Laundry Dryer Energy-Matched Control for Precise Drying
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional household appliances for drying laundry are inefficient in terms of energy consumption and lack precise control over the drying process, leading to suboptimal drying times and energy usage.
Innovation Solution
A household appliance with a closed process air circuit, including a blower, condenser, heating arrangement, and a control device that determines and matches the energy requirement for drying based on pre-measured laundry parameters, using an analyzer to assess energy needs and an integrator to monitor energy supply, ensuring efficient energy use and precise temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional drying appliances are used, then the drying function is provided, but energy consumption is high and drying process control is imprecise
Solution Approach 1:
The analyzer determines the energy requirement for drying the laundry batch before the drying process is initiated. This preliminary determination allows the control device to plan the entire drying process based on known energy requirements, enabling precise control from the start and avoiding energy waste from trial-and-error adjustments during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device continuously compares the actual energy supply (determined by the integrator) with the target energy requirement (determined by the analyzer) and adjusts the heating arrangement and blower operations accordingly. This closed-loop feedback ensures precise control of the drying process and prevents both energy deficiency and energy waste.
2Reliability
If the drying process is extended to ensure thorough drying, then drying completeness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By determining the exact energy requirement before drying begins, the system knows precisely how much energy is needed to achieve complete drying. This eliminates the need for extended drying times as a safety margin, allowing the process to end exactly when drying completeness is achieved, thus preventing energy waste from unnecessary extended operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device dynamically adjusts operating parameters (heating power, blower speed) based on the comparison between actual energy supply and required energy. This allows the system to optimize the drying rate at each stage, ensuring complete drying is achieved in the minimum necessary time without excessive energy consumption.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the drying process is shortened to reduce energy consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but drying completeness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-determination of energy requirement ensures that the drying process is shortened only to the exact extent needed for complete drying, not arbitrarily. The system calculates the precise energy amount required based on laundry characteristics, guaranteeing that shortening the process will not compromise drying completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device adjusts heating and airflow parameters to maintain optimal drying efficiency throughout the process. By keeping parameters optimized, the system achieves maximum drying rate per unit energy, allowing the process to be shortened without sacrificing completeness.
4Use of energy by moving object
If precise control of the drying process is implemented, then energy efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs multiple functions: it receives signals from sensors, determines energy requirements based on laundry characteristics, calculates actual energy supply, compares these values, and controls multiple actuators (heating arrangement, blower). By making the control device multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated components for each function, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The analyzer determines energy requirements based on characteristics of the specific laundry batch being processed, making the system adaptive without requiring manual intervention or complex external calibration. The system self-adjusts to different laundry types, reducing the need for complex pre-programming or user configuration.
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 appliance achieves quick and energy-efficient drying by accurately determining the energy requirement for the laundry, optimizing the drying process through precise control of the heating arrangement, resulting in reduced energy consumption and improved drying performance.
Implementation Method 1
a blower (6) for driving the process air
Implementation Method 2
a condenser (7) for condensing entrained moisture from the process air
Implementation Method 3
a heating arrangement (8, 9) for heating the process air
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a household appliance 1, particularly for drying a laundry article 2, comprising a treatment chamber 3 for receiving the laundry article 2, a closed process air circuit 5 for feeding process air through the treatment chamber 3, said process air circuit 5 comprising a blower 6 for moving the process air, a condenser 7 for condensing out moisture carried in the process air, a heating arrangement 8, 9 for heating the process air, and a first measurement device 10 for determining a temperature of the process air when entering the treatment chamber, and comprising a control device 11 for controlling the blower 6 and the heating arrangement 8, 9 as a function of a first measurement signal of the first measurement device 10. The household appliance 1 further comprises an analyzer 13 associated with the control device 11 for determining an energy requirement for drying a laundry article 2 placed in the treatment chamber 3 prior to the initiating of a drying process for the laundry article 2, an integrator for determining an energy input via the heating arrangement 8, 9 into the process air up to a given measurement time, and a comparator 15 for comparing the energy input to the energy requirement and for ending the drying process when the energy input matches the energy requirement.