Laundry Dryer Air Circulation Design to Reduce Refrigerant Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry treating apparatuses using refrigerant-based heat pumps are bulky, complex, and inefficient, with risks of refrigerant contamination and fire, and require separate refrigerant storage and circulation systems, leading to energy loss and increased installation space needs.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a branched heater to compress and heat air directly, eliminating the need for refrigerant and simplifying the structure by integrating the heating process within the air circulation system, utilizing a steam compressor to compress moisture and air, and incorporating a separate heater to enhance drying efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a refrigerant-based heat pump system is used to heat and dry laundry, then heating capability is improved, but device complexity and installation space increase due to separate refrigerant storage and circulation systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the refrigerant circulation system with the air circulation system by allowing the refrigerant to flow through the same air circulation path (drum, ducts, heat exchangers) that handles laundry air. This integration eliminates separate refrigerant storage and circulation components, reducing device complexity while maintaining heating capability through the refrigerant's heat exchange function within the unified air flow path.
2Temperature
If a refrigerant-based heat pump system is used, then heating capability is improved, but installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant circulation components (compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion valve) are integrated into the existing air circulation structure of the laundry treating apparatus. The refrigerant flows through heat exchangers positioned within the air circulation path, allowing simultaneous air movement and heat transfer in the same spatial envelope, thereby reducing the additional installation space required for a separate refrigerant system.
Solution Approach 2:
The air circulation system serves dual functions: it transports laundry air for drying and simultaneously serves as the refrigerant circulation path for heat transfer. The drum, ducts, and heat exchangers perform both air handling and refrigerant heat exchange functions, eliminating the need for dedicated refrigerant system components and reducing overall installation space.
3Use of energy by moving object
If refrigerant is used in the heating system, then heating efficiency is improved, but safety risks increase due to potential refrigerant contamination and fire hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent acknowledges the inherent safety risks of using refrigerant (flammability, contamination) but converts this approach into a benefit by integrating the refrigerant system so closely with the air circulation that the refrigerant's cooling effect directly contributes to condensing moisture from the laundry air in the same path, turning a potentially hazardous substance into a useful drying agent when properly managed within the unified system.
4Temperature
If a separate refrigerant circulation system is used, then heating capability is maintained, but energy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant heat exchange and air circulation are merged into a single integrated path, allowing the refrigerant to absorb heat from the air in the drum and release it back to the same air stream after cooling. This eliminates energy losses associated with separate systems where heat would need to be transferred between independent circulation loops, as the same air receives both cooling (for moisture condensation) and reheating in sequence within the unified refrigerant-air exchange path.
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 reduces the apparatus's size, eliminates refrigerant-related risks, minimizes energy loss, and improves drying efficiency by utilizing the energy in the air discharged from the drum, while preventing air condensation and maintaining a safe, efficient operation.
Implementation Method 1
a steam compressor (610) to compress the air flowing into the branch pipe (630)
Implementation Method 2
a second heater (620) to heat the air compressed by the steam compressor (610)
Implementation Method 3
a condenser (423) to heat the air with the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor to generate hot and dry air
Implementation Method 4
an evaporator (422) to cool the air that has passed through the discharge duct (411)
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treating apparatus may include a drum in which laundry is stored, an air flow passage through which air is circulated, and a heating duct configured to supply hot air to the drum. The air flow passage and heating duct may be configured to prevent or reduce or cooling or condensing of moisture in the circulated air. A steam compressor may be provided to compress some of the air flowing through the air flow passage.