EP4372142A1 - Device and method for drying laundry - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for drying laundry, comprising:- a drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) for receiving laundry items (5),- a heating device (14) arranged on or in the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) for introducing thermal energy into the drying chamber,- an air inlet (22) opening into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) and an air outlet (24) leading out of the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108), wherein the air inlet (22) and/or the air outlet (24) are provided with a fan for generating an air flow through the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108). (26; 126), and- a controller (50) which is coupled to the heating device (14) and to the fan (26; 126) and which is designed to regulate the input of thermal energy into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) independently of the air flow flowing through the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108).

Description

Technical area

The present development relates to a device for drying laundry, a method for drying laundry and a computer program product for controlling a device for drying laundry.

background

Drying laundry in a large-scale laundry, for example, involves comparatively high energy consumption. For industrial laundry drying, as used in large-scale laundries, a wide variety of drying devices and drying processes are used. For example, a batch of laundry can be dried using a drum dryer, although in a laundry several such drum dryers are often used simultaneously or at overlapping times. Furthermore, individual items of laundry can be transported through a drying device along a transport direction using so-called Conti dryers or tunnel finishers, whereby the individual items of laundry can be dried and/or smoothed sequentially using suitable drying processes.

When drying laundry using drum dryers, it is quite common in large-scale laundries to expose the laundry to superheated steam. However, such solutions require a relatively high level of equipment for the implementation of a corresponding drying system. The energy consumption for this is comparatively high and the recovery of thermal energy proves to be comparatively complex and difficult. It is also sometimes very difficult to adapt the corresponding drying programs to the individual needs of the respective laundry batch.

For example, the EP 3 555 358 B1 a dryer and a method for controlling the same are known, wherein the dryer has a rotatable drum and an air heater, wherein heated air can be supplied to the drum by means of a fan.

In contrast, the present development is based on the task of providing an improved device for drying laundry and a corresponding method for drying laundry, which is highly energy efficient and which can be implemented in practice with comparatively little equipment and maintenance effort. The device and the method should also be particularly suitable for drying laundry as individually as possible and should therefore be as flexible as possible to adapt to drying conditions or drying requirements of the laundry or textiles that vary over time.

Advantageous designs

This object is achieved by means of a device, a method and a computer program product according to the features of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the respective dependent patent claims.

According to a first aspect, a device for drying laundry, thus a tumble dryer or a drying system, is provided. The device comprises a drying chamber for receiving items of laundry. The device further comprises a heating device arranged on or in the drying chamber for introducing thermal energy into the drying chamber, as well as an air inlet opening into the drying chamber and an air outlet leading out of the drying chamber. The air inlet and/or the air outlet are coupled to a fan to generate an air flow through the drying chamber.

Furthermore, the device comprises a control which is coupled to the heating device and to the fan and which is designed to regulate the input of thermal energy into the drying chamber, for example by means of the heating device, independently of the air flow flowing through the drying chamber.

The aim of this device is to regulate or control the air flow through or in the drying chamber from the thermal energy input into the drying chamber or into the laundry contained therein. In this way, a particularly precise supply of thermal energy into the drying chamber is to be achieved regardless of the prevailing air flow in the drying chamber. Overall, this is intended to provide a high energy saving potential and the device is intended to be particularly be able to operate in an energy-saving manner.

At the same time, the independent regulation of the drying air flowing into or through the drying chamber, decoupled from the thermal energy input into the drying chamber, should enable the laundry to be dried to respond particularly well and easily to the individual drying needs of the laundry in the drying chamber. Regulation or control of the air flow in or through the drying chamber, decoupled from the thermal energy input into the drying chamber, should enable particularly efficient, gentle, precise and rapid drying of the laundry in the drying chamber.

This is intended in particular to prevent overdrying of the laundry in the drying chamber, so that the laundry can be removed from or taken out of the drying chamber as crease-free as possible.

According to a further development, it is particularly provided that the control system for determining the residual moisture of laundry items in the drying chamber is signal-coupled to at least one sensor arranged in or on the drying chamber. The control system is further designed to regulate or control the input of thermal energy into the drying chamber, for example by means of a corresponding regulation of the heating device, depending on the residual moisture determined.

If the laundry in the drying chamber has a comparatively high residual moisture content, provision can be made to introduce a comparatively high level of thermal energy into the drying chamber. The introduction of thermal energy into the drying chamber can take place independently of or decoupled from the intensity and/or decoupled from the volume flow of the air flow in the drying chamber or flowing through the drying chamber.

The determination of the residual moisture, possibly coupled with a determination or specification of the mass of the laundry in the drying chamber, is particularly suitable for determining or specifying the total thermal energy required, which must be coupled into the drying chamber or into the laundry items in order to achieve a specified degree of drying in order to ensure a corresponding evaporation or vaporization of the moisture bound in the laundry items. achieve.

The sensor arranged in or on the drying chamber can be implemented as a moisture sensor, which can directly measure the moisture of the laundry items in the drying chamber. The moisture sensor can, for example, be designed to directly measure an electrical resistance of laundry items in the drying chamber. The electrical resistance can be or represent a direct measure of the moisture or residual moisture of the laundry in the drying chamber.

According to a further embodiment, the control of the drying device for determining a temperature of laundry items in the drying chamber is signal-coupled to at least one sensor arranged in or on the drying chamber. The control is designed to regulate or control the introduction of thermal energy into the drying chamber depending on the determined laundry temperature.

The sensor can be designed, for example, as an infrared sensor, which can measure heat radiation from the laundry items in the drying chamber. In particular, the sensor for determining the temperature of laundry items in the drying chamber can be designed as a contactless sensor.

By measuring the temperature of the laundry items in the drying chamber, it is possible to prevent the laundry items from overheating. This means that the heating output of the heating device can be adjusted to the actual and/or current laundry temperature, allowing the laundry to dry particularly quickly but also gently.

According to a further embodiment, the type of laundry items in the drying chamber, in particular the type of fabric of the laundry items, can also be taken into account for the regulation or control of thermal energy that can be introduced into the drying chambers by means of the heating device. The control can also be designed to introduce thermal energy into the drying chamber and thus into the laundry items in the drying chamber depending on a type of fabric that has been determined or specified by a user. For different types of fabric or Individual drying programs and/or drying parameters can therefore be implemented for textile materials with regard to the thermal energy input. For example, a much higher level of thermal energy can be coupled into the drying chamber for drying items made predominantly of cotton than would be necessary for items with a high polyester content.

Furthermore, according to a further development, the thermal energy input into the drying chambers can be regulated or controlled depending on a temporal gradient of the residual moisture and/or a gradient of the temperature of the laundry items. If, for example, a rapid change in the residual moisture of the laundry items in the drying chamber or the temperature of the laundry items in the drying chamber is determined by means of one of the sensors mentioned during the drying process, this can be an indication that the laundry is beginning to overdry. By designing the control system to determine or estimate a temporal gradient of the measured residual moisture of the laundry items/or a temporal gradient of the temperature of the laundry items during the drying process, the control system can initiate appropriate countermeasures at an early stage, for example in the form of throttling the thermal energy supply, in order to avoid overdrying of the laundry in the drying chamber as early as possible.

According to a further embodiment of the device, the control for determining a temperature and/or humidity of drying air in the drying chamber is signal-coupled to at least one sensor arranged in or on the drying chamber. By means of such a sensor, in particular the humidity and/or the temperature of the drying air in the drying chamber can be precisely measured. The temperature and/or humidity of the drying air can then be used to control the intensity of the air flow flowing through the drying chamber or circulating in the drying chamber and/or to regulate or control the thermal energy input into the drying chamber.

In this respect, the control system is designed to process a wide range of parameters, such as the residual moisture of the laundry items arranged in the drying chamber, the temperature of the laundry items arranged in the drying chamber and the temperature and/or humidity of the laundry items in the drying chamber. drying air. The control system can also be designed for individual processing of the parameters residual moisture, laundry temperature, as well as air temperature or humidity of the drying air.

Furthermore, the control system can be designed to specifically control or regulate each of these drying parameters, for example by regulating or controlling the heating device and/or regulating or controlling the fan as well as a variable supply air/circulating air control. This enables particularly precise drying that is particularly suitable and/or gentle for the respective items of laundry or textiles. In addition, the drying process can be regulated and/or controlled to ensure that the drying is as energy-efficient as possible.

According to a further development, the control of the drying device is designed to regulate the input of thermal energy into the drying chambers depending on the determined air temperature and/or depending on the determined air humidity.

For example, it may be intended to introduce a comparatively high level of thermal energy into the drying chambers if the air temperature in the drying chamber is comparatively low and the air humidity is also comparatively low. In the case of high air humidity and high air temperature, however, the input of thermal energy into the drying chambers may possibly be throttled, since the drying air in the drying chamber is almost in the range of vapor saturation.

According to a further embodiment, the control of the drying device can be designed to regulate or control a strength of the air flow flowing through the drying chambers depending on the determined air temperature and/or depending on the determined air humidity. The strength of the air flow flowing through the drying chambers can mean the flow velocity and/or the volume flow.

According to a further embodiment, the control is further designed to regulate or control the ratio of air throughput through the drying chambers and a circulating air flow in the drying chamber as required and individually, in particular depending on the determined air temperature and/or depending on the determined air humidity.

In particular, the control can be designed to regulate the amount of fresh air supplied via the air inlet compared to a recirculated air mass flow. In particular, the volume flow of the drying air flowing out via the air outlet can also be controlled and/or regulated accordingly.

The intensity, i.e. the flow rate and/or the air mass flow in recirculation as well as in continuous or fresh air operation through the drying chamber can be regulated or controlled in particular depending on the determined air temperature and/or the determined air humidity. In particular, the removal of drying air through the air outlet can be regulated depending on the measured air humidity. In this way, it is ensured that an air mass flow only leaves the drying chambers if it removes a predetermined amount of moisture from the drying chamber. The removal of drying air from the drying chamber is typically inevitably accompanied by a loss of thermal energy from the drying chamber. Likewise, the moisture originally bound in the laundry items can be removed from the drying chamber exclusively or predominantly via the drying air discharged from the chamber.

Regulating the air discharge from the drying chamber depending on the determined air humidity and/or the determined air temperature has the advantage that the drying device is operated predominantly in recirculation mode, for example, until the drying air in the drying chamber exceeds a predetermined humidity threshold, so that air only escapes from the drying chamber when it transports a sufficient amount of moisture.

The humidity threshold can be adapted to the prevailing air temperature in particular, or can vary depending on the prevailing air temperature in the drying chamber. In this way, an individual level of air humidity can be defined or specified for a wide range of air temperatures, up to which the drying process mainly works in recirculation mode and from which point, as the air humidity increases, the drying process increasingly takes place with the supply of relatively dry fresh air and the removal of heated or relatively moist drying air.

According to a further embodiment, the drying device has an energy storage device that can be thermally coupled to the air outlet and has at least one thermal energy storage device that is designed to recover, absorb and store thermal energy from exhaust air flowing through the air outlet. The exhaust air that can be discharged from the drying chamber via the air outlet, for example, can release at least a portion, preferably a predominant portion, of its thermal energy to the energy storage device.

In this way, a corresponding amount of thermal energy can be stored in the energy storage device and fed back into the drying process at different times and/or with an overlap. The energy balance of the laundry drying device can be significantly increased in this way. The energy storage device enables both simultaneous or overlapping storage or absorption of energy from the exhaust air flowing through the air outlet and a release of thermal energy typically to the supply air flowing into the drying chamber through the air inlet.

However, the energy storage device can also be designed to absorb and store thermal energy from the exhaust air at a first point in time or in a first time interval and to release this thermal energy to supply air flowing into the drying chamber and/or to the heating device at a second time interval, which can overlap with the first time interval but can also be non-overlapping with the first time interval.

According to a further embodiment of the drying device, the energy storage can be thermally coupled to the air inlet leading into the drying chambers. It is also designed to transfer thermal energy stored in the thermal energy storage to supply air flowing into the drying chambers via the air inlet. In this respect, the energy storage device can be equipped with one or more heat exchangers, by means of which thermal energy can be absorbed from the exhaust air and thermal energy can be released to the supply air flowing into the drying chambers.

The thermal energy that is inevitably carried out of the drying chamber by the exhaust air flowing out of the air outlet can thus be at least partially stored and used for the drying process. This is particularly important for It is an advantage if the device for drying laundry has several separate drying chambers in which comparable or different drying processes take place at overlapping or staggered times.

According to a further embodiment, the heating device of the drying device can be thermally coupled to the energy storage device via a heat exchanger medium circulating through a heating circuit. In this respect, not only can the supply air to be fed into the drying chamber be supplied with thermal energy from the energy storage device via the heating circuit, but it is also possible to supply the heating device with thermal energy that has been regenerated or recovered from the exhaust air flowing through the air outlet. In this way, a particularly efficient operation of the drying device is possible. The thermal energy recovered from the exhaust air escaping from the drying chamber can thus be used universally not only to heat the supply air to be fed into the drying chamber, but also to operate the heating device.

According to a further embodiment of the device, the heating circuit is thermally coupled to an additional energy source in order to heat the heat exchange medium to a predetermined temperature level. The additional energy source can be, for example, a heat pump, by means of which the temperature level on the heating device side can be raised or heated to a predetermined temperature level. On the energy storage device side, the heat exchange medium of the heating circuit can have a lower temperature level, but can nevertheless absorb thermal energy from the energy storage device due to a corresponding temperature difference to a thermal energy store of the energy storage device. The absorption of thermal energy from the energy storage device to the heating circuit can take place at a temperature level T1 that is lower than the temperature level T2 that the heat exchange medium has in the area of the heating device.

Not only heat pumps but also secondary energy sources such as a fuel cell, a solar thermal energy source and/or a burner that runs on fossil or synthetic fuel can be used as additional energy sources.

When implementing a heat pump as an additional energy source, in particular a A so-called high-temperature heat pump can be used, which is designed to provide thermal energy at temperatures in the range of up to 110° C, up to 120° C, up to 140° C or beyond, up to 150° C or even up to 160° C on a useful side, ie on a side facing the heating device or thermally coupled to the heating device.

According to a further embodiment, the heating device is a radiant heater or it has a radiant heater. The heat emission from the heating device to the drying chamber or to the laundry items in the drying chamber can take place in particular in the form of thermal radiation. The heating device can be implemented as a high-temperature radiator or as a low-temperature radiator. For example, electric or gas heaters can be provided as high-temperature radiators. As a low-temperature radiator, the heating device can have, for example, a radiator through which a heat exchange medium can flow. In particular, the implementation of a low-temperature radiator makes it possible to transfer thermal energy from the energy storage device to the heating circuit for operating the heating device.

According to a further embodiment, the radiant heating can be thermally coupled directly or indirectly to a heat pump, for example a high-pressure heat pump. This makes it possible to feed a low-temperature or high-temperature radiator with thermal energy provided by a heat pump, for example a high-pressure heat pump. The primary energy consumption, such as the consumption of fossil fuels for the generation of thermal energy, for example for the radiant heating, can be reduced to a minimum in this way.

According to a further embodiment of the drying device, it further comprises an injection device which is fluidically coupled to the drying chamber and by means of which saturated steam and/or an aerosol can be injected into the drying chamber. The injection of saturated steam or an aerosol can take place during, before and/or after the actual main drying process in order to adjust the residual moisture of the laundry to a level specified for the drying process. If, for example, the drying chamber is loaded with laundry which is already too dry for the actual drying process, the laundry can be moistened again by injecting saturated steam and/or an aerosol in order to keep it moist during the drying process. Dry the clothes as crease-free as possible during the drying process.

The implementation of a high-temperature heat pump and the temperature levels that can be achieved with it on a user or flow side also enables direct steam generation using the heat pump, for example for injecting saturated steam into the drying chamber. The saturated steam to be introduced or injected into the drying chambers can thus be generated directly using a high-temperature heat pump.

According to a further embodiment, the energy storage device has a thermal energy storage device with a first storage module and with at least one second storage module, which can be coupled independently of one another to an air circuit for drying air and/or to a heating circuit for absorbing, storing and releasing thermal energy.

The individual storage modules can have a heat storage medium, such as water, salts or paraffins. They can be implemented as latent heat storage. In further embodiments, it is conceivable that the storage modules or some of the storage modules are implemented, for example, as thermal solid-state storage. They can, for example, have a ceramic heat storage device, such as a ceramic body with chambers through which drying air can flow.

The provision of two discrete storage modules of a thermal energy storage system enables a particularly universal storage and release of thermal energy for drying laundry, especially in a laundry or in an industrial laundry drying process. On the one hand, different temperature levels can be provided in the storage modules, which are particularly well and efficiently suited for thermal coupling to drying air or to a heating circuit.

Furthermore, thermal energy can be taken up from the air circuit, for example, at a point in time or time interval and stored in one of the two storage modules by means of the energy storage device. The stored energy can then be released to the same air circuit, to another air circuit or to the heating circuit at the same time, at an overlapping time or at a different point in time or time interval. It is also conceivable that thermal energy available or surplus via the heating circuit can be stored in one of the two storage modules. stored and fed at the same time, at an overlapping time or at a different time into the same heating circuit, another heating circuit or an air circuit.

The provision of a first and a second storage module also enables, in particular, the simultaneous or temporally overlapping absorption and storage of energy as well as the release of thermal energy. The energy storage device can thus be thermally coupled in particular to several discrete drying devices or drying chambers, wherein during a first point in time or time interval, thermal energy from, for example, a first drying chamber is supplied to the energy storage device and at the same time or at a temporally overlapping time interval, thermal energy from the energy storage device can be supplied to another dryer or another drying chamber.

The provision of discrete first and second, and possibly also several, such as third and fourth, storage modules, which can be thermally decoupled from one another, enables a particularly universal and flexibly adaptable absorption, recovery, storage and release of thermal energy to identical or different drying chambers or drying devices.

According to a further embodiment of the device, it is designed as a drum dryer with a rotatably mounted drying chamber. The drying device can have at least one such drum dryer. In further embodiments of the drying device, it is conceivable that it has several drying chambers, i.e. several drum dryers, which can be operated independently of one another, but which are thermally coupled to a common energy storage device. The thermal coupling of several drying chambers to one and the same energy storage device makes it possible, for example, for a first dryer to release energy to the energy storage device during a first time interval, while a second drying chamber absorbs thermal energy from the energy storage device.

According to a further embodiment, the drying device comprises a Conti dryer or it is designed as a so-called Conti dryer with several drying chambers arranged adjacent to one another and a drying chamber extending through the drying chambers. extending conveyor system for the laundry. The laundry is then dried in the individual drying chambers, in which different drying programs can run that can differ from one another in terms of energy input, temperature level and air passage or air circulation. Using the conveyor system, individual laundry items can be transferred successively from one drying chamber to the next. In this respect, a Conti dryer provides a continuous or step-by-step drying process. This can be adapted to the laundry items in the individual drying chambers as required.

According to a further embodiment or alternative embodiment, the device for drying laundry has a finisher or it is designed as a finisher with at least one longitudinally extending drying chamber and a conveyor device for the laundry extending longitudinally through the drying chamber.

The aspects described above with regard to the decoupled control or regulation of thermal energy input into the drying chambers, an air passage through the drying chambers or a recirculation control or regulation of drying air circulating in the drying chamber apply equally to the drum dryer, the Conti dryer and the finisher.

Furthermore, according to a further development, the device for drying laundry can have a type of drying system or can be implemented as a type of drying system, which can have, for example, several drum dryers, several Conti dryers or several finishers, each of which can be thermally coupled to one or more energy storage devices. In this respect, drying processes in the most diverse drying chambers can be thermally coupled to one another in the most energy-efficient and demand-oriented way possible, which can lead to considerable energy savings in the environment of a large laundry.

It is also conceivable that the drying system has a combination of several different dryer types. For example, it can have a combination of a finisher with a Conti dryer. Furthermore, the drying system can have one or more drum dryers as well as one or more Conti dryers and one or more finishers, all of which can be connected to one and the same energy storage device or can be grouped together. can be thermally coupled. Excess thermal energy, for example from the exhaust air of a drum dryer, can be fed into the drying air or a heating device of a drum dryer, a Conti dryer and/or a finisher; and vice versa.

According to a further aspect, a method for drying laundry using a drying device is provided. The drying device comprises at least one drying chamber for receiving laundry items. The method is characterized by placing laundry items in the drying chamber or by guiding laundry items through the drying chamber, for example by means of a conveyor device. An air flow flowing into or through the drying chamber is then generated by means of a fan. This can be an air flow through the chamber or a recirculating air flow.

It is also conceivable to set a mixture of recirculated air and supply air operation in the drying chamber, or to variably regulate or control the air mass flows of supply air and recirculated air. Thermal energy is then introduced into the drying chamber in a controlled manner by means of a heating device arranged in or on the drying chamber, regardless of the intensity or volume flow of the air flow.

The method can be carried out in particular by means of a previously described device for drying laundry. In this respect, all features, effects and advantages previously described with regard to the device for drying laundry also apply equally to the drying method; and vice versa.

By introducing thermal energy into the drying chamber and thus into the laundry items in the drying chamber using the heating device, regardless of the intensity or volume flow of the drying air flow, the laundry in the drying chamber can be dried particularly efficiently. At the same time, the individual drying parameters, namely the residual moisture of the laundry, the temperature of the laundry, the temperature of the drying air and the humidity of the drying air, can be regulated or controlled relatively independently of one another and/or depending on the respective drying properties of the laundry items.

This means that the laundry can be dried not only particularly energy-efficiently, but also particularly quickly, or relatively precisely to a specified level within a specified time interval.

According to a further embodiment of the method, the residual moisture of laundry items in the drying chamber is determined or measured. Thermal energy is then introduced into the drying chambers depending on the residual moisture determined. Thermal energy is introduced into the drying chambers depending on the residual moisture of the laundry items. In this way, it is possible to avoid the laundry in the drying chamber being overdried.

According to a further embodiment, a temperature of laundry items in the drying chamber is determined or measured. The introduction of thermal energy into the drying chamber, or into the laundry items in the drying chamber, is then regulated or controlled depending on the determined laundry temperature. The thermal energy introduction can thus be particularly efficient and rapid, as well as tailored to the laundry items in the drying chamber.

It is advantageous that both the residual moisture of the laundry in the drying chamber and its temperature are used to regulate or control the input of thermal energy into the drying chamber.

According to a further embodiment, a temperature and/or humidity of the drying air in the drying chamber is determined or measured. The volume flow of the air flow through the drying chamber is then regulated or controlled depending on the temperature and/or humidity of the drying air. This allows the drying process to be operated particularly efficiently, quickly and in an energy-saving manner. The regulation or control of the air flow in or through the drying chamber can include not only the air mass flow and/or the intensity of the flow, but also the ratio of circulating air to supply air in the drying chamber. For example, the ratio of circulating air to supply air in the drying chamber can be actively regulated or controlled depending on the temperature and/or humidity of the drying air in the drying chamber.

According to a further embodiment of the method, saturated steam and/or an aerosol is injected into the drying chamber by means of an injection device depending on the determined or measured residual moisture of laundry items in the drying chamber. The injection of steam and/or the aerosol can also take place depending on the temperature or humidity of the drying air in the chamber. By injecting steam or an aerosol, the laundry can be prevented from drying out too much. The laundry in the drying chamber or being transported through the drying chamber can also be smoothed out.

According to a further aspect, the present invention further relates to a computer program product which comprises computer-readable instructions which, when implemented in a previously described control of a device for drying laundry, cause this control to carry out the previously described method. In this respect, all of the features, effects and advantages previously described with regard to the device and/or the method also apply to the computer program; and vice versa.

The control can be coupled in terms of signaling or process technology to one or more sensors that are arranged in or on the drying chamber and are designed to determine the residual moisture of the laundry, the temperature of the laundry, the moisture of the drying air in the chamber and/or the temperature of the drying air in the chamber. Furthermore, the control can be coupled in terms of control technology to the fan and to the heating device arranged in or on the drying chamber. The control can in particular control or regulate the fan and the heating device.

Furthermore, the control of the device for drying laundry can be coupled to the energy storage device in order to specifically control and/or regulate the process of storing thermal energy in the energy storage device as well as the release of thermal energy from the energy storage device to the supplied supply air and/or to the heating device.

The control system can be designed in particular to control several drying processes that take place in several drying chambers simultaneously or at least with temporal overlap.

The control system can be designed to control a drying system which comprises several drying chambers or several dryers of the same or different design, such as one or more drum dryers, Conti dryers or finishers.

Fig. 1

ein Blockschaltbild einer Ausgestaltung einer Trocknungsvorrichtung,

Fig. 2

ein weiteres Blockschaltbild einer Trocknungsvorrichtung, welche mehrere Trocknungskammern umfasst,

Fig. 3

ein detailliertes Blockschaltbild einer möglichen Implementierung der Energiespeichereinrichtung,

Fig. 4

ein Diagramm, welches den Zusammenhang zwischen Energieeintrag und Restfeuchte der in der Trocknungskammer befindlichen Wäsche darstellt,

Fig. 5

ein Diagramm, welches einen Zusammenhang zwischen dem eingestellten Luftdurchsatz durch die Trocknungskammer in Abhängigkeit der Feuchte der Trocknungsluft darstellt,

Fig. 6

ein Diagramm, welches die Feuchtigkeit der Wäsche in Abhängigkeit der Wäschetemperatur darstellt,

Fig. 7

ein Diagramm, welches die Temperatur der Wäsche über die Zeit darstellt.

Fig. 8

ein weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel einer Trocknungsvorrichtung,

Fig. 9

ein weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel einer Trocknungsvorrichtung,

Fig. 10

eine etwas detailliertere Darstellung eines Ausschnitts der Trocknungsvorrichtung der Figuren 8 und 9,

Fig. 11

eine schematische Darstellung des Transports einzelner Wäschestücke durch die Trocknungsvorrichtung gemäß Fig. 8 und

Fig. 12

ein Flussdiagramm des Verfahrens zur Durchführung eines Trocknungsvorganges.

Further objectives, features and advantageous application possibilities of the drying device and the method are explained in the following description of embodiments with reference to the figures. Here:

Fig.1

a block diagram of an embodiment of a drying device,

Fig.2

another block diagram of a drying device comprising several drying chambers,

Fig.3

a detailed block diagram of a possible implementation of the energy storage device,

Fig.4

a diagram showing the relationship between energy input and residual moisture of the laundry in the drying chamber,

Fig.5

a diagram showing a relationship between the set air flow through the drying chamber depending on the humidity of the drying air,

Fig.6

a diagram showing the moisture content of the laundry as a function of the laundry temperature,

Fig.7

a diagram showing the temperature of the laundry over time.

Fig.8

another embodiment of a drying device,

Fig.9

another embodiment of a drying device,

Fig.10

a more detailed view of a section of the drying device of the Figures 8 and 9 ,

Fig. 11

a schematic representation of the transport of individual items of laundry through the drying device according to Fig.8 and

Fig. 12

a flow chart of the procedure for carrying out a drying process.

Detailed description

In Fig.1 an embodiment of a drying device 10, and thus a drying system, is shown. The drying device 10 or drying system comprises a drying chamber 12, on which or in which a heating device 14 is arranged for introducing thermal energy into the drying chamber 12. The heating device 14 came be connected to a primary energy source 16 which supplies the heating device 14 with energy for operating the same.

The drying chamber 12 can have a rotatably mounted drum. In this respect, the drying chamber 12 can be implemented as a rotatably mounted drying chamber of a drum dryer 7. The drying chamber 12 has an air inlet 22 and an air outlet 24. The air inlet 22 and the air outlet 24 are part of an air circuit 25 which runs through the drying chamber 12 and which has an air conditioning system 28 and a fan 26 outside the drying chamber 12, which are in flow connection with the air inlet 22 and the air outlet 24. The circulating drying air can be heated to a predetermined temperature level by means of the air conditioning system 28. Furthermore, the drying air can also be dehumidified using the air conditioning system 28. In this respect, the air conditioning system 28 can also be designed to dehumidify the drying air and have a corresponding dehumidifier.

The drying device 10 further comprises a heating circuit 27. The heating circuit 27 can be thermally coupled to the heating device 14, for example via an additional energy source 18. The heating circuit 27 is shown here only in the form of a single strand. It is typically provided with two strands, namely with an inlet or flow and with an outlet or return for a circulating heat exchange medium. The heating circuit 27 can be coupled to an energy storage device 60, which has a thermal energy store 61. By means of the heating circuit 27, the energy storage device 60, in particular its thermal energy store 61, can be thermally coupled to the heating device 14. In this respect, for example, excess energy from the heating device 14 can be given off to the energy storage device 60 or, conversely, thermal energy can be transferred from the energy storage device 60 to the heating circuit 27 and thus also to the heating device 14.

If the temperature level of the thermal energy storage device 61 is below the thermal level of the heating device 14, the temperature level in the direction of the heating device 14 can be increased as required by means of an additional energy source 18, which can be designed, for example, as a heat pump, as a solar thermal energy source, as a fuel cell or as a burner for fossil or synthetic fuels.

The additional energy source 18 can, for example, be used as a so-called high-temperature heat pump be implemented which is designed to provide thermal energy at temperatures in the range of up to 110° C, up to 120° C, up to 140° C or beyond, up to 150° C or even up to 160° C on a useful side, ie on a side facing the heating device 14 or thermally coupled to the heating device 14.

The drying chamber 12 is, as in the embodiment of the Fig.1 shown schematically, provided with a plurality of sensors 51, 52, 53, 54, which can be arranged inside the drying chamber 12 or outside the drying chamber 12, or in or on the wall of the drying chamber 12. The sensors 51, 52, 53, 54 can be designed, for example, to determine a residual moisture content of the laundry items 5 located in the drying chamber 12. The sensors 51, 52, 53, 54 can also be designed to measure the temperature of laundry located in the drying chamber 12. Furthermore, the sensors 51, 52, 53, 54 can be designed to measure the temperature of the drying air in the chamber 12 and/or to measure the moisture content of the drying air in the chamber. The individual sensors 51, 52, 53, 54 can be coupled for data purposes to an electronic controller 50. This can be provided with or coupled to an input unit 55, which enables a user to manually specify or set certain drying parameters.

For example, the sensor 51 can be implemented as a laundry moisture sensor. The sensor 52 can be implemented as a laundry temperature sensor. The sensor 53 can be implemented as an air temperature sensor and the sensor 54 can be implemented as an air humidity sensor. The parameters mentioned, residual moisture of the laundry, temperature of the laundry, air temperature and air humidity, can also be derived, if necessary, by combination or by model calculation of signals from individual sensors 51, 52, 53, 54. For example, the residual moisture of the laundry can also be measured by measuring the laundry temperature taking into account the humidity and/or temperature of the drying air or can be determined or estimated by a model calculation, assuming prior calibration.

For drying the laundry in the drying chamber 12, it is particularly intended to regulate the input of thermal energy by means of the heating device 14 independently of the air flow flowing through the drying chamber 12. In particular, it is intended to regulate the input of thermal energy, which can take place directly via the heating device 14 into the laundry or into the drying chamber 12, depending on the To regulate or control the residual moisture of the laundry in chamber 12.

Furthermore, the current laundry temperature can be taken into account for the input of thermal heating energy into the drying chamber 12.

A regulation of the air circulation within the drying chamber, in particular a recirculated air or fresh air regulation as well as the intensity and/or the volume flow of the drying air flowing through the drying chamber 12 or circulating therein can typically be regulated depending on the air temperature and/or depending on the determined air humidity. An air exchange of drying air within the drying chamber with fresh air that can be supplied via an external air supply 34 can also be optimized from the point of view of energy saving. A recirculated air/fresh air control can thus be regulated in particular depending on the air humidity determined in the drying chamber 12 in order to reduce the energetically unfavorable air exchange with the ambient air to the level that is most efficient for the removal of moisture from the drying chamber 12.

The drying chamber 12 can optionally be provided with an injection device 20, by means of which saturated steam and/or an aerosol can be sprayed into the drying chamber 12. If, for example, overdrying occurs in the area of the drying chamber 12 or the laundry in the drying chamber 12 is already too dry for drying before or at the start of the actual drying process, the laundry items 5 can be moistened by injecting saturated steam and/or an aerosol for crease-free drying of the laundry.

The energy storage device 60 is provided with a thermal energy store 61, which in the embodiment shown here has three separate and discrete thermal storage modules 62, 63, 64. The energy storage device 60 also has a warm side 65 with a distributor 70 and a collector 71. The energy storage device 60 is also provided with a cold side 66, which in turn has a cold-side distributor 72 and a cold-side collector 73. Ambient air can be sucked in via the cold-side distributor 72 via an air supply 34 and preheated by means of the thermal energy store 61 and released via the warm-side collector 71, for example, to the air circuit 25.

To the same extent, excess thermal energy from the air circuit 25 can be transferred to the thermal energy storage device via the warm-side distributor 70 and, in the cooled state, can be transferred to the environment via the cold-side collector 73 and the air discharge 36 which is in flow connection therewith.

As further stated in Fig.1 As shown, the heating circuit 27 can be directly coupled to the thermal energy storage device 61. However, it can also be thermally coupled, for example, to the warm-side collector 70.

The air circuit 25 also has an air distributor 30, which in the embodiment shown here has two control valves or controllable valves 31, 32. The air circuit 25 can be fluidically coupled to the warm-side distributor 70 via the valve 32. This means that by appropriately positioning or regulating the valve 32, drying air circulating in the air circuit 25 can be directed via the energy storage device 60 in the direction of the air discharge 36. Likewise, fresh air drawn in via the air supply 34 and flowing through the energy storage device 60 can be enriched with thermal energy, i.e. heated up or warmed, and coupled into the air circuit 25 via the valve 31, which can be connected in series with the valve 32.

The fresh air supplied via the air supply 34 can in particular have a low degree of humidity and can therefore be particularly well suited to absorbing moisture from the laundry located in the drying chamber 12.

In contrast, the drying air that can be discharged from the air circuit 25 via the warm-side distributor 70 and the valve 32 typically has a higher level of moisture. By coupling out part of the drying air via the energy storage device 60 and the air discharge 36, a large part or at least a considerable part of the moisture removed from the laundry items 5 can be discharged directly into the environment. Because the drying air that can be coupled out of the air circuit 25 flows through the energy storage device 60, a large part of its thermal energy can be recuperated or stored by means of the energy storage device and used efficiently for heating externally supplied fresh air and/or for operating the heating device 14.

In the Fig.1 The energy storage device 60 shown schematically is particularly suitable for thermal coupling with several drying chambers 12, 12', 12", as shown for example in the block diagram of the Fig.2 There, several, for example, approximately identical drying chambers 12, 12', 12" are shown, each of which is provided with its own air circuit 25. Each of the drying chambers 12 is provided with its own heating device 14, 14', 14", which typically has its own heating circuit 27, 27', 27" similar to the somewhat more detailed illustration of the Fig.1 can be thermally coupled separately and separately to the energy device 60.

Each of the drying chambers 12, 12', 12" can also be provided with its own injection device 20, 20', 20", by means of which saturated steam and/or an aerosol can be injected into the drying chamber 14 if required.

Each of the individual air circuits 25, 25', 25" can be fluidically coupled individually and separately to the warm-side distributor 70 as well as to the warm-side collector 71 of the energy storage device 60.

Completely independent drying programs can run in the individual drying chambers 12, 12', 12". At different times, an exchange of air with the environment may be required and, to this extent, heated drying air may flow out in the direction of the energy storage device 60. Fresh air requirements for the respective drying chambers 12, 12', 12" may also exist at completely different and independent times or periods. These different requirements with regard to fresh air supply and drying air removal can be met particularly efficiently with the present energy storage device 60.

In this way, a fluidic coupling of individual drying chambers 12, 12', 12" with the different storage modules 62, 63, 64 can be carried out as required, so that at any time during operation of the individual drying devices or drying chambers 12, 12', 12", energy can be optionally supplied or removed, wherein the thermal energy that can be removed from the individual drying chambers 12, 12', 12" can be stored in at least one of the thermal energy storage modules 62, 63, 64 and thermal energy can be extracted from at least one of the thermal energy storage modules 62, 63, 64 at the same time or in a temporally overlapping manner.

For example, at a given time T1 or during a first Time interval the drying chamber 12 releases excess energy via the warm-side collector 70, for example to the storage module 62, while at the same time or overlapping in time the drying process in the further drying chamber 12' extracts thermal energy from the thermal storage module 63 via the warm-side collector 71.

The individual storage modules 62, 63, 64 can be operated at different temperature levels so that a suitable thermal energy level can be provided for a wide variety of energy requirements.

The provision of a number of discrete storage modules 62, 63, 64 that are thermally decoupled from one another and can be coupled optionally to each of the drying chambers 12, 12', 12" both for the purpose of energy storage and for the purpose of energy release, for example to supplied drying air, enables a particularly energy-efficient and rapid drying operation of the drying system 10'.

In Fig.3 a somewhat more detailed block diagram of a possible implementation of the energy storage device 60 is shown. The thermal energy storage device 61 comprises the previously mentioned storage modules 62, 63, 64. The storage modules 62, 63, 64 are connected in parallel to one another. The first storage module 62 is, for example, fluidically coupled on the input side to the warm-side distributor 70. It is coupled on the output side to the cold-side collector 73. The coupling between the warm-side distributor 70 and the cold-side collector 73 takes place via a first flow path 80, the flow cross-section of which can be regulated or controlled by means of a valve 74.

In the opposite direction, the cold side of the first storage module 62 is fluidically coupled to the cold-side distributor 72 via a valve 75. On the outlet side, the first storage module 62 is fluidically coupled to the warm-side collector 71. A fluidic coupling between the cold-side distributor 72 and the warm-side collector 71 takes place via a second flow path 81. In the same way, the second storage module 63 is integrated between the warm-side distributor 70 and the cold-side collector 73 via a third flow path 82. The second module 63 is fluidically connected to the cold-side distributor 72 and the warm-side collector 77 via a fourth flow path 83.

The corresponding valves 74, 75 are provided on the inlet side on the hot side 65 and the cold side 66. The third storage module 64 is connected in an analogous or corresponding manner parallel to the first two storage modules 62, 63 between the hot-side distributor 70 and the cold-side collector 73 and between the cold-side distributor 72 and the hot-side collector 71.

The warm-side distributor 70 typically has a fluid-tight and/or gas-carrying line 76, which is fluidically connected to the cold-side collector 73 and a line 79 provided there via the flow paths 81, 83 and via the respective storage modules 62, 63.

The cold-side distributor 78, via which externally supplied fresh air can be supplied to the drying chambers 12, 12', 12", can be brought into flow connection with the warm-side collector 71 via the controllable second and fourth flow paths 81, 83. The cold-side distributor 78 has a corresponding fluid and/or gas-carrying line 78. The warm-side collector 71 has a corresponding fluid and/or gas-carrying line 77.

The heating device 14 is typically implemented as a radiant heater, for example in the form of a high-temperature radiant heater or a low-temperature radiant heater. The radiant heater of the heating device 14 enables a direct input of energy into the laundry in the drying chamber 12. By using a radiant heater, in particular in a drum dryer 7, the supply of thermal energy to the laundry to be dried can be regulated independently of the air flow in or through the drying chamber 12.

In this respect, the energy input E into the drying chamber 12 or into the laundry items 5 stored in the drying chamber 12 can be dependent on the moisture content FT of the textiles or the laundry, as shown schematically in Fig.4 is shown. With comparatively damp textiles, a comparatively high energy input occurs. By reducing the residual moisture of the textiles or laundry items 5 in the drying chamber 12, the thermal energy input can be successively reduced.

Furthermore, according to the diagram of the Fig.5 the air flow L through the Drying chamber 12, in particular the ratio of circulating air to fresh air can be regulated depending on the humidity of the drying air FT. The drier the drying air, the less air throughput can be achieved. If the drying air is comparatively dry, the drying process can take place with a comparatively low air throughput, ie with a comparatively low amount of external fresh air supply. If the drying air is comparatively moist, a comparatively high air throughput or air exchange in the drying chamber 12 must be provided to remove the moisture absorbed in the drying air.

In Fig.6 Finally, a functional relationship is shown between the moisture content of the laundry F and the temperature TT of the laundry. A high level of moisture content in the laundry is often accompanied by a comparatively low temperature of the laundry, since the thermal energy supplied via the heating device primarily serves to evaporate or vaporize the moisture absorbed in the laundry. During a drying process and as the moisture content of the textiles or laundry items decreases, the temperature of the laundry items typically increases gradually.

If the relationship between humidity and temperature is known for a certain type of textile or type of laundry, a conclusion about the humidity can also be drawn from a temperature measurement of the textiles, so that instead of a separate humidity sensor for the laundry items in the drying chamber 12, a temperature measurement of the laundry, for example using an infrared sensor, can be sufficient. The residual moisture of the laundry can then be determined using such a functional relationship between residual moisture and laundry temperature. Similarly, several such diagrams can be created for different air humidity or drying air temperatures and used to determine the residual moisture of the laundry or to determine other of the parameters mentioned for controlling the drying process. In Fig.7 Finally, a typical temperature TT of the laundry is shown over time t in such a drying chamber. From a point in time t0, the temperature curve approaches a maximum temperature T1 of the laundry. After or from the point in time t0, it can be said that the laundry is starting to overdry. By continuously measuring the temperature of the laundry in the drying chamber 12 during the drying process and by creating a gradient of the temperature over time, conclusions can be drawn early on about when the limit temperature T1 is reached, so that in good time, i.e. before the limit temperature T1 is reached and thus predictively, a coupling of thermal energy into the drying chamber 12 can be throttled or interrupted and/or saturated steam and/or an aerosol can be injected into the drying chamber 12, for example by means of the injection device 20, in order to avoid overdrying of the laundry.

In Fig.8 another embodiment of a device for drying laundry 100 is shown. This has several drying chambers 102, 104, 106, 108, 110. The drying chambers 104, 106, 108 form an upper floor 105 of a two-story drying device 100. An arrangement of all drying chambers 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 or drying modules formed by them in one level is also possible. In the basement 101, an elongated drying chamber 102 is provided, which extends along a conveying direction 150 of a conveying device 180, by means of which individual items of laundry 5, for example hung on hangers 6, can be conveyed continuously or step by step through the elongated drying chamber 102, as is the case in Fig. 11 is indicated.

The drying chamber 102 can be designed in the manner of a finisher or a tunnel finisher. The drying chamber 102 has a laundry feed 103, via which individual items of laundry 5, for example hanging on hangers 6, can be conveyed longitudinally through the drying chamber 102 by means of the conveyor device 180. In the vicinity of the laundry feed 103, an air outlet 24 is provided for the drying air, which flows in the opposite direction, i.e. against the conveying direction of the conveyor device 180, as an air stream 144 through the drying chamber 102.

At least one heating device 114 is provided along the conveyor device 180 in the drying chamber 102, which can equally be implemented as a radiant heater. This can be one or more high-temperature radiators or also low-temperature radiators.

At an end in the conveying direction 150 and at an exit, the drying chamber 102, together with a conveying section 181 of the conveying device 180, opens into a further drying chamber 110, which extends vertically from the lower floor 101 to the upper floor 105. The drying chamber 110 can have a textile lift 111 and thus form a vertically upwardly extending conveying section 182 in which the individual items of laundry, such as in Fig. 11 presented in more detail, for example can be transported vertically to the upper floor 105. Once on the upper floor 105, the items of clothing 5 are transported along a further conveyor section 183, which extends opposite to the conveyor section 181 on the lower floor 101 of the conveyor device 180. On the upper floor 105, the individual items of clothing 5 are transported in a direction which is opposite to the direction of transport on the lower floor 101. On the upper floor, several drying chambers 104, 106, 108 are provided, which are separated from one another by means of individual partition walls 130, 131, 132. An air passage 137, 138, 139, which can be regulated in cross-section, extends through each of the individual partition walls 130, 131, 132. If necessary, a fan or a type of blower can be provided in the area of the air outlets 137, 138, 139, so that an air flow, for example from the upstream drying chamber 104 into a downstream flow channel 106, 108, can be regulated and controlled as required.

As in particular in Fig.8 As shown, the drying process in a drying chamber 104 of the upper floor 105, which is the last drying chamber in terms of process technology, is predominantly subject to a circulating air flow 145. A certain portion of the circulating air flow can be transferred as an air flow 140 into the drying chamber 106, which is upstream in terms of process technology. The individual drying chambers 104, 106, 108 can each be provided with a separate heating device 115, 116. The heating devices 115, 116 can equally be implemented as radiant heating. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the heating device 115 is located exclusively in the drying chamber 106. The heating device 116, however, extends over all the drying chambers 104, 106, 108. Air circulation within the drying chamber 106 can also take place predominantly in the circulating air mode.

Only a small part of the air can flow in a regulated manner as air flow 141 through the air passage 138 into the further drying chamber 108. Several items of laundry 5 can be dried in the drying chambers 104, 106, 108. The items of laundry are transferred batch by batch from the drying chamber 108 via the drying chamber 106 into the drying chamber 104. In each of the drying chambers 108, 106, 104, drying processes that can be regulated or controlled completely independently of one another can take place. The regulation or control of the individual drying processes can be carried out by the circulating air control, the air exchange between the individual chambers 104, 106, 108 and by individual control of the respective heating devices 115, 116.

In the drying chamber 110, the laundry items are transported vertically along the Fig.8 shown conveying direction 151. In the basement, laundry is first transported along the horizontal conveying direction 150. On the upper floor, the laundry items 5 are transported in an opposite conveying direction 152. At the end of the drying chamber 104, the laundry items that have been completely dried and possibly cooled to a predetermined temperature level can be removed. Immediately below this is the laundry feed 103 for the drying chamber 102 of the basement 101. The drying chamber 102 of the basement 101 can be implemented in particular in the manner of a tunnel finisher 8. The drying chambers 108, 106, 104, on the other hand, can be implemented in the manner of individual drying chambers of a Conti dryer 9.

In the drying chamber 104, which is located downstream or at the rear in relation to the conveying direction of the laundry items 5, externally supplied and/or previously prepared drying air is supplied via an air inlet 22. This can initially remain in the drying chamber 104, and a certain proportion can be transferred as air flow 140 via the typically adjustable air passage 137 to the further drying chamber 106. There, the drying air can finally be transferred as air flow 141 via the adjustable air passage 138 into the further drying chamber 108. Starting from the drying chamber 108, the drying air can be transferred as air flow 142 through the further air passage 139 into the vertically aligned drying chamber 110. The drying chamber 110 can have a so-called textile or laundry elevator 111, by means of which individual items of laundry 5 can be transported either individually or in bundles as laundry batches from the lower floor 101 to the upper floor 105. In the area of the textile elevator 111, or in the area of the drying chamber 110, an air flow 143 flowing vertically from top to bottom is provided, which then flows against the conveying direction 150 through the drying chamber 102.

In the individual drying chambers 104, 106, 108, 110, 102, one or more of the above-mentioned sensors 51, 52, 53, 54 can be arranged in order to determine at least one or more of the parameters residual moisture of the laundry items, temperature of the laundry items, air temperature or air humidity and to make these parameters available to an electronic control 50. The individual drying processes in the drying chambers 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 can be carried out in the manner already described. In particular, the introduction of thermal energy into the drying chamber 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 can be independent or decoupled from the the air flow prevailing in the respective chambers.

The drying device 100 has an air circuit 25, which runs from the air inlet 22 through all drying chambers 104, 106, 108, 110, 102 and extends into the air outlet 24. The air outlet 24 is provided with a Fig.8 schematically illustrated heat exchanger 173, which can be coupled to a thermal energy storage device 161 of an energy storage device 160. The thermal energy storage device 161 can be coupled to an air supply 134 for fresh air to be supplied via a further heat exchanger 172. The air circuit 25 can have an air conditioning system 124 and a fan 126 downstream of the heat exchanger 172 or downstream of the air supply 134, by means of which a required air temperature, air humidity and/or flow rate as well as a volume flow specified for the drying process can be set. The Fig.8 The energy storage device 160 shown can be designed according to the Figures 1 to 3 shown energy storage device 60. It can, but does not necessarily have to, have several discrete storage modules 62, 63, 64 for storing and releasing thermal energy.

In the Fig.8 The heating device 114 shown but also the other heating devices 115, 116 can be integrated into a heating circuit 27, which can have a primary energy source 16 and/or a circulation device 118, by means of which a heat exchange medium can circulate through the heating circuit 27. Such an implementation is intended in particular for low-temperature radiators as heating devices 114, 115, 116.

The circulation device 118 can be thermally and fluidically coupled to the energy storage device 160 or to its energy storage 161. Thus, the thermal energy stored in the energy storage device 160 can be used not only for fresh air supplied externally via the supply air 134, but also for heating a heating medium.

In Fig.8 Furthermore, an injection device 127 is shown, by means of which saturated steam and/or an aerosol can be sprayed or injected into the drying chamber 110. Thus, the laundry, which may already have been dried to a certain degree after passing through the drying chamber 102, can be moistened again in order to achieve a smoothing effect for the laundry items 5.

In terms of device technology, the two-story arrangement of the drying chamber 102, such as the tunnel finisher 8 in the basement 101 paired with a Conti dryer 9 on the upper floor with several discrete drying chambers 104, 106, 108, proves to be advantageous in that only a comparatively small amount of floor space needs to be provided in a laundry for the implementation of such a drying device 100. In particular, the completely dried laundry can be removed from the last drying chamber 104 of the Conti dryer 9 at one and the same location, namely in the area of the laundry feed 103 for the finisher 8, only vertically offset for this purpose. At the same time, such a drying device 100 can be thermally coupled via the energy storage device 160 with further drying devices, such as a number of drum dryers 7, in order to use thermal energy generated in the laundry area from one or more drying processes for the same or for other drying devices effectively and simultaneously or at different times.

In the area of the finisher 8, i.e. in the area of the drying chamber 102, the laundry items 5 arranged hanging on a hanger 6 are aligned longitudinally with one another. This means that the individual laundry hangers 6 extend in terms of their longitudinal direction one behind the other and parallel to the longitudinal extension of the conveyor section 181, or parallel or along the conveyor direction 150. When transferred to the textile elevator 111, or into the drying chamber 110, the hangers 6 are rotated by approximately 90° by means of a rotating device 184. As shown in particular in Fig. 11 As indicated, the laundry items can then be transported either individually or bundled in groups of several laundry items 5 upwards to the upper floor 105, where they are then fed in batches and collectively into the drying chamber 108.

There they undergo a further drying process. According to a time specification of the Conti dryer 9, all laundry items 5 in the drying chamber 108 are then transferred to the further drying chamber 106 downstream in the conveying direction 152. In the subsequent processing step, they are finally transferred to the drying chamber 104. To transfer the laundry items 5 from the drying chamber 110 to the drying chamber 108 to the drying chamber 106, 104, the individual partition walls 132, 131, 130 can be adjusted at least temporarily in such a way that they enable unhindered transport of the laundry items 5.

For example, the partition walls 130, 131, according to the schematic representation according to Fig.10 from a closed position into an open position shown there for the partition wall 131. The partition walls 130, 131 can be provided with corresponding actuators for this purpose and can be pivoted or displaced relative to the chamber walls. Suitable seals 128, 129 can be provided between the partition walls 130, 131, 132 and the walls of the chambers 104, 106, 108, which can be implemented as inflatable seals, for example, so that for example for opening and/or temporarily moving a partition wall 131, seals 128, 129 can be released and when the partition wall 131 is returned to a closed position, those seals can be reactivated.

Corresponding seals can also be provided in the area of the air outlets 137, 138, 139 in order to enable, for example, complete recirculation operation decoupled from the environment within one of the chambers 104, 106, 108 if required.

The further drying device 200 according to Fig.9 is conceptually similar to the upper floor 105 of the drying device according to Fig.8 This drying device 200 is implemented as a so-called Conti dryer 9, which has several drying chambers 104, 106, 108, which can be hermetically separated from one another using movable or adjustable partition walls 130, 131, 132, 133. The individual drying chambers 104, 106, 108 can be provided with a common or separate heating device 115, 116 or can be thermally coupled, by means of which thermal energy can ultimately be coupled into the individual drying chambers 104, 106, 108.

Contrary to the conveying direction 150 of the laundry items 5, which is conveyed by means of the only schematically indicated conveying device 180 in the illustration according to Fig.9 from left to right through the individual chambers 104, 106, 108, 110, a drying air flow flows in the opposite direction from the chamber 110 into the chamber 108 and further into the chambers 106 and 104. In this respect, only the chamber 110 is provided with an air inlet 22 and the chamber 104 with a corresponding air outlet 24. The Conti dryer 9 according to Fig.9 has an air circuit 25, which can be coupled outside the chambers 104, 106, 100, 110 to an energy storage device 160, as previously described.

The individual chambers 104, 106, 108 can be thermally coupled to one or more common heating devices 115, 116. The drying chamber 110 located at the rear or last in the conveying direction can be equipped without a heating device 115, 116. In the area of that drying chamber 110, for example, the items of laundry 5 can be cooled down before they can be removed from the last chamber by opening a corresponding partition wall 133.

As already mentioned above for the example of Fig.8 As described, decoupled drying processes can take place in the individual drying chambers 104, 106, 108. Regulation of the energy input into the chambers 104, 106, 108 110 can be achieved independently of the air flow flowing in the respective chambers. In addition, the drying device 200 can be coupled with further drying devices 100, 10 with one and the same energy storage device 60, 160, so that a universal exchange of thermal energy can take place between the most diverse drying devices 10, 100, 200.

Also with the drying device 200 according to Fig.9 By means of a circulation device 118, a heat exchange between a circulating heat exchanger or heat transfer medium between the energy storage device 160 and the heating devices 115, 116 can take place. Although in Fig.9 Not explicitly shown, the heating device 115 opposite or adjacent to the heating device 116 can also be fluidically coupled to the circulation device 118, so that the heating device 115 can also be energetically coupled to the energy storage device 160.

It goes without saying that suitable sensors 51, 52, 53, 54 are arranged in or on the individual chambers 104, 106, 108, 110 to determine the parameters necessary for the drying process and that these are arranged similarly to the embodiment of the Fig.1 shown and described are data-technically coupled to a controller 50.

In the flow chart of the Fig. 12 the drying processes that can be carried out with the energy storage device 60, 160 and with the various drying devices 10, 100, 200 are shown as examples. In a first step 200, for example, a first drying chamber 12 can be loaded with laundry. In the following step 202, a drying process can be carried out in the said drying chamber 12 using primary energy take place. In the following step 204, the drying process can be ended. During steps 202, 204, excess thermal energy can be delivered to an energy storage device 60. The energy stored at one time by means of the energy storage device 60 can be delivered again to the same drying chamber 12 at another time.

However, it is also conceivable that a further drying process can be carried out in a further drying chamber 12' at the same time or overlapping the drying process in the first drying chamber 12. This is characterized by the method steps 300 to 304. In a first method step 300, the second drying chamber 12' can also be provided with or loaded with laundry items. In a subsequent step 302, a further drying process can be carried out using the second drying chamber 12' independently of the drying process 202.

The further drying process 302 can take place at least in a temporally overlapping manner, but possibly also at a different time and later than the drying process 202. In this respect and by means of the energy storage device 60, excess energy from the drying process 202 can be transferred to the drying process 302 before this drying process is also terminated in step 304.

This scheme can be expanded to include any drying process and any process parameters. The present invention enables individual drying of a wide variety of laundry items using a variety of different drying devices while saving energy by linking the individual drying devices to a common energy storage device. The individual drying processes can be carried out separately and independently of one another depending on a wide variety of drying parameters.

List of reference symbols

4

Drying air

5

Laundry item

6

Clothes hanger

7

Drum dryer

8th

Finishers

9

Conti dryer

10

Drying plant

12

Drying chamber

14

Heating device

16

Energy source

18

Additional energy source

20

Injection device

22

Air intake

24

Air outlet

25

Cycle

26

fan

27

Heating circuit

28

Air conditioning

30

Air distribution

31

Valve

32

Valve

34

Air supply

36

Air extraction

50

steering

51

sensor

52

sensor

53

sensor

54

sensor

55

Input unit

60

Energy storage device

61

thermal energy storage

62

Memory module

63

Memory module

64

Memory module

65

Warm side

66

Cold side

70

Distributor

71

Collector

72

Distributor

73

Collector

74

Valve

75

Valve

76

Line

77

Line

78

Line

79

Line

80

Flow path

81

Flow path

82

Flow path

83

Flow path

100

Drying plant

101

Basement

102

Drying chamber

103

Laundry supply

104

Drying chamber

105

Upper floor

106

Drying chamber

108

Drying chamber

110

Drying chamber

111

Textile lift

114

Heating device

115

Heating device

116

Heating device

118

Circulation device

124

Air conditioning

126

fan

127

Injection device

128

poetry

129

poetry

130

partition wall

131

partition wall

132

partition wall

133

partition wall

134

Air supply

136

Air extraction

137

Air passage

138

Air passage

139

Air passage

140

Airflow

141

Airflow

142

Airflow

143

Airflow

144

Airflow

145

circulating air

150

Conveying direction

151

Conveying direction

152

Conveying direction

160

Energy storage device

161

Energy storage

172

Heat exchanger

173

Heat exchanger

180

Conveyor system

181

Conveyor section

182

Conveyor section

183

Conveyor section

184

Rotating device

Claims (15)

Apparatus for drying laundry, comprising: - a drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) for receiving laundry items (5), - a heating device (14) arranged on or in the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) for introducing thermal energy into the drying chamber, - an air inlet (22) opening into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) and an air outlet (24) leading out of the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108), wherein the air inlet (22) and/or the air outlet (24) is coupled to a fan (26; 126) for generating an air flow through the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108), and - a controller (50) which is coupled to the heating device (14) and to the fan (26; 126) and which is designed to regulate the input of thermal energy into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) independently of the air flow flowing through the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108). Device according to claim 1, wherein the control (50) for determining a residual moisture of laundry items (5) located in the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) is signal-coupled to at least one sensor (51, 52, 53, 54) arranged in or on the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) and is designed to regulate the introduction of thermal energy into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) depending on the determined residual moisture. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control (50) for determining a temperature of laundry items (5) located in the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) is signal-coupled to at least one sensor (51, 52, 53, 54) arranged in or on the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) and is designed to regulate the introduction of thermal energy into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) depending on the determined laundry temperature. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control (50) for determining a temperature and/or humidity of drying air (5) located in the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) is provided with at least one Drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) is signal-coupled to a sensor (51, 52, 53, 54). Device according to claim 4, wherein the controller (50) is designed to regulate the input of thermal energy into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) depending on the determined air temperature and/or depending on the determined air humidity. Device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the controller (50) is designed to regulate a strength of the air flow flowing through the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) as a function of the determined air temperature and/or as a function of the determined air humidity. Device according to one of the preceding claims, which further comprises an energy storage device (60) which can be thermally coupled to the air outlet (24) and has at least one thermal energy store (61) which is designed to recover, absorb and store thermal energy from exhaust air flowing through the air outlet (24). Device according to claim 7, wherein the energy storage device (60) can be thermally coupled to the air inlet (22) opening into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) and is designed to transfer thermal energy stored in the thermal energy storage device (61) to supply air flowing into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) via the air inlet (22). Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating device (14) comprises a radiant heater or is designed as a radiant heater. Device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising an injection device (20; 127) which is fluidically coupled to the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108), by means of which saturated steam and/or an aerosol can be injected into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108). Method for drying laundry by means of a drying device (10; 100; 200) which has at least one drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) for receiving laundry items (5), characterized by the steps: - placing laundry items (5) in the drying chamber (12) or passing laundry items (5) through the drying chambers (102, 104, 106, 108), - generating an air flow into or through the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) by means of a fan (26; 126), - controlled introduction of thermal energy into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) by means of a heating device (14) arranged in or on the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108), independently of an intensity or volume flow of the air flow. Method according to claim 11, wherein a residual moisture of laundry items (5) located in the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) is determined or measured and wherein the input of thermal energy into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) is regulated depending on the determined residual moisture. Method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein a temperature and/or humidity of drying air (4) located in the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) is determined or measured and wherein a strength of the air flow flowing through the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) is regulated depending on the temperature and/or humidity of the drying air (4). Method according to one of the preceding claims 11 to 13, wherein, depending on a determined or measured residual moisture of laundry items (5) located in the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108), saturated steam and/or an aerosol is injected into the drying chamber (12; 102, 104, 106, 108) by means of an injection device (20; 127). Computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed in a controller (50) of a device according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, cause the device to carry out the method according to one of the preceding claims 11 to 14.

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