Experimental study on drying time and energy consumption of a vented dryer

摘要

A vented dryer is a system in which outside air flows in, and moisture from wet clothes is evaporated using a heat source and discharged directly outside. This study experimentally investigates the thermal characteristics and drying mechanisms of such a dryer along with the main factors that affect the drying performance. The heat and mass transfer coefficients in the drum increased at the beginning of the drying process and gradually decreased due to the reduction of moisture in the clothes. The air entering the electric heater was preheated by heat that leaked from the drum and other parts in the dryer. This phenomenon recovers approximately 5-8% of the heat. Although the drying time increases when decreasing energy consumption, there is a heating algorithm that can achieve energy-star performance while minimizing the increase in drying time by appropriately setting the heater input at the beginning and end of drying.