Drying apparatus

Abstract

A drying apparatus has a heat pump apparatus having a compressor, a radiator, an expansion mechanism and an evaporator connected in this order via pipes through which a refrigerant is circulated. The drying apparatus has a structure in which drying air heated in the radiator is introduced into a subject to be dried, drying air obtained by removing moisture or water from the subject to be dried is cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator, and then the drying air is reheated in the radiator to be reused as renewed drying air. The drying apparatus also has a structure in which drain water generated by dehumidifying the drying air in the evaporator is dropped or sprayed into the radiator.

1 . A drying apparatus comprising: 
 a heat pump apparatus having a compressor, a radiator, a throttle apparatus and an evaporator connected in this order via pipes through which a refrigerant is circulated;    a dry room wherein air heated in the radiator is introduced into the dry room, the air dried in the dry room is dehumidified by the evaporator, and the air dehumidified in the evaporator is reheated in the radiator; and    a sprinkler mechanism for dropping or spraying water into the radiator.    
   
   
       2 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sprinkler mechanism drops or sprays drain water generated by dehumidifying the air in the evaporator.  
   
   
       3 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a moisture collection mechanism for collecting moisture or water included in the air between the evaporator and the radiator.  
   
   
       4 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pump, wherein the evaporator and the radiator are respectively constituted from a heat transfer tube and a fin, and wherein drain water generated by dehumidifying the air in the evaporator is drawn by the pump and the sprinkler mechanism drops or sprays the drain water into the radiator.  
   
   
       5 . A drying apparatus comprising: 
 a heat pump apparatus having a compressor, a radiator, a throttle apparatus and an evaporator connected in this order via pipes through which a refrigerant is circulated, the evaporator being provided above the radiator;    a dry room wherein air heated in the radiator is introduced into the dry room, the air dried in the dry room is dehumidified by the evaporator, and the air dehumidified in the evaporator is reheated in the radiator, drain water being generated by dehumidifying the air in the evaporator: and a sprinkler mechanism for dropping or spraying the drain water into the radiator.    
   
   
       6 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the sprinkler mechanism drops the drain water into the radiator by means of gravity of the drain water or force of wind.  
   
   
       7 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the evaporator includes a fin having a lower end surface with respect to the direction of gravity, the lower end surface having a saw-toothed structure.  
   
   
       8 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the evaporator includes a fin having a fin base, the fin being a corrugated fin in which the fin base is folded.  
   
   
       9 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising a pump, wherein the evaporator and the radiator are respectively constituted from a heat transfer tube and a fin, and wherein drain water generated by dehumidifying the air in the evaporator is drawn by the pump and the sprinkler mechanism drops or sprays the drain water into the radiator.  
   
   
       10 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising a moisture collection mechanism for collecting moisture or water included in the air between the evaporator and the radiator.  
   
   
       11 . A drying apparatus comprising: 
 a heat pump apparatus having a compressor, a radiator, a throttle apparatus, a first evaporator and a second evaporator connected in this order via pipes through which a refrigerant is circulated;    a dry room wherein air heated in the radiator is introduced into the dry room, the air dried in the dry room is dehumidified by the first and second evaporators, and the air dehumidified in the first and second evaporators is reheated in the radiator;    a drainage mechanism for draining drain water generated by dehumidifying the air in the first evaporator; and    a sprinkler mechanism for dropping or spraying drain water generated by dehumidifying the air in the second evaporator into the radiator.    
   
   
       12 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising a moisture collection mechanism for collecting moisture or water included in the air between the second evaporator and the radiator.  
   
   
       13 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the heat pump apparatus further has a bypass circuit through which the refrigerant bypasses the second evaporator.  
   
   
       14 . The drying apparatus according to any one of  claim 1 ,  5  or  11 , wherein the heat pump apparatus sets the temperature of the refrigerant run into the radiator to the temperature of boiling water or more.  
   
   
       15 . The drying apparatus according to any one of  claim 1 ,  5  or  11  wherein the heat pump apparatus has a high pressure side and is constructed to operate so that the pressure of the high pressure side thereof becomes supercritical pressure.  
   
   
       16 . The drying apparatus according to any one of  claim 1 ,  5  or  11  wherein a refrigerant in which the pressure at the high pressure side of the heat pump apparatus becomes supercritical pressure is used as the refrigerant.  
   
   
       17 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: a circulation duct; and a radiation mechanism which radiates the quantity of heat of the drying air outside the circulation duct.  
   
   
       18 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the radiation mechanism is a heat exchanger for roughly drawing from drying air, the radiation mechanism being provided across the inside and outside of the circulation duct.  
   
   
       19 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising; a circulation duct; and a radiation mechanism which radiates the quantity of heat of the drying air outside the circulation duct.  
   
   
       20 . The drying apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the radiation mechanism is a heat exchanger for roughly drawing from drying air, the radiation mechanism being provided across the inside and outside of the circulation duct.