Common problems of micro-heat regeneration adsorption dryer in industrial applications

As a key equipment for removing moisture from compressed air in the industrial field, micro-heat regeneration adsorption dryer is based on the principle of pressure swing adsorption. It realizes the drying of compressed air through the adsorption and desorption of moisture by adsorbent. In the actual industrial application process, although it has high-efficiency drying performance, it still faces many common problems. If these problems are not handled in time, they will affect the stable operation and drying effect of the equipment, and then have an adverse effect on the entire industrial production process.

Adsorbent performance attenuation problem
The adsorbent is the core component of the micro-heat regeneration adsorption dryer. Its performance directly determines the drying efficiency of the dryer and the quality of compressed air. During long-term use, the adsorbent will experience performance attenuation. On the one hand, as the operating time increases, the adsorbent will undergo physical wear due to frequent adsorption and desorption processes. Under the high-speed flushing of the gas in the adsorption tower, the adsorbent particles rub and collide with each other, resulting in wear on the particle surface and a smaller particle size. These fine particles are easily taken out of the adsorption tower under the action of the airflow, which not only causes the loss of the adsorbent, but also may block downstream pipelines and equipment. On the other hand, the adsorbent will be contaminated by impurities such as oil and dust. In industrial environments, compressed air often contains a certain amount of oil and solid particles. These impurities will adhere to the surface of the adsorbent, occupy adsorption sites, reduce the adsorbent's ability to adsorb moisture, and cause the dew point of the compressed air at the outlet of the dryer to increase, which cannot meet the production process's requirements for the degree of dryness.

Heating system failure problem
The heating system of the micro-heat regeneration adsorption dryer plays a key role in the adsorbent regeneration process, and the stability of its performance directly affects the regeneration effect of the adsorbent. However, the heating system is prone to failure during operation. As the core component of the heating system, the heating element is in a high-temperature working environment for a long time and is prone to aging and damage. For example, the electric heating wire may cause material properties to change due to long-term heating, resulting in a short circuit, making the heating system unable to work normally, the adsorbent not being fully heated, and the regeneration not being thorough. In addition, the temperature control system of the heating system may also fail. If the temperature sensor fails, it cannot accurately detect the heating temperature, resulting in inaccurate temperature control. Too high a temperature may damage the performance of the adsorbent and reduce its service life; too low a temperature will not allow the adsorbent to fully desorb moisture, affecting the regeneration effect, and thus reducing the overall drying performance of the dryer.

Valve failure problem
The operation of the micro-heat regeneration adsorption dryer depends on the precise control of multiple valves to achieve alternating adsorption and regeneration of the adsorption tower. However, the valve is prone to failure during use. The valve seal will gradually wear and age under long-term switching actions and air flow scouring, resulting in reduced sealing performance. Poor sealing will cause compressed air to cross-flow between the adsorption towers, affecting the normal adsorption and regeneration process. For example, when the adsorption tower is regenerated, if the valve is not sealed tightly, some high-pressure adsorption air will enter the regeneration tower, which will destroy the low-pressure environment in the regeneration tower, reduce the regeneration efficiency, and make the adsorbent unable to fully regenerate, ultimately affecting the drying effect of the dryer. In addition, the valve drive device may also fail, such as air leakage in the cylinder of the pneumatic valve, damage to the motor of the electric valve, etc., resulting in the valve being unable to open and close normally, making the dryer unable to operate according to the predetermined program, and even causing the entire drying system to be paralyzed.

Control and monitoring system problems
The stable operation of the micro-heat regeneration adsorption dryer is inseparable from the precise control and monitoring system. If there are design defects in the control program or the parameter settings are unreasonable, the dryer will operate abnormally. For example, if the setting of the adsorption and regeneration time does not meet the actual working conditions, too short an adsorption time will cause the adsorbent to enter the regeneration stage before it is fully saturated, resulting in energy waste; too long an adsorption time may cause the adsorbent to be oversaturated, affecting the drying effect. If the monitoring system fails, it will not be able to accurately monitor the operating parameters of the dryer in real time, such as pressure, temperature, flow, dew point, etc., and the operator will not be able to grasp the operating status of the equipment in time. When the equipment is abnormal, it cannot be discovered in time and measures cannot be taken to deal with it, which may cause more serious failures, affecting the continuity of production and the quality of compressed air.

Energy consumption problem
Although the micro-heat regeneration adsorption dryer has improved in energy consumption compared to the heatless regeneration adsorption dryer, the energy consumption problem is still prominent in actual industrial applications. On the one hand, the heating system consumes a lot of energy during the adsorbent regeneration process. Whether it is electric heating or other heating methods, the continuous heating process will result in higher operating costs. On the other hand, regeneration gas consumption is also an important component of energy consumption. In order to fully regenerate the adsorbent, a certain amount of dry compressed air is required as regeneration gas. If the regeneration gas volume is not properly controlled, excessive regeneration gas consumption will cause energy waste and increase production costs. In addition, during the operation of the equipment, due to problems such as adsorbent performance degradation and loose valve sealing, the dryer efficiency will be reduced. In order to maintain the same drying effect, energy consumption has to be increased, further increasing the energy consumption burden.