connected to the single material source 5 to transport the single powder or granular material material toward the storage unit 10, and different powder or granular material materials are stored in each. It may be a mode in which a plurality of kinds of powder or granular material materials can be transported toward the storage unit 10 by connecting to a plurality of material sources 5.

The discharge portion provided at the lower end portion of the material source 5 may discharge the powder or granular material toward the transport lines 34 and 35 in a so-called drainage shape, but discharge control (operation control or opening / closing control) It may be configured to be provided with an appropriate opening / closing mechanism, a cutting portion, or the like as appropriate. Examples of such a discharge unit include a slide damper having a valve body that moves in the direction orthogonal to the discharge pipe, a push damper and a rotor having a valve body that moves in the axial direction with respect to the discharge pipe. A rotary feeder provided, a screw feeder provided with a screw, a mass feeder provided with a rotating body provided with a recess (mass portion) for accommodating a material on the peripheral surface, or the like may be used. Further, the discharge unit may be a measurement mass damper having a structure in which a container (measurement mass) having an adjustable capacity is slid with respect to the discharge pipe to discharge.

Further, the upstream transport line 34 provided on the upstream side of the discharge portion of the material source 5 is connected to the branch line 30 provided so as to branch from the air supply line 16 via the switching valve 32. In the present embodiment, the switching valve 32 is a three-way switching valve, and in addition to the branch line 30 and the upstream transport line 34, the supply destination side air supply line 33 communicated with the supply destination 2 is connected to the switching valve 32. The configuration is as follows. That is, if the switching valve 32 is in the transport side switching state in which the branch line 30 and the upstream transport line 34 are communicated with each other, the drying gas passing through the air supply line 16 connects the branch line 30 and the upstream transport line 34. After that, air is sent toward the material source 5 side. In this way, when the switching valve 32 is in the transport side switching state and the discharge portion of the material source 5 is controlled to be discharged, if the discharge state is set, the high pressure gas sent through the upstream side transport line 34 The powder or granular material material discharged from the material source 5 is pumped (gas transported) toward the collecting portion 12 via the downstream transport line 35. The switching of the switching valve 32 to the transport side switching state may be performed based on a material request signal of a material sensor or the like provided on the hopper main body 11. Further, the discharge portion of the switching valve 32 and the material source 5 may be appropriately controlled so that the powder or granular material material does not stay in the downstream transportation line 35.

On the other hand, if the switching valve 32 is in the supply destination side switching state in which the branch line 30 and the supply destination side air supply line 33 communicate with each other, the drying gas passing through the air supply line 16 is supplied to the branch line 30 and the supply destination side. Air is sent to the supply destination 2 side via the air line 33. In the present embodiment, the supply destination side air supply line 33 is connected to the input pipe 3. When the gas circulation source 17 is activated, the switching valve 32 may be in the supply destination side switching state except during material transportation, and gas may be supplied to the supply destination 2. Further, instead of the mode in which the switching valve 32 is a three-way switching valve, it may be configured by two on-off valves.
Further, the branch line 30 is provided with the same flow rate adjusting valve 31 as described above. Similar to the above, the flow rate adjusting valve 31 has a pressure on the upstream side of the flow rate adjusting valve 31 in a substantially predetermined high pressure state, and has a substantially constant flow rate on the downstream side of the flow rate adjusting valve 31 and is suitable for transporting powder or granular material. It may be appropriately adjusted so that a gas with a flow rate can flow.

The exhaust line 14 connected to the exhaust side of the collection unit 12 is provided with a filter 15 that captures dust separated during material transportation and dust contained in the exhaust from the hopper main body 11. Further, an outside air introduction port for taking in outside air is provided on the upstream side (suction side) of the filter 15. Through this outside air introduction port, an amount of outside air corresponding to oxygen or the like separated by the separation membrane 25 and discharged to the outside of the system is introduced as described later.
Further, the gas circulation source 17 in which the end of the exhaust line 14 is connected to the suction side is a compressor (compressor) that discharges high-pressure gas toward the air supply line 16 on the discharge side. The capacity of the gas circulation source 17 may be set to an appropriate capacity according to the configuration of the circulation line including the separation membrane 25, the storage portion 10, the transportation lines 34, 35, etc., which will be described later. Further, the gas circulation source 17 may be housed in a soundproof case.

The air supply line 16 connected to the discharge side of the gas circulation source 17 is provided with a cooler (aftercooler) 18 for cooling the gas that has become hot in the gas circulation source 17. The cooler 18 may be cooled so that the temperature of the gas passing through the cooler 18 is, for example, 80 degrees or less, preferably about 40 to 60 degrees. In the illustrated example, an example in which the cooler 18 is an air-cooled type is shown, but a water-cooled type may be used, and those having various configurations can be adopted. Further, the cooler 18 may be provided with a drain separator for removing the precipitated water.

The tempering unit 20 including the separation membrane 25 is provided in the air supply line 16 on the downstream side of the cooler 18.
The tempering unit 20 has a configuration in which a filter 21, an oil mist separator 22, a microseparator 23, a separation membrane 25, and a pressure gauge 24 are arranged in this order toward the downstream side. The filter 21, the oil mist separator 22, and the microseparator 23 are provided with a drain discharge portion for discharging the removed water and oil.
The separation membrane 25 has a configuration in which water and / or oxygen, which are unsuitable for drying the powder or granular material, are separated from the gas taken in and discharged to the outside of the system, and the residual gas is sent to the air supply line 16 on the downstream side. It is said that. In the present embodiment, the separation membrane 25 is a nitrogen separation membrane (nitrogen separator) 25 that separates oxygen from the taken-in gas and sends a nitrogen-enriched gas (nitrogen-rich gas) to the air supply line 16 on the downstream side. As such a nitrogen separation membrane 25, a hollow fiber membrane type nitrogen separation membrane 25 having a configuration in which a large number of hollow fiber membranes are housed in a tubular body may be used. In such a nitrogen separation membrane 25, when the compressed gas passes through the hollow fiber, oxygen is permeated through the membrane and discharged, and a nitrogen-enriched gas (nitrogen-rich gas) is obtained on the outlet side of the hollow fiber.

The gas circulation source 17 described above is capable of discharging high-pressure (compressed) gas according to such a hollow fiber membrane type nitrogen separation membrane 25. The gas circulation source 17 may be set to the pressure of the compressed gas on the discharge side so that nitrogen can be efficiently obtained in such a hollow fiber membrane type nitrogen separation membrane 25.
The pressure gauge 24 is configured to measure the pressure of the air supply line 16 on the downstream side of the nitrogen separation membrane 25. The pressure gauge 24 may be provided with a pressure switch or the like so that if the pressure falls below the set pressure, an abnormality can be notified by a lamp, an alarm, or the like. Further, the pressure of the air supply line 16 on the downstream side of the nitrogen separation membrane 25 may be adjusted so as to be a substantially constant pressure.
Further, the drying device 1 or the drying system A including the drying device 1 is configured by a control circuit such as a CPU connected to each of the above devices via a signal line or the like, a memory or the like, and various operation programs are provided. A control board provided with a storage unit or the like for storing the above is provided.

In the drying system A including the drying device 1 having the above configuration, each device is controlled by the control unit according to a preset program to dry and transport the powder or granular material. For example, when the gas circulation source 17 is activated and the heating unit 13 is activated, the nitrogen-enriched gas separated in the nitrogen separation membrane 25 as a drying gas is heated via the air supply line 16 and the heating unit 13. The powder or granular material material in the hopper body 11 is heated and dried, discharged to the outside of the hopper body 11 via the exhaust line 14, and circulated through the gas circulation source 17. A part of the gas that has passed through the air supply line 16 is supplied to the supply destination 2 side via the branch line 30 and the supply destination side air supply line 33, passes through the hopper main body 11, and similarly to the above, the exhaust line 14 Is circulated via the gas circulation source 17. Further, if the material level in the hopper main body 11 is lowered due to the supply of the powder or granular material to the supply destination 2, the switching valve 32 is put into the transport side switching state. As a result, a part of the gas that has passed through the air supply line 16 is supplied to the transportation lines 34 and 35, and the powder or granular material is pumped from the material source 5 toward the hopper main body 11, and the gas used for this pumping is As described above, the gas is circulated through the exhaust line 14 and the gas circulation source 17. The above operation example is only an example, and various other modifications are possible.

The drying apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment and the drying system A provided with the drying apparatus 1 can effectively dry the powder or granular material by having the above-described configuration.
That is, the gas circulated and supplied to the storage unit 10 (hopper body 11) via the exhaust line 14 and the air supply line 16 connected to the suction side and the discharge side of the gas circulation source 17 respectively is separated by a separation membrane (nitrogen separation). The film) 25 is configured to pass through. Therefore, compared to a gas that generates nitrogen from the outside air or compressed air taken in from outside the system and mixes it into the circulation circuit, a gas for drying that allows almost all of the circulated gas to pass through the nitrogen separation membrane 25. The powder and granular material can be effectively dried. This makes it possible to reduce the need for a large amount of compressed air and the need to provide a large nitrogen generator or the like.

That is, the drying device 1 itself is provided with a gas circulation source 17 that circulates and supplies gas to the storage unit 10 via the exhaust line 14 and the air supply line 16 and a nitrogen separation membrane 25 that discharges oxygen from the circulated gas to the outside of the system. It has a provided configuration. Therefore, the pressure fluctuation in the system is less likely to occur as compared with the case where nitrogen is introduced from the outside of the device, and the gas having a temperature higher than that of the outside air (for example, about 40 to 60 degrees) is stored in the nitrogen separation membrane 25 or. It can be circulated and supplied to the part 10, and the powder or granular material can be effectively dried.
Further, in the present embodiment, since the separation membrane 25 is a nitrogen separation membrane 25, oxidation of the powder or granular material can be suppressed. In addition, as the drying progresses, the nitrogen concentration of the circulated gas can be increased to a concentration higher than the performance of the nitrogen separation membrane 25, and a high concentration (high purity) nitrogen-enriched gas (nitrogen-rich gas) can be efficiently produced. Can be circulated to. As a result, the nitrogen separation membrane 25 can be downsized.

Further, in the present embodiment, the supply destination side air supply line 33 communicated with the supply destination 2 of the powder or granular material material stored in the storage unit 10 is branched from the downstream side portion of the nitrogen separation membrane 25 in the air supply line 16. The configuration is provided so as to allow Therefore, the gas circulated through the nitrogen separation membrane 25 can be supplied to the supply destination 2 side as well, and the oxidation of the powder or granular material on the supply destination 2 side can be suppressed.
Further, in the present embodiment, the transport lines 34 and 35 for pneumatically transporting the powder or granular material from the material source 5 to the storage portion 10 are provided so as to branch from the downstream portion of the nitrogen separation membrane 25 in the air supply line 16. It has a structure. Therefore, the powder or granular material from the material source 5 can be transported by force using the gas circulated through the nitrogen separation membrane 25, and oxidation of the powder or granular material during transportation can be suppressed. ..
Further, in the present embodiment, the transport lines 34 and 35 are provided with a switching valve 32 that can be switched to a state in which gas passes. Therefore, by switching the switching valve 32 as described above, the powder or granular material can be electrically transported from the material source 5 to the storage unit 10.

Next, a modified example of the drying apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment and the tempering unit incorporated in the drying system A provided with the drying apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The differences from the above example will be mainly described, and the same configurations will be designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted or briefly described.

FIG. 2A schematically shows the tempering unit 20A according to the first modification.
In this modification, the dehumidifying separation membrane 26 is provided as the separation membrane instead of the nitrogen separation membrane 25. That is, the dehumidifying separation membrane 26 is provided between the microseparator 23 and the pressure gauge 24. The dehumidifying separation membrane 26 is configured to separate moisture from the taken-in gas and send the dry gas having a low dew point to the air supply line 16 on the downstream side. As the dehumidifying separation membrane 26 as described above, a hollow fiber membrane type dehumidifying separation membrane (membrane dryer) 26 having a configuration in which a large number of hollow fiber membranes are housed in a tubular body may be used as described above. In such a dehumidifying separation membrane 26, when the compressed gas passes through the hollow fiber, water vapor is permeated through the membrane and discharged, and a dry gas having a low dew point is obtained on the outlet side of the hollow fiber. With the configuration provided with such a tempering unit 20A, the gas circulated and supplied through the dehumidifying separation membrane 26 becomes a gas having a low dew point, and the powder or granular material can be effectively dried.

FIG. 2B schematically shows the tempering unit 20B according to the second modification.
In this modified example, both the nitrogen separation membrane 25 and the dehumidifying separation membrane 26 are provided as the separation membrane. In the illustrated example, the dehumidifying separation membrane 26 and the nitrogen separation membrane 25 are provided on the downstream side of the microseparator 23 in this order toward the downstream side. With the configuration provided with such a tempering unit 20B, the gas circulated and supplied through the dehumidifying separation membrane 26 and the nitrogen separation membrane 25 becomes a nitrogen-enriched gas with a low dew point, and the powder or granular material can be made more. Can be dried effectively.

FIG. 2C schematically shows the tempering unit 20C according to the third modification.
In this modification, the first bypass line 27 for communicating the upstream side portion and the downstream side portion of the separation membrane (nitrogen separation membrane) 25 in the air supply line 16 is provided. That is, a first bypass line 27 is provided to supply a part of the gas passing through the air supply line 16 to the downstream side without passing through the nitrogen separation membrane 25. With such a configuration, the amount of oxygen and the like separated by the nitrogen separation membrane 25 and discharged to the outside of the system is reduced, and therefore, as compared with the one without such a first bypass line 27, The flow rate of the gas supplied to the downstream side can be increased. From the viewpoint of efficiently circulating and supplying high-concentration nitrogen-enriched gas, the diameter of the first bypass line 27 is appropriately set so that the flow rate of the gas passing through the first bypass line 27 becomes an appropriate flow rate. Alternatively, the first bypass line 27 may be provided with a flow rate adjusting valve similar to the above.

The first bypass line 27 described in the present modification may be provided in the tempering unit 20 described above or the tempering unit 20A according to the first modification. Further, in this modification, the upstream end of the first bypass line 27 is connected to the downstream side of the dehumidifying separation membrane 26, but the configuration may be such that the upstream end of the dehumidifying separation membrane 26 is connected to the upstream side. That is, a part of the gas passing through the air supply line 16 may be supplied to the downstream side without passing through both the dehumidifying separation membrane 26 and the nitrogen separation membrane 25.
Further, the first bypass in which the branch line 30 communicating with the supply destination side air supply line 33 and the transportation lines 34 and 35 is connected to the air supply line 16 on the downstream side of the separation membrane (nitrogen separation membrane) 25. The configuration may be provided so as to branch from a portion upstream of the connection portion of the line 27. According to this, while it is possible to increase the flow rate of the gas supplied to the storage unit 10 side, a high concentration nitrogen-enriched gas is supplied to the supply destination 2 side (or the material source 5 side). can do.

Next, the drying apparatus according to the present invention and other embodiments of the drying system including the drying apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a drying apparatus according to a second embodiment and a drying system provided with the drying apparatus.
The differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same configurations will be designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted or briefly described.

A plurality of drying devices 1A and a drying system B provided with the drying device 1A according to the present embodiment are provided with gas circulation sources 17, 17, coolers 18, 18 and tempering units 20, 20, respectively (two in the example). ), The air supply lines 16A and 16B are provided in parallel. In the present embodiment, two air supply lines 16A and 16B are provided so as to branch on the downstream side of the filter 15, and the end of one of the first air supply lines 16A is connected to the storage unit 10 as described above. There is. The end of the other second air supply line 16B is connected to a switching valve 32A to which the merging line 30A and the upstream transport line 34 are connected. Further, the merging line 30A is connected so as to merge with the first air supply line 16A on the downstream side of the tempering unit 20. Further, the supply destination side air supply line 33A communicated with the supply destination 2 is provided so as to branch from the upstream side of the connection portion with the first air supply line 16A in the merging line 30A. Further, the supply destination side air supply line 33A is provided with the same flow rate adjusting valve 31A as described above.

If the switching valve 32A is in the first switching state in which the second air supply line 16B and the merging line 30A are communicated with each other, the gas passing through the second air supply line 16B passes through the merging line 30A and the first air supply line 16A and The air is sent to the air supply line 33A on the supply destination side. On the other hand, if the switching valve 32A is in the second switching state in which the second air supply line 16B and the upstream side transportation line 34 are communicated with each other, the gas passing through the second air supply line 16B passes through the upstream side transportation line 34 and is the material source. Air is sent toward the 5 side.
With such a configuration, the flow rate of the gas supplied to the storage unit 10, the supply destination 2, and the transportation lines 34 and 35 can be increased as compared with the first embodiment.

The tempering unit 20 of both or one of the first air supply line 16A and the second air supply line 16B may be the tempering unit of any of the above-described modifications.
Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which gas circulation sources 17, 17, coolers 18, 18 and tempering units 20 and 20 are provided in each of the air supply lines 16A and 16B is shown. It is not limited to the mode. For example, a tempering unit 20 including a plurality of separation membranes 25 is provided in series or in parallel with respect to a single gas circulation source 17, or in a gas circulation source 17 provided in series or in parallel. On the other hand, a mode in which a tempering unit 20 including a single separation membrane 25 is provided may be used.

Next, still another embodiment of the drying apparatus according to the present invention and the drying system provided therewith will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a drying device according to a third embodiment and a drying system provided with the drying device.
The differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same configurations will be designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted or briefly described.

The drying device 1B and the drying system C provided with the drying device 1B according to the present embodiment include a second bypass line 28 that communicates the exhaust line 14 with the downstream portion of the separation membrane (nitrogen separation membrane) 25 in the air supply line 16. A blower 29 is provided so that the suction side is connected to the exhaust line 14 side of the second bypass line 28 and the discharge side is connected to the air supply line 16 side. With such a configuration, a part of the circulated gas can be supplied to the storage unit 10 via the second bypass line 28 without passing through the gas circulation source 17 and the nitrogen separation membrane 25. Therefore, the air volume of the gas supplied to the storage unit 10 can be effectively increased.

In the present embodiment, the second bypass line 28 is provided so as to branch from the exhaust line 14 on the downstream side of the filter 15 and to join the air supply line 16 on the downstream side of the flow rate adjusting valve 19.
A flow rate control valve capable of controlling the flow rate adjustment is provided on the second bypass line 28, and a detector that detects predetermined control factors such as the nitrogen concentration, dew point, and temperature of the gas on the exhaust side of the storage unit 10. The flow rate control valve may be controlled based on the detected value of, and control may be performed to change the flow rate of the gas passing through the second bypass line 28. That is, the flow rate of the gas passing through the nitrogen separation membrane 25 may be increased or decreased according to the degree of dryness of the powder or granular material stored in the storage unit 10, the dew point of the gas, the nitrogen concentration, or the like.
Further, also in this embodiment, the tempering unit 20 may be the tempering unit of any of the above-described modifications.
Further, in each of the above embodiments, an example in which the supply destination side air supply line 33 (33A) and the transportation lines 34 and 35 are provided so as to branch from the air supply line 16 (16B) is shown. A configuration may be provided in which only one of the front air supply line 33 (33A) and the transport lines 34 and 35 is provided, or a drying device in which both are not provided may be provided.

Next, still another embodiment of the drying apparatus according to the present invention and the drying system provided therewith will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a drying device according to a fourth embodiment and a drying system provided with the drying device.
The differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same configurations will be designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted or briefly described.

In the drying device 1C and the drying system D provided with the drying device 1C according to the present embodiment, the storage unit 10A has a tank shape in which the heating unit 13 is not provided. Further, the tempering unit 20A according to the first modification provided with the dehumidifying separation membrane 26 as the separation membrane is arranged on the air supply line 16. Further, the supply destination side air supply line 30B communicating with the supply destination 2 is provided so as to branch from the downstream side portion of the separation membrane (dehumidifying separation membrane) 26 in the air supply line 16. Further, the transport lines 37 and 38 for pneumatically transporting the powder or granular material from the storage section 10A to the supply destination 2 are provided so as to branch from the downstream portion of the separation membrane (dehumidifying separation membrane) 26 in the air supply line 16. It is said.

That is, in the present embodiment, the powder or granular material is vigorously transported from the storage unit 10A to the supply destination 2. Further, the input pipe 3 provided on the supply destination 2 is provided with the same collection unit 4 as described above for collecting the powder or granular material material transported by air. The collection section 4 has a downstream transport line 38 provided on the downstream side of the discharge section of the storage section 10A and a supply destination side exhaust line 39 connected so as to join the exhaust line 14 from the storage section 10A. And are connected.
The supply destination side air supply line 30B is configured to be provided with the same flow rate adjusting valve 31 as described above, and is provided so as to branch from the air supply line 16 between the tempering unit 20A and the flow rate adjusting valve 19. Further, the end of the supply destination side air supply line 30B is connected to the collection portion 4 provided on the supply destination 2 via the heating portion 6. With such a configuration, the powder or granular material material supplied to the supply destination 2 can be preliminarily heated by the gas heated by the heating unit 6. The end of the supply destination side air supply line 30B may be connected to the input pipe 3 via the heating unit 6.

The upstream transport line 37 provided on the upstream side of the discharge section of the storage section 10A is connected to the air supply line 16 via the switching valve 36. The switching valve 36 is a three-way switching valve, and a storage unit side line 16C for supplying gas to the storage unit 10A is connected to the switching valve 36. When the switching valve 36 is set to the storage unit side switching state in which the air supply line 16 and the storage unit side line 16C are communicated with each other, the gas that has passed through the gas circulation source 17 and the tempering unit 20A is in the air supply line 16 and the storage unit side. It is circulated and supplied to the storage unit 10A via the line 16C and the exhaust line 14. On the other hand, if the switching valve 36 is in the transport side switching state in which the air supply line 16 and the transport lines 37 and 38 are communicated with each other, the gas that has passed through the gas circulation source 17 and the tempering unit 20A is supplied to the transport lines 37 and 38. As a result, the powder or granular material discharged from the storage unit 10A is transported to the collection unit 4. Further, in any of the above states, a part of the gas that has passed through the gas circulation source 17 and the tempering unit 20A is circulated and supplied to the supply destination 2 side via the supply destination side air supply line 30B and the supply destination side exhaust line 39. To.

The switching valve 36 may be switched to the transport side switching state based on a material request signal such as a material sensor provided in the input pipe 3 of the supply destination 2.
Further, the discharge part of the storage part 10A may discharge the powder or granular material toward the transport lines 37 and 38 in a so-called drainage shape, but like the above, discharge control (operation control or opening / closing control) is possible. It may be configured to be provided with an appropriate opening / closing mechanism, a cutout portion, or the like.
Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which the tempering unit 20A according to the first modification is provided is shown, but instead of this, the tempering unit 20 described in the first embodiment and other modifications are shown. The tempering units 20B and 20C according to the above may be provided.
Further, in the present embodiment, the supply destination side air supply line 30B and the transportation lines 37 and 38 are provided so as to branch from the air supply line 16, but these supply destination side air supply lines 30B and the transportation line are provided. A configuration may be provided in which only one of 37 and 38 is provided, or a drying device in which both are not provided may be provided.
Further, different configurations described in the above embodiments may be appropriately rearranged or combined to be applied, and the drying apparatus according to the present invention and the drying system provided with the same are described above. Not limited to such a configuration, various modifications are possible.

A, B, C, D Drying system 1,1A, 1B, 1C Drying device 10,10A Storage unit 14 Exhaust line 16 Air supply line 16A First air supply line (air supply line)
16B 2nd air supply line (air supply line)
16C storage side line (air supply line)
17 Gas circulation source 25 Nitrogen separation membrane 26 Dehumidifying separation membrane 27 1st bypass line 28 2nd bypass line 29 Blower 30B, 33, 33A Supply destination side air supply line 32, 32A Switching valve 34 Upstream side transportation line 35 Downstream side transportation line 2 Supply destination 5 Material source

Claims (6)

A storage unit that stores powder and granular material,
A compressor constituting a gas circulation source in which the suction side is connected to the exhaust line connected to the exhaust side of the storage unit, while the discharge side is connected to the air supply line connected to the air supply side of the storage unit.
A cooler built into the air supply line to cool the gas that has passed through the gas circulation source,
A nitrogen separation membrane that is incorporated into the air supply line on the downstream side of the cooler, separates oxygen from the gas passing through the air supply line, and sends out a nitrogen- enriched gas for drying the powder or granular material to the downstream side. When,
A drying device characterized by being equipped with. In claim 1,
A drying device further comprising a first bypass line for communicating the upstream side portion and the downstream side portion of the nitrogen separation membrane in the air supply line. In claim 1 or 2,
A second bypass line that communicates the exhaust line with the downstream portion of the nitrogen separation membrane in the air supply line, and a suction side connected to the exhaust line side of the second bypass line, while discharging to the air supply line side. A drying device characterized by further including a blower to which the side is connected. The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A supply destination side air supply line that is provided so as to branch off from a downstream portion of the nitrogen separation membrane in the air supply line and communicates with a supply destination of the powder or granular material material stored in the storage portion.
A drying system characterized by being equipped with. The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A transport line provided so as to branch off from the downstream portion of the nitrogen separation membrane in the air supply line, and a transport line for pneumatically transporting the powder or granular material from the material source to the storage portion.
A drying system characterized by being equipped with. The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A supply destination side air supply line that is provided so as to branch off from a downstream portion of the nitrogen separation membrane in the air supply line and communicates with a supply destination of the powder or granular material material stored in the storage portion.
A transport line provided so as to branch off from the downstream portion of the nitrogen separation membrane in the air supply line, and a transport line for pneumatically transporting the powder or granular material from the material source to the storage portion.
A switching valve that can be switched to a state where drying gas is passed through the transportation line,
A drying system characterized by being equipped with.

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