Variable-Speed Drying Air Fan Control for Flexible Laundry Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry dryers with fixed-speed drying air fans compromise on drying performance for noise reduction, limiting energy efficiency and drying time, and lack user flexibility in cycle selection.
Innovation Solution
A laundry drying appliance with a variable-speed drying air fan controlled by user input, allowing selection of different drying cycles and speeds to optimize drying performance and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the drying air fan operates at fixed speed to reduce noise, then noise level is improved, but drying performance and energy efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by transitioning from a fixed-speed drying air fan to a variable-speed fan that can adjust its rotation speed based on user-selected programs. The control unit regulates the fan speed to different values corresponding to different drying programs, allowing the system to dynamically optimize between noise reduction and drying performance requirements.
2Device complexity
If the drying air fan operates at fixed speed, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability and user flexibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements adaptability through multiple pre-configured drying programs stored in the control unit, each with optimized fan speed parameters for different fabric types and drying requirements. Users can select from various programs (e.g., for delicate fabrics, normal fabrics, sportswear) which dynamically adjust the fan operation characteristics without requiring complex real-time calculations or user expertise.
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 provides improved flexibility and efficiency in laundry drying, reducing drying time and energy consumption while allowing users to customize noise levels based on their preferences.
Implementation Method 1
the drying air passes through a moisture condensing system, where the humid, moisture-laden air is at least partially dehydrated
Implementation Method 2
the dried air flow is heated up by means of a heating arrangement; the heated drying air flow then re-enters into, and passes again through the drum
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry drying appliance having a cabinet, a treatment chamber inside the cabinet, a drying air recirculation path for conveying air into/out from the treatment chamber, a drying air propeller driven by a drying air propeller motor for causing the drying air to recirculate along the recirculation path, a drying air moisture condensing and heating system the drying air recirculation path for dehydrating the moisture-laden drying air leaving the treatment chamber and heating the dehydrated drying air before it re-enters into the treatment chamber, a laundry drying cycle selector for selecting one out of a number of default laundry drying cycles, a control unit to control the machine operation by operating the drying propeller at a default average speed corresponding to the selected drying cycle, and a command input operable by the user to change an average working speed of the drying air propeller.