Heat pump clothes dryer

• US 20050066538A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fli Holding Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fli Holding Company, LLC
• Inventors: Goldberg, Michael, Truman, James C., Kniffin, Alexander B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,055,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/218
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/32 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/34 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/36 Flow or velocity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/20 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/36 Condensing arrangements, e.g. control of water injection therefor
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 25/00 Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/26 Condition of the drying air, e.g. air humidity or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/04 Details controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/206 Heat pump arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/22 Lint collecting arrangements

Abstract

A drying apparatus for drying articles such as clothing is provided. The drying apparatus includes a chamber for containing articles to be dried and a system for supplying heated dry air at a first temperature to the chamber. The air supplying system comprises an air flow pathway having an evaporator for removing moisture from air exiting the chamber and for decreasing the temperature of the air to below dew point temperature. The air supply system further has a condenser for increasing the temperature of the air exiting the evaporator to the first temperature. The drying apparatus further has a heat pump system having a refrigerant loop which includes a compressor, the condenser, a TEV valve, and the evaporator.

Claims

1. A drying apparatus comprising:

a chamber for containing articles to be dried;

means for supplying heated dry air at a first temperature to said chamber;

said air supplying means comprising an air flow pathway having means for removing moisture from air exiting said chamber and for decreasing the temperature of said air to below dew point temperature;

said air flow pathway further having means for increasing the temperature of said air exiting said moisture removing means to said first temperature; and

a heat pump system comprising means for passing a refrigerant in a liquid state through said temperature increasing means, means for controlling refrigerant mass flow and for converting said refrigerant from said liquid state to a liquid/vapor state, and means for passing said refrigerant in said liquid/vapor state through said moisture removing means to convert said refrigerant into a vapor state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising said heat pump system having a compressor for increasing the pressure of said refrigerant and for converting said refrigerant from said vapor state to said liquid state.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said temperature increasing means comprises a first refrigerant-air heat exchanger and wherein said moisture removing means comprises a second refrigerant-air heat exchanger.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said refrigerant mass flow controlling means comprises an expansion valve.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for collecting water from said moisture removing means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a blower for causing flow of said air through said air flow pathway and a wet air heatsink for removing moisture from air exiting said blower.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising said air flow pathway having a warmup heater positioned between said temperature increasing means and an inlet to said chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an external warmup evaporator attached to said heat pump system.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a diverter valve for receiving refrigerant from said moisture removing means and said external warmup evaporator.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said air flow pathway has an air economizer positioned between said moisture removing means and said temperature increasing means.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said air economizer comprises an air-to-air heat exchanger.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said heat pump system includes a compressor and means for removing heat substantially equal to a power consumption of said compressor from said refrigerant exiting said temperature increasing means so that said refrigerant enters said refrigerant mass flow controlling means at a significant lower enthalpy.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said heat removing means comprises a refrigerant to air heat exchanger or a refrigerant to liquid heat exchanger.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said air economizer comprises a heat pipe assembly.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said heat pipe assembly comprises a heat pipe hot section for receiving wet air and a heat pipe cold section and wherein said heat pipe cold section receives heat from said heat pipe hot section.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said heat pipe hot section is positioned on an inlet side of said moisture removing means and said heat pipe cold section is positioned on an outlet side of said moisture removing means.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said heat pipe cold section is positioned between said moisture removing means and said temperature increasing means.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said heat pump system includes a refrigerant economizer.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said refrigerant economizer has a hot economizer section and a cold economizer section and means for transferring heat from said hot economizer section to said cold economizer section.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said hot economizer section and said cold economizer section are each formed by a heat exchanger.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said means for controlling mass flow of said refrigerant comprises an expansion valve and wherein said heat pump system has a heat removing means positioned between said hot economizer section and said expansion valve.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said heat pump system further includes a compressor desuperheater for increasing refrigerant mass flow.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for creating an updraft airflow in said chamber.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said updraft airflow creating means includes means for allowing air to enter said chamber under a door and exit near a top of a rear bulkhead.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said updraft airflow creating means includes means for allowing air to enter said chamber near a bottom of a rear bulkhead and to exit above a door.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said chamber has a rear air inlet and a front exhaust outlet.

27. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said chamber comprises a drum and said drum has a heated wall.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said heated drum wall includes a refrigerant heat exchanger.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said heat pump system includes a compressor and said heated wall receives superheated refrigerant from said compressor.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said refrigerant exits said heated wall and flows through said air temperature increasing means.

31. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said chamber comprises a stationary drum and a plurality of rotating vanes for tumbling said articles to be dried.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising means for rotating said vanes.

33. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said rotating vanes are supported by a plurality of annular rings.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said plurality of annular rings comprises a front ring supported by rollers and a rear ring formed as a perforated disk.

35. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein at least one of said rings is fabricated from or covered with a low friction material.

36. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said stationary drum comprises two half shells.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising a single ring fitting between said half shells.

38. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein each of said vanes is tapered from a root portion to a distal end.

39. The apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising each of said vanes being forwarded curved where said vane contacts a wall of said drum.

40. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein each of said vanes is at least partially made from a flexible, low friction material.

41. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said chamber has a bottom opening for receiving heated air and a top opening for exiting wet air.

42. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller for starting the apparatus and for stopping said apparatus after a preselected running time.

43. The apparatus according to claim 42, wherein said controller comprises a timer.

44. The apparatus according to claim 42, wherein said air supplying means further comprises a blower, said heat pump system includes a compressor, and said controller starts said blower and said compressor sequentially.

45. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller starts said blower first, then starts rotation of said chamber, and then starts said compressor.

46. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air flow pathway comprises an open loop air circuit having a an inlet for drawing air into said air temperature increasing means and a blower for delivering wet air to an external vent.

47. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air supplying means includes a phase change heat exchanger for absorbing heat from chamber exhaust air.

48. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said heat pump system includes an active expander.

49. The apparatus according to claim 48, wherein said active expander comprises a scroll type refrigerant compressor.

50. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for sensing dryness and means for controlling said apparatus as a function of said sensed dryness.

51. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for sensing fabric moisture and means for controlling said apparatus as a function of said sensed fabric moisture.

52. The apparatus according to claim 51, wherein said fabric moisture sensing means includes at least one of a drum air inlet humidity sensor, a drum air inlet temperature sensor, a drum air exhaust temperature sensor, and a drum air exhaust humidity sensor.

53. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said heat pump system has a heat removing means and said heat removing means has outlet means for supplying heated water to at least one other object.

54. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein said outlet means comprises means for supplying heated water to at least one washer.

55. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein said outlet means comprises means for supplying heated water to at least one radiator.

56. The apparatus according to claim 55, wherein said radiator is an external radiator.

57. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

said heat pump system having an air cooled heat removing means;

means for providing cooling air to said air cooled heat removing means;

a temperature sensor positioned adjacent an inlet of said chamber for generating a temperature signal, and

means responsive to said temperature signal for generating a signal for operating said means for providing cooling air.

58. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

said heat pump system having a water cooled heat removing means;

means for supplying cooling water to said water cooled heat removing means;

a temperature sensor positioned adjacent an inlet of said chamber for generating a temperature signal; and

means responsive to said temperature signal for generating a signal for operating said means for supplying cooling water to said water cooled heat removing means.

59. The apparatus according to claim 58, wherein said means for supplying cooling water comprises a cooling water control valve.

60. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for removing moisture comprises a self cleaning lint trapping evaporator.

61. The apparatus according to claim 60, further comprising means for supplying lint flush water to said evaporator.

62. The apparatus according to claim 61, wherein said lint flush water supplying means comprises a lint flush control and a lint flush pump.

63. The apparatus according to claim 60, wherein said evaporator has a plurality of J fins.

64. The apparatus according to claim 60, further comprising a plurality of ultraviolet light source positioned adjacent said evaporator for mitigating bacterial growth.

65. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air flow pathway includes a self cleaning lint trap positioned between said chamber and said moisture removing means.

66. The apparatus according to claim 65 further comprising means for supplying lint flush water to said lint trap.

67. The apparatus according to claim 66, wherein said lint flush water supplying means comprises a lint flush control and a lint flush pump.

68. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for purging drying air in said air flow pathway between runs.

69. The apparatus according to claim 68, wherein said purging means comprises at least one of an inlet purge fan and an exhaust purge fan connected to said air flow pathway.

70. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one humidity sensitive semiporous membrane incorporated into said air flow pathway.

71. The apparatus according to claim 70, wherein said at least one membrane is positioned at a dry section of said air flow pathway.

72. A washing apparatus comprising:

a washing chamber;

means for supplying heated water to said washing chamber, said heated water supplying means comprising a first heat storage device having a heat exchanger device and inlet means for receiving water;

means for draining heated water from said washing chamber and passing heat from said heated water to a drain side heat storage device; and

a heat pump system for transferring heat from said drain side heat storage device to said first heat storage device.

73. A washing apparatus according to claim 72, wherein said heat pump system comprises a refrigerant loop having a compressor, a condenser, an economizer, a receiver, a thermal expansion valve, and an evaporator.

74. A washing apparatus according to claim 73, wherein said heat pump system further includes a refrigerant economizer.

75. A washing apparatus according to claim 74, wherein said refrigerant economizer has a hot economizer section and a cold economizer section.

76. A washing apparatus according to claim 72, wherein said heat pump system is located between said first heat storage device and said drain side heat storage device.

77. A washing apparatus according to claim 72, wherein said heated water supplying means further comprises a warmup heater.

78. A washing apparatus according to claim 72, wherein each of said heat storage devices has a heat storage media.

79. A washing apparatus according to claim 78, wherein said heat storage media comprises containers of a phase change media.

80. A washing apparatus according to claim 72, wherein each of said heat storage devices has a pair of heat exchangers integrated therein.

81. A washing apparatus according to claim 72, wherein each of said heat storage devices is insulated to store heat for a period of time exceeding maximum idle time of said washing apparatus.

82. A drying chamber for use in a drying system comprising a stationary drum and a plurality of rotating vanes for tumbling said articles to be dried.

83. The drying chamber according to claim 82, further comprising means for rotating said vanes.

84. The drying chamber according to claim 82, wherein said rotating vanes are supported by a plurality of annular rings.

85. The drying chamber according to claim 84, wherein said plurality of annular rings comprises a front ring supported by rollers and a rear ring formed as a perforated disk.

86. The drying chamber according to claim 84, wherein at least one of said rings is fabricated from or covered with a low friction material.

87. The drying chamber according to claim 82, wherein said stationary drum comprises two half shells.

88. The drying chamber according to claim 87, further comprising a single ring fitting between said half shells.

89. The drying chamber according to claim 82, wherein each of said vanes is tapered from a root portion to a distal end.

90. The drying chamber according to claim 82, further comprising each of said vanes being forwarded curved where said vane contacts a wall of said drum.

91. The drying chamber according to claim 82, wherein each of said vanes is at least partially made from a flexible, low friction material.