WO2014184056A1

WO2014184056A1 - Domestic appliance with energy recovery and method for recovering energy in a domestic appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2014184056A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/059222
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frank Emmerich; Anil ICÖZ; Robert SCHOLICH
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2013-05-17
Filing date: 2014-05-06
Publication date: 2014-11-20
Also published as: DE102013209209A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a domestic appliance 1 having a rotatably mounted component 3 and having a shock absorber 10, 11 which is designed to absorb vibration energy of the component 3, wherein the domestic appliance 1 has a linear generator 17 which is designed to convert the vibration energy of the component 3 into electrical energy which can be supplied to at least one electrical load 13, 15, 24 of the domestic appliance 1 during operation of the domestic appliance 1. The domestic appliance 1 further comprises an electrical energy storage means 23 which is coupled to the linear generator 17, is designed to store the electrical energy which is provided by the linear generator 17 and is formed by an intermediate circuit capacitor of an electrical voltage intermediate circuit 14 for feeding the load 13, 15, 24.

Description

Home appliance with energy recovery and method for recovering energy in a household appliance

The invention relates to a household appliance with a rotatably mounted component, with a shock absorber, which is designed for receiving a vibration energy of the component, and with the further features of the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a method for recovering energy in a household appliance.

In the present case, the interest preferably applies to a domestic appliance for the care of items of laundry, which has a rotatably mounted laundry drum which is rotatably driven by means of an electric drive motor. In order to be able to dampen mechanical vibrations of the laundry drum occurring in particular in a spin operation, shock absorbers are used in such a household appliance, which essentially absorb the vibration energy of the oscillating system including the laundry drum and a tub. Such shock absorbers are used in particular in washing machines and connect the tub to the bottom of a device housing. Such a household appliance is known for example from JP 2007 100 929 A.

It is already state of the art to recover electrical energy during operation of a washing machine. For example, it is proposed in EP 1 997 951 A1 to convert the rotational energy of the laundry drum into electrical energy by means of a generator with which a moisture sensor can then be supplied during operation of the washing machine.

Furthermore, document EP 2 412 864 A1 describes a laundry treatment device with a rotatably mounted laundry drum which is rotatably driven by means of an electric motor. A vibration sensor detects a vibration movement of the laundry drum, wherein the vibration energy is absorbed by a shock absorber and thus the vibration movement is damped. The shock absorber is a controllable damper whose damping properties by means of a Control device can be controlled in dependence on the sensor data of the vibration sensor. In the event of a malfunction of the power supply, the electric motor is activated such that it gains electrical energy from the rotary movement of the laundry drum and makes it available to the control device.

A washing and drying device with a rotatable drum and shock absorber, which is designed as a linear generator for converting vibration energy into electrical energy, is known from WO 2010/1 1 1376 A1. The linear generator is coupled to an electrical energy store, wherein an electrical load of the household appliance can be supplied from this energy store.

A device for storing heat in a domestic appliance is known from EP 2 224 050 A1. Furthermore, WO 1999/010584 A1 describes a washing machine in which a braking resistor is switched into the circuit of a stator winding of the drive motor when a drive motor is switched off.

It is an object of the invention to provide a solution, as in a household appliance of the type mentioned electrical energy can be saved and preferably no additional facilities must be provided.

This object is achieved by a household appliance and by a method having the features according to the respective independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims, the description and the figure.

An inventive household appliance comprises a rotatably mounted in the household appliance component and a shock absorber, which is designed to receive a vibration energy of the component. The household appliance also comprises a linear generator, which is designed to convert the vibration energy of the component into electrical energy, with which then at least one electrical load of the household appliance can be supplied. According to the invention, therefore, a linear movement or oscillation of the rotatable component is converted by means of a linear generator into electrical energy, which can then be used for the operation of at least one electrical load. In this way, electrical energy can be saved because an additional energy source is provided in the household appliance, so that overall less energy is consumed from the electric power supply network. The invention makes use of the fact that components which are rotatably mounted in household appliances and are rotatably driven by means of a drive motor, are excited due to imbalances to a mechanical vibration and thus also move translationally or linearly. This vibration is usually damped by means of a shock absorber, which absorbs the vibration energy of the rotatable component. The invention now goes the way to convert this translational movement of the rotatable component - for example, a movement in the direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation - into electrical energy and thus to provide an additional electrical energy source, which can be used to power electrical consumers. The consumption of external electrical energy is thus reduced in comparison to conventional household appliances.

The domestic appliance also has an electrical energy store coupled to the electric linear generator, in which the electrical energy provided by the linear generator is stored. This has the advantage that the energy provided by the linear generator can also be used at a later time, for example, to supply a pump with electrical energy from the energy store at the end of a washing process of a washing machine. Thus, the stored energy can be used for downstream processes, which are carried out in particular at the end of a washing process and after completion of a spinning operation.

In addition, the energy storage is formed by a DC link capacitor of an electrical voltage intermediate circuit, which serves to feed the electrical load. Here, the linear generator is electrically coupled to the DC link capacitor, so that the energy provided by the linear generator is fed directly into the DC link capacitor and stored there. This has the advantage that the use of an additional energy storage is unnecessary because the Household appliance for supplying the consumer was already equipped with a voltage intermediate circuit comprising a DC link capacitor. Preferably, the voltage intermediate circuit is part of an inverter, in particular a frequency converter for an electric drive. The electric drive may be, for example, a pump or a motor that is mechanically coupled to and drives the rotatable component.

With regard to the configuration of the energy store, various embodiments can now be provided: If the energy is to be stored for a long time, the energy store can be designed, for example, as an electrical accumulator. The accumulator is then provided as a second energy storage in addition to the DC link capacitor in the household appliance and is also electrically coupled to the linear generator.

Alternatively, the additional energy storage can also be carried out with a capacitor or with a plurality of capacitors, which are additionally electrically coupled to the DC link capacitor with the linear generator. The energy store can thus be a separate from the DC link capacitor energy storage - such as an accumulator - which may optionally be coupled to the DC link capacitor or directly to the or another electrical consumer. In this way, the energy provided by the linear generator can also be temporarily stored independently of an electrical voltage intermediate circuit and used at a later time. Furthermore, the potential energy to be stored can be increased with the additional energy storage. The energy output from the energy store to the electrical load can be controlled here, for example, by means of a control device, which can preferably control a arranged between the energy storage and the electrical load electrical switch.

Preferably, the linear generator is an electromagnetic generator having at least one permanent magnet and an induction coil, which are arranged relative to each other - in particular rectilinearly - movable. Through this relative movement between the at least one permanent magnet on the one hand and the induction coil on the other hand electrical voltage is induced in the induction coil and thus electrical energy provided by the linear generator. In this case, the induction coil can be coupled, possibly via a rectifier, to said energy store, so that the induced voltage is applied directly to the energy store. By means of such an electromagnetic linear generator, the mechanical vibration energy can be effectively and reliably converted into electrical energy, and this energy recovery can be realized without much effort.

It proves to be particularly advantageous if one of the components permanent magnet or induction coil is arranged on a piston rod of the shock absorber and the other component on a damper housing of the shock absorber, so that the linear generator is quasi integrated into the shock absorber. On the one hand this ensures that no additional space for the linear generator is needed because the linear generator is made integral with the shock absorber. On the other hand, this embodiment also ensures a particularly dense arrangement of the permanent magnet and the induction coil, whereby the induction of the electrical voltage in the induction coil and thus the recovery of energy are favored.

Furthermore, it has proved to be advantageous if the shock absorber is designed as an electromagnetic damper, by which the linear generator is formed. Thus, the shock absorber and the linear generator form an integral structural unit or one and the same component, which performs two different functions, namely on the one hand the function of recording the vibration energy and thus the damping of the mechanical vibration and on the other hand, the function of converting the mechanical vibration into electrical Energy. It is therefore unnecessary to use an additional component with the associated disadvantages, in particular with regard to the valuable space and the cost and installation costs. For energy recovery, the components already present in an electromagnetic damper are used in this embodiment, namely a coil and a permanent magnet. By appropriate control of such an electromagnetic damper, the electrical energy can now - be recovered - as in a conventional generator. Preferably, the household appliance has an electric drive motor as an electrical consumer, which is designed to drive the rotatable component and can be supplied with the electrical energy provided by the linear generator. Additionally or alternatively, as a consumer electrical and a pump can be used, which is supplied with the electrical energy of the linear generator. Furthermore, as a supplement or alternatively, a sensor, a heater and / or a control device of the household appliance can be used as the electrical load, which is supplied with the electrical energy of the linear generator.

Preferably, the household appliance is a device for the care of laundry items, while the rotatable component is preferably a laundry drum for receiving the laundry items. The household appliance may be, for example, a washing machine, a tumble dryer or a washer-dryer. The laundry drum can be rotatably mounted, for example, in a tub, which is supported on said damper on a bottom of a device housing of the household appliance. The laundry drum can be rotatably mounted, for example, about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation. The invention also relates to a method for recovering energy in a domestic appliance, in which a component of the household appliance is rotatably driven and a vibration energy of the component is absorbed by means of a shock absorber. By means of a linear generator, the vibration energy of the component is converted into electrical energy, with which at least one electrical load of the household appliance is supplied during operation. Furthermore, in the household appliance with the linear generator, an electrical energy store is coupled, in which the electrical energy provided by the linear generator is stored, wherein the energy storage is formed by a DC link capacitor of an electrical voltage intermediate circuit for feeding the consumer.

The preferred embodiments presented with reference to the household appliance according to the invention and their advantages apply correspondingly to the method according to the invention. Further features of the invention will become apparent from the claims, the figure and the description of the figures. All the features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figure can be used not only in the respectively indicated combination but also in other combinations or alone.

The invention will now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The single FIGURE illustrates a schematic representation of a household appliance according to an embodiment of the invention.

A household appliance 1 shown in the figure is a washing machine in the embodiment. The household appliance 1 comprises a tub 2, in which a laundry drum 3 is rotatably mounted. In the laundry drum 3 are laundry items 4, which are washed in the household appliance 1 during a care process.

The tub 2 is suspended by a spring assembly 5 on a housing 6 of the household appliance 1. In the exemplary embodiment, the spring arrangement 5 comprises a first and a second spring 7, 8, wherein the number of springs can be basically arbitrary.

The tub 2 is further supported on a damper assembly 9, which includes a first and a second shock absorber 10, 1 1 in the embodiment. The laundry drum 3 is rotatably mounted about a horizontally extending axis of rotation 12 in the tub 2 and is driven by means of an electric drive motor 13. A rotor of the drive motor 13 may be connected, for example via a belt, not shown, to the laundry drum 3 in a manner known per se.

The number of shock absorbers 10, 1 1 used can basically be chosen arbitrarily. For example, the damper assembly 9 may comprise two or even three or four such shock absorbers 10, 11. The drive motor 13 may be formed, for example, as a synchronous machine or a so-called brushless DC motor (BLDC). The drive motor 13 can be supplied with electrical energy from an electrical voltage intermediate circuit 14, in which, as is known, an intermediate circuit capacitor is arranged, in which electrical energy for the operation of the drive motor 13 can be stored. Such a voltage intermediate circuit 14 is present part of the inverter for the drive motor 13. At the voltage intermediate circuit 14 may optionally be coupled as an electrical load 15, which can also be supplied with electrical energy from the voltage intermediate circuit 14 a pump. Alternatively, the pump 15 or the drive motor 13 may be connected to a separate DC link.

As already stated, the laundry drum 3 is rotatably driven about the axis of rotation 12. When operating the laundry drum 3 - in particular in the spin mode - unbalance occur, leading to a mechanical vibration 16 of the entire system of laundry drum 3 and 2 lye container, so that in addition to a rotary movement of the laundry drum 3 also takes place a translational movement substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation 12 , This mechanical vibration 16 is absorbed by the two shock absorbers 10, 1 1.

In the prior art, the recorded vibration energy is converted into heat or electrical energy, wherein the electrical energy is temporarily stored, for example, in a battery or in a capacitor. Instead, it is proposed in the present embodiment, at least in one of the shock absorbers 10, 1 1 - and optionally also in two or more shock absorbers 10, 1 1 - to use a linear generator 17, by means of which the vibration energy is converted into electrical energy in an intermediate circuit capacitor of a already stored to supply the consumer of household appliance voltage intermediate circuit is stored. Such a linear generator 17 may include, for example, a permanent magnet 18 and an induction coil 19, which are arranged to be movable relative to each other. For example, the permanent magnet 18 is attached to a piston rod 20 of the shock absorber 10. Accordingly, the induction coil 19 may be disposed on a damper housing 21, in which the Piston rod 20 is slidably guided guided. The piston rod 20 is connected to a bottom 22 of the housing 6, while the damper housing 21 is connected to the tub 2. Optionally, it can also be provided that at least one of the shock absorbers 10, 11 - if appropriate also both shock absorbers 10, 11 and / or further shock absorbers (not shown) - is designed as an electromagnetic damper, so that the permanent magnet 18 and induction coil 19 components are present anyway. These are now used to convert the mechanical vibration 16 into electrical energy.

During operation of the household appliance 1, the mechanical vibration 16 is absorbed by the shock absorbers 10, 11, so that the permanent magnet 18 moves relative to the induction coil 19. It is induced electrical voltage in the induction coil 19, which is stored in an electrical energy storage 23. This energy storage 23 may be provided for example in the form of a rechargeable battery.

The energy storage device 23 is coupled to the intermediate circuit capacitor of the voltage intermediate circuit 14, so that, if necessary, the electrical energy stored in the energy storage device 23 can be delivered to the voltage intermediate circuit 14. In addition, the energy store 23 - in particular via a switch - be coupled to a further electrical load 24, bypassing the voltage intermediate circuit 14. This means that the load 24 can be supplied directly with the DC voltage of the energy store 23. The consumer 24 may be, for example, a sensor.

Optionally, it is also possible to dispense with such an energy store 23, so that the energy provided by the linear generator 17 is fed directly into the voltage intermediate circuit 14 and / or is delivered to the consumer 24. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

household appliance

tub

washing drum

laundry

spring assembly

casing

, 8 springs

Damper assembly0, 11 Shock absorber

2 rotation axis

3 drive motor

4 voltage intermediate circuit5 pump

6 mechanical vibration7 linear generator

8 permanent magnet9 induction coil

0 piston rod

1 damper housing

2 floor

3 energy storage

4 consumers

Claims

claims

Domestic appliance (1) with a rotatably mounted component (3), with a shock absorber (10, 1 1), which is designed for receiving a vibration energy of the component (3), with a linear generator (17), the

Conversion of the vibration energy of the component (3) is formed into electrical energy, with which at least one electrical load (13, 15, 24) of the household appliance (1) in the operation of the household appliance (1) can be supplied, and with one with the linear generator (17 ) coupled electrical energy store (23), which is designed to store the electrical energy provided by the linear generator (17), characterized in that the energy store (23) by an intermediate circuit capacitor of an electrical voltage intermediate circuit (14) for feeding the load (13, 15 , 24) is formed.

Domestic appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that in addition to the energy store (23) of a electrical voltage intermediate circuit (14) separate further energy storage is included, which is electrically coupled to the linear generator.

Domestic appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the linear generator (17) has at least one

Permanent magnet (18) and an induction coil (19) which are arranged to be movable relative to each other, wherein by the relative movement between the at least one permanent magnet (18) and the induction coil

(19) the electrical energy can be provided by the linear generator (17).

Domestic appliance (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that one of the components permanent magnet (18) or induction coil (19) on a piston rod

(20) of the shock absorber (10, 1 1) and the other component on a

Damper housing (21) of the shock absorber (10, 1 1) is arranged.

5. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shock absorber (10, 1 1) is designed as an electromagnetic damper, by which the linear generator (17) is formed.

6. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

marked that

the household appliance (1) has an electric drive motor (13) as an electrical consumer (13, 15, 24), which is designed to drive the rotatable component (3) and with which of the

Linear generator (17) provided electrical energy is supplied, and / or

the domestic appliance (1) has a pump (15) as an electrical consumer (13, 15, 24), which can be supplied with the electrical energy provided by the linear generator (17), and / or

the household appliance (1) has a sensor (24), a heater and / or a control device of the domestic appliance (1) as an electrical consumer (13, 15, 24), which can be supplied with the electrical energy provided by the linear generator (17).

7. Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that the household appliance (1) is a device for the care of

Laundry items is and the rotatable component (3) is a laundry drum for receiving the laundry items.

8. A method for recovering energy in a household appliance (1), in

which a component (3) of the household appliance (1) is rotatably driven and by means of a shock absorber (10, 1 1) a vibration energy of

Component (3) is added, the vibration energy of the component (3) by means of a linear generator (17) is converted into electrical energy, with which at least one electrical load (13, 15, 24) of the household appliance (1) in the operation of the household appliance (1 ), and in which with the linear generator (17) an electrical energy store (23) is coupled, in which the from the linear generator (17) provided electrical energy is stored, characterized in that the energy store (23) by a DC link capacitor of an electrical voltage intermediate circuit (14) for feeding the load (13, 15, 24) is formed.