Improving the energy efficiency of residential clothes dryers
Abstract
An experimental study on energy efficient electrical domestic clothes dryers is presented. A literature survey was performed and four basic energy saving techniques were identified: (1) reduced air flow rate and heater input, (2) recirculation of a portion of the exhaust air back into the clothes dryer, (3) heat recovery, utilizing an air-to-air heat exchanger, and (4) 100% recirculation of air through the dryer and a heat pump to condense water out of the air. Reduced air flow rate and heater input leads to energy savings around 8%, while recirculation of exhaust air reduces the energy consumption by approximately 18%. Because of the low cost of these two measures, they should be pursued by the manufacturers. When utilizing an air-to-air heat exchanger for heat recovery, two modes are considered. The first is to preheat the inlet air with heat from the exhaust air, which results in 20 to 26% energy savings depending upon the location of the dryer in the house. The second more attractive mode is 100% recirculation of air and condensation of water from this air in the heat exchanger (using indoor air as a heat sink) and represents a 100% heat recovery but leads to a 1more »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5365096
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-16813
ON: DE84005861
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; CLOTHES DRYERS; ENERGY EFFICIENCY; HEAT RECOVERY; ENERGY CONSUMPTION; EXHAUST GASES; HEAT EXCHANGERS; HEAT PUMPS; APPLIANCES; DRYERS; EFFICIENCY; ENERGY RECOVERY; FLUIDS; GASEOUS WASTES; GASES; RECOVERY; WASTES; 320101* - Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization- Residential Buildings- (-1987)
Citation Formats
Hekmat, D, and Fisk, W J. Improving the energy efficiency of residential clothes dryers. United States: N. p., 1983.
Web. doi:10.2172/5365096.
Hekmat, D, & Fisk, W J. Improving the energy efficiency of residential clothes dryers. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5365096
Hekmat, D, and Fisk, W J. Fri .
"Improving the energy efficiency of residential clothes dryers". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5365096. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5365096.
@article{osti_5365096,
title = {Improving the energy efficiency of residential clothes dryers},
author = {Hekmat, D and Fisk, W J},
abstractNote = {An experimental study on energy efficient electrical domestic clothes dryers is presented. A literature survey was performed and four basic energy saving techniques were identified: (1) reduced air flow rate and heater input, (2) recirculation of a portion of the exhaust air back into the clothes dryer, (3) heat recovery, utilizing an air-to-air heat exchanger, and (4) 100% recirculation of air through the dryer and a heat pump to condense water out of the air. Reduced air flow rate and heater input leads to energy savings around 8%, while recirculation of exhaust air reduces the energy consumption by approximately 18%. Because of the low cost of these two measures, they should be pursued by the manufacturers. When utilizing an air-to-air heat exchanger for heat recovery, two modes are considered. The first is to preheat the inlet air with heat from the exhaust air, which results in 20 to 26% energy savings depending upon the location of the dryer in the house. The second more attractive mode is 100% recirculation of air and condensation of water from this air in the heat exchanger (using indoor air as a heat sink) and represents a 100% heat recovery but leads to a 1 to 6% increase in energy consumption. The development of a clothes dryer equipped with an air-to-air heat exchanger and a summer/winter switch (preheating mode in the summer and recirculation/condenstion mode in the winter) should be pursued by the manufacturers. Recirculation through a heat pump with condensation again gives a 100% heat recovery and can save up to 33% in energy consumption but yields long drying times due to limitations of the condenser temperature.},
doi = {10.2172/5365096},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5365096},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1983},
month = {7}
}