JPH03264091A - Petroleum solvent recovery type dry cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance liquid extracting rate and the solvent recovery rate by carrying out an extracting step and a condensing and recovering step in parallel with each other, and by blowing air having a temperature lower than the spontaneous ignition temperature from the time of the extracting step. CONSTITUTION:When an extracting step is started after completion of washing, a drum 2 is rotated at a high speed (about 6000 r.p.m.) by a drive motor, and simultaneously, a blower 4 in a circulatory ventilating passage 3 is operated while a cooling water control valve 10 in a condenser 5 is opened. When extraction from the laundry is started under the high rotational speed, a large quantity of mist-like solvent is produced in a washing and drying chamber 1. Extracted solvent is discharged through a drain valve 12, and the mist-like solvent is sucked by the blower 4 and is led from the washing and drying chamber 1 into the condenser 5 for liquefaction and recovery. Thereafter, circulating air is blown into the washing and drying chamber 1. Since the petroleum solvent is flammable so that it can concentrate to a density having a risk of explosion due to the generation of the mist, the recovery control of the mist-like solvent is made.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION B) Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a solvent recovery type dry cleaner using petroleum solvent.

(b) Conventional technology Traditionally, clothes are washed using petroleum-based flammable solvents.

For example, a dry cleaner for drying is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-993.
It is well known from Japanese Patent Application No. 00 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-96697.

This publication states that most of the solvent contained in the laundry should be removed by centrifugation during the dehydration process, that the direction of rotation of the laundry should be considered in order to improve drying efficiency, and that the solvent should be vaporized. It has been shown that drying operations can be carried out safely in relation to concentration. However, when using petroleum-based solvents whose evaporation rate is much slower than chlorinated solvents, it is possible to improve the effectiveness of the IIJL liquid, shorten the dewatering time, improve the solvent recovery rate, and improve drying efficiency at low cost. There is no disclosure of any improvements or improvements that can be made to significantly shorten the cleaning process time overall.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention Comparing the evaporation rates of chlorinated and petroleum-based solvents, petroleum-based solvents are 1,740 to 60 times slower than chlorinated solvents, so Dryknona, which uses petroleum-based solvents, It is necessary to shorten the cleaning process time by increasing the liquid removal rate in the liquid removal process and shortening the drying time in the drying process. Furthermore, the goal is to recover the solvent at a high rate to make it an economical petroleum-based cleaning device, and to control its operation safely due to its flammability.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems In the present invention, a drum is rotated at high speed during the deliquification process, and a process of condensing and recovering the solvent using circulating air is performed in parallel. Furthermore, after the circulating air is heated to a predetermined temperature by a heating device and the deliquing process is started, the temperature of the circulating air is controlled by a temperature control section to blow hot air below the ignition point to the drum to perform deliquing and recovery.

(E) Function In the petroleum solvent recovery type dry cleaner according to the present invention, the drum starts rotating at high speed when the liquid removal process begins. At the same time, a mist-like solvent is generated, and this mist-like solvent is sent to a condenser by an air blower and liquefied.

As a result, the mist solvent does not become supersaturated in the washing and drying rooms as well as in the circulation ventilation path. Furthermore, since the drying device does not become wet, a large amount of solvent vapor is not generated even when heating is started, and supersaturation does not occur. After removing liquid for a predetermined period of time, heating control is performed and circulating low-temperature air is blown to the drum to obtain a high liquid rate and condensation recovery is also performed in parallel. Next, the drying process is started, but since the heating device has already been activated during the dewatering process, warm air is sent at the same time as the drying process starts, reducing the drying start-up time and the drying time.

(f) Examples The present invention will now be described in detail based on examples shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a dry cleaner showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a washing and drying chamber, inside which a drum 2 is rotatably supported by a drive motor (not shown). . Reference numeral 3 denotes a circulating air passage in which a blower @4; a condenser 5, a heating device 6, and a concentration control section 8 are arranged in this order. A lint filter 7 is provided on the inlet side of the circulating air passage 3, and the lint generated in the drum 2 is removed at the entrance of the circulating air passage 3. In the purified circulating air, the solvent is liquefied and recovered in the condenser 5. The recovered solvent is configured to flow out to an outlet 9 or a storage tank 4 (not shown).

Reference numeral 10 designates a cooling water control valve for the condenser 5, which opens when the dehydration process starts and closes when the drying process ends. 11 is a steam exhaust valve of the heating device 6, and 12 is a drain valve provided at the bottom of the washing/drying chamber 1.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the liquid removal process. When the cleaning process is finished and the dehydration process starts, the drive motor (not shown)
At the same time, rotate the drum at high speed (approximately 600 rotations).
The blower 4 in the circulation ventilation path 3 is activated and the cooling water control valve 10 of the condenser 5 is opened (S-1). When the laundry starts to be dehydrated by high-speed rotation, a large amount of mist-like solvent is also generated in the washing and drying chambers. The removed solvent is drained from the drain valve 12, and the mist-like solvent is washed by the blower 4.
It is sucked from the drying chamber 1 and sent to the condenser 5 where it is liquefied and recovered.
Then, the circulating air is sent to the washing and drying room 1. This is because petroleum-based solvents are flammable solvents, and the generation of mist can potentially reach explosive concentrations, so the collection of mist-like solvents is controlled. After a predetermined period of time (3 minutes) has passed after the start of deliquification (S-2), the circulating air is controlled by the temperature control unit 8 to adjust the drum inlet temperature to 28 to 38 degrees below the flash point.
The temperature is controlled at a low temperature, and the deliquification process using hot air is carried out for a predetermined time (2 minutes) at a concentration below the safe level (approximately 1%) (S-
3). Therefore, since the amount of mist-like solvent adhering to the heating device 6 is small, the generation of solvent vapor is reduced, and the concentration of solvent gas in the circulating air is below the safe concentration (approximately 1%).

FIG. 3 is a performance graph showing the relationship between solvent temperature and removal rate of petroleum solvents.

(g) Effects of the Invention According to this invention, the deliquification process and the condensation recovery process are performed in parallel, and low-temperature air below the ignition point of the solvent is blown from the time of the deliquification process, thereby improving the liquid removal rate. This also improves solvent recovery. Approximately the same removal rate can be obtained at the same rotation speed as when using chlorinated solvents, allowing for quiet operation and no increase in structural costs. In addition, in the drying process, the solvent is recovered before the drying process, which not only improves drying efficiency, but also improves drying efficiency.
Since the heating device is preheated, there is no drying start-up time, which shortens the drying time.

Therefore, the cleaning process time is shortened, which also contributes to improving operating profits.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a dry cleaning machine showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the liquid removal process, and Fig. 3 shows the relationship between the solvent temperature of petroleum solvent and the liquid removal rate. 3 is a performance graph of an experimental example shown in FIG. l...Washing and drying room, 2...Drum, 3...Circulating ventilation path, 4...Blower, 5...Condenser, 6...Heating device, 8...Temperature control section.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) The washing, deliquid, and drying processes are performed in the same drum, and both ends of the circulation ventilation path are connected to the washing and drying chambers. During the drying process, hot air is blown from the ventilation path into the washing and drying chambers. , in which the solvent is evaporated from the laundry and the evaporated solvent is liquefied and recovered in a condenser installed in the circulation ventilation path, and the circulation ventilation path includes a blower upstream of the condenser and a blower downstream of the condenser. The heating device and temperature control unit are arranged in order on the side.
A petroleum-based solvent recovery type dry cleaner characterized in that during the liquid removal process, a drum is rotated at high speed and the solvent is liquefied and recovered by circulating air. (2) The petroleum solvent recovery type dry cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the circulating air is controlled by the temperature control section to be hot air below the ignition point after a predetermined period of time from the start of the deliquoring process.