Washing Machine Direct Laundry Heating With Low Water Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machine methods require significant energy to heat large amounts of water, making it difficult to reduce water and energy consumption while effectively transferring heat to laundry.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a washing machine with a suds drainage system, a rotatable drum, and a heating device for direct heating of laundry using less than the saturation amount of water, with options for heating using hot foam, steam, microwaves, or infrared radiation, allowing for efficient heat transfer and reduced water usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional washing methods use sufficient water to saturate laundry items, then effective heat transfer from heater to laundry is achieved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function from the bulk water and applies it directly to the laundry items through a heating device that contacts the drum containing the laundry. This eliminates the need to heat large amounts of water, directly resolving the contradiction between energy consumption and water quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum acts as an intermediary between the heating device and the laundry items. The heating device heats the drum, which in turn heats the laundry items through direct contact, enabling efficient heat transfer without requiring large amounts of water as a heat transfer medium.
2Loss of energy
If free liquor is reduced to save energy, then water consumption decreases, but heat transfer from heater to laundry becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional thermal convection system (heater heating free liquor which then heats laundry) with a direct thermal conduction system (heating device heating drum which directly heats laundry). This substitution eliminates the need for free liquor as a heat transfer medium while maintaining effective heat transfer to the laundry.
3Productivity
If saturation amount of water is used to wet laundry, then complete wetting is achieved, but water and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by using only the minimum necessary water to wet the laundry items sufficiently for effective washing, rather than using the full saturation amount. The direct heating mechanism compensates for the reduced water quantity, maintaining washing efficiency while reducing water consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Significantly reduces the amount of water and energy required for washing, achieving efficient cleaning with minimal heat loss and uniform heating of laundry items.
Implementation Method 1
direct heating of the wetted laundry items by the heating device; The direct heating of the items of laundry containing the washing suds preferably takes place with hot foam, hot air, steam and/or electromagnetic radiation obtained using the heating device(s)
Implementation Method 2
The direct heating of the items of laundry containing the washing suds preferably takes place with hot foam, hot air, steam and/or electromagnetic radiation obtained using the heating device(s)
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the treatment of laundry (7), having a washing lye in a washing machine comprising a lye discharge system (18) disposed on the base of a lye container (1), a pivotally supported drum (2), and a heating device (13, 16) for the direct heating of a load (a1) of laundry (7) containing the washing lye, the method comprising the steps of: a) adding the washing lye to the load (a1) in an amount (a2) smaller or equal to an amount (a3) required for saturation of the laundry (7) with water ("saturation amount"), and wetting the laundry (7); b) heating the wetted laundry (7) by means of the heating device (13, 16); and c) adding water at a temperature Tw of no more than 40°C for rinsing the washing lye from the laundry (7). The invention further relates to a washing machine suitable for carrying out the method.