Washing Machine Spin-Phase Termination Using Motor Power Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry washing machines face challenges in accurately controlling the final spinning phase due to discrepancies between inputted and actual load weight, leading to inefficient water extraction, increased energy consumption, mechanical stress, and noise, as well as potential textile stress and reduced machine reliability.
Innovation Solution
The method involves monitoring the electric power absorbed by the motor during the spinning phase and terminating it when the power decrease rate falls below a minimum threshold, allowing for optimal duration control and reducing textile stress, energy consumption, noise, and mechanical stress by stopping or reducing the drum rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the spinning phase duration is extended to ensure complete water extraction, then water extraction efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases and mechanical stress on the machine structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the electric power absorbed by the motor during the spinning phase and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the spinning duration. When the power absorption stabilizes or decreases below a threshold, indicating sufficient water extraction, the system automatically terminates the spinning phase, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption and mechanical stress while ensuring adequate water removal.
2Productivity
If the spinning phase duration is extended to ensure complete water extraction, then water extraction efficiency is improved, but textile stress on laundry increases
Solution Approach 1:
By monitoring motor power absorption in real-time during the spinning phase, the system detects when water extraction is sufficiently complete (indicated by stabilized or decreasing power consumption). The spinning phase is automatically terminated at this point, preventing excessive spinning that would cause textile stress while ensuring adequate water extraction.
3Productivity
If the spinning phase duration is extended to ensure complete water extraction, then water extraction efficiency is improved, but machine reliability decreases due to increased mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from motor power monitoring to automatically terminate the spinning phase when water extraction is sufficiently complete. This prevents prolonged spinning that would generate excessive mechanical stress on the machine structure, thereby maintaining machine reliability while achieving adequate water extraction efficiency.
4Productivity
If the spinning phase duration is extended to ensure complete water extraction, then water extraction efficiency is improved, but noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors motor power absorption during spinning and terminates the phase when power stabilization indicates sufficient water extraction. This automatic termination prevents prolonged spinning that would generate excessive noise, thereby reducing noise pollution while maintaining adequate water extraction efficiency.
5Ease of operation
If user-input load weight is used to control spinning duration, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to discrepancies between inputted and actual load weight
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on user-input load weight, the system uses feedback from real-time monitoring of motor power absorption during the spinning phase. This empirical measurement directly reflects the actual water extraction process and load characteristics, providing accurate control of spinning duration without requiring precise user input about load weight.
6Ease of operation
If machine-calculated load weight is used to control spinning duration, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to incorrect data input or calculation errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces machine-calculated load weight with real-time feedback from motor power monitoring during the spinning phase. This direct measurement of power consumption provides accurate information about the actual water extraction process, eliminating errors from user input or calculation algorithms while maintaining ease of operation.
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 approach ensures optimal water extraction, reduces energy consumption, minimizes mechanical stress, and increases machine reliability by accurately determining the spinning phase duration based on power absorption trends, independent of user input or machine calculations.
Implementation Method 1
an electric motor connected to said washing drum for rotating said washing drum
Implementation Method 2
The drum is rotated at high speed to extract residual water from the laundry
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for washing laundry in a laundry washing machine (1) of the type comprising a washing tub (3) enclosing a rotatable washing drum (4) adapted to receive laundry to be washed, and an electric motor (40) connected to said washing drum (4) for rotating said washing drum (4); the method comprising at least a spinning phase to extract liquid from said laundry during which said washing drum (4) is rotated by means of said electric motor (40), wherein said spinning phase comprises the steps of: a) activating said electric motor (40) to bring the rotating speed (Ws) of said washing drum (4) up to a target rotating speed (Wst); b) rotating said washing drum (4) at said target rotating speed (Wst); c) monitoring at least one parameter relating to the electric power (P) absorbed by said electric motor (40); d) terminating said spinning phase when said at least one parameter decreases at a decreasing rate (Dpr) which is below, or equal to, a minimum threshold value (∆Pr).