WO2001057457A1 - Arc detection method and apparatus - Google Patents

Arc detection method and apparatus Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2001057457A1
WO2001057457A1 PCT/TR2000/000002 TR0000002W WO0157457A1 WO 2001057457 A1 WO2001057457 A1 WO 2001057457A1 TR 0000002 W TR0000002 W TR 0000002W WO 0157457 A1 WO0157457 A1 WO 0157457A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
drum
microwave
humidity
drying
isolator
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/TR2000/000002
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Cem Kural
Yavuz ERÇIL
Serdal Elmas
Original Assignee
Arçelik A.S.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Arçelik A.S. filed Critical Arçelik A.S.
Priority to AU38539/00A priority Critical patent/AU3853900A/en
Priority to PCT/TR2000/000002 priority patent/WO2001057457A1/en
Publication of WO2001057457A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001057457A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F58/00—Domestic laundry dryers
    • D06F58/20—General details of domestic laundry dryers 
    • D06F58/26—Heating arrangements, e.g. gas heating equipment
    • D06F58/266—Microwave heating equipment
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B3/00—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat
    • F26B3/32—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by development of heat within the materials or objects to be dried, e.g. by fermentation or other microbiological action
    • F26B3/34—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by development of heat within the materials or objects to be dried, e.g. by fermentation or other microbiological action by using electrical effects
    • F26B3/343—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by development of heat within the materials or objects to be dried, e.g. by fermentation or other microbiological action by using electrical effects in combination with convection
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B3/00—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat
    • F26B3/32—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by development of heat within the materials or objects to be dried, e.g. by fermentation or other microbiological action
    • F26B3/34—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by development of heat within the materials or objects to be dried, e.g. by fermentation or other microbiological action by using electrical effects
    • F26B3/347—Electromagnetic heating, e.g. induction heating or heating using microwave energy
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B6/00—Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
    • H05B6/64—Heating using microwaves
    • H05B6/66—Circuits
    • H05B6/666—Safety circuits
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B6/00—Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
    • H05B6/64—Heating using microwaves
    • H05B6/80—Apparatus for specific applications
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B2206/00—Aspects relating to heating by electric, magnetic, or electromagnetic fields covered by group H05B6/00
    • H05B2206/04—Heating using microwaves
    • H05B2206/046—Microwave drying of wood, ink, food, ceramic, sintering of ceramic, clothes, hair

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus and method of detecting arcing during microwave drying of clothes, especially microwave heating for washer/ dryer.
  • Arcing is an electrical breakdown phenomenon caused between two conductors such as metal zippers, buttons, small metal objects that clothes have and this phenomenon may be very harmful to the metallic drum where clothes are loaded and to the clothes which may melt or burn during and after arcing.
  • U.S. Patent No. 5325600 describes a UN tube detector placed in proximity to the fabrics for sensing a resonant arcing condition but it is not an easy way for sensing and mounting in a turning drum and leads to a lot of constructional problems.
  • U.S. Patent No. 5321897 provides a means for eliminating the risk of arcing by sensing the temperature of the exhaust air but it is a risky way of eliminating arcing since arcing may occur although the temperature sensed in exhaust duct is low in a microwave impermeable drum.
  • U.S. Patent No. 5606804 provides an arc detector mounted in a wall of the dryer chamber to detect arcing in a microwave permeable drum and WO 93/13635 provides a method for monitoring electric field strength within the chamber and providing an output signal in the event of a sudden decrease in the field strength due to arcing. Detecting electric field strength for arc sensing is not applicable to a microwave impermeable drum since the field strength is measured within the housing that is surrounding the microwave permeable drum.
  • EP Patent No. 0088175 provides an output for the microwave power means which is arranged to protect such power means from abnormally reflected power but it does not provide any means for arc detection.
  • the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method of detecting arcing by using an isolator and a crystal or diode detector mounted on that isolator to detect abrupt retlected power change during microwave drying of fabrics in a washer/dryer.
  • Figure 1 - is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the microwave washer - dryer of the invention.
  • Figure 2 - is a flow chart of arc detection method.
  • Ivlicrowave washer - dryer (1 ) has a housing for receiving water and resistance heater, a microwave impermeable drum (2), and a feeding means comprising any means of waveguide (3), a microwave generating device especially magnetron (7) on a waveguide (3), and an isolator (4) and a crystal or diode detector (5) mounted on the isolator (4).
  • waveguide (3) and isolator (4) are the means of directing microwave energy inside the microwave impermeable drum (2) to dry the clothes inside and at the same time the isolator (4) is used for protecting the microwave generating device from the power reflected by the load.
  • the isolator (4) is a waveguide component utilizing ferrite technology to selectively direct microwave energy to a dummy load attached to a port so protecting the device from the power rellected.
  • the method of the invention is shown in Fig. 2. As the load changes inside the impermeable drum (2) with respect to the changes in humidity during microwave heating, the reflected power changes.
  • the isolator (4), crystal or diode detector (5) and control unit (6) monitor these changes.
  • control unit (6) has an input signal which is different than the predetermined value, microwave power is decreased and the same control cycle is applied again. If arcing continues at this second stage in which power is reduced, microwave power is interrupted and drying continues with any other means of drying especially hot air. Humidity is also monitored by humidity sensors during drying, and although arcing does not occur the end of drying is decided by the humidity value.

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of detecting arcing during microwave drying of clothes, especially microwave heating for washer/dryer, comprising a waveguide (3), a magnetron (7), an isolator (4) that is mounted in the waveguide (3) used for protecting the microwave generating device from power reflected by the load, a detector (5) mounted on the said isolator (4) used to sense the reflected power and a control unit (6) used to monitor the arcing.

Description

ARC DETECTION METHOD AND APPARATUS
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of detecting arcing during microwave drying of clothes, especially microwave heating for washer/ dryer.
There have been lot of studies on drying of fabrics by using microwave energy and the major drawback to use microwave energy has been prevention of arcing around the metallic structures inside the applicator especially drum where microwave fields applied.
Arcing is an electrical breakdown phenomenon caused between two conductors such as metal zippers, buttons, small metal objects that clothes have and this phenomenon may be very harmful to the metallic drum where clothes are loaded and to the clothes which may melt or burn during and after arcing.
Heretofore, the studies for the prevention of arcing inside a microwave applicator were disclosed in several patents. U.S. Patent No. 5325600 describes a UN tube detector placed in proximity to the fabrics for sensing a resonant arcing condition but it is not an easy way for sensing and mounting in a turning drum and leads to a lot of constructional problems.
U.S. Patent No. 5321897 provides a means for eliminating the risk of arcing by sensing the temperature of the exhaust air but it is a risky way of eliminating arcing since arcing may occur although the temperature sensed in exhaust duct is low in a microwave impermeable drum. U.S. Patent No. 5606804 provides an arc detector mounted in a wall of the dryer chamber to detect arcing in a microwave permeable drum and WO 93/13635 provides a method for monitoring electric field strength within the chamber and providing an output signal in the event of a sudden decrease in the field strength due to arcing. Detecting electric field strength for arc sensing is not applicable to a microwave impermeable drum since the field strength is measured within the housing that is surrounding the microwave permeable drum.
EP Patent No. 0088175 provides an output for the microwave power means which is arranged to protect such power means from abnormally reflected power but it does not provide any means for arc detection. There are some other techniques like using photodetectors to sense the light intensity during arcing inside the applicator; but this technique is also risky since arcing may occur i a place where light cannot be seen by the detector.
The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method of detecting arcing by using an isolator and a crystal or diode detector mounted on that isolator to detect abrupt retlected power change during microwave drying of fabrics in a washer/dryer.
Arc detection method and apparatus realized in order to attain the object of the present invention is illustrated in the drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 - is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the microwave washer - dryer of the invention. Figure 2 - is a flow chart of arc detection method.
The components shown in the drawings have the following numbers:
1. Washer-dryer 2. Impermeable drum
3. Waveguide
4. Isolator
5. Detector
6. Control unit 7. Magnetron
Ivlicrowave washer - dryer (1 ) has a housing for receiving water and resistance heater, a microwave impermeable drum (2), and a feeding means comprising any means of waveguide (3), a microwave generating device especially magnetron (7) on a waveguide (3), and an isolator (4) and a crystal or diode detector (5) mounted on the isolator (4).
In the disclosed embodiment, waveguide (3) and isolator (4) are the means of directing microwave energy inside the microwave impermeable drum (2) to dry the clothes inside and at the same time the isolator (4) is used for protecting the microwave generating device from the power reflected by the load. The isolator (4) is a waveguide component utilizing ferrite technology to selectively direct microwave energy to a dummy load attached to a port so protecting the device from the power rellected. By putting a crystal or diode detector (5) on the isolator (4). the reflected power from the load that is directed to the dummy load can be sensed by the detector (5) mounted on the port where dummy load attached, and this signal value may be used by a circuit which controls microwave power. The method of the invention is shown in Fig. 2. As the load changes inside the impermeable drum (2) with respect to the changes in humidity during microwave heating, the reflected power changes. The isolator (4), crystal or diode detector (5) and control unit (6) monitor these changes.
Fabrics to be washed and dried are placed in the washer - dryer (1). and washing is started. After w ashing is completed, microwave and any other means of drying techniques especially hot air drying is started. During the microwave drying of clothes, the reflected power changes gradually while arcing does not occur, but the retlected power changes abruptly when arcing occurs inside the microwave impermeable drum (2). Arcing can be monitored by using a control unit (6) to detect these abrupt changes in time domain and by putting a threshold value above which arcing occurs. The control unit (6) has any means of signal comparison that compares the input signal coming from the detector (5) on the isolator (4) with the predetermined reference signal that simulates the non - arcing condition. If control unit (6) has an input signal which is different than the predetermined value, microwave power is decreased and the same control cycle is applied again. If arcing continues at this second stage in which power is reduced, microwave power is interrupted and drying continues with any other means of drying especially hot air. Humidity is also monitored by humidity sensors during drying, and although arcing does not occur the end of drying is decided by the humidity value.

Claims

1 . An apparatus for detecting arc in a washer - dryer (1). especially in a drum (2) comprising a waveguide (3), a magnetron (7), an isolator (4) that is mounted in the waveguide (3) used for protecting the microwave generating device from power reflected by the load, a detector (5) mounted on the said isolator
(4) used to sense the reflected power and a control unit (6) used to monitor the arcing.
2. A method for detecting arc in a washer-dryer (1), especially in an i mpermeable drum (2) comprising the steps of starting the drying operation wi th hot air drying and microwave drying by feeding the microwaves generated by the magnetron (7) through the waveguide (3) into the drum (2). monitoring the humidity level within the drum (2) by the humidity sensors, if the monitored humidity level is below a predetermined humidity value, ending the drying operation, if the humidity level is not below a predetermined humidity value continuing the drying operation, monitoring the output of the detector (5) which is connected to a control unit (6) and which is mounted on the isolator (4) to detect reflected power, comparing the signal coming from the detector (5 ) output with the reference signal by the said control unit (6), deciding to continue to dry with the same level of microwave energy if the di fference between two signals is not above the predetermined threshold value else giving an output to decrease microwave energy level if the difference beiween two signals is above a predetermined threshold value and continuing the drying operation.
3. A method for detecting arc in a washer-dryer (1), especially in an impermeable drum (2) comprising the steps of starting the drying operation with hot air drying and microwave drying by feeding the microwaves generated by the magnetron (7) through the waveguide (3) into the drum (2). monitoring the humidity level within the drum (2) by the humidity sensors, if the monitored humidity level is below a predetermined humidity value, ending i he drying operation, if the humidity level is not below a predetermined humidity value continuing the drying operation, monitoring the output of the detector (5) which is connected to a control unit (6) and which is mounted on the isolator (4) to detect reflected power, comparing the signal coming from the detector (5 ) output with the reference signal by the said control unit (6). deciding to continue to dry with the same level of microwave energy if the difference between two signals is not above a predetermined threshold value else giving an output to interrupt microwave energy if the difference between i o signals is above a predetermined tlireshold value and continuing the Irying operation only with hot air drying.
PCT/TR2000/000002 2000-02-07 2000-02-07 Arc detection method and apparatus WO2001057457A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU38539/00A AU3853900A (en) 2000-02-07 2000-02-07 Arc detection method and apparatus
PCT/TR2000/000002 WO2001057457A1 (en) 2000-02-07 2000-02-07 Arc detection method and apparatus

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/TR2000/000002 WO2001057457A1 (en) 2000-02-07 2000-02-07 Arc detection method and apparatus

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2001057457A1 true WO2001057457A1 (en) 2001-08-09

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Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU3853900A (en)
WO (1) WO2001057457A1 (en)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003048443A1 (en) * 2001-12-06 2003-06-12 Arçelik A.S. A household appliance
WO2004059071A1 (en) 2002-12-27 2004-07-15 Arçelik A.S. A washer/dryer using microwave and its control method
WO2005032603A1 (en) * 2003-09-29 2005-04-14 Ecofriend Technologies, Inc. Microwave-assisted steam sterilization of dental and surgical instruments
WO2006100643A1 (en) * 2005-03-22 2006-09-28 Arcelik Anonim Sirketi A washer/dryer and the control method
DE102010036913A1 (en) * 2010-08-09 2012-02-09 Miele & Cie. Kg Cooking appliance
WO2014024044A1 (en) * 2012-08-06 2014-02-13 Goji Ltd. Method for detecting dark discharge and device utilizing the method
EP2583041A4 (en) * 2010-06-17 2017-07-26 Cool Dry, Inc. High efficiency heat generator
EP3218660A4 (en) * 2014-11-12 2018-07-25 LG Electronics, Inc. Fixed radial anode drum dryer
US10487443B1 (en) 2015-10-30 2019-11-26 Cool Dry, Inc. Hybrid RF/conventional clothes dryer
CN112964946A (en) * 2021-02-03 2021-06-15 昆明理工大学 Fault detection method for microwave source of high-power microwave heating system based on multi-scale wavelet transform

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0088175A1 (en) * 1982-03-08 1983-09-14 Douglas Powell Mahan Tumble drying apparatus
GB2193619A (en) * 1986-07-25 1988-02-10 Apv Magnetronics Micro-wave oven
WO1993013635A1 (en) * 1991-12-24 1993-07-08 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. Microwave clothes drying system and method with improved arc detection
US5424515A (en) * 1992-04-06 1995-06-13 Micro Dry Inc. Method and apparatus for the prevention of scorching of fabric subjected to microwave heating

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0088175A1 (en) * 1982-03-08 1983-09-14 Douglas Powell Mahan Tumble drying apparatus
GB2193619A (en) * 1986-07-25 1988-02-10 Apv Magnetronics Micro-wave oven
WO1993013635A1 (en) * 1991-12-24 1993-07-08 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. Microwave clothes drying system and method with improved arc detection
US5424515A (en) * 1992-04-06 1995-06-13 Micro Dry Inc. Method and apparatus for the prevention of scorching of fabric subjected to microwave heating

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003048443A1 (en) * 2001-12-06 2003-06-12 Arçelik A.S. A household appliance
US7096599B2 (en) 2001-12-06 2006-08-29 Cem Kural Household appliance
WO2004059071A1 (en) 2002-12-27 2004-07-15 Arçelik A.S. A washer/dryer using microwave and its control method
WO2005032603A1 (en) * 2003-09-29 2005-04-14 Ecofriend Technologies, Inc. Microwave-assisted steam sterilization of dental and surgical instruments
CN100415300C (en) * 2003-09-29 2008-09-03 埃科弗兰德技术公司 Microwave-assisted steam sterilization of dental and surgical instruments
WO2006100643A1 (en) * 2005-03-22 2006-09-28 Arcelik Anonim Sirketi A washer/dryer and the control method
EP2583041A4 (en) * 2010-06-17 2017-07-26 Cool Dry, Inc. High efficiency heat generator
DE102010036913A1 (en) * 2010-08-09 2012-02-09 Miele & Cie. Kg Cooking appliance
WO2014024044A1 (en) * 2012-08-06 2014-02-13 Goji Ltd. Method for detecting dark discharge and device utilizing the method
US9942950B2 (en) 2012-08-06 2018-04-10 Goji Limited Method for detecting dark discharge and device utilizing the method
EP3218660A4 (en) * 2014-11-12 2018-07-25 LG Electronics, Inc. Fixed radial anode drum dryer
EP3627083A1 (en) * 2014-11-12 2020-03-25 LG Electronics Inc. Fixed radial anode drum dryer
EP3839132A1 (en) * 2014-11-12 2021-06-23 LG Electronics Inc. Fixed radial anode drum dryer
EP4067796A1 (en) * 2014-11-12 2022-10-05 LG Electronics Inc. Fixed radial anode drum dryer
US10487443B1 (en) 2015-10-30 2019-11-26 Cool Dry, Inc. Hybrid RF/conventional clothes dryer
US11066778B2 (en) 2015-10-30 2021-07-20 Cool Dry, Inc. Hybrid RF/conventional clothes dryer
US11680360B2 (en) 2015-10-30 2023-06-20 Lg Electronics Inc. Hybrid RF/conventional clothes dryer
CN112964946A (en) * 2021-02-03 2021-06-15 昆明理工大学 Fault detection method for microwave source of high-power microwave heating system based on multi-scale wavelet transform

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