Comparison of Traditional Chinese Medicine Drying Machine Heat Pump or Biomass Particle Selection

Compare the performance of traditional Chinese medicine drying machines, heat pumps, or biomass pellets from multiple dimensions to select the appropriate drying equipment.

　　Comparison of Traditional Chinese Medicine Drying Machine Heat Pump or Biomass Particle Selection

In the market of drying equipment, biomass pellet dryer and air source heat pump dryer are two highly anticipated products, each with its own characteristics. Next, let's delve into multiple dimensions and analyze them in depthComparison of Traditional Chinese Medicine Drying Machine Heat Pump or Biomass Particle Selection.

1、 Working principle

The air source heat pump dryer mainly relies on the reverse Carnot principle for operation. Specifically, the gas Freon is pressurized by the compressor and transformed into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas. Subsequently, these high-temperature and high-pressure gases enter the heat exchanger (condenser) on the indoor side. During the condensation process, the refrigerant liquefies and releases high-temperature heat, thereby heating the air in the drying room. Transfer heat energy from the air to materials to evaporate moisture.

The biomass pellet dryer uses biomass pellets as fuel and releases a large amount of heat through automatic combustion. These heat are collected by the heat exchanger, converted into clean hot air, and then enter the drying equipment for sufficient heat exchange with the material, causing the moisture in the material to evaporate and achieve the purpose of drying. The principle is simple and direct, using the heat energy generated by fuel combustion to achieve drying.

2、 Energy consumption cost

The energy consumption of a heat pump dryer is mainly electrical energy, which has a relatively high energy efficiency ratio. However, in areas with high electricity prices, the long-term operating costs should not be underestimated. Taking drying 6000 kilograms of medicinal herbs as an example, a 40 horsepower air source heat pump dryer with a power of 100 kilowatts consumes 90-100 kilowatt hours of electricity per hour when operating at full load. If the electricity cost is calculated at 0.6 yuan per kilowatt hour, the 24-hour cost is 1400-1500 yuan. The heat pump itself can generate a temperature of 58 ℃. Generally, auxiliary electric heating is used to increase the hot air temperature to 70 ℃ -80 ℃. For higher drying temperature requirements, full electric heating is used for generation.

The energy consumption of biomass pellet dryer mainly comes from the combustion of biomass pellets. Biomass pellets are usually processed from agricultural and forestry waste and have a relatively low price. Taking drying the same 6000 kilograms of medicinal herbs as an example, assuming that 200000 kcal of heat is required per hour, and the combustion machine consumes 20 kilograms of biomass particles per hour, due to the high insulation performance of the heat exchanger, the combustion machine automatically controls the temperature and does not need to operate at full load. If the price of particles is 0.9 yuan per kilogram, then the 24-hour cost will not exceed 400 yuan. But if one collects raw materials and processes biomass pellets themselves, the cost can be further reduced. Moreover, with the development of the biomass energy industry, the supply of pellets will become more stable, and prices are expected to further decrease.

According to the principle of energy conservation, evaporating one kilogram of water in agricultural materials requires 1200 kcal of heat, while the calorific value of one kilowatt hour of electricity is 860 kcal, and the calorific value of biomass particles (made from different types of wood) is 3800 kcal to 4500 kcal per kilogram. So when evaporating materials with the same moisture content, air source heat pumps have low unit energy consumption and long drying time; The drying time of biomass pellets is short, and the time and labor costs are low. However, the total energy consumption of the two types of heat source dryers is the same, and the cost comparison lies in which energy source has a lower price.

3、 Equipment cost

Due to its complex technology, heat pump dryers contain high-precision components such as compressors and heat exchangers, resulting in high equipment procurement costs. Generally speaking, the complete price of a medium-sized heat pump dryer is over 150000 yuan.

The equipment cost of biomass pellet dryer is relatively low, especially for some small devices with simple structures, which are more affordable. Even large-scale biomass pellet drying equipment often has a lower price than heat pump dryers of the same specifications. Moreover, the supporting facilities of biomass pellet dryer are relatively simple and do not require complex refrigeration systems, which also reduces the overall investment cost to a certain extent. A complete set of drying machines of the same scale costs over 60000 yuan.

4、 Drying efficiency

The hot air outlet temperature of a heat pump dryer is generally around 70 ℃ -80 ℃. After coming into contact with wet materials, the drying temperature further decreases. The relatively low drying temperature results in a lower hourly dehydration rate and longer drying time. The performance and efficiency of heat pumps are affected by environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, etc. Under certain climatic conditions, its operating costs may increase and even affect the quality of drying. For some production scenarios that require high drying time, it may not be possible to meet the demand.

The biomass pellet dryer has a wide automatic control range for hot air temperature and can provide high hot air temperature. When drying materials with high moisture content, increasing the temperature can accelerate the drying speed, quickly evaporate the moisture, maintain the normal color of the material, and greatly shorten the drying time; Heat sensitive materials such as seeds can also be dried by adjusting the lower temperature.

5、 Environmental performance

The heat pump dryer does not produce any combustion or emissions during operation, and is environmentally friendly. It is a green and eco-friendly drying equipment. It utilizes the heat energy in the air, which belongs to the utilization of renewable energy and is in line with the concept of sustainable development.

The biomass pellet dryer is equipped with advanced automatic combustion machines, allowing biomass pellets to be fully burned with almost no waste residue; A small amount of exhaust gas, equipped with simple exhaust gas treatment equipment, meets strict environmental requirements. Meanwhile, the use of biomass pellets can also reduce the accumulation of agricultural and forestry waste, achieving the recycling of resources.

6、 Applicable materials

Heat pump dryer is suitable for medium and low temperature drying, closed drying process, and long drying time materials. It can achieve slow drying of materials at lower drying temperatures, retain the nutritional components, aroma, and other quality characteristics of materials, and meet the needs of long-term pickling, flavor retention, and color change of materials, such as sausages, cured meat, tobacco leaves, etc.

Biomass pellet dryer has stronger adaptability to materials, not only can it simulate natural air drying and maintain the original color and quality; It can also quickly dry high humidity viscous materials, and its higher drying temperature can quickly evaporate a large amount of moisture. The automatically adjustable large temperature range meets the drying needs of different materials.

7、 Maintenance and upkeep

The maintenance of a heat pump dryer is relatively complex. Due to its precise internal structure, it involves multiple parts such as the refrigeration system and electrical system, and requires regular maintenance by professional technicians. Once a malfunction occurs, the repair cost is high and the repair time is also long, which may affect the production schedule.

The maintenance of biomass pellet dryer is relatively simple, and most operators can complete it with simple training. Moreover, its component prices are relatively low, the universality of each part of the parts is good, and the maintenance cost is also low.

In summary, biomass pellet dryers have significant comparative advantages in terms of energy consumption cost, equipment cost, drying efficiency, applicable material range, and maintenance. Of course, in practical selection, it is necessary to comprehensively consider various factors such as production needs and budget, weigh the pros and cons, and choose the suitable drying equipment for oneself.