Dishwasher Drying Assembly Using Heat Pipe Energy Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dishwashers often waste energy during the drying cycle as hot air is discharged, as they rely on resistive heating elements that do not effectively recover energy from the drying process.
Innovation Solution
A drying system incorporating a heat pipe heat exchanger with a condenser and evaporator section, in conjunction with a thermoelectric assembly, which captures thermal energy from exhaust air and recycles it to enhance drying efficiency by converting it into hot, dry air for the wash chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If resistive heating elements are used to heat air during the drying cycle, then the drying function is achieved, but energy is wasted when hot air is discharged from the dishwasher
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers thermal energy from the exhaust air that would otherwise be discarded. The heat pipe heat exchanger captures heat from the discharged air and transfers it to the incoming air, recovering energy that would otherwise be wasted during the drying cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe heat exchanger acts as an intermediary device between the exhaust air and the incoming air. It facilitates heat transfer from the hot exhaust air to the cooler incoming air without direct contact between the two air streams, enabling energy recovery while maintaining system separation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a heat pipe heat exchanger with thermoelectric assembly is added to recover energy from exhaust air, then energy recovery is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a heat pipe heat exchanger with a thermoelectric assembly into a single integrated device. The thermoelectric assembly is positioned in thermal communication with the heat pipe, merging two energy recovery mechanisms into one compact unit that improves overall energy recovery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated heat exchanger assembly performs multiple functions: the heat pipe portion recovers sensible heat from exhaust air, while the thermoelectric assembly captures additional thermal energy and converts it to electrical energy or provides supplemental heating. This multi-functional design maximizes energy recovery from the exhaust stream.
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
The system recovers energy that would otherwise be wasted, improving the drying efficiency and reducing energy consumption by utilizing the heat pipe heat exchanger and thermoelectric assembly to re-circulate thermal energy within the dishwasher.
Implementation Method 1
a heat pipe heat exchanger having a condenser section and an evaporator section
Implementation Method 2
The evaporator section is downstream of the outlet. The condenser section is downstream of the evaporator section
Implementation Method 3
A thermoelectric assembly is in thermal communication with the heat pipe heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
A dishwashing appliance includes a tub defining a wash chamber. The tub includes an inlet and an outlet. The dishwashing appliance also includes a drying system in fluid communication with the wash chamber. The drying system includes a heat pipe heat exchanger having a condenser section and an evaporator section. The evaporator section is downstream of the outlet. The condenser section is downstream of the evaporator section and upstream of the inlet. A thermoelectric assembly is in thermal communication with the heat pipe heat exchanger.