Dryer Drum with Segmented Air Outlet and Filter for Reduced Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dryers face challenges in providing a large air outlet and filter area without compromising the mechanical performance of the drum, leading to increased air resistance and reduced drying efficiency due to flint accumulation, which also affects cleanliness by breeding bacteria.
Innovation Solution
A drum design with a plurality of sub-outlets forming a large air outlet and corresponding sub-filtering regions, ensuring mechanical performance while reducing air resistance and cleaning frequency, along with a filter cleaning mechanism using a water dispenser and spouts to maintain air flow efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a large area air outlet is provided in the drum to reduce air resistance and improve drying efficiency, then the air flow resistance decreases and drying performance improves, but the mechanical performance (strength and stiffness) of the drum deteriorates due to cutting through reinforcing ribs
Solution Approach 1:
The air outlet is divided into multiple sub-outlets distributed across the drum wall. This segmentation allows the total air outlet area to be large enough for efficient drying while each individual sub-outlet is small enough not to compromise the structural integrity or cut through reinforcing ribs, thus resolving the contradiction between drying efficiency and drum strength
2Ease of operation
If a large area filter is disposed at the air outlet to reduce cleaning frequency and air resistance, then the filter cleaning frequency decreases and air resistance reduces, but the drum structure becomes weaker due to the large opening required
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is divided into multiple sub-filtering regions corresponding to the sub-outlets. This segmentation enables the filter to have a large total area for reduced cleaning frequency and air resistance, while the distributed sub-regions can be integrated with the segmented sub-outlets in a way that maintains drum structural strength, avoiding the need for a single large opening that would compromise stiffness
3Productivity
If flint accumulates in the air channel and on the heat exchanger surface, then the air flow resistance increases and thermal exchange efficiency drops sharply, but providing a filter to prevent accumulation increases device complexity and requires periodic cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is segmented into multiple sub-filtering regions that correspond to sub-outlets distributed on the drum wall. This segmentation allows the filter to be integrated into the existing drum structure without requiring additional complex housing or mounting systems, thereby preventing flint accumulation and maintaining thermal exchange efficiency while minimizing increases in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The filter cleaning mechanism uses the existing drum rotation and water dispenser system already present in the dryer. The water dispenser sprays cleaning water through spouts that correspond to sub-outlets, enabling self-cleaning of the filter without requiring separate complex cleaning mechanisms, thus maintaining productivity while avoiding excessive device complexity
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 design achieves a large air outlet and filter area without impacting the drum's mechanical performance, reducing air resistance, extending filter cleaning frequency, and enhancing drying efficiency and performance by preventing flint accumulation and maintaining air flow smoothness.
Implementation Method 1
the water dispenser is in communication with a cleaning medium and sprays the cleaning medium through the plurality of spouts to separate flint from the filter
Implementation Method 2
a filter needs to be disposed to perform filtering, to reduce flint that enters the air channel
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger (an evaporator or a condenser) in a heat pump system is usually a fin or microchannel heat exchanger
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
This application relates to a drum (10) for a dryer (100), including an air outlet (11) for passage of air out of the drum (10) from inside the drum (10) and a filter (50) disposed at the air outlet (11). The air outlet (11) is formed in a drum wall (12) and includes a plurality of sub-outlets (111). This application further relates to a dryer (100) having the drum (10). In the dryer and the drum thereof according to this application, a large air outlet and a large filter area can be provided on the drum for the dryer without affecting the mechanical performance of the drum, thereby reducing a filtering resistance, implementing a low cleaning frequency, and improving drying efficiency and drying performance.