Energy-Efficient Clothes Washer Design with Duty Cycling
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Summary
Problems
Household clothes washers face challenges in reducing energy consumption during peak demand periods without compromising convenience or extending cycle times, as existing solutions often require pausing or delaying operations, which may inconvenience users.
Innovation solutions
A controller in the clothes washer adjusts the operation mode based on energy cost signals, modifying the duty cycle of the heater and mechanical action to reduce power consumption, such as by intermittently operating the heater or altering the speed and duration of drum rotation, allowing for energy savings without pausing or delaying cycles.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If the clothes washer operates in normal mode during peak demand periods, then the washing cycle completes at standard speed, but energy consumption and cost increase significantly
Why choose this principle:
The heater is operated periodically rather than continuously during the washing cycle. The controller cycles the heater on and off at predetermined intervals to maintain water temperature while reducing peak power demand during expensive energy periods, thus lowering energy consumption without significantly impacting cycle completion speed
Principle concept:
If the clothes washer operates in normal mode during peak demand periods, then the washing cycle completes at standard speed, but energy consumption and cost increase significantly
Why choose this principle:
The system dynamically adjusts the heater operation based on real-time energy cost signals received from the utility provider. When energy costs are high, the heater duty cycle is reduced; when costs are low, the heater operates more frequently, allowing the system to adapt to changing energy pricing conditions
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
A controller in the clothes washer adjusts the operation mode based on energy cost signals, modifying the duty cycle of the heater and mechanical action to reduce power consumption, such as by intermittently operating the heater or altering the speed and duration of drum rotation, allowing for energy savings without pausing or delaying cycles.
Abstract
A clothes washer is provided comprising one or more power consuming functions and a controller in signal communication with an associated utility. The controller can receive and process a signal from the associated utility indicative of current state of an associated utility. The controller operates the clothes washer in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode in response to the received signal. The controller is configured to change the power consuming functions by changing the duty cycling profile of the heater and/or mechanical action of the basket in the energy savings mode.