Clothes Dryer Temperature Staging for Functional Fabric Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clothes dryers fail to provide a suitable drying course for functional clothes like sportswear and mountaineering sportswear, which are made of moisture-penetrating and water-repellent materials, leading to degraded fabric performance and shape deformation due to inappropriate drying temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A clothes dryer with a control method that performs two distinct drying processes: a first dry process at a temperature to recover the water-repellent function of the fabric and a second dry process at a higher temperature to prevent deformation, using multiple heaters to maintain temperatures and ensure optimal dryness levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If functional clothes are dried at a high temperature to achieve desired dryness, then the degree of dryness is improved, but the shape of the clothes is deformed
Solution Approach 1:
The drying process is divided into multiple stages with different temperature zones. The dryer creates a temperature gradient where the lower section operates at higher temperature for efficient moisture evaporation, while the upper section operates at lower temperature to prevent fabric deformation and preserve garment shape.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the drying environment are assigned different temperature characteristics. The heating element is positioned to create localized high-temperature zones for moisture removal, while the upper drying area maintains lower temperatures suitable for delicate functional fabrics, allowing each region to perform its specific function optimally.
2Shape
If functional clothes are dried at a low temperature to prevent deformation, then the shape of the clothes is preserved, but the degree of dryness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The drying chamber is segmented into temperature zones with the heating element positioned at the lower section to generate high temperature for effective moisture evaporation, while the upper section where clothes hang maintains lower temperature to protect fabric integrity and prevent deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The drying system utilizes vertical temperature stratification, creating a temperature gradient from bottom to top. This dimensional approach allows simultaneous high-temperature drying near the heat source and low-temperature fabric protection at the upper hanging area, resolving the contradiction between drying efficiency and fabric preservation.
3Shape
If conventional drying courses are used for synthetic fiber, then the fabric is protected from deformation, but the water-repellent function is not recovered
Solution Approach 1:
The drying process utilizes temperature parameter variation, employing high temperature (above 60°C) specifically for functional clothes to restore water-repellent properties. This parameter change enables the fabric coating to be properly activated and bonded, recovering functionality while the controlled drying environment and fabric positioning prevent deformation.
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 allows for the recovery of water-repellent performance in functional clothes while preventing shape deformation, achieving a better degree of dryness compared to unconditional drying methods.
Implementation Method 1
a first drying process to dry the substance at a first drying temperature... a second drying process to dry the substance at a second drying temperature
Implementation Method 2
If the temperature inside the drying chamber reaches a first drying temperature, a heater is repeatedly turned on and off to maintain the temperature inside the drying chamber at the first drying temperature
Implementation Method 3
a heater is repeatedly turned on and off to maintain the temperature inside the drying chamber at the first drying temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A clothes dryer capable of providing a dry course suitable for functional clothes, and a control method thereof, the control method including selecting functional clothes as a substance accommodated in a dry tub to be dried; performing a first dry process to dry the functional clothes at a first dry temperature; and performing a second dry process to dry the functional clothes at a second dry temperature higher than the first dry temperature.