METHOD FOR RECOVERING HEAT ENERGY RELEASED BY LAUNDRY MACHINES

• US 20070251115A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH
• Original Assignee: Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH
• Inventors: Heinz, Engelbert, Bringewatt, Wilhelm
• Granted Patent: US 8,276,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/134
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4291 Recovery arrangements, e.g. for the recovery of energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/006 Recovery arrangements, e.g. for the recovery of energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/30 Arrangements for energy recovery
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0034 using liquid heat storage material
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 21/0014 the heat being recuperated from waste air or from vapors for air conditioning F24F12/001
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

The use of at least one central heat exchanger to extract and dry the heat energy released by laundry machines, in particular their gland steam. The energy thus recovered can be fed back to the laundry machines as hot air or hot water. This represents a significant reduction in the energy requirements of laundry machines as laundry machines discharge a great amount of unused energy into the environment, which, particularly in light of rising energy prices, represents an unnecessary operational cost for a laundry.

Claims

1. A method for recovering heat energy released by laundry machines, characterized in that the heat energy released by a plurality of laundry machines is conducted to at least one common heat exchanger (16, 18).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat energy conducted to the at least one heat exchanger (16, 18) is converted into hot water and/or hot air.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that moist hot air accumulating at the laundry machines is conducted to the at least one heat exchanger (16).

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the at least one heat exchanger (16) dehumidifies moist hot air discharged from the laundry machines as gland steam.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that a second heat exchanger (18) is arranged downstream of the heat exchanger (16) that is supplied with gland steam.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one heat exchanger (16) is supplied with gland steam from the group consisting of washing machines, tunnel washing machines (10), hydroextractor spin-dryers, dryers (11), mangles (13), and finishers (12).

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the gland steam is dehumidified by the first heat exchanger (16) and the dehumidified hot air, after being heated up if necessary, is fed at least to the laundry machine.

7. A method for recovering heat energy released by laundry machines, characterized in that the heat energy released by at least one laundry machine is fed to a first heat exchanger (16), water is heated by the heat energy in the first heat exchanger (16), and this heated water is cycled in a loop through at least a further heat exchanger (18), which heats a medium.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the medium heated by the at least one further heat exchanger (18) is fed to a laundry machine.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that water is heated by the at least one further heat exchanger (18) and fed to the laundry machine.

11. A method for recovering heat energy released by laundry machines, characterized in that moist hot air discharged by at least one laundry machine is dried in at least one heat exchanger (16).

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the dried air is fed to at least one laundry machine.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the dried air is sterilized before it is fed to at least one laundry machine.

14. A method for recovering heat energy released by laundry machines, characterized in that heat transfer medium heated during the recovery of energy is stored at least in part.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the at least one heat exchanger (16, 18) charges at least one energy store.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the heated heat transfer medium is temporarily stored in at least one insulated storage tank (24).

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that water heated by at least one second heat exchanger (18) is temporarily stored in at least one insulated storage tank (24).

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the energy store has a heat transfer medium, which stores heat at a temperature greater than 100°

C.

19. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that a medium employed in the operation of a laundry machine is heated with the energy stored in the storage tank (24).