Laundry system with improved provision of superheated steam

Abstract

Laundry system (100) for energy-reduced laundry treatment and a method therefor, comprising several laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12) configured to treat the laundry with superheated steam (13). According to the invention, a central thermal battery (14) for storing heat is provided, which has an electric heater (17), enabling the thermal battery (14) to be charged to temperatures suitable for generating the superheated steam (13) at the necessary temperature for operating the laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12) and supplying the superheated steam (13) to the laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12), wherein the central thermal battery (14) can be charged independently of the availability of the superheated steam (13) from renewable energy sources.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a laundry system for the energy-reduced treatment of laundry, comprising several laundry treatment machines which are designed to treat the laundry with hot steam. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Possibilities for saving energy in the operation of laundry systems are already known from the prior art. DE 10 2006 020 003 A1 discloses a laundry system for energy-reduced laundry treatment. Several laundry treatment machines are configured to treat the laundry with superheated steam. A waste heat collection device is provided to collect the waste heat from each of the laundry treatment machines. This waste heat is fed to a heat exchanger, for example, to provide hot water with which the laundry treatment machines can be operated again. Laundry treatment machines of the type of interest here can be, for example, dryers, ironers, or so-called tunnel finishers.

[0003] The waste heat from laundry processing machines can be in the form of higher-temperature wastewater, and so-called exhaust air from the laundry processing machines can also be collected via the waste heat collection system. If the wastewater and / or exhaust air are fed into a heat exchanger at a higher temperature, the heat contained can be used for other systems.

[0004] Due to rising energy costs, particularly in the form of gas and oil, which are conventionally used as fuels for generating hot steam, newer systems are required to operate a laundry system with reduced energy consumption, particularly based on the use of electricity as the primary energy source. A laundry system of the present invention is understood to be an overall system of a laundry facility in which several laundry treatment machines are operated simultaneously or sequentially, but in a network. Such laundry systems typically have a hot steam generator, which is operated with conventional oil- or gas-fired combustion systems to generate the hot steam from the supplied water.

[0005] Laundry systems are energy-intensive, and the use of photovoltaics, wind power, and hydropower as renewable energy sources makes sense for laundry systems. In particular, electricity from so-called volatile energy sources should be used as efficiently as possible, but without permanently using the electricity to directly heat water to generate superheated steam.

[0006] DE 10 2021 113 134 A1 discloses a method for operating, preferably for supplying energy, a laundry with several laundry treatment machines that can be supplied with energy from at least one grid. The at least one grid is fed by renewable energy or renewable energies, preferably electrical energy and / or biogas obtained from plants or renewable raw materials and / or hydrogen obtained from renewable energy. The renewable energies can also be generated from wind power and / or hydropower and / or photovoltaics and / or biomass. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The object of the invention is to improve a laundry system for the energy-reduced treatment of laundry, so that the laundry system can be operated even better with electricity from renewable energy sources, in particular without or with only a minimal use of fossil fuels.

[0008] This object is achieved by a laundry system according to the preamble of claim 1 and by a method according to claim 11 with the respective characterizing features. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0009] To achieve the aforementioned object, the invention provides the technical teaching that a central thermal battery is set up with which hot steam can be provided to the laundry treatment machines, wherein the central thermal battery can be charged independently of the time at which the hot steam is provided from renewable energy sources. The central thermal battery is designed in such a way that the thermal battery can be charged independently of the time at which hot steam can or should be drawn from the thermal battery or hot steam can be or is to be provided with the thermal battery. Charging the thermal battery, in the sense of the present patent application, describes the heating of a heat accumulator of the thermal battery to temperatures suitable for generating the hot steam required for the operation of the laundry treatment machines.

[0010] The thermal battery can, for example, be constructed with pipes and a thermal storage material, with the pipes being enclosed by the thermal storage material. For example, Energynest A / S has developed thermal batteries with pipes encased in thermal concrete. Such thermal batteries can be constructed with a storage medium flowing through the pipes and, under increased pressure, can reach temperatures of up to 450°C or even 500°C.

[0011] The thermal battery can therefore be heated by means of an electric heater, and, for example, through the circulation of the storage medium, the thermal storage material, such as thermal concrete, can reach correspondingly high temperatures. By appropriately insulating the structure consisting of the pipes and the thermal storage material, the thermal energy contained in the thermal storage material can be retained for a long time, so that the time window for charging the thermal battery, i.e., heating the thermal storage material, and the time window for extracting the energy by generating hot steam can differ significantly; for example, 24 hours or more can elapse between the two times.

[0012] The time difference made possible by the thermal battery between the charging of the thermal battery with thermal energy by means of the electric heater and the extraction of the heat to provide hot steam enables the particularly intensive use of renewable energies, which are not available at all times. If renewable energy is available inexpensively such as wind energy, solar energy, or hydropower, the thermal battery can be charged to its maximum using a control device in the laundry system, ensuring that the thermal storage material reaches a maximum temperature. Because the heat can be stored for a long time, hot steam can also be generated at a much later time using the heat still stored in the thermal battery when the laundry system and laundry treatment machines are put into operation.

[0013] Advantageously, the control device is configured to receive availability information about the availability of renewable energy and / or conventional energy via a data line. Furthermore, the control device can record weather data, particularly regarding wind and / or solar radiation. Furthermore, the control device can be fed with the operating data and operating times of the laundry system. In particular, the control device can have an AI module, thus enabling or utilizing artificial intelligence.

[0014] The control unit is specifically designed to control the heat pump and / or the flow of wastewater and / or exhaust air to the heat pump and / or the transfer of hot steam from the heat pump to the hot steam storage tank and / or the transfer of hot steam from the thermal battery to the hot steam storage tank. This allows the key components of the laundry system to be operated as energy-efficiently and cost-effectively as possible using the control unit.

[0015] For this purpose, it is specifically provided that a valve is installed in the wastewater collection line between the waste heat storage unit and the heat pump, and / or a valve is installed in the steam line between the heat pump and the superheated steam storage unit, and / or a valve is installed in the steam line between the thermal battery and the superheated steam storage unit or the heat exchanger, and / or an electrical switching point is installed in the electrical line between the energy sources, i.e., wind energy, solar energy, hydropower, and / or conventional energy. The valves and the electrical switching point are each controllable by the control device. This allows the fluid flows of the superheated steam and the cost-optimized connection of the energy type to be controlled.

[0016] Depending on the operating plan of the laundry system, it can be controlled, for example, whether the wastewater and exhaust air in the heat storage tank remain at low temperatures when the laundry system is not in operation over a weekend, for example, and little renewable energy is available. If, on the other hand, a larger proportion of renewable energy is available over the weekend, for example, the heat pump can be operated even when the laundry system is not running in order to empty the waste heat storage tank and fill the hot steam storage tank with hot steam. The same applies to the thermal battery, which can be heated up with the electric heater, especially when a large proportion of renewable energy is available. The control device can ratio the inflow of hot steam from the thermal battery or from the heat pump in such a way that minimal heat is not only required for the current operating point of the laundry system, but also for the current operating point of the laundry system.Not only does this not only take into account the costs incurred, but it also takes into account, for example, whether a larger or smaller proportion of renewable energy will be available in the coming days. The same can also be tracked, for example, via the electricity price of conventional energy. This is then used when, for example, the electricity price is low and little renewable energy is available.

[0017] This principle can also be learned and progressively optimized by the control system over a longer period of time, for which the control system can have an AI module.

[0018] Solar energy sources, wind energy sources, and / or, depending on the location, hydropower can also be part of the laundry system, for example, in conjunction with building technology. However, the solar energy sources, wind energy sources, and / or hydropower sources can also be public or private providers, with the energy mix used for electricity generation specified. Finally, a conventional energy provider can also be used to cover peak loads, for example, if no renewable energy source is currently available.

[0019] It is also conceivable to obtain information on current electricity prices, allowing a laundry system's control unit to wait for low energy costs or to purchase electricity before the actual laundry operation if it is currently available at a reasonable price. Smart electricity meters, which have or can retrieve energy cost information, can be used for this purpose.

[0020] For the operation of the thermal battery and for the generation of hot steam, it can have a water supply via which water can be supplied to the thermal battery, and the thermal battery can be configured to convert the water into hot steam at a temperature of, for example, 135°C to 165°C and preferably of approximately 150°C. The provision of hot steam of, for example, 150°C is also possible if the thermal storage material has been heated to significantly higher temperatures, for example to 400°C to 500°C or higher, by means of the electrical heater. The provision of hot steam at a significantly lower temperature can be achieved by appropriate pressure and temperature control of the evaporating water. In this respect, it is possible to supply water directly to the thermal battery, which can flow through the pipes to generate the hot steam.

[0021] Alternatively, the thermal battery can be filled with a storage medium that reaches the temperature of the thermal storage material, for example, 400°C to 500°C or more, wherein a heat exchanger is set up which is connected to the thermal battery by at least one pipe, so that the storage medium can be guided through the heat exchanger by means of the pipe. The heat exchanger can then be operated with water on the heat-absorbing side to generate the hot steam in the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger can also be set up as a structural unit with the thermal battery itself, so that in this case too, water is supplied to the thermal battery, and the water evaporates on the heat-absorbing side of the heat exchanger, while on the heat-emitting side the storage medium flows through the heat exchanger.The installation of a heat exchanger and the use of a storage medium therefore represents an alternative to the direct evaporation of water into hot steam in the pipes of the thermal battery.

[0022] According to an advantageous further embodiment of the laundry system, a hot steam accumulator is provided for storing the hot steam, and the laundry treatment machines can be supplied with hot steam from the hot steam accumulator. The hot steam accumulator can also be appropriately insulated so that the hot steam can be stored in the hot steam accumulator for a longer period of time, ultimately maintaining a sufficiently high temperature for later use by the laundry treatment machines. Hot steam can be supplied to the hot steam accumulator directly from the thermal battery, or hot steam can be supplied to the hot steam accumulator from the heat exchanger by connecting the heat exchanger to the hot steam accumulator via at least one pipe.

[0023] For example, it is conceivable that, with a charged thermal battery and the laundry system about to be operated, hot steam can be generated a certain time in advance using the heat stored in the thermal battery, which is then fed into the hot steam storage tank and stored there. The laundry system can then be operated again, ensuring that the hot steam is available at the right time. Of course, hot steam can also continue to be generated with the thermal battery during the laundry system's operation, especially if the hot steam storage tank has a limited capacity and extended operation of the laundry system with only one filling of the hot steam storage tank is not possible.

[0024] Such time-dependent operation of the laundry system can be controlled by the control unit, which is part of the laundry system. The control unit can thus control both the charging of the thermal battery and the filling of the hot steam storage tank with hot steam, depending on when and at what price renewable energy sources are available and when or at what time the laundry system needs to be put into operation. The use of a conventional energy source based on fossil fuels can also be incorporated into the system; however, these energy sources are then only used by the control unit to cover peak loads if the available renewable energy sources are insufficient.

[0025] According to a further embodiment, a central heat pump is configured, which comprises an evaporator unit and a condenser unit, wherein, in conjunction with the condenser unit, additional hot steam can be generated. The hot steam generated by the condenser unit can also be fed to the hot steam storage unit.

[0026] According to yet another exemplary embodiment, the laundry system comprises a waste heat collection device, in particular with a waste heat storage device, wherein the evaporator unit of the heat pump is configured in connection with the waste heat collection device and / or with the waste heat storage device. The heat pump can, in particular, also only be operated when renewable energy is available, with which the heat pump can be operated to generate hot steam and supply it to the hot steam storage device. The waste heat storage device in the waste heat collection device can also be insulated, so that the wastewater and / or the exhaust air from the laundry treatment machines can be stored in the waste heat storage device in order to be used to operate the heat pump at a later time, for example when renewable energy is available.The control unit can also take over the operation of the heat pump, for example by monitoring the temperature of the waste heat in the waste heat storage unit of the waste heat collection system.

[0027] Furthermore, at least one of the laundry treatment machines can have a process chamber in which or in conjunction with which a heat exchanger is installed, in particular in a spatial and structural unit with the laundry treatment machine. The storage medium of the thermal battery can be routed through this heat exchanger in the process chamber of the laundry treatment machines, so that in the heat exchanger, water can be converted directly from a water supply into hot steam, with which the laundry treatment machine can be operated. The storage medium from the thermal battery can have a higher temperature than the required temperature of the hot steam, even if the thermal battery was heated up via the electric heater several hours or even days ago.The variant with the heat exchangers in the laundry treatment machines eliminates the need for a hot steam storage tank, whereby hot steam can also be stored in two ways, namely in the hot steam storage tank as a buffer tank and hot steam can be generated via the heat exchangers in the laundry treatment machines, depending on which variant for providing the hot steam allows better use of renewable energies, in particular also depending on the presence of residual heat from the waste water and / or the exhaust air of the heat treatment machines in the waste heat storage tank of the waste heat collection device.

[0028] The object of the invention is further achieved by a method for operating a laundry system for the energy-reduced treatment of laundry, comprising a plurality of laundry treatment machines, by means of which the laundry is treated with hot steam, wherein the method comprises at least the following further steps: setting up a central thermal battery with which hot steam can be provided to the laundry treatment machines; charging the central thermal battery at a time when electrical power from renewable energy sources is available and / or usable, and providing the hot steam to the laundry treatment machines during their operating time.Also in connection with the process, the hot steam can be generated directly in the thermal battery, or the thermal battery can be operated with a storage medium, such as silicone oil or the like, through which thermal energy is transferred to the hot steam or water via a heat exchanger, which is then converted into hot steam through subsequent evaporation. For example, it is conceivable for the hot steam to be generated directly in the thermal battery and fed into a hot steam storage unit. Alternatively, the hot steam generated in the thermal battery can also be fed directly to the at least one laundry treatment machine.

[0029] If the thermal battery is operated with a storage medium that can reach a temperature of, for example, up to 450°C or more, a heat exchanger can utilize heat from the storage medium to generate superheated steam. For this purpose, the heat exchanger is connected to the thermal battery via a pipe. If water is added to the heat exchanger, it can evaporate in the heat-absorbing side of the heat exchanger and be converted into superheated steam, while the storage medium cools down in the heat exchanger. The storage medium can, for example, circulate in a circuit between the heat exchanger and the thermal battery.

[0030] According to a further embodiment, the method provides that at least one laundry treatment machine has a process chamber in which or in connection with which a heat exchanger is arranged, wherein the storage medium of the thermal battery is guided via the heat exchanger, and wherein hot steam is generated from a water supply directly in the laundry treatment machine for operating the at least one laundry treatment machine with the heat exchanger.

[0031] Furthermore, the method can provide for setting up a central heat pump which has an evaporator unit and a condenser unit, wherein in conjunction with the condenser unit additional hot steam is generated and / or wherein a waste heat collection device and / or a waste heat storage device is / are set up, wherein the evaporator unit is set up in conjunction with the waste heat collection device and / or with the waste heat storage device and heat from the waste heat collection device and / or the waste heat storage device is used for the evaporator unit.

[0032] Furthermore, a control device can be set up to which information about the availability of renewable energy, in particular from wind energy, solar energy, hydropower and / or from conventional energy is supplied, and wherein the control device switches the electrical heating of the thermal battery and / or the heat pump on or off in such a way that a maximum of renewable energy sources is used.

[0033] The temperature of the waste heat storage tank, the temperature of the thermal battery, and / or the temperature of the hot steam storage tank can be monitored via appropriate sensors, and the temperature values ​​can be retrieved by the control unit. Furthermore, an operating plan for the laundry system can be programmed into the control unit, allowing the controller to plan in advance the use and / or storage, i.e., the future use, of thermal energy from the waste heat storage tank, the hot steam storage tank, and / or the thermal battery. Furthermore, weather data can be programmed into the control unit or made available online, allowing the control unit to incorporate future availability of renewable energy sources into the control of the laundry system, particularly the operation of the electrical heating of the thermal battery.

[0034] For example, the control system can also decide whether the hot steam is generated primarily by the thermal battery or the heat pump based on the remaining heat in the waste heat storage unit of the waste heat collection system and the current temperature of the thermal battery. If, for example, the waste heat storage unit still contains a significant amount of thermal energy, it may be more energy-efficient not to immediately switch on the electrical heating of the thermal battery, even if renewable energy is available, but to first utilize the remaining heat in the waste heat storage unit, as this would otherwise be lost.

[0035] The control device can be capable of learning about the resulting energy consumption over a longer period of use, particularly by using artificial intelligence, which is expressed, for example, by optimising the use of heat in the waste heat storage unit, optimising the energy to be kept available in the hot steam storage unit and / or in the thermal battery, ensuring a minimum of total energy to be used to operate the laundry system over a longer period of time.

[0036] In this respect, it is also conceivable that current or future electricity costs from wind energy, solar energy, hydropower and / or conventional energy could be taken into account by the control unit when planning the operation of the laundry system in advance. These costs can be passed on to the control unit via an interface or accessed online, i.e. via the Internet. For example, the thermal battery and / or the hot steam storage tank can be charged with the heat pump at a time well before the laundry system is due to be used again, when energy costs are currently lower. This only requires sufficient insulation of the thermal battery and / or the hot steam storage tank so that it can store the heat for a particularly long time. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Further measures improving the invention are presented in more detail below, together with the description of preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the figures. It shows: Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the laundry system with a thermal battery in which hot steam is generated directly; Figure 2 shows a modified embodiment of the laundry system according to Figure 1 with a heat exchanger between the thermal battery and a hot steam storage; Figure 3 the embodiment according to Figure 2 , wherein the laundry system further comprises a heat pump and Figure 4 shows a modified embodiment of the laundry system with a thermal battery which transfers the heat directly to the laundry treatment machines.

[0038] In Figure 1A schematic representation of a laundry system 100 with the features of the invention is shown. The illustration shows, by way of example, three laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12, which include, for example, a mangle, a drum dryer, and a tunnel finisher. The laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12 shown require superheated steam 13 as a process medium for treating the laundry, for example, after a previous washing process. The superheated steam 13 can, for example, have an overpressure of 2 bar at a temperature of 135°C to 165°C.

[0039] To provide the hot steam 13, a pipe network is shown which connects the laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12 to a central hot steam storage 22 in which the hot steam 13 is stored, and the hot steam 13 reaches the individual laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12.

[0040] According to the invention, the laundry system 100 comprises a thermal battery 14. The thermal battery 14 can store energy in the form of heat that has previously been introduced into the thermal battery 14. The thermal battery is distinguished in that it comprises, for example, pipes 15 enclosed in a thermal storage material 16. The thermal storage material 16 forms the mass that can be heated and stores the heat due to its very high specific heat capacity, so that a very large amount of heat in joules can be stored in a given volume of the thermal storage material 16.By appropriately insulating the thermal storage material 16, this heat can be stored in the thermal storage material 16 for a long period of time, until, for example, a medium is passed through the pipes 15, which heats up on the thermal storage material 16, thereby simultaneously reducing the heat in the thermal storage material 16 and causing its temperature to drop again. Modern thermal batteries 14 can comprise thermal storage materials 16 that can reach temperatures of up to 500°C or even significantly higher. This temperature can be stored for a long period of time due to the good insulation of the thermal storage material 16 of the thermal battery 14. For example, it is conceivable to enclose the thermal storage material 16 in a vacuum jacket, similar to a thermos flask, or to use other highly insulating materials.

[0041] The thermal battery 14 is a non-electrical heat storage device and can have a heat storage material and, for example, fluid lines through which a hot medium can flow in order to heat the heat storage material, for example to several hundred degrees Celsius. Alternatively or preferably, the heat storage material of the thermal battery 14 can also be heated directly by means of an integrated electric heater. The heat storage material is designed and insulated in such a way that it can store the introduced heat over a long period of time, i.e., it maintains the temperature. Via a medium in the fluid lines of the thermal battery 14, the heat once introduced can thus be removed again at a later time, whereby the hot steam 13 can be formed by means of or from the medium.

[0042] To heat the thermal storage material 16 of the thermal battery 14, the thermal battery 14 may include an electric heater 17. This heater can be electrically operated using various energy sources, for example, wind energy 32, solar energy 33, or hydropower 34. A conventional energy source 35 is also available if the renewable energy sources 32, 33, and 34 are temporarily unavailable.

[0043] The operation of the electric heater 17 can be controlled by means of a control device 31, which supplies the electric heater 17 with energy and heats the thermal storage material 16 in particular when a particularly large amount of renewable energy is available, in particular at low cost.

[0044] The exemplary embodiment shows a water supply 18 to the thermal battery 14, via which water can be supplied to the thermal battery 14. The supplied water can be converted into hot steam 13 in the thermal battery 14, for example, at a temperature of 150°C, so that this hot steam 13 is then fed into the hot steam storage 22 to be ready for the operation of the laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12.

[0045] Figure 2 shows the laundry system 100 with the laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12, as well as with the thermal battery 14, and the hot steam storage 22 shown stores hot steam 13, which can be provided to the laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12 via a pipe network.

[0046] In order to provide hot steam 13 to the hot steam storage 22 by means of the thermal battery 14, a heat exchanger 20 is set up in this exemplary embodiment, which is connected to the thermal battery 14 via pipes 21. A storage medium 19, for example a thermal oil or the like, which can assume much higher temperatures than water or hot steam 13 at the same pressure, is guided through the pipes 21. If the storage medium 19 in the thermal battery 14 is brought to a correspondingly higher temperature, the heat in the heat exchanger 20 can be transferred to water supplied via a water supply 18, which is fed to the heat exchanger 20. The supplied water evaporates and is finally transferred to the hot steam storage 22 in the form of hot steam 13.For this purpose, the storage medium 19 has a considerably higher temperature than the generated hot steam 13, wherein a quantity of storage medium 19 is supplied to the heat exchanger 20 via a control device (not shown in detail), which quantity is determined such that the water can be generated with a correct quantity of hot steam 13 at the correspondingly desired temperature.

[0047] In this example, too, the operation of the electric heater 17 of the thermal battery 14 can be controlled via the control device 31 using wind energy 32, solar energy 33, hydropower 34 or alternatively using conventional energy 35.

[0048] Figure 3shows a further exemplary embodiment of the laundry system 100 with a thermal battery 14, with which hot steam 13 can be provided to the hot steam storage 22 via the heat exchanger 20 in the manner described above. The laundry treatment machines 10, 11 and 12 can be operated with the hot steam 13 from the hot steam storage 22. The exemplary embodiment also shows a waste heat collection device 27 in which a waste heat storage device 28 is incorporated. The waste heat collection device 27 is configured to absorb the waste heat from the operation of the laundry treatment machines 10, 11 and 12, for example in the form of still warm wastewater and / or in the form of exhaust air that the laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12 generate during their operation. The waste heat storage device 28 shown as an example is configured to store the wastewater and / or the exhaust air at a correspondingly elevated temperature, typically at 70°C.

[0049] The embodiment further shows a heat pump 24 which is designed to be operated with the waste heat from the operation of the laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12 as primary heat and to generate hot steam 13 which can also be transferred to the hot steam storage 22.

[0050] For this purpose, the heat pump 24 comprises, in a conventional manner, an evaporator unit 25 and a condenser unit 26, wherein the evaporator unit 25 can be operated with the waste heat from the waste heat collection device 27 or from the waste heat storage unit 28. The condenser unit 26 is designed to generate hot steam 13 with the addition of water, which is transferred to the hot steam storage unit 22.

[0051] The heat pump 24 can also be operated with the energy sources shown, for example with wind energy 32, with solar energy 33, with hydropower 34 or alternatively with conventional energy 35. The control device 31 is designed both to control the electrical heating of the thermal battery 14 and to control the operation of the heat pump 24.

[0052] Also shown is a data line 43 to the control device 31, which receives availability information about the availability of renewable energy and / or conventional energy. The control device 43 is configured to control the heat pump 24 and / or the inflow of wastewater and / or exhaust air to the heat pump 24 and / or the transfer of the hot steam 13 from the heat pump 24 to the hot steam storage tank 22 and / or the hot steam 13 from the thermal battery 14 to the hot steam storage tank 22.For this purpose, it is provided that a valve 39 is installed in the waste heat collection device 27 between the waste heat accumulator 28 and the heat pump 24 and / or a valve 40 is installed in the steam line between the heat pump 24 and the hot steam accumulator 22 and / or a valve 41 is installed in the steam line between the thermal battery 14 and the hot steam accumulator 33 and / or an electrical switching point 42 is installed in the electrical line between the energy sources 32, 33, 34, 35, wherein the valves 39, 40, 41 and the electrical switching point 42 are each controlled by the control device 43.

[0053] Finally, Figure 4An embodiment of the laundry system 100 with a thermal battery 14, which is powered by the energy sources of wind energy 32, solar energy 33, hydropower 34, or alternatively, conventional energy 35. Furthermore, the laundry treatment machines 10 have process chambers 29, in or in connection with each of which a heat exchanger 30 is installed. The heat exchangers 30 in the laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12 are operated via the storage medium 19, which can be supplied from the thermal battery 14 to the heat exchangers 30 via a piping system 36, for which a pump 37 is installed.The storage medium 19 can be supplied at a very high temperature from the thermal battery 14 to the heat exchangers 30. If the heat-absorbing water is supplied to the heat exchangers 30, the water can evaporate via the heat of the storage medium 19, so that the hot steam 13 can be made available directly to the laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12. The different requirements and the addition of the hot steam 13 to the respective laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12 can be regulated via control devices 38 incorporated in the piping system 36. The pump 37 and the control devices 38 can also be operated via the control device 31, which is described in connection with the preceding embodiments.

[0054] This embodiment, in which the respectively required hot steam 13 is generated in the laundry treatment machine 10, 11, 12 itself, can also be operated in combination with a central heat pump which provides hot steam via a central hot steam storage unit or directly to the laundry treatment machines 10, 11, 12.

[0055] The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment described above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable, which utilize the presented solution even in fundamentally different embodiments. All features and / or advantages apparent from the claims, the description, or the drawings, including structural details or spatial arrangements, may be essential to the invention both individually and in a wide variety of combinations. List of reference symbols:

[0056] 10 Laundry treatment machine 11 Laundry treatment machine 12 Laundry treatment machine 13 Hot steam 14 Thermal battery 15 Pipeline 16 Thermal storage material 17 Electric heater 18 Water supply 19 Storage medium 20 Heat exchanger 21 Pipeline 22 Hot steam storage 23 Pipeline 24 Heat pump 25 Evaporator unit 26 Condenser unit 27 Waste heat collection device 28 Waste heat storage 29 Process chamber 30 Heat exchanger 31 Control device 32 Wind energy 33 Solar energy 34 Hydropower 35 Conventional energy 36 Piping system 37 Pump 38 Control device 39 Valve 40 Valve 41 Valve 42 Electrical switch point 43 Data line 100Laundry system

Claims

1. Laundry system (100) for the energy-reduced treatment of laundry, comprising a plurality of laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12) which are designed to treat the laundry with hot steam (13), characterized by that a central thermal battery (14) is arranged for storing heat, which has an electric heater (17), whereby the charging of the thermal battery (14) to temperatures is possible which are suitable for generating the hot steam (13) for the operation of the laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12) at the necessary temperature and with which the hot steam (13) can be provided to the laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12), wherein the central thermal battery (14) can be charged independently of the time of the provision of the hot steam (13) from renewable energy sources.

2. Laundry system (100) according to claim 1, characterized by that the thermal battery (14) has pipes (15) which are enclosed with a thermal storage material (16).

3. Laundry system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the thermal battery (14) has a water supply (18) via which water can be supplied to the thermal battery (14), wherein the thermal battery (14) is designed to convert the water into hot steam (13) with a temperature of 135°C to 165°C and / or 150°C.

4. Laundry system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the thermal battery (14) is filled with a storage medium (19) which can reach a temperature of up to 1200°C, wherein at least one heat exchanger (20) is arranged and connected to the thermal battery (14) by means of at least one pipe (21) so that the storage medium (19) can be guided over the heat exchanger (20) by means of the pipe (21).

5. Laundry system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by thata hot steam accumulator (22) is set up in which hot steam (13) is stored and / or wherein hot steam (13) from the thermal battery (14) can be supplied to the hot steam accumulator (22) and / or wherein the hot steam accumulator (22) is connected to the heat exchanger (20) by at least one pipe (23).

6. Laundry system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a central heat pump (24) is set up, which has an evaporator unit (25) and a condenser unit (26), wherein in conjunction with the condenser unit (26) additional hot steam (13) can be generated.

7. Laundry system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a waste heat collection device (27) and / or a waste heat storage device (28) is / are arranged, wherein the evaporator unit (25) is arranged in connection with the waste heat collection device (27) and / or the waste heat storage device (28).

8. Laundry system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one of the laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12) has a process chamber (29) in which or in connection with which a heat exchanger (30) is arranged, wherein the storage medium (19) of the thermal battery (14) is guided via the heat exchanger (30), and wherein hot steam (13) for operating the at least one laundry treatment machine (10, 11, 12) with the heat exchanger (30) can be generated from a water supply directly in the laundry treatment machine (10, 11, 12).

9. Laundry system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a control device (31) is set up which is designed to receive availability information about the availability of renewable energy and / or conventional energy via a data line (43) and / or that the control device (31) has an AI module.

10. Laundry system (100) according to claim 9, characterized by that the control device (31) is designed to control the heat pump (24) and / or the inflow of waste water and / or exhaust air to the heat pump (24) and / or the transfer of the hot steam (13) from the heat pump (24) to the hot steam storage (22) and / or the hot steam (13) from the thermal battery (14) to the hot steam storage (22).

11. Laundry system (100) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by thata valve (39) is provided in the waste heat collection device (27) between the waste heat accumulator (28) and the heat pump (24) and / or a valve (40) is provided in the steam line between the heat pump (24) and the hot steam accumulator (22) and / or a valve (41) is provided in the steam line between the thermal battery (22) and the hot steam accumulator (22) and / or an electrical switching point (42) is provided in the electrical line between the energy sources (32, 33, 34, 35), wherein the valves (39, 40, 41) and the electrical switching point (42) are each controllable by the control device (31).

12. A method for operating a laundry system (100) for the energy-reduced treatment of laundry, comprising a plurality of laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12) by means of which the laundry is treated with hot steam (13), and wherein the method comprises at least the following further steps: - setting up a central thermal battery (14) which has an electric heater (17), with which the charging of the thermal battery (14) is carried out to temperatures which are suitable for generating the hot steam (13) at the temperature necessary for the operation of the laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12) and with which the hot steam (13) can be made available to the laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12); - charging the central thermal battery (14) at a time when electrical power from renewable energy sources () is available and / or usable and - providing the hot steam (13) to the laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12) during their operating time.

13. Method according to claim 12, characterized by that the thermal battery (14) is filled with a storage medium (19) which can reach a temperature of up to 1200°C, wherein at least one heat exchanger (20) is set up and connected to the thermal battery (14) by means of at least one pipe (21), so that the storage medium (19) is guided via the heat exchanger (20) by means of the pipe (21) and the hot steam (13) is generated therein by transferring heat from the storage medium (19) to the water to generate the hot steam (13).

14. Method according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterized by thatat least one of the laundry treatment machines (10, 11, 12) has a process chamber (29) in which or in connection with which a heat exchanger (30) is arranged, wherein the storage medium (19) of the thermal battery (14) is guided via the heat exchanger (30), and wherein hot steam (13) for operating the at least one laundry treatment machine (10, 11, 12) with the heat exchanger (30) is generated from a water supply directly in the laundry treatment machine (10, 11, 12).

15. Method according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterized by thata central heat pump (24) is set up which has an evaporator unit (25) and a condenser unit (26), wherein in conjunction with the condenser unit (26) additional hot steam (13) is generated and / or wherein a waste heat collection device (27) and / or a waste heat accumulator (28) is / are set up, wherein the evaporator unit (25) is set up in conjunction with the waste heat collection device (27) and / or the waste heat accumulator (28) and heat from the waste heat collection device (27) and / or the waste heat accumulator (28) is used for the evaporator unit (25).

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