Vented heat pump dryer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dryers, either air vented or heat pump, face inefficiencies in energy consumption and drying speed, with air vented dryers wasting heat and heat pump dryers having slow dehumidification due to closed circulation.
Innovation Solution
A vented heat pump dryer design that recycles exhaust air using a heat pump system, with adjustable evaporator branches and different heat exchanger fin densities to optimize energy use and drying efficiency across different drying stages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a heat pump dryer uses a closed circulation system to recycle exhaust air, then energy consumption is reduced, but dehumidification speed becomes slower
Solution Approach 1:
The air-exhaust drying air duct is divided into at least two branches, with each branch provided with a corresponding evaporator. This segmentation allows different parts of the system to handle different drying stages independently, enabling faster dehumidification while maintaining energy efficiency through selective operation of evaporator branches.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the heat pump load at different drying stages by controlling the opening and closing of evaporator branches. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize both energy consumption and dehumidification speed according to real-time drying requirements, rather than operating in a fixed closed circulation mode.
2Productivity
If an air vented dryer exhausts hot moist air directly without recycling, then drying speed is faster, but energy consumption increases due to waste heat loss
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers waste heat from exhaust air through the heat pump system, particularly through the evaporator branches that condense moisture from the exhaust stream. This recovery process converts previously wasted thermal energy into useful cooling capacity while maintaining fast drying speeds through controlled venting pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pump system acts as an intermediary between the exhaust air stream and the intake air stream, extracting heat and moisture from the exhaust while preheating and preparing the intake air. This intermediary process reduces waste heat loss while preserving drying efficiency.
3Productivity
If the heat pump system operates at high load continuously, then drying efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the heat pump load at different drying stages by controlling the opening and closing of evaporator branches. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize both energy consumption and dehumidification speed according to real-time drying requirements, rather than operating in a fixed closed circulation mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by adjusting the configuration of evaporator branches (open/closed states) to match different drying stage requirements. This parameter adjustment enables the heat pump to operate at optimal load levels for each stage, improving overall drying efficiency while reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
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 design reduces energy consumption and improves drying efficiency by preheating intake air, adjusting heat pump load, and preventing thread accumulation, while maintaining high clothes cleanliness.
Implementation Method 1
a condenser of the heat pump system is arranged in the air-intake drying air duct
Implementation Method 2
an evaporator is arranged in the air-exhaust drying air duct
Implementation Method 3
The moisture is condensed from the hot moist air introduced into the drying air duct by the evaporator
Data Source
AI summary
A vented heat pump dryer, comprising: an outer drum, an air-intake drying air duct and an air-exhaust drying air duct for allowing communicating the outer drum with outside respectively. The dryer is also provided with a heat pump system. A condenser of the heat pump system is arranged in the air-intake drying air duct, and an evaporator is arranged in the air-exhaust drying air duct. The air-exhaust drying air duct comprises at least two branches capable of being controlled to open and close. Each branch is provided with a corresponding evaporator. At different drying stage, the dryer makes exhaust air stream flow through different branches independently or at the same time, so that can adjust the working states of the heat pump reasonably and increase the drying efficiency of the dryer.