Development of a microwave clothes dryer: Interim report 4. Final report

Technical Report · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:238533

Smith, R ^[1]; Lenz, R ^[2]

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1. Thermo Energy Corp., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
2. ASTEX/Gerling Labs., Inc., Modesto, CA (United States)

The objective of the project is to investigate the microwave drying of clothes and to produce data that potential manufacturers can use in developing marketable microwave dryers. This is an interim report covering activities in 1994, the fifth year of the project. During 1994, three field test dryers were completed, two residential models and one commercial subscale model. All of these dryers operated at a microwave frequency of 2,450 MHz, which is the frequency of home microwave ovens and ovens used in fastfood outlets. Consequently, magnetron tubes for these high-production items are inexpensive. The residential dryers were tested according to the Department of Energy protocols and were 15% more efficient than a top-of-the-line conventional electric dryer. They were also 14% faster. Extensive testing was done to assure that the hazard-detection (sniffer) system would sense degradation of the lighter and shut down the dryer before a fire could occur. Numerous butane lighters were heated to destruction in a microwave oven to examine their failure modes. Lighters were placed in microwave dryers equipped with hazard-detection systems; these systems always detected incipient problems before any fire hazard could occur.

• Research Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Thermo Energy Corp., Palo Alto, CA (United States); ASTEX/Gerling Labs., Inc., Modesto, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 238533
• Report Number(s): EPRI-TR--106246
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
CLOTHES DRYERS
CLOTHING
DESIGN
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
FIRE HAZARDS
MICROWAVE DRYERS
MICROWAVE HEATING