Drying device, clothes dryer and control method

Abstract

The invention provides a drying device, a clothes dryer and a control method, the drying device comprises a refrigerant circulation system and a water circulation system, a compressor, a condenser, a throttling part and an evaporator in the refrigerant circulation system form a refrigerant circulation flow path, and a water pan, a heater and a superheater in the water circulation system form a first water circulation flow path; a water pan and a subcooler in the water circulation system form a second water circulation flow path; in the early stage of drying, condensate water collected by a water pan flows through a heater through a first water circulation flow path and then enters a superheater; the heated water exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the air suction pipe in the superheater, so that the temperature of the refrigerant is increased, and the temperature of the drying airflow of the roller is increased; in the later stage of drying, condensate water collected by the water pan directly flows through the cooler through the second water circulation flow path; the low-temperature condensate water exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the exhaust pipe in the subcooler, the temperature of the refrigerant is reduced, and therefore the dehumidification efficiency of the evaporator is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of drying, and particularly relates to a drying device, a clothes dryer and a control method. BACKGROUND

[0002] The heat pump type drying device has become the mainstream choice in the field of clothes drying due to its significant energy saving and high efficiency and low temperature drying characteristics. However, there are still two key problems in the actual operation of such devices that affect the drying efficiency and user experience: In the early stage of drying, due to a large number of low-temperature and high-moisture clothes in the drum and a relatively low ambient temperature, the refrigeration cycle system needs to absorb a large amount of heat to increase the temperature of the drying air flow; At this time, the system is insufficient in superheat, which causes the suction temperature of the compressor to be relatively low, limiting the heating capacity of the system; This makes the temperature rising rate of the drying air flow slow, prolongs the early drying time, and cannot meet the user's demand for fast start and efficient drying; As the drying process progresses, the moisture content of the air in the drum decreases significantly; At this time, the decrease in air humidity on the evaporator side leads to an increase in evaporative pressure, and the evaporative temperature rises accordingly, which seriously weakens the dehumidification capacity of the evaporator, resulting in a sharp decrease in dehumidification efficiency in the later stage of drying, and even the clothes may not be completely dried, which seriously affects the drying effect and user satisfaction. SUMMARY

[0003] In view of this, the present application provides a drying device, a clothes dryer and a control method to solve the problems of slow temperature rising rate of the drying air flow in the early stage of drying, which leads to prolonged drying time, and sharp decrease in dehumidification efficiency in the later stage of drying, which leads to incomplete drying of clothes and poor drying effect.

[0004] The present application provides a drying device for clothes processing equipment; the drying device comprises a refrigerant circulation system and a water circulation system; the refrigerant circulation system comprises a compressor, a condenser, a throttling component and an evaporator; the compressor, the condenser, the throttling component and the evaporator are connected by a refrigerant pipe to form a refrigerant circulation flow path; The water circulation system comprises a water pan for collecting condensate water generated during operation of the evaporator; The water circulation system further comprises a heater, the heater forms a heating cavity for heating water flowing therethrough; the drying device further comprises a superheater, the superheater forms a first heat exchange cavity; the water pan, the heating cavity and the first heat exchange cavity are connected by a water pipe to form a first water circulation flow path, and the first heat exchange cavity and the suction pipe have a heat exchange relationship, for heat exchange between water flowing through the first heat exchange cavity and refrigerant flowing through the suction pipe; And / or, the drying device further comprises a supercooler, the supercooler is formed with a second heat exchange cavity; the water pan and the second heat exchange cavity are communicated through a water pipe to form a second water circulation flow path, and the second heat exchange cavity and the exhaust pipe are in heat exchange relationship, for heat exchange between water flowing through the second heat exchange cavity and refrigerant flowing through the exhaust pipe; Wherein, the suction pipe is a refrigerant pipe communicated with the suction port of the compressor, and the exhaust pipe is a refrigerant pipe communicated with the exhaust port of the compressor.

[0005] Further optionally, when the drying device comprises a superheater, the suction pipe is at least partially arranged in the first heat exchange cavity; When the drying device comprises a supercooler, the exhaust pipe is at least partially arranged in the second heat exchange cavity.

[0006] Further optionally, when the drying device comprises a superheater, the superheater surrounds the outside of the suction pipe; the first heat exchange cavity is formed between the superheater and the suction pipe, and the first heat exchange cavity is in annular structure; When the drying device comprises a supercooler, the supercooler surrounds the outside of the exhaust pipe; the second heat exchange cavity is formed between the supercooler and the exhaust pipe, and the second heat exchange cavity is in annular structure.

[0007] Further optionally, the heater is a steam generator; the position of the water inlet of the first heat exchange cavity is higher than the position of the water outlet of the first heat exchange cavity.

[0008] Further optionally, the water pan has a pan water outlet; the water circulation system further comprises a water pump and a water valve, the water valve has a valve water inlet; the pan water outlet, the water pump and the valve water inlet are sequentially communicated through water pipes to form a water conveying main flow path; The water pan further has a first pan water inlet; the water valve further has a first valve water outlet; when the drying device comprises a superheater, the first valve water outlet, the heating cavity, the first heat exchange cavity and the first pan water inlet are communicated through water pipes to form a first water conveying branch flow path; the water conveying main flow path and the first water conveying branch flow path constitute the first water circulation flow path.

[0009] Further optionally, the water pan has a pan water outlet; the water circulation system further comprises a water pump and a water valve, the water valve has a valve water inlet; the pan water outlet, the water pump and the valve water inlet are sequentially communicated through water pipes to form a water conveying main flow path; The water pan further has a second pan water inlet; the water valve further has a second valve water outlet; when the drying device comprises a supercooler, the second valve water outlet, the second heat exchange cavity and the second pan water inlet are communicated through water pipes to form a second water conveying branch flow path; the water conveying main flow path and the second water conveying branch flow path constitute the second water circulation flow path.

[0010] The application further provides a clothes dryer, comprising a base, a drum, a front support, a back plate and the drying device as described above. The base is formed with an air inlet channel, a two-vessel cavity and an air outlet channel, and the evaporator and the condenser are arranged in the two-vessel cavity; the evaporator is formed with an evaporator air channel for dehumidifying the drying air flow; the condenser is formed with a condenser air channel for heating the drying air flow; and the water pan is arranged at the bottom of the evaporator. The drum, the front support and the back plate are arranged on the base, the front support is arranged in front of the drum and is formed with a front air channel; and the back plate is arranged behind the drum, and a back air channel is formed between the back plate and the back wall of the drum. The drum, the front air channel, the air inlet channel, the evaporator air channel, the condenser air channel, the air outlet channel and the back air channel are sequentially communicated to form a drying air flow circulation flow path.

[0011] The application further provides a control method of a clothes dryer, wherein the clothes dryer is the clothes dryer as described above; the clothes dryer is provided with a drying program, and the drying program comprises a drying early stage; and the control method comprises the following steps: When the clothes dryer is in the drying early stage, the condensed water flows through the first water circulation flow path, and the heater is controlled to be started; The current temperature of the water in the heating cavity is obtained; According to the current temperature of the water in the heating cavity, the heater is alternately started and stopped, so that the temperature of the water in the heating cavity is within a preset temperature range; When the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature of the drum are both less than a preset temperature, the clothes dryer is in the drying early stage.

[0012] Further, the control method further comprises the following steps: The current superheat degree of the refrigerant circulation system is obtained; It is judged whether the current superheat degree reaches a preset superheat degree; When the current superheat degree reaches the preset superheat degree, the condensed water is controlled to stop flowing through the first water circulation flow path and the heater is stopped.

[0013] The application further provides a control method of a clothes dryer, wherein the clothes dryer is the clothes dryer as described above; the clothes dryer is provided with a drying program, and the drying program comprises a drying late stage; and the control method comprises the following steps: When the clothes dryer is in the drying late stage, the condensed water flows through the second water circulation flow path; The current subcooling degree of the refrigerant circulation system is obtained; It is judged whether the current subcooling degree reaches a preset subcooling degree; When the current supercooling degree reaches the preset supercooling degree, the condensed water is controlled to stop flowing through the second water circulation flow path; Wherein, when the difference between the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature of the drum is greater than a preset temperature, the clothes dryer is in the late drying stage.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application mainly lie in: (1) In the early drying stage, the condensed water collected by the water tray flows through the first water circulation flow path, enters the superheater after passing through the heater, and the heated water exchanges heat with the low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing through the suction pipe in the superheater to increase the temperature of the refrigerant (i.e. increase the suction superheat degree). Higher suction superheat degree means that the temperature of the refrigerant gas entering the compressor is higher and the enthalpy is larger, and after the compressor compresses the gas with higher enthalpy, the temperature and heat of the high-temperature and high-pressure gas discharged are significantly increased. These higher temperature heat is released to the drying air flow in the condenser, thereby rapidly increasing the temperature of the drying air flow entering the drum; overcome the slow temperature rise problem caused by low temperature of clothes and environment and insufficient system superheat degree in the early stage of traditional heat pump drying, realize rapid start and efficient early drying, and shorten the overall drying time; (2) In the late drying stage, the condensed water collected by the water tray flows through the second water circulation flow path and directly flows through the subcooler; the low-temperature condensed water exchanges heat with the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing through the exhaust pipe in the subcooler to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant (i.e. increase the exhaust supercooling degree or sensible heat cooling); reduce the inlet temperature or enthalpy of the refrigerant entering the condenser, which helps to improve the effective condensing efficiency in the condenser, so that the temperature of the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the condenser is lower; After passing through the throttling component, the refrigerant entering the evaporator has lower dryness (higher liquid proportion), and the evaporation is more complete; under the same evaporation pressure, the evaporation temperature can be lowered; lower evaporation temperature significantly enhances the ability of the evaporator to absorb moisture (latent heat) from the drying air flow, i.e. improves the dehumidification efficiency; solve the problem of serious dehumidification capacity decay caused by insufficient system supercooling degree and the increase of evaporation temperature due to low moisture content of the drying air flow in the late drying stage, and ensure that the clothes can be completely dried in the late stage; (3) The condensed water generated during system operation is ingeniously used as a heat exchange medium; in the early drying stage, the water (after heating) recovers the cold energy of the suction pipe to increase the superheat degree; in the late drying stage, the low-temperature condensed water recovers the waste heat of the exhaust pipe to increase the supercooling degree: Through the coupling heat exchange between the water circulation system and the refrigerant circulation system, the energy is utilized in stages and recycled internally, significantly reducing the additional energy input required for rapid temperature rise and deep dehumidification, thereby improving the overall energy efficiency ratio of the entire drying device; (4) The subcooler utilizes condensed water to cool the exhaust pipe, which helps to reduce the exhaust temperature of the compressor, reduce the thermal load of the compressor, and is conducive to prolonging the service life of the compressor and improving the operation reliability of the system under high temperature working conditions; Increasing the subcooling degree helps to ensure the state of the throttled refrigerant, makes the evaporation process more stable, and reduces the risk of liquid return. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the following embodiment or prior art description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only exemplary, and those skilled in the art can also obtain other implementation drawings according to the provided drawings without creating any creative labor.

[0016] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. shown in the specification are only used to cooperate with the content disclosed in the specification, to be understood and read by those skilled in the art, and are not used to limit the limiting conditions that the present application can be implemented, so they do not have technical significance. Any modification of structure, change of proportion relationship or adjustment of size, without affecting the effect and purpose that the present application can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present application.

[0017] Figure 1a And Figure 1b The shaft side structure schematic diagram of the drying device embodiment provided by the present application is shown in the figure; Figure 1c The right view structure schematic diagram of the drying device embodiment provided by the present application is shown in the figure; Figure 2a The assembly structure schematic diagram of the superheater and the suction pipe embodiment provided by the present application is shown in the figure; Figure 2b The assembly structure schematic diagram of the subcooler and the exhaust pipe embodiment provided by the present application is shown in the figure; Figure 3 The assembly structure schematic diagram of the base (with air duct cover) and the drying device embodiment provided by the present application is shown in the figure; Figure 4 The assembly structure schematic diagram of the base (without air duct cover) and the drying device embodiment provided by the present application is shown in the figure; Figure 5 The flowchart of the control method embodiment of the clothes dryer provided by the present application is shown in the figure; Figure 6 Another flowchart of the control method embodiment of the clothes dryer provided by the present application is shown in the figure; In the figure: 11-evaporator; 12-condenser; 13-compressor; 14-throttling component; 151-suction pipe; 152-exhaust pipe; 21 - water pan; 22 - water pump; 23 - water valve; 231 - valve water inlet pipe; 24 - heater; 241 - heating water inlet pipe; 25 - superheater; 251 - superheating water inlet pipe; 252 - superheating water outlet pipe; 26 - subcooler; 261 - subcooling water inlet pipe; 262 - subcooling water outlet pipe; 31 - base; 32 - air duct cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The specific embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with specific reference being made to the figures. It is to be understood that the description given herein is only for the purpose of the preferred embodiments and that many variations and modifications can be made which will be apparent to one skilled in the art from this description. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to cover all such modifications and variations.

[0019] The terminology used in the description of the application herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. As used in the description of the application and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0020] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein encompasses all of the following arrangements: A and / or B; A or B; A and B.

[0021] It should be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising", or "includes" and / or "including" when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or groups thereof.

[0022] Although heat pump drying devices are energy-saving and efficient, there are still bottlenecks that significantly affect efficiency and experience: 1) slow temperature rise of drying air flow in the early stage of drying: due to heat absorption of low-temperature clothes and environment, insufficient superheat degree of refrigeration cycle, low suction temperature of compressor, limited heating capacity, slow temperature rise of drying air flow, and prolonged time consumption in the early stage; 2) poor dehumidification of evaporator in the late stage of drying: as the clothes dry, the air humidity in the drum decreases, causing the evaporating temperature to rise, and the insufficient supercooling degree of the system, which together causes the evaporator dehumidification capacity to be severely attenuated, and the clothes are prone to not be dried thoroughly; The application creatively provides a drying device, which comprises a refrigerant circulation system and a water circulation system; a compressor, a condenser, a throttling component and an evaporator in the refrigerant circulation system are connected by refrigerant pipes to form a refrigerant circulation flow path; a water pan, a heater and a superheater in the water circulation system are connected by water pipes to form a first water circulation flow path; and the water pan and a subcooler in the water circulation system are connected by water pipes to form a second water circulation flow path; In the early stage of drying, the condensed water collected by the water pan flows through the heater and then enters the superheater through the first water circulation flow path; the heated water exchanges heat with the low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing through the suction pipe in the superheater, thereby increasing the temperature of the refrigerant and rapidly increasing the temperature of the drying air flow entering the drum; In the late stage of drying, the condensed water collected by the water pan directly flows through the subcooler through the second water circulation flow path; the low-temperature condensed water exchanges heat with the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing through the exhaust pipe in the subcooler, thereby reducing the temperature of the refrigerant and improving the dehumidification efficiency of the evaporator.

[0023] <The drying device> As shown in Figures 1a to 2b The present embodiment provides a drying device for a clothes treatment apparatus, in particular for a heat pump type clothes dryer; the drying device comprises a refrigerant circulation system and a water circulation system; the refrigerant circulation system comprises a compressor 13, a condenser 12, a throttling component 14 and an evaporator 11; the compressor 13, the condenser 12, the throttling component 14 and the evaporator 11 are connected by refrigerant pipes to form a refrigerant circulation flow path; that is, the refrigerant circulation flow path is: compressor 13→condenser 12→throttling component 14→evaporator 11→compressor 13; The water circulation system comprises a water pan 21, which is arranged below the evaporator 11 and is used to collect and store the condensed water generated during the operation of the evaporator 11; The water circulation system further comprises a heater 24, which is formed with a heating cavity for heating water flowing therethrough; the drying device further comprises a superheater 25, which is formed with a first heat exchange cavity; the water tray 21, the heating cavity and the first heat exchange cavity are connected by water pipes to form a first water circulation flow path, and the first heat exchange cavity and the suction pipe 151 are in heat exchange relationship, for heat exchange between water flowing through the first heat exchange cavity and refrigerant flowing through the suction pipe 151; And / or, the drying device comprises a subcooler 26, which is formed with a second heat exchange cavity; the water tray 21 and the second heat exchange cavity are connected by water pipes to form a second water circulation flow path, and the second heat exchange cavity and the exhaust pipe 152 are in heat exchange relationship, for heat exchange between water flowing through the second heat exchange cavity and refrigerant flowing through the exhaust pipe 152; Wherein, the suction pipe 151 is a refrigerant pipe in communication with the suction port of the compressor 13, and the exhaust pipe 152 is a refrigerant pipe in communication with the exhaust port of the compressor 13; The compressor 13 compresses the refrigerant from low-temperature and low-pressure gas state to high-temperature and high-pressure gas state, and then enters the condenser 12 to release heat, and becomes high-pressure saturated liquid state through heat exchange with air, and then enters the subcooler 26 to release heat again, and becomes subcooled liquid through heat exchange with water, and then enters the throttling component 14 to become low-temperature and low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase state, and then enters the evaporator 11 to absorb heat, and becomes low-pressure saturated gas state through heat exchange with air, and then enters the superheater 25 to absorb heat again, and becomes superheated gas through heat exchange with water, and then enters the compressor 13, and the cycle is repeated; In the early stage of drying, the water in the superheater 25 exchanges heat with the low-temperature and low-pressure gas state refrigerant flowing through the suction pipe 151, thereby increasing the temperature of the refrigerant (i.e. increasing the suction superheat degree); higher suction superheat degree means that the refrigerant gas entering the compressor 13 has higher temperature and larger enthalpy, and after the compressor 13 compresses the gas with higher enthalpy, the temperature and heat of the high-temperature and high-pressure gas discharged are significantly increased; these higher temperature heat is released to the drying air flow in the condenser 12, thereby rapidly increasing the temperature of the drying air flow entering the drum; In the late stage of drying, the water in the subcooler 26 exchanges heat with the high-temperature and high-pressure gas state refrigerant flowing through the exhaust pipe 152, thereby reducing the temperature of the refrigerant (i.e. increasing the exhaust subcooling degree or sensible cooling); reducing the inlet temperature or enthalpy of the refrigerant entering the condenser 12 helps to improve the effective condensing efficiency in the condenser 12, so that the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 12 has lower temperature; after passing through the throttling component 14, the refrigerant entering the evaporator 11 has lower dryness (higher liquid proportion), and evaporates more fully; under the same evaporation pressure, the evaporation temperature can be lowered; lower evaporation temperature significantly enhances the ability of the evaporator 11 to absorb moisture (latent heat) from the drying air flow, thereby improving the dehumidification efficiency.

[0024] Specifically, using the existing steam generator as the heater 24 means that its core function is to convert the circulating water into high-temperature steam; compared with hot water alone, high-temperature steam can transfer heat more quickly and uniformly when it contacts clothes, has good permeability, helps to smooth out wrinkles, achieves more efficient drying and better ironing effects, and thus improves the overall performance and use experience of the clothes treatment equipment; the steam generator can stably and efficiently produce steam, providing a reliable high-temperature heat source for the drying process; and the function of the water circulation system is optimized, so that it is upgraded from a simple heat transfer system to a system that can actively produce high-quality heat medium; The position of the water inlet of the first heat exchange cavity is higher than the position of the water outlet of the first heat exchange cavity; this structure uses the action of gravity to achieve a "high-in and low-out" flow mode; when the water circulation stops, this design can ensure that the water in the first heat exchange cavity (i.e., the superheater 25) can be completely and smoothly drained through the lower-positioned water outlet under the action of gravity; effectively avoiding water accumulation and retention, especially in low-temperature environments, preventing the water in the first heat exchange cavity from freezing and cracking the superheater 25, and greatly improving the reliability and durability of the equipment; this natural flow path helps to reduce flow resistance and can better cooperate with the system water pump to ensure smooth flow of water or steam through the superheater 25, thereby ensuring stable and efficient operation of the entire first water circulation flow path.

[0025] Next, the heat exchange structure of the superheater 25 and the suction pipe 151 will be described; when the drying device includes the superheater 25, the suction pipe 151 is at least partially arranged in the first heat exchange cavity; By arranging at least part of the suction pipe 151 directly in the first heat exchange cavity, close contact between the refrigerant and the water in the superheater 25 is achieved, so that the low-temperature refrigerant coming out of the evaporator 11 can be effectively heated by the water flow before entering the compressor 13; this helps to prevent the compressor 13 from sucking too much water, reduces the risk of liquid impact, and improves the operating efficiency and service life of the compressor 13; at the same time, the water in the superheater 25 is cooled by the refrigerant, which can be used to reduce the system temperature or recycled, improving energy utilization.

[0026] Preferably, the superheater 25 is arranged around the outside of the suction pipe 151; the first heat exchange cavity is formed between the superheater 25 and the suction pipe 151, and the first heat exchange cavity has a ring structure; In this way, the following technical effects can be achieved: (1) The ring structure design allows the water flow to uniformly wrap around the outer periphery of the suction pipe 151, significantly increasing the heat exchange contact area, and thus improving the completeness and uniformity of heat exchange; this helps to more efficiently transfer heat between the refrigerant and the water, improving the heat recovery efficiency of the entire system; (2) The annular structure promotes the circular flow of water, reduces the heat exchange dead zone, and ensures the stability and continuity of the heat exchange process; for the superheater 25, this helps to stabilize the suction temperature of the compressor 13, thereby enhancing the reliability of the system operation.

[0027] (3) The annular structure is easy to manufacture and install, reduces the processing complexity, and at the same time ensures the compactness of the heat exchanger, which is conducive to the miniaturization and integration of the drying device, saves space and reduces costs.

[0028] The following describes the heat exchange structure of the supercooler 26 and the exhaust pipe 152. When the drying device includes the supercooler 26, the exhaust pipe 152 is at least partially arranged in the second heat exchange cavity; By arranging at least part of the exhaust pipe 152 directly in the second heat exchange cavity, direct heat exchange between the high-temperature refrigerant and the water in the supercooler 26 is achieved; this allows the high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor 13 to be pre-cooled before entering the condenser 12, thereby reducing the heat load of the condenser 12 and improving the cooling efficiency of the entire refrigerant circulation system, thereby reducing energy consumption.

[0029] Preferably, the supercooler 26 is arranged around the outside of the exhaust pipe 152; a second heat exchange cavity is formed between the supercooler 26 and the exhaust pipe 152, and the second heat exchange cavity is of an annular structure; In this way, the following technical effects can be achieved: (1) The annular structure allows the water flow to uniformly wrap around the outer periphery of the exhaust pipe 152, significantly increasing the heat exchange contact area, thereby improving the completeness and uniformity of heat exchange; this helps to more efficiently transfer heat between the refrigerant and the water, improving the heat recovery efficiency of the entire system; (2) The annular structure promotes the circular flow of water, reduces the heat exchange dead zone, and ensures the stability and continuity of the heat exchange process; for the supercooler 26, it helps to maintain uniform control of the refrigerant discharge temperature, thereby enhancing the reliability of the system operation; (3) The annular structure is easy to manufacture and install, reduces the processing complexity, and at the same time ensures the compactness of the heat exchanger, which is conducive to the miniaturization and integration of the drying device, saves space and reduces costs.

[0030] The following describes the specific structure of the water circulation system. The water pan 21 has a pan drain port; the water circulation system further includes a water pump 22 and a water valve 23, and the water valve 23 has a valve water inlet; the pan drain port, the water pump 22, and the valve water inlet are sequentially connected by water pipes to form a main water conveying path; that is, the main water conveying path is: water pan 21→water pump 22→water valve 23; specifically, the pan drain port and the inlet of the water pump 22 are connected by a pan drain pipe, and the outlet of the water pump 22 and the valve water inlet are connected by a valve water inlet pipe 231; when the water level in the water pan 21 is higher than the safe water level, the water pump 22 is started to pump away the condensed water; The water pan 21 further has a first pan water inlet; the water valve 23 further has a first valve water outlet; when the drying device comprises the superheater 25, the first valve water outlet, the heating cavity, the first heat exchange cavity and the first pan water inlet are connected by water pipes to form a first water conveying branch circuit, i.e., the first water conveying branch circuit is: the water valve 23→the heating cavity→the first heat exchange cavity, the water pan 21; the water conveying main circuit and the first water conveying branch circuit constitute a first water circulation circuit, i.e., the first water circulation circuit is: the water pan 21→the water pump 22→the water valve 23→the heating cavity→the first heat exchange cavity→the water pan 21; specifically, the first valve water outlet and the inlet of the heating cavity are connected by a heating water inlet pipe 241, the outlet of the heating cavity and the inlet of the first heat exchange cavity are connected by a superheating water inlet pipe 251, and the outlet of the first heat exchange cavity and the first pan water inlet are connected by a superheating water outlet pipe 252; In this way, the following technical effects can be achieved: (1) By arranging the water pump 22, a stable power source is provided for the entire first water circulation circuit, which forcibly drives the condensed water collected by the water pan 21 to flow, overcomes the pipeline resistance, and ensures the circulation efficiency and reliability of the water flow (especially when it needs to flow through components such as the heater 24 and the superheater 25); the introduction of the water valve 23 realizes the switching and control of the water flow path, so that the system can intelligently decide whether to guide the water to the first water conveying branch circuit for heat recovery according to the drying demand, thereby realizing accurate management of water circulation and optimization of system energy efficiency; (2) The "water conveying main circuit" is responsible for pumping water from the water pan to the water valve 23, while the "first water conveying branch circuit" is responsible for sequentially sending water to the heater 24 and the superheater 25, and finally returning to the water pan 21; this structured flow path design integrates the collection, transportation, heating of condensed water and the superheating heat exchange process with the compressor 13 suction pipe 151 into an efficient and closed circulation system; not only the condensed water generated by the evaporator 11 is recovered, but more importantly, the cold energy of the compressor 13 suction pipe 151 is systematically recovered through this flow path, which can increase the superheating degree of the refrigerant circulation system in the early stage of drying, thereby rapidly increasing the discharge temperature of the compressor 13, achieving energy cascade utilization, and significantly improving the overall energy efficiency of the system.

[0031] Further, the water pan 21 further has a second pan water inlet; the water valve 23 further has a second valve water outlet; when the drying device comprises the subcooler 26, the second valve water outlet, the second heat exchange cavity and the second pan water inlet are connected by water pipes to form a second water conveying branch circuit, i.e., the second water conveying branch circuit is: the water valve 23→the second heat exchange cavity→the water pan 21; the water conveying main circuit and the second water conveying branch circuit constitute a second water circulation circuit, i.e., the second water circulation circuit is: the water pan 21→the water pump 22→the water valve 23→the second heat exchange cavity→the water pan 21; Specifically, the drain outlet of the second valve and the inlet of the second heat exchange chamber are connected through the subcooled water inlet pipe 261, and the outlet of the second heat exchange chamber and the inlet of the second plate are connected through the subcooled drain pipe 262. In this way, the following technical effects can be achieved: (1) The water pump 22 and the water valve 23 work together to provide the system with reliable power and control core; the water valve 23 is a multi-pass valve that can deliver water to different branches (for example, select to enter the first water delivery branch or the second water delivery branch); this lays the foundation for the entire water circulation system to achieve multi-functionality and selective energy recovery; (2) The "second water supply branch" leads water to the second heat exchange chamber of the subcooler 26, so that the condensate in the water receiving pan 21 can be used to precool the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 13; the waste heat of the exhaust pipe is systematically recovered, and the water is heated in the subcooler. This hot water can be used later (such as directly for humidification or preheating); at the same time, for the refrigerant, in the later stage of drying, increasing the subcooling of the refrigerant circulation system can reduce the evaporation temperature to a certain extent; thereby effectively improving the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle and reducing the energy consumption of the whole machine; (3) The valve inlet of the controllable water valve 23 is connected to the first valve outlet, or the valve inlet and the second valve outlet are connected. The first and second water circulation paths share the same water pump 22. The circulating water is condensate, which realizes condensate drainage, superheat circulation and subcooling circulation, simplifies the water path and improves the utilization rate of condensate. By adding superheater 25 and subcooler 26 to control the superheat and subcooling of the refrigerant circulation system during the drying process, the evaporation temperature and condensation temperature of the refrigerant circulation system can be controlled more precisely, thereby effectively improving the rapid heating and dehumidification capabilities of the refrigerant circulation system.

[0032] <Clothes Dryer and Control Methods> like Figures 3 to 4 As shown, this embodiment also provides a clothes dryer, including a base 31, an air duct cover 32, a roller, a front support, a rear panel, and the drying device described in any of the above. The base 31 has an air inlet duct, two chambers, and an air outlet duct. The evaporator 11 and the condenser 12 are disposed in the two chambers. The evaporator 11 has an evaporator air duct for dehumidifying the flowing drying air. The condenser 12 has a condenser air duct for heating the flowing drying air. The water receiving tray 21 is disposed at the bottom of the evaporator 11. The air duct cover 32 is disposed on the top of the air inlet duct, the two chambers, and the air outlet duct. The roller, front support, and rear back plate are all mounted on the base 31. The front support is located in front of the roller and forms a front air duct. The rear back plate is located behind the roller, and a rear air duct is formed between the rear back plate and the rear wall of the roller. The drum, the front air duct, the air inlet duct, the evaporator air duct, the condenser air duct, the air outlet duct and the rear air duct are sequentially communicated to form a drying air flow circulation flow path.

[0033] As shown in the drawings, Figure 5 The present embodiment also provides a control method of the clothes dryer, the clothes dryer being the clothes dryer described above; the clothes dryer is provided with a drying program, the drying program including a pre-drying stage; the control method includes: S1, when the clothes dryer is in the pre-drying stage, making the condensed water flow through the first water circulation flow path, and controlling the heater 24 to start; S2, obtaining the current temperature of the water in the heating cavity; S3, according to the current temperature of the water in the heating cavity, alternately starting and stopping the heater 24, so that the temperature of the water in the heating cavity is within a preset temperature range; Wherein, when the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature of the drum are both less than the preset temperature, the clothes dryer is in the pre-drying stage.

[0034] Further, the control method further includes: S4, obtaining the current superheat degree of the refrigerant circulation system; S5, judging whether the current superheat degree reaches a preset superheat degree; S6, when the current superheat degree reaches the preset superheat degree, controlling the condensed water to stop flowing through the first water circulation flow path and the heater 24 to stop.

[0035] Specifically, the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature of the drum are obtained by the temperature sensor, it is determined that the clothes dryer is in the temperature rising stage of the pre-drying stage, there is a demand for rapid temperature rise, then the steam generator is started; when the temperature of the water in the steam generator is within the preset temperature range, the water pump 22 is started, the valve water inlet and the first valve water outlet are communicated, the water enters the first water circulation flow path; the water in the steam generator starts to flow to the superheater 25 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the suction pipe 151, the superheat degree of the refrigerant circulation system gradually increases, the system exhaust temperature rises, and the temperature rising rate of the drying air flow and the clothes in the drum increases; when the superheat degree of the refrigerant circulation system reaches the preset superheat degree, the water pump 22 is closed, and the rapid temperature rising process is ended.

[0036] In the stage of heating water in the steam generator, the steam generator is not preheated, the water pump 22 is first started to supply water to the steam generator, and then the steam generator is started, so as to avoid that the water is directly converted into steam; after the steam generator works for a certain time T1, the steam generator is stopped, and is started again after a time T2; the cycle is repeated until the temperature rising stage is ended. When the ambient temperature is low, such as below 0℃, in order to quickly increase the temperature, the steam generator is controlled to be preheated to a time T3, and then the water pump 22 is started to supply water; the water supply of the water pump 22 is intermittent, such as 3 seconds on and 2 seconds off, because the temperature of the steam generator is high, the water is instantaneously converted into high-temperature steam when flowing through, the steam is condensed in the superheater 25 to release heat, thereby avoiding the problem of frosting of the evaporator 11.

[0037] Another embodiment also provides a control method of a clothes dryer, the clothes dryer being the clothes dryer described above; the clothes dryer is provided with a drying program, the drying program including a late drying stage; the control method includes: P1, when the clothes dryer is in the late drying stage, the condensed water flows through the second water circulation flow path; P2, obtaining a current subcooling degree of the refrigerant circulation system; P3, determining whether the current subcooling degree reaches a preset subcooling degree; P4, when the current subcooling degree reaches the preset subcooling degree, controlling the condensed water to stop flowing through the second water circulation flow path; Wherein, when the difference between the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature of the drum is greater than a preset temperature, the clothes dryer is in the late drying stage.

[0038] Specifically, in the late drying stage, because the moisture content in the clothes is low, the water carried away by the drying airflow is less, and the temperature on the surface of the evaporator 11 is high, the dehumidification capacity is weakened; therefore, the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature of the drum are obtained by the temperature sensor, when the difference between the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature reaches a certain value, it is determined that the clothes dryer is in the late drying stage, whether the amount of condensed water in the water pan 21 meets the requirements is detected; when it meets the requirements, the water pump 22 is opened, the valve water inlet and the second valve water outlet are communicated, the water enters the second water circulation flow path; the water enters the subcooler 26 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the exhaust pipe 152, the subcooling degree of the refrigerant circulation system gradually increases, the inlet evaporation temperature decreases, and the system dehumidification capacity increases; when the subcooling degree of the refrigerant circulation system reaches a preset subcooling degree, the water pump 22 is closed, and the late drying stage increases the subcooling degree process ends.

[0039] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are specifically shown and described above. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the detailed structure, arrangement or implementation method described herein; on the contrary, the present disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included in the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A drying device for a laundry treatment apparatus; characterized in that, The drying device comprises a refrigerant circulation system and a water circulation system; the refrigerant circulation system comprises a compressor (13), a condenser (12), a throttling component (14) and an evaporator (11); the compressor (13), the condenser (12), the throttling component (14) and the evaporator (11) are connected in communication through refrigerant pipes to form a refrigerant circulation flow path; The water circulation system comprises a water collecting tray (21) for collecting condensate water generated during operation of the evaporator (11); The water circulation system further comprises a heater (24) formed with a heating cavity for heating water flowing therethrough; the drying device further comprises a superheater (25) formed with a first heat exchange cavity; the water collecting tray (21), the heating cavity and the first heat exchange cavity are connected in communication through water pipes to form a first water circulation flow path, and the first heat exchange cavity and a suction pipe (151) are in heat exchange relationship, for enabling water flowing through the first heat exchange cavity and refrigerant flowing through the suction pipe (151) to exchange heat; And / or, the drying device further comprises a subcooler (26) formed with a second heat exchange cavity; the water collecting tray (21) and the second heat exchange cavity are connected in communication through water pipes to form a second water circulation flow path, and the second heat exchange cavity and a discharge pipe (152) are in heat exchange relationship, for enabling water flowing through the second heat exchange cavity and refrigerant flowing through the discharge pipe (152) to exchange heat; Wherein, the suction pipe (151) is a refrigerant pipe in communication with a suction port of the compressor (13), and the discharge pipe (152) is a refrigerant pipe in communication with a discharge port of the compressor (13).

2. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein When the drying device comprises the superheater (25), the suction pipe (151) is at least partially arranged in the first heat exchange cavity; When the drying device comprises the subcooler (26), the discharge pipe (152) is at least partially arranged in the second heat exchange cavity.

3. The drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein When the drying device comprises the superheater (25), the superheater (25) is arranged outside the suction pipe (151); the first heat exchange cavity is formed between the superheater (25) and the suction pipe (151), and the first heat exchange cavity has an annular structure; When the drying device comprises the subcooler (26), the subcooler (26) is arranged outside the discharge pipe (152); the second heat exchange cavity is formed between the subcooler (26) and the discharge pipe (152), and the second heat exchange cavity has an annular structure.

4. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The heater (24) is a steam generator; a water inlet of the first heat exchange cavity is located higher than a water outlet of the first heat exchange cavity.

5. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The water collecting tray (21) has a tray water outlet; the water circulation system further comprises a water pump (22) and a water valve (23), the water valve (23) has a valve water inlet; the tray water outlet, the water pump (22) and the valve water inlet are connected in sequence through water pipes to form a water conveying main flow path; The water pan (21) further has a first pan water inlet; the water valve (23) further has a first valve water outlet; when the drying device comprises an over-heater (25), the first valve water outlet, the heating cavity, the first heat exchange cavity and the first pan water inlet are connected by water pipes to form a first water branch flow path; the main water flow path and the first water branch flow path constitute the first water circulation flow path.

6. The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein The water pan (21) has a pan water outlet; the water circulation system further comprises a water pump (22) and a water valve (23), the water valve (23) has a valve water inlet; the pan water outlet, the water pump (22) and the valve water inlet are sequentially connected by water pipes to form a main water flow path; The water pan (21) further has a second pan water inlet; the water valve (23) further has a second valve water outlet; when the drying device comprises an over-cooler (26), the second valve water outlet, the second heat exchange cavity and the second pan water inlet are connected by water pipes to form a second water branch flow path; the main water flow path and the second water branch flow path constitute the second water circulation flow path.

7. A clothes dryer characterized by The drying device comprises a base (31), a drum, a front support, a back plate and any one of the drying devices according to claims 1 to 6; The base (31) is formed with an air inlet channel, a two-device cavity and an air outlet channel, the evaporator (11) and the condenser (12) are arranged in the two-device cavity; the evaporator (11) is formed with an evaporator air channel for dehumidifying the drying air flow; the condenser (12) is formed with a condenser air channel for heating the drying air flow; the water pan (21) is arranged at the bottom of the evaporator (11); The drum, the front support and the back plate are arranged on the base (31), the front support is arranged in front of the drum and is formed with a front air channel; the back plate is arranged behind the drum, and a rear air channel is formed between the back plate and the rear wall of the drum; The drum, the front air channel, the air inlet channel, the evaporator air channel, the condenser air channel, the air outlet channel and the rear air channel are sequentially connected to form a drying air flow circulation flow path.

8. A control method of a clothes dryer, characterized by, The clothes dryer is the clothes dryer according to claim 7; the clothes dryer is provided with a drying program, the drying program comprises a drying early stage; the control method comprises: When the clothes dryer is in the drying early stage, the condensed water flows through the first water circulation flow path, and the heater (24) is controlled to start; The current temperature of the water in the heating cavity is obtained; According to the current temperature of the water in the heating cavity, the heater (24) is alternately started and stopped, so that the temperature of the water in the heating cavity is within a preset temperature range; When the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature of the drum are both less than a preset temperature, the clothes dryer is in the drying early stage.

9. The control method of the clothes dryer according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control method further comprises: The current superheat degree of the refrigerant circulation system is obtained; It is judged whether the current superheat degree reaches a preset superheat degree; When the current superheat degree reaches the preset superheat degree, the condensed water is controlled to stop flowing through the first water circulation flow path and the heater (24) is stopped.

10. A control method of a clothes dryer, characterized by, The clothes dryer is the clothes dryer according to claim 7; the clothes dryer is provided with a drying program, the drying program comprises a drying late stage; the control method comprises: When the drying machine is in the late drying stage, causing condensed water to flow through the second water circulation flow path; Obtaining a current supercooling degree of the refrigerant circulation system; Determining whether the current supercooling degree reaches a preset supercooling degree; When the current supercooling degree reaches the preset supercooling degree, controlling the condensed water to stop flowing through the second water circulation flow path; Wherein, when the difference between the inlet air temperature and the outlet air temperature of the drum is greater than a preset temperature, the drying machine is in the late drying stage.

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