Energy harvesting system using dryer exhaust air to generate electricity
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsVictor Vargas, Brent M. Burgess
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vented dryer includes a cabinet, a drum, a heater, and an energy harvesting system. The cabinet has an exhaust outlet and a cabinet inlet. The drum is rotatably supported within the cabinet and includes a laundry compartment positioned inside the drum. The heater heats a flow of air that travels through the drum and exits out the exhaust outlet. The energy harvesting system includes a turbine wheel that is rotatably coupled to a turbine wheel motor to recover mechanical energy from the flow of air exiting through the exhaust outlet of the cabinet and convert the recovered mechanical energy into electricity.
Claims20
A vented dryer, comprising:
- a cabinet having an exhaust outlet and a cabinet inlet;
- a drum rotatably supported within the cabinet and including a laundry compartment positioned inside the drum;
- a heater for heating a flow of air that travels through the drum and exits out the exhaust outlet;
- and
- an energy harvesting system including a turbine wheel that is rotatably coupled to a turbine wheel motor to recover mechanical energy from the flow of air exiting through the exhaust outlet of the cabinet and convert recovered mechanical energy into electricity.
A laundry appliance, comprising:
- a cabinet including a cabinet inlet;
- a drum rotatably supported within the cabinet and including a laundry compartment positioned inside the drum;
- an exhaust system including an exhaust inlet arranged in fluid communication with the laundry compartment of the drum and an exhaust outlet, wherein a flow of air travels through the laundry compartment, through the exhaust system and exits out the exhaust outlet;
- and
- an energy harvesting system including a turbine wheel that is rotatably coupled to a turbine wheel motor to recover mechanical energy from the flow of air exiting through the exhaust outlet and convert recovered mechanical energy into electricity.
A laundry appliance, comprising:
- a cabinet having an exhaust outlet and a cabinet inlet;
- a drum rotatably supported within the cabinet and including a laundry compartment positioned within the drum;
- an exhaust system having a removable lint screen positioned between the laundry compartment and the exhaust outlet, wherein a flow of air travels through the laundry compartment, through the removable lint screen of the exhaust system and exits out the exhaust outlet;
- and
- an energy harvesting system including a turbine wheel that is rotatably coupled to a turbine wheel motor to recover mechanical energy from the flow of air exiting through the exhaust outlet of the cabinet and convert recovered mechanical energy into electric current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.