Development of a microwave clothes dryer

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:10177291

The objective of the project is to investigate the microwave drying of clothes and to produce an impartial, generic database for use by interested parties, including appliance manufacturers, who may want to use it when designing and developing microwave clothes dryers. This interim report covers the first year of activity on the project. During that time, a laboratory test model of a microwave clothes dryer was constructed and tested over a wide range of parameters. The test unit was the same size as a residential home dryer and had eight 0.85-kW microwave power supplies from home ovens and a 5-kW resistance air heater. Thus, the model could be used for microwave drying, hot air drying or for a combination of both drying techniques. Microwave drying was effective in three drying modes: Cool drying, fast drying and very efficient drying. Microwaves penetrate the clothes and heat the water molecules directly while conventional heat energy must be conducted through the clothes to evaporate the water. In cool drying, microwaves alone heat the water and an airflow of slightly warmed air carries away the moisture. In fast drying, the microwave power is combined with hot air drying to reduce drying times by as much as 50%. In the most efficient mode of drying, microwave power is used along with the waste heat from the microwave power supply. Hazards testing and fine fabric tests are scheduled for the future.

• Research Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Thermo Energy Corp., Palo Alto, CA (United States); JG Microwave, Twain Harte, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 10177291
• Report Number(s): EPRI-TR--102114; ON: UN93018811
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320106
42 ENGINEERING
420200
BUILDING EQUIPMENT
CLOTHES DRYERS
COMMERCIAL SECTOR
DRYING
ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, AND TECHNIQUES
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RESIDENTIAL SECTOR
TESTING