WO2020099146A1

WO2020099146A1 - A laundry dryer comprising a fluidic oscillator

Info

Publication number: WO2020099146A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/079948
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mutlu IPEK; Vasi Kadir Ertis; Faruk KOCABIYIK; Samet HOCAOGLU
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2018-11-13
Filing date: 2019-11-01
Publication date: 2020-05-22

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry dryer (1) comprising a drum (2); an air circulation duct (3) wherein the process air cycle is realized; a fan (4) for circulating the process air; a compressor (5) for providing the refrigerant cycle, an evaporator (6) which is disposed into the air circulation duct (3) to condense the humid process air and a condenser (7) which heats the process air dehumidified in the evaporator (6), which all together form the heat pump which enables the process air to be heated and dehumidified; and at least one air inlet orifice (8) which is arranged on the fixed rear wall of the drum (2) and which enables the process air circulated in the air circulation duct (3) by the fan (4) to enter the drum (2).

Description

A LAUNDRY DRYER COMPRISING A FLUIDIC OSCILLATOR

The present invention relates to a heat pump laundry dryer.

In heat pump laundry dryers, the hot and humid process air drawn from the drum cools down and leaves its moisture while passing over the evaporator and then heats up while passing over the condenser. The process air passing over the condenser is delivered back onto the laundry in the tub. Thus, the drying cycle continues until the laundry is dry. The process air circulated through the air circulation duct by means of the fan is delivered into the drum through a plurality of air inlet orifices in order to provide the required flow rate. The flow rate of the air passing through the air inlet orifices in the drum is not homogeneous due to air flow conditions. For example, according to the results of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis in a drum with three air inlet orifices, approximately 78% of the total air flow passes through the first air inlet orifice while 22% of the total air flow passes through the second air inlet orifice. It is detected that there is almost no air flow through the third air inlet orifice. Therefore, homogeneous drying cannot be achieved, the drying time prolongs and energy consumption increases.

The Patent Application No. WO2007049191 (A1) relates to a laundry dryer. The process air carrying out the drying cycle by means of the fan enters the drum in the axial direction from the air inlet, and the flow direction of the drying air is changed from the axial to the radial direction by means of a fan and an air diffuser inside the drum. The path covered by the process air inside the drum is extended and has a longer contact with the laundry.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a laundry dryer wherein the laundry in the drum is enabled to be homogeneously dried.

The laundry dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention comprises at least one fluidic oscillator which is disposed before the air inlet orifice at the connection point of the air circulation duct to the air intake side of the drum and which enables the process air blown through the air inlet orifice to oscillate and sweep the laundry in the drum.

The laundry dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the schematic view of the laundry dryer of the present invention.

Figure 2 - is the perspective view of the air circulation duct, the fluidic oscillators and the drum.

Figure 3 - is the cross-sectional view of a fluidic oscillator.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Laundry dryer
Drum
Air circulation duct
Fan
Compressor
Evaporator
Condenser
Air inlet orifice
Fluidic oscillator
Flow guide
Through-channel

The laundry dryer (1) comprises a body; a drum (2) wherein the laundry to be dried is loaded; an air circulation duct (3) wherein the process air (drying air) cycle is realized; a fan (4) for circulating the process air; a compressor (5) for providing the refrigerant cycle, an evaporator (6) which is disposed into the air circulation duct (3) to condense the humid process air and a condenser (7) which heats the process air dehumidified in the evaporator (6), which all together form the heat pump which enables the process air to be heated and dehumidified; and at least one air inlet orifice (8) which is arranged on the fixed rear wall of the drum (2) and which enables the process air circulated in the air circulation duct (3) by the fan (4) to enter the drum (2).

The laundry dryer (1) of the present invention comprises at least one fluidic oscillator (9) which is disposed before the air inlet orifice (8) at the connection point of the air circulation duct (3) to the air intake side of the drum (2) and which enables the process air to be blown through the air inlet orifice (8) in an oscillating manner and enables the process air to move by sweeping the inner volume of the drum (2).

In the heat pump laundry dryer (1), the hot and humid process air drawn from the drum (2) by means of the fan (4) cools down and leaves its moisture while passing over the evaporator (6) in the air circulation duct (3) and then heats up while passing over the condenser (7). The process air passing over the condenser (7) is delivered back onto the laundry in the tub (2) via the air inlet orifice (8). In the embodiment of the present invention, at the region where the air circulation duct (3) is connected to the drum (2), the fluidic oscillator (9) is placed before the air inlet orifice (8). The fluidic oscillator (9) enables the process air to enter the drum (2) via the air inlet orifice (8) in an oscillating manner and to sweep the inner volume of the drum (2). The process air gets in contact with the laundry at the side and corner regions of the drum (2), thus providing a homogeneous drying.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the drum (2) comprises a plurality of air inlet orifices (8) at the rear wall thereof, and the fluidic oscillators (9) are placed before the air inlet orifices (8) which are determined by means of experimental studies and where there is no process air flow or there is a weak air flow.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the drum (2) comprises three air inlet orifices (8) positioned at the corners of a triangular region, and the fluidic oscillators (9) are placed before an air inlet orifice (8) which are determined by means of experimental studies and where there is no process air flow or there is a weak air flow.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the drum (2) comprises a single air inlet orifice (8) at the rear wall thereof, and the fluidic oscillators (9) are placed at the air inlet orifice (8) in the regions where there is no air flow or there is a weak air flow.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the laundry dryer (1) comprises the fluidic oscillators (9) which are placed into the air circulation duct (3) before a predetermined air inlet orifice (8), and at least one flow guide (10) which is in communication with the air flow and which enables the process air flowing through the air circulation duct (3) to be guided towards the fluidic oscillators (9) before entering the drum (2).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the laundry dryer (1) comprises a plurality of through-channels (11) which are arranged on the flow guide (10), which extend parallel to each other in the flow direction of the process air and which divide the process air flow, and the fluidic oscillators (9) which are placed on the flow guide (10) as an array aligned with each through-channel (11) and which disperses the process air flowing via the through-channels (11) such that the process air is blown into the drum (2) via almost the entire area of the air inlet orifice (8).

In this embodiment, at the air inlet orifice (8), the process air uses almost the entire passage area. The fluidic oscillators (9) which are placed on the flow guide (10) side by side as an array aligned with the air inlet orifice (8) delivers the process air coming from the through-channels (11) into the drum (2) in an oscillating manner via almost the entire area of the air inlet orifice, thus enabling the laundry in the drum (2) to be homogeneously dried.

In the laundry dryer (1), by means of the fluidic oscillators (9) placed into the air circulation duct (3), an air flow providing homogeneous drying is delivered into the drum (2) via the air inlet orifices (8). In the laundry dryer (1) having three separate air inlet orifices (8) in order increase the air flow rate and to prevent pressure loss, air flow is provided into the drum (2) via all three air inlet orifices (8). The amount of contact between the laundry and the process air is increased, thus providing homogeneous drying and shortening the drying time.

Claims

A laundry dryer (1) comprising a drum (2) wherein the laundry to be dried is loaded; an air circulation duct (3) wherein the process air cycle is realized; a fan (4) for circulating the process air; a compressor (5), an evaporator (6) and a condenser (7) which all together form the heat pump which enables the process air to be heated and dehumidified; and at least one air inlet orifice (8) which is arranged on the fixed rear wall of the drum (2) and which enables the process air circulated in the air circulation duct (3) by the fan (4) to enter the drum (2), characterized by at least one fluidic oscillator (9) which is disposed before the air inlet orifice (8) at the connection point of the air circulation duct (3) to the air intake side of the drum (2) and which enables the process air to be blown through the air inlet orifice (8) in an oscillating manner.
A laundry dryer (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the drum (2) comprising a plurality of air inlet orifices (8) at the rear wall thereof, and the fluidic oscillators (9) which are placed before the predetermined air inlet orifices (8) where there is no process air flow or there is a weak air flow.
A laundry dryer (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the drum (2) comprising three air inlet orifices (8) positioned at the corners of a triangular region, and the fluidic oscillators (9) which are placed before an air inlet orifice (8) where there is no process air flow or there is a weak air flow.
A laundry dryer (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the drum (2) comprising a single air inlet orifice (8) at the rear wall thereof, and the fluidic oscillators (9) which are placed at the air inlet orifice (8) in the regions where there is no air flow or there is a weak air flow.
A laundry dryer (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the fluidic oscillators (9) which are placed into the air circulation duct (3) before a predetermined air inlet orifice (8), and at least one flow guide (10) which is in communication with the air flow and which enables the process air flowing through the air circulation duct (3) to be guided towards the fluidic oscillators (9) before entering the drum (2).
A laundry dryer (1) as in Claim 5, characterized by a plurality of through-channels (11) which are arranged on the flow guide (10), which extend parallel to each other in the flow direction of the process air and which divide the process air flow, and the fluidic oscillators (9) which are placed on the flow guide (10) as an array aligned with each through-channel (11) and which disperses the process air flowing via the through-channels (11) such that the process air is blown into the drum (2).