EP3091120A1 - Wash-dryer and method for operating of a wash-dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a washer-dryer and a method for operating a washer-dryer. The washer-dryer has a tub (1) in which a laundry drum (11) for receiving laundry is rotatably mounted, an adsorption module (2) which contains an adsorbent for absorbing moisture, a fan (6) which is used to exchange process air is formed between the tub (1) and the adsorption module (2), and a control device which is designed to guide dry process air from the adsorption module (2) into the tub (1) during a drying phase by means of the fan (6) that moisture from the laundry is released into the process air, and during a washing phase by means of the fan (6) to conduct moist process air from the adsorption module (2) into the tub (1) in such a way that moisture from the process air condenses on the laundry and the laundry is heated by means of the condensation heat released in this condensation process. The adsorption module (2) is arranged downstream of the blower (6) so that the process air flowing out of the tub (1) flows through the blower (6) and then through the adsorption module (2) before it is returned to the tub (1) is directed.

Description

The invention relates to a washer-dryer, that is to say a domestic appliance which is capable of both washing and drying laundry. As an alternative to an arrangement of a washing machine and a separate tumble dryer, the washer dryer primarily saves space - it only needs to be purchased and set up a device.

As is customary in a washing machine, a washer-dryer has a tub and a laundry drum rotatably arranged in the tub to hold laundry. In addition, as is usual with a tumble dryer, a heating element, a fan and a condenser are provided, which together with the tub provide a circuit which is traversed by a process air in a drying process. This prior art is based on the Fig. 1 explained.

Another drying concept provides that adsorbents are used for drying in household appliances. An example of this shows EP 2 315 547 B1 , From which results in a dishwasher in which a zeolite-filled sorption is operated as a drying device. An application of drying by means of adsorption in the area of the washer dryer is described in EP 2 439 329 B1 and in DE 10 2007 031 481 A1 disclosed.

The problem with the use of adsorbents for drying laundry is that a large amount of moisture has to be removed from the laundry. To dry the entire laundry exclusively by means of adsorption, the adsorption module would have to be dimensioned correspondingly large, which would lead to installation space problems in the domestic appliance.

The invention thus presents the problem of providing a washer-dryer and a method for its operation in which the design of the adsorption module and its arrangement in the washer-dryer is optimized.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a washer-dryer with the features of patent claim 1 and by a method having the features of patent claim 10. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention will become apparent from the following subclaims.

The invention is based on the idea of arranging and designing an adsorption module such that a retrofitting of a conventional, that means by means of a condenser and possibly a heat pump working washer dryer with an adsorption module retrofit. It has proven to be particularly advantageous to arrange the adsorption module behind the blower in the process air cycle described below. The washer-dryer has a control device which is designed to carry out the treatment method according to the invention, that is to say to conduct the process air in such a way that it first passes through the blower and then the adsorption module.

The adsorption module may be an open adsorption system in direct communication with the atmosphere. Here, the adsorption and the desorption occur at ambient pressure. Alternatively, it may be a closed adsorption system, ie a system sealed from the ambient air. With a closed adsorption system, the working pressure can be freely selected.

If it is initially assumed that a partially or already completely discharged adsorption module, ie an adsorption module in which the adsorbent contained therein is essentially dry, then moist process air is blown out of the tub into the adsorption module during the drying phase by the fan. The moisture from the process air is adsorbed by the adsorbent. The adsorption is an exothermic process, so that the heat energy released due to the adsorption process heats the process air. The dry due to the flow through the adsorption hot process air is passed by means of the blower in the tub, where it absorbs moisture from there arranged in the laundry drum laundry and so dry the laundry. The now again moist process air is then passed through the adsorption module again in the sense of a cycle in order to continue loading the adsorbent.

The drying process may continue to operate until the adsorbent is fully loaded, that is, until the adsorbent is unable to absorb additional moisture at a given process pressure. This is usually carried out at a loading of the adsorbent between 20% and 40%, depending on the adsorbent. If the laundry is then not sufficiently dry, drying the clothes by means of a conventional drying process can continue. Here, as explained in the introduction, a capacitor can be used. In addition, the use of a heat pump can be beneficial.

Preferably, however, the adsorption module in the drying phase is operated simultaneously with the condenser and optionally with the heat pump. This has the advantage that the drying process can run faster. In this case, the majority of moisture is removed from the process air passing out of the tub by means of the condenser, and the adsorption module serves to remove the residual moisture from the process air which emerges from the condenser. In addition, the process may be tuned so that the adsorbent in the adsorption module is fully loaded only at the end of the drying phase or even at the end of two consecutive drying phases.

Alternatively, the adsorption module can also be operated temporarily or at intervals in the drying phase. In particular, a boost mode can be provided, in which the adsorption module is switched on after half or towards the end of a drying phase in order to accelerate the drying process abruptly.

Due to the usually smaller capacity of the washing drum of a washer dryer compared to a stand-alone dryer, a wash load of laundry after the washing phase is usually distributed over two drying processes. For example, following a wash at a standard load of 5.5 kg of laundry, usually two drying phases are performed at a load of about 2.75 kg each. This is the reason why it can be advantageous if the adsorption module is completely laden with moisture only after the second drying phase. The advantage is then that the adsorption module can be active during both drying phases in order to support the drying process.

If it is now assumed that a partially or already fully loaded adsorption module, ie an adsorption module in which the adsorbent is loaded to saturation with adsorbed moisture, then the moisture is removed from the adsorbent and in the tub in a subsequent washing phase in a desorption process directed. In the tub is now usually other laundry than during the previous drying phase. In order to perform the desorption process efficiently, the process air fed into the adsorption module must have a certain minimum temperature, namely an adsorption-dependent desorption temperature. This desorption temperature is much higher in conventional adsorbents than the temperature required for washing. The moist process air emerging from the adsorption module is therefore always warmer than the laundry in the tub, so that the moisture condenses on the laundry. Due to this condensation process condensation heat is released, so that at the same time the laundry is heated and brought to the washing temperature required for the selected washing process or optimum washing temperature.

According to the invention, as explained above, the adsorption module arranged downstream of the fan, so that the process air flowing out of the tub process air flows through the fan and then through the adsorption before it is returned to the tub. In this way it is possible to equip conventional washer-dryers, ie washer-dryers, which work without adsorption modules, cost-effectively and efficiently subsequently with an adsorption module.

The washer-dryer preferably has a condenser which is arranged between the tub and the blower, so that the process air flowing out of the tub flows through the condenser, then through the blower and then through the adsorption module before being returned to the tub. It may also be arranged a heat pump assembly between the tub and the blower.

Preferably, the adsorption module is arranged in a construction space above the tub. Preferably, the adsorption module has a cuboid shape, wherein the height of the adsorption module, ie its vertical extent is preferably substantially less than its width and depth, ie its horizontal dimensions. "Above", "vertical" and "horizontal" refer to the preferred installation orientation of the washer-dryer.

According to an expedient embodiment, the adsorbent in the adsorption module in the form of a body is shaped, enclosed or heaped up so that the body is flowed through by the process air along a body thickness, wherein the body thickness forms the shortest dimension along the body. The body is preferably cuboidal.

In a preferred embodiment, the body is delimited by an entry plane for inflow of process air into the body and an exit plane for effluent of process air from the body, the body thickness being measured as the distance between the entry plane and the exit plane, and between the entry plane and an exit plane first module inner wall of the adsorption module, an entrance slit and / or an exit slit is formed between the exit plane and a second module inner wall of the adsorption module. When flowing through the adsorption module, the process air first penetrates into the entrance slit. Through the entry level, the process air then penetrates into the body formed from the adsorbent and out again through the exit plane. On This ensures that the process air flows through the adsorbent as evenly as possible.

The entrance slit perpendicular to the entrance plane and / or the exit slit perpendicular to the exit plane preferably has a slit width which corresponds to at least 15%, 20% or 25% of the body thickness. In other words, the size ratio between the width of the entrance slit and / or the exit slit and the body thickness is about 1 to 5. In any case, the total height of the adsorption module is preferably the sum of the body thickness and the slit widths of the entrance slit and / or the exit slit.

The body thickness is preferably between 30mm and 80mm, preferably between 40mm and 60mm. The gap width of the entrance slit and / or the exit slit is preferably between 5mm and 20mm. In the entry plane, the body preferably has a square or nearly square shape. The adsorption module width and the adsorption module depth perpendicular to the total height of the adsorption module are preferably between 250 mm and 400 mm, preferably between 300 mm and 350 mm.

According to a preferred embodiment it is provided that the adsorption module contains between 2kg and 7kg adsorbent, preferably between 2.5kg and 4.5kg or between 4.5kg and 6.5kg, more preferably between 3kg and 4kg or between 5kg and 6kg. When using zeolite, the adsorption module preferably contains between 3kg and 4kg zeolite, more preferably about 3.55kg, and when using silica gel preferably between 5kg and 6kg silica gel, more preferably about 5.85kg.

In an expedient embodiment, it is provided that the adsorption module contains as adsorbent a silica gel, also called silica gel, and / or a zeolite. In particular, the silica gel 123, 125 and / or 127 and the zeolite 13X are advantageous here. Salts are preferably incorporated into the silica gel, for example calcium chloride hexahydrate, in order to obtain a so-called selective water sorbent (SWS) as the adsorbent. In any case, the adsorbent may be in the form of a bed in a fixed bed reactor.

Preferably, a lye container inlet heating element, which is arranged in a lye container inlet line to heat the process air immediately before entering the tub, and / or an adsorption module inlet heating element is provided, which is arranged in a Adsorptionsmodulzulaufleitung to the process air immediately before entry to heat in the adsorption module. In addition or as an alternative to the adsorption module feed heating element, it is possible to provide an adsorption module heating element which is set up to bring the adsorption module to the desorption temperature necessary for the desorption process.

The adsorption module is optionally arranged together with the adsorption module inlet heating element between the fan and the tub or the tub inlet heating element, preferably so that the process air passing out of the tub flows through first the condenser, then the fan and then the adsorption module and finally returned to the tub. In this way, existing washer-dryers can preferably also be retrofitted with an adsorption module.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung der Komponenten eines konventionellen Waschtrockners und den Ablauf beim konventionellen Trocknungsprozess;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Darstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Waschtrockners gemäß einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform

Fig. 3

eine schematische Darstellung eines Waschtrockners gemäß Fig. 1, bei dem nachträglich ein Adsorptionsmodul hinzugefügt wurde; und

Fig. 4

eine schematische Querschnittsdarstellung eines Adsorptionsmoduls gemäß einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and will be described in more detail below. It shows

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of the components of a conventional washer dryer and the process in the conventional drying process;

Fig. 2

a schematic representation of a washing dryer according to the invention according to a preferred embodiment

Fig. 3

a schematic representation of a washer dryer according to Fig. 1 in which an adsorption module was subsequently added; and

Fig. 4

a schematic cross-sectional view of an adsorption module according to a preferred embodiment.

The course of a conventional drying process in a washer-dryer according to the prior art will be described with reference to the schematic representation in FIG Fig. 1 explained. Here, a cycle process is illustrated by means of the broad arrows which schematically represent the flow of a process air 7 between main components of the washer dryer. In a tub 1 is still wet laundry in a washing drum 11. First, drier process air 7 flows into the tub 1 and removes moisture from the laundry. The cooled and moist process air 7 due to this process flows to the condenser 3, where it continues to cool and the moisture partially condenses out. At the outlet of the condenser 3, the now much cooler process air 7 has a humidity of almost 100%. The process air 7 is then passed to a heating element 5, which heats the process air 7. This reduces the relative humidity of the process air 7. By means of a blower 6, the warm dry process air 7 is again supplied to the tub 1.

The resulting cycle is maintained until the laundry in the tub 1 has reached the desired degree of dryness and the drying process is completed. The condenser 3 may also be replaced by a heat pump system (not shown), which is a combination of an evaporator and a condenser. Then is spoken by a heat pump condenser dryer or by a condensation dryer, which works on the principle of the heat pump. Also in all embodiments of the invention described above or below, such a heat pump system can be used.

In the Fig. 2 an embodiment of a washer dryer according to the invention is shown schematically with reference to a flow chart. Here, the circuit comprises the tub 1, in which the washing drum 11 is rotatably mounted, the condenser 3, the fan 6 and an adsorption module 2, which is filled with an adsorbent. The components within the dashed frame 71 are those in the conventional washer-dryer Fig. 1 already existing components. From the tub 1, a condenser feed line 43 leads to the condenser 3. A liquor feed line 41 carries the process air to the tub 1 and an adsorption module supply line 42 to the adsorption tank 2. These lines 41, 42, 43 may be partially ducts, tubes or hoses , However, the term line may also simply mean any kind of structure which causes the process air 7 to be directed along a desired path to the respective component 1, 2, 3 of the washer dryer.

In addition, a tub inlet heating element 51 and an adsorption module inlet heating element 52 are provided. The suds container inlet heating element 51 serves to heat the process air 7 emerging from the adsorption module 2 before it flows into the suds container 1. This is necessary in a drying phase, when the temperature increase achieved due to the adsorbent used is not sufficient to dry the laundry efficiently. In the drying phase, therefore, the fan 6, the condenser 3, the adsorption module 2 and optionally the suds container inlet heating element 51 are active. The initially moist process air 7 is passed through the condenser feed line 43 to the condenser 3, where it cools as in a conventional dryer. Although much of the moisture in the process air 7 condenses in the condenser 3, but due to the reduced temperature of the process air 7, its relative humidity increases to about 100%. This cool moist air is conducted by means of the blower 6 through the Adsorptionsmodulzulaufleitung 42 in the adsorption 2.

In the adsorption module 2, the residual moisture from the process air 7 is adsorbed on the adsorbent and the process air 7 undergoes a temperature elevation. If the temperature of the process air 7 after the temperature stroke is sufficient to effectively remove moisture from the laundry in the tub 1, then the warm air that is now dry due to the adsorption process is passed through the liquor container supply line 51 into the tub 1, without being further heated. Otherwise, the Process air 7 heated by the liquor container inlet heating element 51 to the necessary temperature and enters the tub 1 a.

After completion of the drying phase, the dry laundry is usually removed by the user from the washing drum 11 and either immediately after, or but after some time, for example, after a few hours, days or even weeks a new load on laundry placed in the washing drum 11. Then a washing phase is initiated. During the washing phase, preferably at the beginning of the washing phase, in a commercial washer-dryer according to Fig. 1 the laundry is heated by means of a arranged below the tub heating element and brought to the desired or required washing temperature. In the present case, this instead takes place by means of the process air 7 emerging from the adsorption module 2. The process air 7 was first heated to the required desorption temperature by means of the adsorption module inlet heating element 42. This is about 150 ° C for silica gel and about 300 ° C for zeolite.

The hot dry process air 7 then flows through the adsorption module 2 and absorbs the moisture stored in the adsorbent in a desorption process. As a result, the process air 7 is cooled slightly and at the same time moister. The moist process air 7 from the adsorption module 2 is then passed through the tub container feed line 41 into the tub 1. There condenses the moisture from the process air to the laundry, on the walls of the tub 1 and the washing drum 11. Due to this condensation process condensation heat is released, which heats the laundry. The desorption process ends when the adsorbent is completely dry, that is, when the adsorption module 2 is completely regenerated, or when the laundry has reached the desired wash temperature, so that the washing process can begin. If the adsorbent still contains moisture, the desorption process can be repeated within the wash phase to warm the wash.

The Fig. 3 is from the Fig. 1 with the addition of an adsorption module 2 emerged. It is shown here, as the basis of the Fig. 1 described conventional drying process by inserting an adsorption module 2 to develop a drying process according to the invention. The adsorption module 2 is inserted between the blower 6 and the tub 1. If the temperature of the adsorption module 2 is not sufficient, then a further heating element between the adsorption module 2 and the tub 1 can be additionally arranged.

Finally, the shows Fig. 4 a cross-sectional view of an adsorption module 2. The adsorbent particles 211 from the adsorbent are in this case put together to form a body 21 which extends between an entrance plane 22 and an exit plane 23 extends. The distance between the two mutually parallel planes 22, 23 forms the body thickness. Below the body 21, an entrance slit 224 is arranged, which is connected to an air inlet 26 and bounded by the body 21 and a first module inner wall 24. On the upper side of the body 21 there is an outlet gap 235, which is connected to an air outlet 27 and bounded at the top by a second module inner wall 25.

The process air 7 conducted into the adsorption module 2 enters the inlet gap 224 through the air inlet 26 at the lower end of the adsorption module 2. From there it flows through the inlet plane 22 through the adsorbent. Depending on the degree of loading of the adsorbent and the temperature of the process air 7, an adsorption process or a desorption process takes place here. Subsequently, the process air 7 flows through the outlet plane 23 into the outlet gap 235 and from there to the outlet 27, through which it leaves the adsorption module 2. The adsorption module 2 is not necessarily reproduced to scale here. In fact, the ratio between the height and the width of the adsorption module is preferably 0.15 to 0.25.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

tub

11

washing drum

2

adsorption module

21

Body of adsorbent

211

Adsorbent particles

22

entry level

224

entrance slit

23

exit plane

235

exit slit

24

first module inner wall

25

second module inner wall

26

air inlet

27

air outlet

3

capacitor

41

Tub supply line

42

Adsorptionsmodulzulaufleitung

43

Condenser inlet line

5

heating element

51

Tub inlet heater

52

Adsorptionsmodulzulauf heater

6

fan

7

process air

Claims (10)

Washer dryer with a tub (1) in which a laundry drum (11) for receiving laundry is rotatably mounted, an adsorption module (2) containing an adsorbent for absorbing moisture, a fan (6), which for exchanging process air between the liquor container (1) and the adsorption module (2) is formed, and a control device which is designed during a drying phase by means of the blower (6) dry process air from the adsorption module (2) in the tub (1) to conduct that Moisture is released from the laundry to the process air, and during a washing phase by means of the blower (6) wet process air from the adsorption module (2) in the tub (1) to direct moisture that condenses from the process air to the laundry and the laundry is heated by means of condensation heat released in this condensation process, characterized in that the Adsorptionsmod ul (2) is arranged downstream of the fan (6), so that the process air flowing out of the tub (1) flows through the fan (6) and then through the adsorption module (2) before being returned to the tub (1) becomes. Washer dryer according to claim 1, characterized by a condenser (3), which is arranged between the tub (1) and the blower (6), so that the process air flowing out of the tub (1) through the condenser (3), then through the Blower (6) and then through the adsorption module (2) flows before it is returned to the tub (1). Waschtrockner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adsorption module (2) is arranged in a space above the tub (1). Waschtrockner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adsorbent in the adsorption module (2) in the form of a body (21) is formed, housed or heaped up that the body (21) is flowed through by the process air along a body thickness, wherein the body thickness forms the shortest dimension along the body (21). Washer dryer according to claim 4, characterized in that the body (21) of an inlet plane (22) for inflowing the process air into the body (21) and an exit plane (23) for the outflow of process air from the body (21) is limited the body thickness is measured as a distance between the entry plane (22) and the exit plane (23), and wherein between the entry plane (22) and a first module inner wall (24) of the adsorption module (2) an entrance slit (224) and / or between the exit plane (23) and a second module inner wall (25) of the adsorption module (2) an exit slit (235) is formed. Waschtrockner according to claim 5, characterized in that the entrance slit (224) perpendicular to the entrance plane and / or the exit slit (235) perpendicular to the exit plane has a gap width which corresponds to at least 15%, 20% or 25% of the body thickness. Washer dryer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adsorption module (2) contains between 2kg and 7kg of adsorbent, preferably between 2.5kg and 4.5kg or between 4.5kg and 6.5kg, more preferably between 3kg and 4kg or between 5kg and 6kg. Waschtrockner according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adsorption module (2) contains as adsorbent a silica gel and / or a zeolite. Waschtrockner according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a Laugenbehälterzulauf heating element (51) which is arranged in a Laugenbehälterzulaufleitung (41) to heat the process air immediately before entering the tub (1), and / or by an Adsorptionsmodulzulauf- Heating element (52) which is arranged in a Adsorptionsmodulzulaufleitung (42) to heat the process air immediately before entering the adsorption module (2). A method for operating a washer-dryer with a tub (1) in which a laundry drum (11) for receiving laundry is rotatably mounted, an adsorption module (2) containing an adsorbent for absorbing moisture, and a blower (6) for the exchange of process air between the tub (1) and the adsorption module (2) is formed, wherein the method is formed during a drying phase by means of the blower (6) dry process air from the adsorption module (2) in the tub (1) direct moisture is released from the laundry to the process air, and during a washing phase by means of the blower (6) moist process air from the adsorption module (2) in the tub (1) to direct moisture that condenses from the process air to the laundry and the laundry is heated by means of condensation heat released in this condensation process, characterized in that during the washing phase and or during the drying phase, the process air flowing out of the tub (1) the fan (6) and then through the adsorption module (2) flows before it is returned to the tub (1).

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