Filterless Heat Pump Air Handling With Cooled-Fluid Particle Washing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry appliances with traditional air-handling systems face inefficiencies in drying and dehumidification, as they often require filters to remove particulate matter, which can clog and reduce performance, and lack effective methods for simultaneous heat exchange and moisture condensation.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump system with a refrigerant circuit connecting condensing and evaporating heat exchangers, where cooled fluid is showered through heated process air to dehumidify and filter out particulate matter without a physical filter, using a shower area defined by the intersection of airflow and fluid paths, allowing for efficient heat transfer and particulate removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional filters are used to remove particulate matter from process air, then air purification is achieved, but filter clogging occurs and system performance deteriorates over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the filter component entirely from the system. Instead of extracting particulate matter through filtration, the system extracts moisture through condensation in the heat exchanger, allowing particulate matter to be removed naturally with the condensed water without clogging issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cooled fluid as an intermediary substance that facilitates particulate matter removal. The cooled fluid condenses moisture from the process air, and the resulting condensate carries particulate matter away, serving as a mediator between the process air and the removal mechanism.
2Temperature
If heat pump systems use separate heating and cooling cycles, then thermal processing is achieved, but energy efficiency is reduced due to lack of simultaneous heat exchange
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heating and cooling functions into a single integrated heat pump system. The condensing heat exchanger provides heating while the evaporating heat exchanger provides cooling, and both operations occur simultaneously within the same system cycle, improving energy efficiency through heat recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous useful action by ensuring that heat rejection from the condensing heat exchanger continuously preheats the fluid before it enters the evaporating heat exchanger. This continuous heat exchange eliminates idle cycles and maintains constant productive operation throughout the system.
3Productivity
If process air is heated without simultaneous cooling capacity, then drying capability is improved, but dehumidification efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transition of water from vapor to liquid in the evaporating heat exchanger. The process air is cooled below its dew point, causing moisture to condense from vapor phase to liquid phase, which is then removed with the cooled fluid, achieving efficient dehumidification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous dehumidification by continuously cooling the process air through the evaporating heat exchanger and removing condensate through the cooled fluid stream, ensuring uninterrupted moisture removal throughout the drying cycle.
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
This solution enables efficient dehumidification and particulate filtration without clogging issues, conserving energy by utilizing heat exchange loops to heat and cool air and fluid simultaneously, improving appliance efficiency and reducing maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
A condensing heat exchanger heats the process air to define heated process air
Implementation Method 2
condensing heat exchanger heats the process air
Implementation Method 3
An evaporating heat exchanger cools the fluid to define a cooled fluid
Implementation Method 4
evaporating heat exchanger cools the fluid
Implementation Method 5
The cooled fluid is showered through the heated process air after the heated process air exits the drum to wash particulate matter out of the heated process air
Implementation Method 6
The heated process air increases a fluid temperature of the cooled fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry appliance includes a blower that directs process air along an airflow path. A condensing heat exchanger heats the process air to define heated process air. A drum receives the heated process air to dry laundry. A pump directs fluid along a fluid path. An evaporating heat exchanger cools the fluid to define a cooled fluid. A refrigerant circuit directs a refrigerant between the condensing and evaporating heat exchangers. A shower area in which the cooled fluid is showered through the heated process air after the heated process air exits the drum to wash particulate matter out of the heated process air. The pump directs the fluid towards the evaporating heat exchanger in order to cool the fluid, and directs the cooled fluid to the shower area.