Dishwasher comprising a sorption drying system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dishwashers with sorption drying systems face challenges in consistently and thoroughly drying reversibly dehydratable sorption materials during the desorption process, leading to inefficient energy use and potential overheating.
Innovation Solution
A household dishwasher with a sorption drying system featuring a sorption container designed for compact, space-saving geometry, where air flows through the sorption unit in a vertical direction, ensuring thorough drying and regeneration of the sorption material, and allowing for modification of the washing program via input means to optimize drying performance and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heater is arranged upstream of the air inlet of the sorption column to heat air during desorption, then the sorption material can be regenerated, but local overheating of the sorption drying material occurs and consistent adequate drying is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
A flow conditioning element is introduced as an intermediary component between the air inlet and the sorption material. This element distributes the incoming air flow uniformly across the sorption material, preventing localized overheating while ensuring consistent thermal treatment throughout the material volume during desorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow conditioning element creates locally optimized air flow conditions at different positions within the sorption column. By adjusting air distribution locally, the system achieves uniform temperature profiles across the sorption material, preventing hot spots while maintaining effective regeneration.
2Volume of moving object
If the sorption container is designed with compact geometry for space saving, then device complexity is reduced, but air flow distribution through the sorption material may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The flow conditioning element introduces a new dimensional aspect to air flow management within the compact container. By creating a structured flow distribution system in the vertical dimension, the element ensures uniform air passage through the sorption material despite the reduced horizontal space available in the compact container design.
3Productivity
If heating is applied during the drying step to improve drying performance, then drying speed increases, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces thermal heating with mechanical air flow during the drying step. By using the fan to create strong air circulation and pressure differential, the system achieves effective drying through enhanced mass transfer and evaporation driven by air flow rather than thermal energy input.
Solution Approach 2:
The sorption material itself provides the drying function during the drying step by absorbing moisture from the air and items. The material's inherent sorption capability is utilized without additional energy input, making the drying process self-sufficient and energy-efficient.
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 solution enables thorough, energy-efficient drying and regeneration of sorption materials, maintaining the sorption and desorption capabilities over the dishwasher's lifetime, reducing energy consumption, and achieving 100% drying of items while keeping energy consumption comparable to conventional dishwashers.
Implementation Method 1
moisture is removed from the air guided therethrough by the reversibly dehydratable drying material of said sorption column through condensation
Implementation Method 2
a sorption container (SB) comprising a reversibly dehydratable sorption material (ZEO)
Implementation Method 3
For regeneration, i.e. desorption of the sorption column, the reversibly dehydratable drying material thereof is heated to very high temperatures. Water stored in this material is thereby released as hot water vapor
Implementation Method 4
moist air is guided by means of a fan out of the washing container of the dishwasher through the sorption column
Data Source
AI summary
A dishwasher having a washing container; a controller to control the operation of the dishwasher by means of a wash program; a desorption drying system to dry items to be washed that are arranged inside the washing container; and input means that are connected to the controller and that modify the wash program.