Dryer Load Detection Using Motor Current and Rotation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dryers face challenges in accurately determining the amount of laundry, leading to inefficient drying operations and potential damage to clothes due to inconsistent rotation speeds and slip issues between the drum and belt, which affects drying performance and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A dryer system that includes a motor connected to a drum via a drive belt, a current sensing unit, and a controller that uses an operation pattern with an acceleration stage and a maintaining stage to measure the laundry amount by analyzing motor current values, minimizing errors and improving drying efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the drum rotates at high speed to increase drying efficiency, then the drying speed increases, but the belt slip between drum and belt occurs leading to inaccurate laundry amount detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by implementing a two-stage rotation speed control: acceleration stage with higher rotation speed for efficient drying, and deceleration stage with lower rotation speed for accurate laundry amount detection. The controller dynamically adjusts rotation speed based on operational phase, resolving the contradiction between drying efficiency and measurement accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If the drum rotates at low speed to prevent belt slip, then measurement accuracy improves, but drying efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by alternating between acceleration stage (high speed for drying) and deceleration stage (low speed for detection). This periodic variation in rotation speed allows the system to achieve both high drying efficiency and accurate laundry amount detection at different time intervals within the same drying cycle.
3Reliability
If the drying time is extended to ensure complete drying, then drying completeness improves, but user convenience deteriorates due to inability to terminate at set timing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by using the detected laundry amount information to dynamically adjust and optimize drying time. The controller calculates appropriate drying duration based on actual laundry load, enabling the dryer to complete drying efficiently without requiring extended time, thus improving both drying reliability and user convenience.
4Productivity
If temperature is increased to accelerate drying, then drying speed increases, but laundry damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the relationship between rotation speed and drying time rather than relying solely on temperature increase. By adjusting rotation speed parameters (acceleration and deceleration stages) and corresponding time parameters, the system achieves efficient drying while preventing laundry damage through controlled mechanical action.
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 accurately determines the laundry amount, enhances drying performance, and ensures efficient operation by preventing over- or under-drying, thus improving user convenience and product reliability.
Implementation Method 1
sensing an amount of laundry using a current flowing in a motor
Implementation Method 2
a motor connected to the drum and configured to rotate the drum
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a dryer and a method of controlling the same, the dryer which is capable of: determining an amount of laundry loaded in the dryer and controlling a drying operation according to the amount of laundry; measuring a current supplied to rotate the drum and extracting a force applied to laundry in the drum to measure an amount of laundry; changing a rotation direction to minimize an error in the amount of laundry, which is caused by entanglement of the laundry; performing a drying operation after determining the amount of laundry through adjustment of the rotation direction; and setting a drying time in consideration of both a calculated amount of laundry and a type of the laundry, such that damage to the laundry is prevented and over-drying or less-drying of the laundry is solved, thereby efficiently drying the laundry.