Apparatus and method for drying clothes

A drying machine comprising:

• a housing;
• a compartment having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, the compartment configured to receive clothes and fabric items to be dried;
• a hydronic heating system configured to circulate a heated liquid to provide a source of heat for drying the clothes and fabric items, the hydronic heating system comprising:
• a heating element configured to heat the liquid;
• a pump configured to pump the liquid through the hydronic heating system;
• a heat exchanger having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and disposed proximate the air inlet opening and configured to transfer heat from the liquid to a flow of air entering the compartment through the air inlet opening;
• and
• a sensor operable to provide a signal representative of a temperature of the liquid in the closed loop hydronic heating system;
• a fan for establishing and maintaining the flow of air through the compartment;
• and
• a control device operable to receive the signal representative of the temperature of the liquid and to regulate the heating element to maintain a predetermined temperature of the liquid.

A drying machine comprising:

• a housing;
• a compartment having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, the compartment configured to receive cloth or fabric items to be dried;
• a hydronic heating system configured to heat and circulate a liquid for drying the cloth or fabric items, the hydronic heating system comprising:
• at least one solar thermal panel configured to provide a first source of heat for heating the liquid;
• an electric heating element configured to provide a second source of heat for heating the liquid;
• a pump configured to pump the liquid through the hydronic heating system;
• a heat exchanger having a liquid inlet configured to receive the liquid heated by at least one of the solar thermal panel and the electric heating element, and a liquid outlet configured to return the liquid for heating by at least one of the solar thermal panel and the electric heating element, the heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the liquid to a flow of air entering the compartment through the air inlet opening;
• and
• at least one sensor operable to provide a signal representative of a temperature of the liquid in the hydronic heating system;
• and
• a control device operable to receive the signal representative of the temperature of the liquid and regulate the electric heating element to maintain a predetermined temperature of the liquid provided to the heat exchanger.

A kit for retrofitting a clothes dryer having a drying compartment including an air inlet and an air outlet, comprising:

• a heating element configured to heat the liquid, the heating element disposed within a housing;
• a heat exchanger;
• a pump configured to pump the liquid;
• a sensor operable to provide a signal representative of a temperature of the liquid;
• a plurality of tubing segments operably coupling the housing and the heat exchanger and the pump and the sensor to form a closed loop hydronic heating system for flow of the liquid therethrough;
• an airflow guide for directing a flow of air through the heat exchanger and into the drying compartment.

A clothes drying apparatus, comprising:

• a housing;
• a compartment having an air inlet and an air outlet, the compartment configured to receive cloth or fabric items to be dried;
• a hydronic heating system configured to heat and circulate a liquid for drying the cloth or fabric items, the hydronic heating system comprising:
• at least one solar thermal panel configured to heat the liquid;
• a pump configured to pump the liquid through the hydronic heating system;
• a heat exchanger having a liquid inlet configured to receive the liquid heated by the solar thermal panel, and a liquid outlet configured to return the liquid for heating by the solar thermal panel, the heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the liquid to a flow of air entering the compartment through the air inlet;
• a first sensor operable to provide a signal representative of a temperature of the liquid heated by the solar thermal panel;
• a second sensor operable to provide a signal representative of a temperature of the liquid returned to the solar thermal panel;
• a flow regulation device operable to regulate a flow of the heated liquid to the heat exchanger;
• and
• a control device operable to receive the signals representative of the temperature of the liquid and to regulate the flow regulation device to maintain a predetermined temperature of the liquid provided to the heat exchanger.