Washing machine appliance and steam-generating features for the same

A washing machine appliance comprising:

• a cabinet defining an opening to receive articles therethrough;
• a tub positioned within the cabinet;
• a wash basket rotatably mounted within the tub, the wash basket defining a wash chamber for receiving articles for washing;
• an additive dispensing assembly positioned within the cabinet and configured to provide wash fluid to the tub, the additive dispensing assembly comprising
• a water supply valve to selectively direct water to the tub,
• a water supply conduit extending between the water supply valve and the tub, and
• an additive dispenser for storing and dispensing a wash additive, the additive dispenser being in selective fluid communication with the water supply conduit upstream of the tub;
• a passive buffer compartment disposed in fluid communication between the water supply valve and the additive dispenser, the passive buffer compartment defining an internal volume, a buffer inlet upstream from the internal volume, a dispenser outlet upstream from the additive dispenser, and a buffer outlet upstream from the tub in fluid parallel to the dispenser outlet to bypass the additive dispenser, the buffer outlet being smaller than the buffer inlet to define a sump flowrate less than a buffer flowrate of the buffer inlet;
• and
• an electric heating element disposed at a bottom end of the tub,
• wherein the internal volume comprises a buffer chamber and an overflow chamber, the buffer chamber being in fluid communication between the buffer inlet and the buffer outlet, the overflow chamber being in fluid communication between the buffer chamber and the dispenser outlet.

A washing machine appliance comprising:

• a tub;
• a wash basket mounted within the tub;
• an additive dispenser in selective fluid communication with the tub;
• and
• a passive buffer compartment disposed in upstream fluid communication with the additive dispenser, the passive buffer compartment defining an internal volume, a buffer inlet upstream from the internal volume, a dispenser outlet upstream from the additive dispenser, and a buffer outlet upstream from the tub in fluid parallel to the dispenser outlet to bypass the additive dispenser,
• wherein the internal volume comprises a buffer chamber and an overflow chamber, the buffer chamber being in fluid communication between the buffer inlet and the buffer outlet, the overflow chamber being in fluid communication between the buffer chamber and the dispenser outlet.