Recovery device

Abstract

The invention relates to a recovery device for industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems, in particular for industrial laundry mangles and / or laundry finishers, and to a recovery method for recovering heat from damp hydrophobic-additive-containing discharge air, comprising a housing which extends, in a flow direction of the damp hydrophobic-additive-containing discharge air, from an inlet to an outlet, and comprising multiple pipe elements extending parallel to one another within the housing, and a heat exchange medium for absorbing heat from the damp hydrophobic-additive-containing discharge air. In order to provide a device and a method which allow the recovery of energy from the discharge air of industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems with a low incidence of malfunctions and stoppages and long, uninterrupted operating times, the damp hydrophobic-additive-containing discharge air passes through the interior of the pipe elements and the heat exchange medium flows around the exterior of the pipe elements, and a cleaning unit (14) for removing deposited hydrophobic additives from the interior of the pipe elements is positioned upstream of the pipe elements (10) in the flow direction (SR) of the damp hydrophobic-additive-containing discharge air.

Description

[0001] RECOVERY DEVICE

[0002] The invention relates to a recovery device and a recovery method for industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems, in particular for industrial mangles and / or finishers, for heat recovery from moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances and in particular waxes and / or oils, for example in laundries.

[0003] Recovery devices and processes are generally known in a variety of designs from the state of the art and have already been used on an experimental basis in commercial laundries to recover energy from exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives, which is moist and, in particular, saturated with water vapor and which is generated, for example, during the drying and / or ironing of textiles in industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment plants.

[0004] In the prior art devices and methods, this is achieved through a heat exchanger, particularly a finned heat exchanger. The moist exhaust air is passed through the heat exchanger, particularly over the outer surface of the fins, where condensate accumulates. However, during the drying and treatment of the laundry, the exhaust air becomes enriched with hydrophobic additives, particularly oils and waxes, which are deposited in the heat exchanger. This leads to a significant reduction in the efficiency of heat recovery and a deterioration in the functionality of the heat exchanger, ultimately leading to complete clogging of the heat exchanger.

[0005] Thus, these devices and associated prior-art methods have the disadvantage that continuous, low-maintenance, or even maintenance-free operation is not possible. This results in high maintenance and repair costs, as well as frequent operational failures of the heat exchanger, for example, in the area of ​​an exhaust air outlet of industrial or commercial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems. This also leads to malfunctions and operational interruptions in these systems, or, in the worst case, even damage to the laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems upstream of the recovery device.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a device and a method which enable a trouble-free and low-failure recovery of energy from the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances from industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems, in particular for industrial mangles and / or finishers, with a long, uninterrupted operating time.

[0007] The object is achieved according to the invention by a recovery device according to claim 1 and a recovery method according to claim 11. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0008] The recovery device according to the invention for heat recovery from exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances and in particular waxes and / or oils comprises a housing extending from an inlet to an outlet in a flow direction of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances, a plurality of pipe elements extending within the housing preferably parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing and / or parallel to one another, and a heat exchange medium for absorbing heat from the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances, wherein the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances is passed through the interior of the pipe elements and the heat exchange medium flows around the exterior of the pipe elements. In addition, according to the invention, a cleaning unit is provided upstream of the pipe elements in the flow direction of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances for cleaning the interior of the pipe element.

[0009] The inventor has recognized that arranging a cleaning unit upstream of the pipe elements has numerous advantages and, in particular, makes it possible to recover the energy of the moist and warm exhaust air from an industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment system, and in particular from an industrial mangle and / or an industrial finisher for a commercial laundry. Deposits of hydrophobic additives in the pipe elements can be effectively removed by additional cleaning using the cleaning unit. The risk of malfunctions and failures of the recovery device due to deposits can thus be greatly reduced, which directly leads to longer uninterrupted operating times, cost savings, and significantly reduced maintenance requirements.

[0010] The inventor has further recognized that a particularly efficient energy recovery from moist air containing hydrophobic additives is possible by means of a heat exchanger formed as a tube bundle heat exchanger, in particular since such a tube bundle heat exchanger with a guidance of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives within the tubes enables effective cleaning by means of a cleaning unit according to the invention, while, for example, a finned heat exchanger in connection with exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives can hardly be kept sufficiently clean and continuous over a long period of time.

[0011] A recovery device is basically understood to be a structural unit designed to recover an input substance and / or an input resource. Preferably, the recovery device recovers at least one substance and / or one resource from a mixture of different substances and / or resources. An example of a substance to be recovered is water, in particular as condensate from moist exhaust air or another moist gas or gas mixture. The recovered resource can be just heat or can also be another resource. Preferably, the recovery device is primarily designed to recover heat, and particularly preferably, condensate water is also recovered.

[0012] In principle, the recovery device can be arranged at any location and at any distance from the industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment system. The recovery device can be arranged, for example, in a usage plane formed by a wall, a ceiling, or a roof of a building. For this purpose, the housing can, for example, have support elements for locking the housing in the usage plane. The recovery device is preferably arranged on a roof and / or directly in the area of ​​an outlet of the industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment system. For transport and / or handling of the recovery device, holding elements are provided on the housing, for example.

[0013] An industrial laundry treatment system can be any system that generates heat and releases at least some of the heat in a gas stream, particularly as part of an exhaust air stream, and is also intended to treat laundry directly or indirectly. Examples of such industrial laundry treatment systems include mangles, commercial steam ironing systems, and laundry finishers. Such a finisher is designed to simultaneously smooth and dry textiles, for which purpose the textile is simultaneously shaped using steam and tension and then preferably completely dried. What all industrial laundry treatment systems have in common, however, is that they emit an exhaust air stream that has a moisture content, particularly preferably water vapor or a high air humidity, as well as a content of hydrophobic additives.

[0014] The industrial laundry drying system for which the recovery device is used can, in principle, be any system for removing water, aqueous solutions, and / or cleaning agents from objects, with the laundry drying system preferably being intended for drying textiles and particularly preferably for drying laundry. The laundry drying system is particularly preferably part of a laundry and very particularly preferably arranged on one or more large tumble dryers. Use in conjunction with a large dryer, such as those used in hotels, is also conceivable. An industrial laundry drying system is understood to be a system intended in the commercial, professional, and / or industrial sector for drying damp objects, in particular damp textiles and / or damp laundry.According to the invention, the exhaust air fed to the recovery device contains hydrophobic additives. These can be components or residues of detergents, cleaning agents, fabric softeners, additives applied to the laundry, or the like, as well as substances that are not applied directly to the laundry but, for example, to the laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems. For example, it is common practice to apply wax to the roller and / or the tray of a mangle to improve laundry transport, some of which enters the hot exhaust air of the mangle. Furthermore, lubricants from industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems, which are also typically hydrophobic, can enter the exhaust air.These hydrophobic auxiliary substances can enter the exhaust air either as solid particles, as liquids or even as vapors and subsequently precipitate on a cold surface of the recovery device, so that cleaning according to the invention is necessary.

[0015] In addition, the exhaust air fed to the recovery device can also contain particles, wherein the particles can be any solids contained in the exhaust air. The particles are preferably smaller than 5 mm and / or have a mass of less than 1 g. For example, the particles can be formed from small pieces of baked goods and / or flour. In principle, however, particles made of any material are conceivable, although this material is preferably hydrophilic. Likewise preferably, at least some of the particles are fibers and more preferably the particles are predominantly fibers and most preferably essentially exclusively fibers, wherein fibers are generally understood to mean any particles that arise during the treatment of textiles and laundry, in particular during washing, smoothing and / or drying, or that can be detached from the textile.In addition, the exhaust air may also contain other particles, for example foreign bodies introduced together with the textiles and / or components of a cleaning agent or other auxiliary substance.

[0016] In addition to hydrophobic additives and possibly also particles, the exhaust air contains a proportion of a liquid, so that the exhaust air is referred to as moist. This can be any liquid, with the liquid in the exhaust air preferably being present entirely as a gas or in evaporated form. The moisture contained in the exhaust air is particularly preferably an evaporated aqueous solution, and particularly preferably essentially pure water, as well as possibly unavoidable small amounts of other substances, such as components of a detergent and / or fabric softener, which may also be hydrophobic additives.

[0017] The housing serves to guide the moist exhaust air from the inlet to the outlet and / or to shield the interior of the recovery device from the environment and / or to prevent uncontrolled escape of supplied exhaust air. For this purpose, the housing is preferably tubular. The housing preferably has a polygonal, elliptical, or particularly preferably circular cross-section extending along the longitudinal axis of the housing between the inlet and the outlet.

[0018] Each of the tube elements is arranged between the inlet and outlet of the housing in the flow direction of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives. Furthermore, the tube element preferably has a polygonal, elliptical, or particularly preferably circular cross-section extending along a longitudinal axis of the tube element. The pressure gauge of a tube element is preferably a maximum of 50%, particularly preferably a maximum of 25%, very particularly preferably a maximum of 15%, and especially preferably a maximum of 10% of the diameter of the housing, particularly in the region of the tube elements.

[0019] The recovery device is preferably designed to be able to pass through an exhaust air volume flow of at least 10,000 l / h. In general, the recovery device is preferably designed and, in particular, dimensioned to avoid a significant increase in pressure in the inlet region compared to ambient pressure, since industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems are typically not designed to build up increased pressure, but rather to generate the largest possible volume flow, so that a back pressure in the region of the recovery device would disrupt the operation of the laundry drying and / or laundry treatment system. Accordingly, the recovery device is preferably designed to be able to pass through a volume flow of at least 70,000 l / h, more preferably at least 80,000 l / h, and most preferably 90,000 l / h.

[0020] The longitudinal axis of the tubular element can, for example, be arranged parallel to or in the longitudinal axis of the housing. Furthermore, the tubular element is formed such that the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances flows within the tubular element toward the outlet of the housing. For example, the tubular element is formed as a tube with a constant diameter. Preferably, the housing and / or the tubular element are formed from a metallic material, in particular a steel or aluminum material. Furthermore, the housing and / or the tubular element are preferably formed from a material that does not chemically interact with the hydrophobic auxiliary substances or is therefore not vulnerable to attack.

[0021] The heat exchange medium basically serves to absorb heat from the moist exhaust air and / or to dissipate the absorbed heat from the recovery system, in particular to another heat exchanger. For this purpose, the heat exchange medium preferably has a lower temperature than the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives, at least when fed to the recovery device, so that the heat of the exhaust air is transferred to the heat exchange medium due to the temperature difference and / or can be transferred by convection. Although it is fundamentally conceivable to continuously supply fresh heat exchange medium to the recovery device, for example when used for the direct heating of water, in particular laundry water, it is preferred that the heat exchange medium be circulated, in particular in a closed circuit.

[0022] Preferably, the recovery device, and in particular the housing and the tubular element, are formed such that the plurality of tubular elements are at least partially, preferably completely, circumferentially surrounded by the heat exchange medium and, in particular, flowed around. The heat exchange medium is formed, for example, as a fluid flowing around the tubular element, for example, pure water, an aqueous solution, a water-glycol mixture, or brine. For this purpose, the housing can have an inlet and an outlet, which are preferably arranged penetrating the housing to the outside of the recovery device.

[0023] During operation of the recovery device, the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives is introduced into the housing via the inlet and flows in the direction of flow through the cleaning unit or past the cleaning unit, through one of the pipe elements, and exits the housing via the outlet. The moist exhaust air has, for example, a residual moisture content of 30% to 50% and a temperature of 100°C to 140°C. Furthermore, the moist exhaust air contains hydrophobic additives and possibly also fibers due to the upstream treatment and / or drying of the material to be dried, for example, laundry or clothing. This treatment and / or drying preferably takes place in an industrial mangle and / or finisher.As heat is transferred from the moist exhaust air to the heat exchange medium, the temperature of the exhaust air decreases, and at least a portion of the moisture and hydrophobic additives in the exhaust air condense within the tube element. Condensate forms within the tube element, separating at least a portion of the hydrophobic additives and, if applicable, the fibers from the exhaust air, or causing the hydrophobic additives and, if applicable, the fibers to adhere to the tube element.

[0024] As the drying and / or treatment process of the exhaust air progresses, hydrophobic additives and possibly also already dry fibers increasingly deposit within the pipe element. The cleaning unit is therefore designed to remove at least the hydrophobic additives deposited within the pipe element. For this purpose, the cleaning unit is preferably arranged within the housing, in the flow direction of the moist exhaust air, between the inlet of the housing and the pipe element. Furthermore, the cleaning unit can be designed to discharge a fluid medium into the housing. The fluid medium can be, for example, compressed air, water, a cleaning agent, and / or an aqueous surfactant or cleaning agent solution.It is conceivable that the fluid medium dissolves and transports the hydrophobic additives, or that the fluid medium is merely intended to force the hydrophobic additives through the tube elements, particularly after the heat exchanger has heated up. Furthermore, the fluid medium can be either unheated or heated. Furthermore, the housing can have a maintenance opening. This is preferably located in the area of ​​the cleaning unit, allowing quick and easy access to the cleaning unit in the extremely rare event of a malfunction or maintenance.

[0025] The cleaning unit preferably has at least one outlet opening for discharging a fluid medium, in particular compressed air or water. The outlet opening can generally be arranged stationary and is preferably aligned in the flow direction of the moist exhaust air. However, according to an advantageous development of the invention, the cleaning unit has at least one outlet opening rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the housing for discharging a fluid medium, in particular compressed air or water, whereby the pipe elements can be cleaned particularly reliably.

[0026] The outlet opening is generally understood to be an opening in the cleaning unit through which the fluid medium can be discharged. The outlet opening can be formed such that the fluid medium is sprayed into the moist, hydrophobic exhaust air containing auxiliary substances. Furthermore, the outlet opening can have a diameter that increases towards the outside and / or be conical. In addition, the outlet opening is particularly preferably formed as a nozzle, so that the fluid medium is discharged under pressure, in particular a pressure of 1 to 8 bar, preferably 2-6 bar, particularly preferably 2-5 bar, into the moist, hydrophobic exhaust air containing auxiliary substances and / or is directed onto the pipe element(s). The nozzle or the outlet opening can also be formed as a slot in the surface of the cleaning unit.A rotation of the outlet opening about the longitudinal axis of the housing is understood in particular to mean a movement along a movement path with a constant distance from the longitudinal axis of the housing and / or along a circular path with the longitudinal axis at its center. Preferably, the movement path runs within a movement plane arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing. However, the movement path can in principle be formed as desired, for example even elliptical. It is particularly preferably provided that the cleaning unit has at least two outlet openings, each arranged on an outlet element. Alternatively, it is preferred that a single outlet element has a plurality of outlet openings distributed over its surface. The outlet element(s) are basically formed for the arrangement and / or alignment of the outlet openings and / or for supplying the fluid medium to the outlet openings.Each outlet element preferably has at least one outlet opening and particularly preferably precisely one outlet opening, which is very particularly preferably arranged in the region of one end of the outlet element. Alternatively, the outlet element can also have a plurality of outlet openings, which are then particularly preferably arranged at the same distance from one another and / or evenly distributed over the circumference of the outlet element. The outlet elements are preferably tubular and / or unbranched. Particularly preferably, the outlet elements have at least one curvature. Furthermore, the outlet elements can be integrally connected to one another. Likewise preferably, the outlet elements of all outlet openings are identical to one another and / or arranged rotationally symmetrically. Also particularly preferred is a design of the outlet element with an outwardly curved and / or ellipsoidal orhemispherical surface on which the outlet elements are arranged, in particular in the form of a plurality of slots. Such outlet openings formed as slots can extend arbitrarily on the surface of the outlet element, for example radially and / or spirally relative to the rotational axis of the outlet element.

[0027] To rotate the outlet opening and, in particular, to rotate the outlet element about the longitudinal axis of the housing, the cleaning unit can have an active drive unit, such as an electric motor. However, it is preferably provided that the outlet elements are formed and / or the outlet opening or openings are aligned such that the outlet opening or openings are rotated about the longitudinal axis of the housing without a drive, in particular by the pressure of the escaping fluid medium. For this purpose, the outlet openings are preferably arranged at an angle on the outlet elements in the direction of the movement path and / or are formed with a curved surface.According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the at least one outlet element is arranged on a connecting element of the cleaning unit arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis or preferably in the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein the outlet element and / or the connecting element are mounted so as to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the housing. The connecting element serves to conduct the fluid medium to the outlet element(s). Furthermore, the connecting element preferably has a cylindrical shape and / or a round cross-section. The fluid medium is preferably supplied to the recovery device via a line element which is arranged on the connecting element and can be connected, for example, to a pump unit arranged outside and / or on the housing and / or inside the building on which the recovery device is arranged.Furthermore, the line element is preferably arranged on the housing in a sealed manner, for example by means of a sealing element or a weld seam. Particularly preferably, the connecting element and / or the line element comprises bearing elements, for example, plain or roller bearings, for rotatably supporting the outlet elements and / or the connecting element.

[0028] According to an advantageous development of the invention, numerous, preferably identical, tube elements forming a shell-and-tube heat exchanger are arranged parallel to one another within the housing, each of the tube elements having an inlet opening at one end for supplying the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances and preferably an outlet opening for discharging the exhaust air. Likewise, all inlet openings are preferably arranged in a common plane. Furthermore, all inlet openings and / or all outlet openings of the tube elements are preferably arranged at the same distance from the inlet and / or outlet of the housing.Likewise preferably, the cross-sectional area of ​​all tube elements is at least 25%, particularly preferably at least 50%, and most preferably at least 75% of the cross-sectional area of ​​the housing, so that good passage of the exhaust air through the tube elements is enabled and / or an undesirable build-up of pressure within the recovery device is avoided. The tube bundle heat exchanger preferably has a length of at least 50%, particularly preferably at least 60%, and most preferably at least 70% of the length of the housing in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the housing. The housing preferably has a larger diameter in the region of the tube bundle heat exchanger than at the inlet, so that the diameter of the housing particularly preferably increases continuously in the region of the cleaning unit.

[0029] The tube elements particularly preferably extend between two sealing elements arranged within the housing for separating the moist exhaust air from the heat exchange medium, so that the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances can only flow through the tube elements, and the heat exchange medium completely flows around the outside of the tube elements. The inlet openings and / or the outlet openings of the tube elements are preferably arranged on the sealing elements. The tube elements are particularly preferably each connected to the sealing element, for example, welded. The sealing elements are preferably plate-shaped. Likewise preferably, the sealing elements are arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing.Particularly preferably, the diameter of the sealing elements is adapted to the housing, in particular to an inner diameter of the housing, in such a way that the sealing elements can be inserted into the housing during manufacture of the recovery device with the pipe elements preferably arranged between the sealing elements. To seal the sealing elements against the housing, these are, for example, welded to the housing. The sealing elements are also preferably formed from a metallic material. The inlet and the outlet of the housing are each arranged in the region of one of the sealing elements in such a way that the heat exchange medium, which particularly preferably crosses the flow direction of the moist exhaust air between the sealing elements, preferably flows around all the pipe elements.Since the moist exhaust air flows through the pipe elements and the heat exchange medium flows past the pipe elements, the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives and the heat exchange medium are not in contact.

[0030] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the at least one outlet opening of the cleaning unit is oriented and / or movable in such a way that the fluid medium flows towards a region of the inlet openings of the pipe elements and impinges on at least a proportion of 40%, preferably 60% and particularly preferably 80% of the total area of ​​all inlet openings. The outlet opening is preferably oriented in such a way that the fluid medium flows in the flow direction of the moist, hydrophobic auxiliary substances-containing exhaust air, for example parallel and / or at an angle of less than 90°, particularly preferably less than 45°. 0and most preferably less than 15 0 to the longitudinal axis of the housing. This advantageous embodiment of the invention enables particularly reliable cleaning of multiple tube elements of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, thereby significantly reducing the risk of failures or malfunctions of the recovery device, even at increased throughput.

[0031] According to a particularly advantageous development of the invention, the recovery device has a control unit connected to at least one sensor element, in particular at least for controlling the cleaning unit. The control unit is preferably designed as a programmable unit, e.g. as a computer, as a PLC or in the form of an external and / or higher-level controller. The recovery device preferably has at least one, particularly preferably several sensor elements for detecting sensor signals, such as the temperature and / or the pressure and / or the moisture content of the moist exhaust air and / or a surface coating with hydrophobic auxiliary substances. The sensor element(s) are connected to the control unit for forwarding the detected data.The sensor elements are arranged, for example, before and / or after the pipe element(s) or additionally preferably in the region of the pipe element(s) on the housing. The control unit is preferably connected to at least one control means for activating and deactivating the cleaning unit. The control unit is preferably designed such that it executes a predeterminable program depending on sensor signals. The predeterminable program preferably has setting options for a predeterminable limit value described below. Furthermore, the control unit is designed to transmit the acquired data to a receiver, which is particularly preferably arranged at a distance from the recovery device.In order to be able to specifically drain and dispose of the hydrophobic additives released during cleaning, a preferred embodiment of the recovery device provides for a condensate drain to be arranged on the housing downstream of the pipe elements in the flow direction of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives. This drain can drain condensing liquid from the moist exhaust air, a fluid medium from the cleaning unit, and / or the hydrophobic additives. The condensate drain preferably penetrates the housing completely and / or is arranged at the lowest position of the housing, in particular directly in the area upstream of the outlet.

[0032] Finally, the recovery device preferably has a base frame for inclined arrangement on a base, wherein the angle of the recovery device and / or the housing and / or the pipe elements to the horizontal is preferably > 2°, particularly preferably > 5 0and most preferably > io° and at the same time particularly preferably < 15 0 A particularly preferred embodiment of the recovery device is one in which the angle can be variably adjusted by means of the base frame, in particular within the previously specified angle ranges.

[0033] The recovery process according to the invention for industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems for heat recovery from moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances can be carried out in particular with the recovery device described above and comprises as process steps a supply of moist exhaust air contaminated with hydrophobic auxiliary substances and possibly also with fibers via the inlet to several pipe elements of the recovery device, a heat exchange between the moist exhaust air and the heat exchange medium that tempers and / or flows around the pipe elements and at least temporarily cleaning the pipe elements by means of a cleaning unit of the recovery device to remove deposited hydrophobic auxiliary substances and possibly particles or fibers and / or to keep the pipe elements free of particles or fibers.Preferably, the dry exhaust air, which is at least partially separated from hydrophobic auxiliary substances and, if applicable, particles or fibers, is discharged via the outlet of the housing, e.g. to the environment.

[0034] The pipe elements can in principle be cleaned in any manner, at any time, and for any duration. However, cleaning is preferably controlled periodically and / or as a function of a predeterminable limit value and / or for a fixed duration and / or after or for a fixed time interval. Particularly preferably, a moisture content and / or a temperature of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives and / or a building-up of pressure in the housing, in particular in the inlet region, is controlled as the predeterminable limit value. The moisture content and the temperature of the exhaust air and / or a building-up of pressure are preferably detected by means of the sensor elements described above and particularly preferably continuously monitored.

[0035] One and / or two different preset limits can be provided for the moisture content and temperature of the exhaust air. The cleaning unit is activated, for example, when the moisture content of the exhaust air falls below a first limit and / or when the temperature of the exhaust air exceeds a second limit. For example, in a textile drying process, self-cleaning is no longer possible due to the condensing water once the moisture content falls below a certain level. The end phase of a drying process can also be recognized by the rising temperature, making this a good time to clean the recovery device before reusing it.

[0036] Particularly preferably, heat is initially recovered from the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives without cleaning the pipe elements, and as the process duration progresses and / or the moisture content of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives decreases, cleaning is activated in order to remove deposited hydrophobic additives from the pipe elements by means of a fluid medium flowing through the respective pipe element. During cleaning of the pipe elements, the supply of further moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives is preferably interrupted and / or at least the pipe elements are heated. In this case, heating is carried out in particular by means of the cleaning unit and / or by means of the heat exchange medium, in particular by introducing a heated heat exchange medium or by circulating the heat exchange medium without heat extraction.In particular, it is preferred to heat the pipe elements to a temperature of at least 6o°C, preferably at least 75°C, particularly preferably at least 8o°C and most preferably at least 85°C.

[0037] Finally, a preferred embodiment of the recovery method according to the invention provides that cleaning of the pipe elements takes place over less than 15%, preferably less than 10%, particularly preferably between 2% and 15% and very particularly preferably between 5% and 10% of the operating time of the recovery device and / or over an uninterrupted period of at least 5 minutes, preferably at least 10 minutes, particularly preferably at least 15 minutes and very particularly preferably at least 20 minutes.

[0038] Two embodiments of the recovery device and recovery method according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The figures show:

[0039] Fig.i is a schematic view of a recovery device;

[0040] Fig. 2a is a schematic longitudinal section along the line AA of the recovery device shown in Fig. 1,

[0041] Fig. 2b is a schematic sectional view along the line BB of the recovery device shown in Figs. 1 and 2a, and

[0042] Fig. 3 is a schematic longitudinal section through a second embodiment of a recovery device with a modified cleaning unit.

[0043] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a recovery device 1 with a housing 2. The housing 2 has two support elements 3 for locking the housing 2 on a roof and for adjusting an angle between the housing 2 and the roof, and two holding elements 4 for transporting the housing 2. Furthermore, the housing 2 has an inlet 5 for the supply of moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances and an outlet 6 for the discharge of the exhaust air. Furthermore, the housing 2 has a circular cross-section QG with a diameter DG extending along a longitudinal axis L of the housing 2 between the inlet 5 and the outlet 6.

[0044] An inlet 7 and an outlet 8 for the passage of a heat exchange medium in the form of a water-glycol mixture are arranged on the housing 2.

[0045] Within the housing 2, as shown in Fig. 2a, several tube elements 10 forming a tube bundle heat exchanger 9 are arranged parallel to one another. The tube elements 10 are identical to one another and each formed as a tube with a constant diameter DR. Each tube element 10 has an inlet opening 11 and an outlet opening 12. The tube elements 10 are arranged between two sealing elements 13 arranged at a distance from one another along the longitudinal axis L of the housing. The inlet openings 11 and the outlet openings 12 are each arranged on the sealing elements 13 in a common plane formed by the sealing elements 13. Furthermore, the inlet openings 11 and the outlet openings 12 are each arranged at an equal distance from the inlet 5 and the outlet 6. The sealing elements 13 separate the heat exchange medium from the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances.The housing 2, the sealing elements 13 and the pipe elements 10 are made of a steel material.

[0046] Within the housing 2, in front of the pipe elements 10, there is arranged a cleaning unit 14 with two outlet openings 16, each arranged on an outlet element 15. The outlet elements 15 are integrally connected to one another and mounted on a connecting element 17 in bearing elements 18 for rotation about the longitudinal axis L of the housing 2. A fluid medium in the form of compressed air is guided to the outlet elements 15 and the outlet openings 16 via a line element 19 connected to the connecting element 17. Furthermore, a maintenance opening 22 is arranged on the housing 2 in the region of the cleaning unit 14. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the cleaning unit 14 can have a plurality of outlet openings 16 arranged at a distance from one another along the outlet elements 15.

[0047] Furthermore, the recovery device 1 according to Fig. 1 has a control unit 20 and a plurality of sensor elements 21 connected to the control unit 20, for example, for detecting a humidity content and a temperature of the exhaust air. The sensor elements 21 are arranged on the housing 2 (see Fig. 2a).

[0048] A recovery process can be carried out using the recovery device 1. The recovery device 1 is connected, for example, to an industrial mangle for drying and ironing damp textiles and laundry. In this case, wax is used as an auxiliary agent on the rollers of the mangle. Furthermore, the recovery device 1 is designed to pass a volume flow of 90,000 l / h. The moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances and released by the drying system is fed to the recovery device 1 via the inlet 5 of the housing 2. The moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances flows in the flow direction SR from the inlet 5 past the cleaning unit 14 and via the inlet openings 11 into the pipe elements 10. The heat exchange medium flowing via the inlet 7 to the outlet 8 continuously flows around the pipe elements 10.In the tube bundle heat exchanger 9, heat exchange takes place between the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives and the heat exchange medium. The latter has a lower temperature than the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives, so that a temperature gradient is present in the direction of the heat exchange medium. As a result of the heat exchange, the temperature of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives drops, and condensate forms within the tube elements 10. This condensate consists of water on the one hand and, typically, a significantly smaller proportion of hydrophobic additives on the other. The aqueous portion of the condensate typically flows out of the outlet 6 of the housing 2. The dry exhaust air is also released into the environment from the outlet 6 of the housing 2. The hydrophobic additives, on the other hand, typically accumulate on the inner wall of the tube elements 10.To remove such deposited hydrophobic additives, the cleaning unit 14 is switched on for 20 minutes every 4 hours of operation using the control unit 20, and at the same time, hot heat exchange medium is introduced to heat the tube elements (10). The outlet elements 15 rotate around the longitudinal axis L of the housing 2 due to the aqueous cleaning fluid flowing from the outlet openings 16. The outlet openings 16 are aligned in the direction of the inlet openings 11 of the tube elements 10, so that the cleaning fluid is introduced into all tube elements 10 in conjunction with the rotation of the outlet elements 15. The cleaning fluid flows through the tube elements 10 and removes the deposited hydrophobic additives in the tube elements 10.

[0049] The recovery device 1 enables the recovery of the energy from the moist and warm exhaust air from the industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment system for a commercial laundry. By recovering the heat from the exhaust air and, if necessary, reusing the condensate in the laundry, up to approximately 120 kW / h of energy can be recovered. By arranging the cleaning unit 1 upstream of the tube bundle heat exchanger 9 and the associated removal of hydrophobic additives deposited in the tube elements 10, the risk of malfunctions and failures of the recovery device 1 can be greatly reduced.

[0050] A second embodiment of a recovery device 1, shown in Figure 3, differs only in the design of the cleaning unit 14. Here, the outlet element 15, which is rotatably arranged on the line element 19 by means of a bearing element 18, is formed with an outwardly curved surface or as a section of a spherical surface, with the outlet openings 16 being formed as slit-shaped nozzles on this curved surface. During operation of the cleaning unit 14, the fluid medium for cleaning, in this case heated water, is introduced under pressure into the interior of the outlet element 14 and expelled through the outlet elements 15 in the surface in the direction of the inlet openings 11 of the pipe elements 10. Due to a radially curved course of the outlet openings 16 formed as slit-shaped nozzles, the outlet element 15 automatically rotates.This is also preferably made of stainless steel and / or has a uniform arrangement of the outlet openings 16 on the surface of the outlet element 15, in particular uniformly in relation to its axis of rotation.

[0051] (18954-8)

[0052] List of reference symbols

[0053] 1 recovery device

[0054] 2 housings

[0055] 3 Support element

[0056] 4 Holding element

[0057] 5 Entrance

[0058] 6 Exit

[0059] 7 Entrance

[0060] 8 Outlet

[0061] 9 shell and tube heat exchangers

[0062] 10 pipe elements

[0063] 11 Entrance opening

[0064] 12 Exit opening

[0065] 13 Sealing element

[0066] 14 Cleaning unit

[0067] 15 Outlet element

[0068] 16 outlet openings

[0069] 17 Connecting element

[0070] 18 Bearing element

[0071] 19 Line element

[0072] 20 Control unit

[0073] 21 Sensor element

[0074] 22 Maintenance opening

[0075] L Longitudinal axis of the housing

[0076] DG Diameter of the housing

[0077] DR Diameter of the pipe element

[0078] QG cross-section of the housing

[0079] SR Flow direction of the exhaust air

Claims

(18954-8) Claims 1. Recovery device for industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment systems, in particular for industrial mangles and / or finishers, for heat recovery from moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives, with a housing (2) extending in a flow direction (SR) of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives from an inlet (5) to an outlet (6), a plurality of pipe elements (10) extending parallel to one another within the housing (2), and a heat exchange medium for absorbing heat from the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives, wherein the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic additives is guided through the interior of the pipe elements (10) and the heat exchange medium flows around the exterior of the pipe elements (10) and in the flow direction (SR) of the hydrophobic additives,moist exhaust air, a cleaning unit (14) is arranged in front of the pipe elements (10) for cleaning the interior of the pipe elements (10) and in particular for removing the deposited hydrophobic auxiliary substances.

2. Recovery device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning unit (14) has at least one outlet opening (16) rotatable about a longitudinal axis (L) of the housing (2) for discharging a fluid medium.

3. Recovery device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the cleaning unit (14) comprises at least two, at a Outer curved surface of the outlet element (15) arranged outlet openings (16).

4. Recovery device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one outlet element (15) is arranged on a connecting element (17) of the cleaning unit (14) arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) or in the longitudinal axis (L) of the housing (2), wherein the at least one outlet element (15) and / or the connecting element (17) are mounted rotatably about the longitudinal axis (L) of the housing (2).

5. Recovery device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that numerous mutually identical tube elements (10) forming a tube bundle heat exchanger (9) are arranged parallel to one another within the housing (2), each of the tube elements (10) having an inlet opening (11) at one end for supplying moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances and all inlet openings (11) are arranged in one plane.

6. Recovery device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one outlet opening (16) of the cleaning unit (14) is aligned and / or movable in such a way that the fluid medium is directed onto a region of the inlet openings (11) of the pipe elements (10) and impinges on at least a proportion of 40%, preferably at least 60% and particularly preferably at least 80% based on a total area of ​​all inlet openings (11).

7. Recovery device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pipe elements (10) extend between two sealing elements (13) arranged inside the housing (2) for separating the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances from the heat exchange medium, so that the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances can only flow through the pipe elements (10) and the Pipe elements (io) are completely surrounded by heat exchange medium on their outside.

8. Recovery device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by a control unit (20) connected to at least one sensor element (21) at least for controlling the cleaning unit (14).

9. Recovery device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a condensate drain is arranged on the housing (2) behind the pipe elements (10) in the flow direction (SR) of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances in order to be able to drain off condensing liquid of the moist exhaust air, a fluid medium of the cleaning unit (14) and / or the hydrophobic auxiliary substances, in particular during cleaning by means of the cleaning unit (14).

10. Recovery device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by a base frame for the inclined arrangement of the recovery device (1) on a base, wherein the angle of the recovery device (1) and / or the housing (2) and / or the pipe elements (10) to the horizontal > 2 0 , preferably > 5 0 and particularly preferably > 10° and / or the angle is variably adjustable by means of the base frame.

11. Recovery process for industrial laundry drying and / or laundry treatment plants, in particular for industrial mangles and / or finishers, for heat recovery from moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances by means of a recovery device, in particular according to at least one of claims 1 to 10, with the steps Feeding moist exhaust air contaminated with hydrophobic additives via an inlet (5) to several pipe elements (10) of the recovery device (1), Heat exchange between the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances and a heat exchange medium which tempers and / or flows around the pipe elements (io) and at least temporarily cleaning the interior of the pipe elements (io) by means of a cleaning unit (14) of the recovery device (1) to remove deposited hydrophobic auxiliary substances.

12. Recovery method according to claim 11, characterized in that the cleaning of the pipe elements (10) is controlled periodically.

13. Recovery process according to at least one of claims 11 - 12, characterized in that initially heat is recovered from the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances without cleaning the pipe elements (10) and, as the process duration progresses and / or as the moisture content of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances decreases, cleaning is switched on in order to remove deposited hydrophobic auxiliary substances from the pipe elements (10) by means of a fluid medium flowing through the respective pipe element (10), wherein during cleaning of the pipe elements (10) the supply of further moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances is preferably interrupted and / or at least the pipe elements (10) are heated.

14. Recovery process according to at least one of claims 11 - 13, characterized in that cleaning of the pipe elements (10) over less than 15%, preferably less than 10%, particularly preferably between 2% and 15% and most preferably between 5% and 10% of the operating time of the recovery device and / or over an uninterrupted period of at least 5 minutes, preferably at least 10 minutes, most preferably at least 15 minutes and most preferably at least 20 minutes. 15- Recovery process according to at least one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the cleaning of the pipe elements (10) is carried out as a function of a limit value of the moisture content reached and / or the temperature of the moist exhaust air containing hydrophobic auxiliary substances and / or a pressure building up in the housing (2), in particular in the area of ​​the inlet (5), is controlled.

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