Performance of heat pump drying system integrated into a blood dryer

In general, most heat losses in industrial dryers arise due to the discharge of humid air. Using heat pump drying systems, heat from the exhaust humid air can be recovered, thus improving the energy efficiency substantially. In this study, the performance of heat pump integration in a blood dryer was examined. Computer simulation models of the original high-temperature (180 degrees C) dryer and the proposed system with heat pump integration and auxiliary heating were developed. Different heat pump systems and working fluids were investigated to determine the best performing heat pump system. In this case, it was found that an R245fa heat pump system with a subcooler is the best solution. When using an absorption heat pump, the results showed that a type I absorption heat pump with H2O-LiBr as working fluid pair performs the best. In addition, the economic benefit as well as the optimum operating conditions of the dryer with integrated heat pump were also determined.