CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel and attire) is a collective term for

items worn on the body, clothing can be made of textile, animal skin or other thin

sheets of material put together. The wearing of clothing is mostly restricted to human

beings and is a feature of all human society. The amount and type of clothing worn

depend on body type, social, and geographic considerations. Some clothing can be

gender-specific. Physically, clothing serves many purposes: it can serve as

protection from the elements and can enhance safety during hazardous activities

such as hiking and cooking. It protects wearer from rough surfaces, rash- causing

plants, insect bites, splinters, thorns and prickles by providing a barrier between the

skin and the environment.

A clothes dryer, tumble dryer, drying machine or dryer is a powered

household appliance that is used to remove moisture from a load of clothing,

bedding and other textiles, usually shortly after they are washed in a washing

machine. Otherwise, clothes may also be dried by natural evaporation and, if

available, sunlight, on an outdoor or indoor clothes line or clothes horse.

Many dryers consist of a rotating drum called a "tumbler" through which

heated air is circulated to evaporate the moisture, while the tumbler is rotated to

maintain air space between the articles. Using these machines may cause clothes to

shrink or become less soft (due to loss of short soft fibers/lint). A simpler non-

1
rotating machine called a "drying cabinet" may be used for delicate fabrics and other

items not suitable for a tumble dryer. Some devices are clothes washer-dryers.

General Objectives

The main objective is to design, fabricate and test a multipurpose evaporative

clothes dryer which will dries wet clothes in just short period of time.

Specific Objective:

1. To design a multipurpose evaporative clothes dryer.

2. To fabricate a multipurpose evaporative clothes dryer.

3. To test the performance of a multipurpose evaporative clothes

dryer.

Scope and Delimitations

This study will be the guides of our project and base of this following:

1. This equipment will use coil which will serve as the heater to evaporate

the water content of clothes to be dried.

2. This equipment will be using AC Motor as its source of power.

3. This equipment will only cater 10 kilograms of wet clothes with 75%

moisture content per batch.

2
Statement of the Problem

In urban areas houses are very near from each other and there is no space to

hang clothes in order to dry it and at the same time during rainy season one of our

main problem is how to dry clothes. People living in buildings like condominiums,

apartment and hotels have the limitation in the area in drying clothes from the

sunlight. Formerly, drying clothes usually use natural way by using the energy from

the sunlight and the wind, but nowadays the technology is plentifully developed

upward and the clothes dryers that use the electric energy or other energy come to

use extensively, especially in the urban area where people live in the tall buildings.

However, they can dry their clothes in the balcony. In order to maintain an

acceptable appearance of building façade, clothes drying using natural means by

hanging clothes in the balcony may not be allowed. Increasingly, clothes drying has

become confined to indoors which take time for drying clothes, especially drying

clothes in the period that the air humidity is high such as in the raining season.

Clothes drying indoors by natural ventilation can take a long time and still yield

unsatisfactory results. If clothes drying as achieved by either electricity or gas-

powered dryer, the drying process may be completed within hours with the expense

of additional energy use and pollution. On the other hand, for residential buildings in

subtropical regions, because of its subtropical climates, annually, air conditioning is

normally necessary for 7-8 months when it is either hot or humid, or both.

The study sought answers to the following specific questions:

1. How is the design of a multipurpose evaporative clothes dryer?

2. How is the multipurpose evaporative clothes dryer fabricated?

3
 3. How is the performance of the multipurpose evaporative clothes dryer

determined?

Significance of the Study

The research considers the principles of clothes dryer and its application upon

different areas. A Multipurpose Evaporative Clothes Dryer serves important purpose

for keeping our laundry dry without hustle anytime.

The findings generated from this study are beneficial to the following:

Students. This study provides significance to the Engineering and

Technology Department most especially the Mechanical Engineering students of the

Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) Bambang Campus since it provides

additional knowledge and information about the application for faster clothes drying

with the use A Multipurpose Evaporative Clothes Dryer.

Teachers/Instructors. The development of a multipurpose evaporative

clothes dryer encourages other instructors/professors of both engineering and

technology department to improvise or develop similar to this equipment aiming to

decrease the time of clothes drying.

Household User. This study is very beneficial especially to our homemakers

and other users in order to lessen the time and effort they spend to dry clothes.

Future Researcher. The result of this study may persuade, implement and

encourage other researcher to conduct similar projects that will positively improve

our project efficiency and effectiveness.

4
 LGU’s. Local government units will benefit in this study by means of

presenting an introducing this project to the community through seminars and

extension programs for the technological advancement and development of this

household equipment.

5
Conceptual Framework

The study utilized the systems approach model, particularly, the Input that deals with

the theories and principle of the study, research, related studies, materials, fund and

design, the Throughput that deals with the design, fabrication, assembly and testing

and Output model which is multipurpose evaporative clothes dryer.

Input Throughput Output

6
  The theories
and principle
of the study
 Research
 Related
studies
 Materials
 Fund
 Design

 Designing
 Fabricating Multipurpose
 Assembly Evaporative

 Testing Clothes Dryer

FIGURE 1. Paradigm showing the process undergoes for the development of the

Multipurpose Evaporative Clothes Dryer.

7
As presented in Figure 1, the conduct of this research study followed the

system/process approach. The input consists of the principle s and theories about

clothes dryer, related literature and studies, materials needed in construction,

design, and the funds needed. Each term is joined and the throughput consists the

design and fabrication steps, procedures and testing. The output is the multipurpose

evaporative clothes dryer.

Definition of Terms

AC Motor - it is a motor that converts the alternating current into mechanical power

by using electromagnetic induction phenomenon. An electric current that reverses its

direction many times a second at regular intervals, typically used in power supplies.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/alternating_current )

Coil -  is used to concentrate the heat on specific segments, or the coil is spread to

equalize the temperature across the object to be heated. An electrical device

consisting of a coiled wire, for converting the level of a voltage, producing a

magnetic field, or adding inductance to a circuit.  A single ring in a coil.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/coil)

Clothes - The things that people wear to cover their bodies and that are usually

made

from cloth. Items worn to cover the body.

8
(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/clothes )

Density - is a measurement that compares the amount of matter an object has to its

volume. The degree of compactness of a substance.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/density,2018)

Dryer - A machine or devices for drying something, especially the hair or laundry.

Machine use to remove relatively small amount of water or other liquid from the solid

material. It is the machine use to reduce the moisture content of the rice grain to its

safe level to avoid deterioration.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/dryer )

Electrical Wiring - Is an electrical installation of cabling and associated devices

such as switches distribution boards, sockets and light fitting in a structure. A system

of wires providing electric circuits for a device or building.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/wiring )

Evaporation - Is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of the liquid as it

changes into the gas phase when it reaches its boiling point.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/evaporator )

Fan - An apparatus with rotating blades that creates a current of air for cooling or

ventilation. It is a machine used to move fluid or air. It is operated through a motor

via electricity which rotates the blades that are attached to a shaft.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/fan )

Fiber Glass - A hard, brittle substance, typically transparent or translucent, made

by fusing sand with soda and lime and cooling rapidly.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/glass )

9
Heat - The quality of being hot; high temperature. Heat seen as a form of energy

arising from the random motion of the molecules of bodies, which may be

transferred by conduction, convection, or radiation.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/heat )

Humidity - Refers to the presence of water vapor in the atmosphere or gas. It is

measured in either relative terms (relative humidity) or absolute terms (dew point

temperature). The state or quality of being humid.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/humidity )

Hygrometer - An instrument for measuring the humidity of the air or gas.

Hygrometers can provide the accurate levels of relative humidity and absolute

humidity. Relative humidity is the percentage of humid moisture in the air. Absolute

humidity is the actual amount of moisture in the atmosphere.

An instrument for measuring the humidity of the air or a gas.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/hygrometer )

Insulator - A substance which does not readily allow the passage of heat or sound.

A substance or device which does not readily conduct electricity. A block of glass,

ceramic, or other insulating material enclosing a wire carrying an electric current

where it crosses a support.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/insulator )

Latent heat - The heat required to convert a solid into a liquid or vapor, or a liquid

into a vapor, without change of temperature.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/latent_heat)

10
Moisture Content - Is expressed as a percentage of the gross weight of the body,

and may refer to both hygroscopic and purely surface moisture. The proportional

amount of moisture in a substance.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/moisture_content )

Sensible heat - The heat associated with a change in the temperature of an object

or substance; specifically, the energy released or absorbed when an object or

substance undergoes a change in temperature without an accompanying change of

state; contrasted with "latent heat".

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sensible_heat)

Temperature - A measurement that indicates how hot or cold something is: a

measurement in degrees showing the heat of something (such as air or water). The

degree or intensity of heat present in a substance or object, especially as expressed

according to a comparative scale and shown by a thermometer or perceived by

touch.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/temperature )

Thermometer - An instrument for measuring and indicating temperature typically

one consisting of a narrow, hermetically sealed glass tube marked with graduations

and having at one end a bulb containing mercury or alcohol that expands and

contracts in the tube with heating and cooling.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/thermometer )

Weight - A body’s relative mass or the quantity of matter contained by it, giving rise

to a downward force, the heaviness of a person or thing.

11
(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/clothes )

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF CLOTHES DRYER

Earliest clothes dryers are invented in the late 18th and early 19th centuries,

were made in England and France. Known as "ventilators," they were large metal

drums with ventilation holes, powered by hand cranks, and used over open fires.

Their invention can't be traced to any one person, but perhaps no one would have

wanted the credit, since the clothes always smelled of smoke, were often covered

with soot and sometimes caught fire.

The first patented clothes dryer invented by an American inventor, George T.

Sampson of Dayton, Ohio, came up with a better ventilator-type dryer. It had a rack

and used heat from a stove, rather than an open fire. He was granted a patent for

his invention in on June 7, 1892.

In the early 20th century, Inventor J. Ross Moore lived on a North Dakota

farm invented the first electric clothes dryer. Tired of hanging wet clothes outside in

the frigid winters, he built a shed, installed a stove and hung the clothes there to dry.

Over the next 30 years, Moore developed his idea for an automatic clothes dryer. He

finally built a drum-type model that worked. He developed both gas and electric

models but, due to financial difficulties, needed to find a manufacturer to produce

them. After many rejections, he struck a deal with Hamilton Manufacturing Company

12
of Two Rivers, Wis. Hamilton began selling the new automatic clothes dryer, named

the "June Day," in 1938.

Dryers grew in popularity during the 1940s. Following World War II, Hamilton

Manufacturing and the newer entrants into the clothes-dryer market, like GE, were

selling over 60,000 gas and electric dryers annually. In 1955, Whirlpool began

marketing a gas dryer with the claim that it took half the time to dry the clothes as

regular-speed dryers, because of increased air flow and gas output.

In 1946, dryer manufacturers moved controls to the front of the dryer, added a

timer, an exhaust for moist air, temperature controls and a cool-down cycle. In 1958,

a 30-inch-wide dryer using a negative pressure system was first offered to the

public. This system is still used in dryers. In 1959, dryness-sensors were first used to

shut off the power when the load was dry. In 1965, dryers with permanent-press

cycles were introduced. In 1972, manufacturers put electric starters on gas dryers. In

1974, microelectronic controls were put on dryers to time drying cycles. In 1983, the

first clothes dryers with delayed start timers allowed users to run dryers in off-peak

hours. In 1985, clothes dryers were offered with all-Spanish instructions on labels,

consoles and manuals. Other models offered large type, big graphics and over-sized

controls.

13
THE PHYSICS OF CLOTHES DRYING

By Kaisa Bengtsson, Kathrine Segel, Henrietta Havsteen-Mikkelsen and Tim

Padfield

The Basic Principle

Drying cloth involves two processes. Energy has to be provided to change the water

from liquid to vapor and an air stream is needed to remove the vapor. We discuss

the two processes separately and then describe an experiment which demonstrates

their relative importance.

Evaporation needs energy

Although everyone knows that waving a wet cloth in the air cools it down, the

explanation for the phenomenon is not obvious, so we digress for a few paragraphs

to explain why.

According to the kinetic theory, temperature is the expression of the average energy

of molecular motion. The red curve in Figure 1 shows schematically the energy

distribution of water molecules at 20°C. Only molecules with a high kinetic energy,

towards the right hand end of the graph, will escape from the liquid water surface,

against the cohesive force that binds the molecules in liquid water. As soon as this

happens, the remaining molecules re-distribute their energy by collision, moving

towards the blue curve, representing a lower temperature, because the average

molecular energy is lower (indicated by the vertical dashed blue line).

14
Notice that the proportion of high energy molecules is much diminished, even though

the temperature has only fallen five degrees. This means that the rate of evaporation

will be much lower, giving time for heat to migrate into the wet cloth from the

surrounding air or other materials touching the cloth. Eventually the temperature will

stabilize at some value below ambient which depends on the balance between the

rate at which the water molecules emerge from the surface and the rate at which

heat can reach the cloth to re-invigorate the remaining molecules in the liquid.

Figure 1. The kinetic energy distribution of water molecules at two temperatures,

shown with exaggerated separation to clarify the explanation. As high energy

molecules escape from the surface of water held in an absorbent cloth the remaining

molecules re-equilibrate by collision, moving to the distribution shown by the blue

curve. The cloth moves to a lower temperature, expressed by the average molecular

energy (the dotted vertical line). There are now fewer high energy molecules and

therefore a reduced evaporation rate. At some temperature the heat loss through

15
evaporation is exactly compensated by heat gain from the surroundings, by

convection, conduction or radiation.

The Effect of Ventilation

In the simplest drying arrangement, the cloth is flapping freely in the breeze, with

only air to bring the heat. This is called a psychrometer if one uses the temperature

of the flapping cloth to measure relative humidity. The physics of this arrangement

has been exhaustively investigated

Figure 2 shows how the temperature and the water content of the air stream change

as it passes over the cloth. This diagram is a portion of the vapor pressure diagram

for water. The air in this example approaches the wet cloth at 20°C and at 46%

relative humidity (RH). This is the apex where the three arrow lines meet. As the air

passes over the surface of the freely suspended wet cloth it transfers heat to the

cloth, moving down the temperature axis, and it gains water from the cloth, so it rises

along the vertical, water content axis. The condition of the air moves to the head of

the arrow at point A, because the air stream leaving the cloth is at 100% RH. This is

true whatever the air speed. It also turns out that the point of intersection of the

arrow with the saturation vapor pressure line does not move as the air speed

changes, over a wide range of speed. This is why the psychrometer is such a simple

and reliable way of measuring relative humidity. The wet cloth temperature is only

affected by air pressure, because rarified air is not such a good carrier of heat,

which, as explained above, is carried by molecular kinetic energy. The position of

16
the 100% relative humidity line, however, is not affected by air pressure, because

there is no interaction between air and water vapor molecules.

Figure 2. A portion of the vapor pressure diagram for water, showing curves of equal

relative humidity. With heat for evaporation coming only from the air, the air passing

over the cloth moves along the blue arrow to settle at 13.3°C, point A. In the

experiments described below, the cloth was laid on a metal plate, which provided

conductive heat from one side. The surface temperature then settled at 15.7°C,

point B. In a further experiment, the metal support was held exactly at ambient

temperature, so the air left the cloth at point C. Note that the air at C will be much

more effective at removing moisture, because it can entrain water molecules at a

17
concentration of nearly 17g/m3, instead of less than 13g/m3 at the lower temperature

of the unheated plate. Furthermore, as figure 1 indicates, evaporation will be faster

at the higher temperature.

One would expect the air flow rate to influence the drying rate. It has a very strong

influence because the air leaving the surface is always at 100%RH, so much more

water vapour is removed in a rapid air flow. One would expect a real gale to

overwhelm the evaporative capacity of the cloth. It turns out, however, that the heat

brought to the cloth by the air alone is sufficient to ensure evaporation of enough

molecules to saturate the space above the cloth, at the lower temperature. The

temperature doesn't change with wind speed but the evaporation rate does. Looking

at the matter another way, the temperature dependent equilibrium between water at

the cloth surface and vapour in the boundary layer of air is established very rapidly,

compared with the rate at which the air stream can sweep the molecules away.

The easiest way to be sure that the cloth cannot over dry is to ensure that it

never gets warmer than the ambient air, assuming that this air has the required

moderate relative humidity. This is done by laying the cloth or paper on a heated

surface, whose heat flow is adjusted exactly to compensate for the heat loss through

evaporation, so the evaporating surface remains at ambient temperature. The air

leaving the cloth is at condition C in figure 2. The drying rate of this cloth is shown by

the lowest, steepest black curve in figure 3.

18
Figure 3. Drying rates for cotton cloth under various conditions. The top (black)

curve is drying with heating from below so the surface remains at ambient

temperature, but with no ventilation. The middle curve is for drying under ventilation

at about 2m/s, but with no heating. The red curve shows the corresponding surface

temperature attained by the cloth. The lowest black curve shows the rapid drying by

applying both heat and ventilation, though the cloth never warmed above ambient

temperature (20°C).

The highest curve, indicating the slowest drying rate, was obtained by heating the

cloth to ambient temperature, with no deliberate air flow over it. The water vapor

enters the boundary layer just above the cloth, but disperses very slowly into the

room air. There is little convective air movement, because the temperature is the

19
same as that of the room air (though the acute reader will remark that the saturated

air near the surface is slightly less dense than the dryer air in the room). Drying is

very slow, in spite of the heat energy supplied.

The middle curve is the drying rate when the cloth is ventilated at about 2m/s, with

heat supplied mainly by the air stream. The temperature falls, as shown by the red

temperature graph, so the cloth is behaving like an inefficient psychrometer, taking

some heat by conduction from the metal plate which it rests on (the experimental

arrangement is shown in figures 4 and 5). The drying rate is greater than in still air,

implying that removal of the water vapor from just above the surface of the cloth is a

very important accelerator of drying. The flat section of the temperature curve shows

that water is evaporating at a constant rate almost until the end of the process,

indicating that drying cloth mostly consists of removing free water from between the

fibers. Only in the closing stages does the cotton release its internally bound water,

at a decreasing rate. This is shown by the rise in temperature towards ambient,

indicating a decreasing flow of energy needed to evaporate water, even though

bound water requires more energy per molecule removed.

The lowest curve shows the fast drying when the cloth is both heated to ambient

temperature and ventilated at about 2m/s. Whatever the ventilation rate, even the

cotton fibers sticking up from the surface of the cloth will not be dried below

equilibrium with the ambient RH, indeed they will dry more slowly, because they are

further from the heat source below the cloth. The drying time is halved, compared

with using ventilation alone, without any increased risk of mechanical stress in the

fiber structure. If the ventilation rate is increased, the drying will speed up but there

20
will be a greater temperature gradient through the thickness of the cotton, because

more heat will have to be supplied to the evaporating surface. In the final stages this

will lead to over drying of the cloth in contact with the metal plate. A more elaborate

experiment, with a second thermocouple set on the metal surface, would define the

practical limit to ventilation.

Types of Clothes Dryer

Tumble dryers

Tumble dryers continuously draw in the ambient air around them and heat it

before passing it through the tumbler. The resulting hot, humid air is usually vented

outside to make room for more air to continue the drying process. This design

makes no effort to recycle the heat put into the load, and thus is considered

environmentally wasteful. Nevertheless, it is simple and reliable, and therefore has

been widely used.

Tumble dryers are often integrated with a washing machine, in the form of

laundry centers, which stacks the dryer on top of the washer and integrates the

controls for both machines in a single control panel, or in the form of "washer-dryer

combos" which are essentially a front loading washing machine with an integrated

dryer. Often the washer and dryer functions will have a different capacity, with the

dryer usually having a lower capacity than the washer. Tumble dryers can also be

top loading, in which the drum is loaded from the top of the machine and the drum's

ends are in the left and right sides, instead of the traditional front and back sides.

21
Spin Dryers

These centrifuge machines simply spin their drums much faster than a typical

washer could, in order to extract additional water from the load. They may remove

more water in two minutes than a heated tumbler dryer can in twenty, thus saving

significant amounts of time and energy. Although spinning alone will not completely

dry clothing, this additional step saves a worthwhile amount of time and energy for

large laundry operations such as those of hospitals.

The combination washer/dryer and method for operating a combination

washer/dryer. The washer/dryer has a containment drum which receives wash

water, and includes a perforated clothes drum which rotates within the containment

drum. A heat plenum is provided in heat transfer relationship with the containment

drum, and a source of heat coupled to the heat plenum supplies heat for water in the

containment drum. During a drying cycle, hot air from the heat source supplied from

the fire box to the containment drum for heating wash water during a washing cycle,

and for supplying hot air during a drying cycle. A drying air plenum is connected to

receive drying air from the source of heat, delivering the drying air to the top of the

containment drum, where it enters the rotating basket. An exhaust plenum

discharges hot air laden with moisture from the containment drum through a lint

filter.

Solar Clothes Dryers

The solar dryer is a box-shaped stationary construction which encloses a

second compartment where the clothes are held. It uses the sun's heat without direct

22
sunlight reaching the clothes. Alternatively, a solar heating box may be used to heat

air that is driven through a conventional tumbler dryer.

A clothes drying assembly of the type primarily designed to include a casing,

preferably a conventional tumbler type casing, disposed in communication with

heated air passing over and in heat transferring relation with a heat transferring coil

having heated fluid continuously flowing there through from a solar energy type heat

collector disposed in direct exposure to the sun's radiant energy. Structure is

provided to selectively discontinue use of the solar heating facility and dry clothes

within the casing by conventional electrical or like heating equipment.

Hybrid Dryers

Some manufacturers, Namely LG Electronics, have introduced hybrid dryers

that offer the user the option of using either a heat pump or a traditional electric

heating element for drying the user's clothes.

The present invention is connected to the cabinet and, in the first air passage

and the drying vessel which is rotatable mounted inside the cabinet, which is

connected to one side of the drying vessel, the other side of the drying vessel also

being connected to the outside of said cabinet claim 2 provides an air flow path, and

a hybrid clothes dryer comprising at least one of the heat exchanger, a heater

installed in the first air flow path for the air and the heat exchange flowing in the first

air flow path. The clothes dryer according to the present invention, the second heat

applying heat by heat generation of the heater in the first heating step of applying

heat, by heat exchange in the air flowing through the first air passage, the air flowing

23
through the first air flow path It may comprise the steps, and it is possible to change

the drying mode in a number of ways.

Condenser Dryers

Just as in a normal dryer, condenser or condensation dryers pass heated air

through the load. However, instead of exhausting this air, the dryer uses a heat

exchanger to cool the air and condense the water vapor into either a drain pipe or a

collection tank. The dryer air is run through the loop again. The heat exchanger

typically uses ambient air as its coolant, therefore the heat produced by the dryer will

go into the immediate surroundings instead of the outside, increasing the room

temperature. In some designs, cold water is used in the heat exchanger, eliminating

this heating, but requiring increased water usage.

Ultrasonic Dryers

Ultrasonic dryers have been demonstrated. They use high frequency signals

to drive piezoelectric actuators in order to mechanically shake the clothes, releasing

water in the form of a mist which is then removed from the drum. They have the

potential to significantly cut energy consumption while needing only one third of the

time needed by a conventional electric dryer for a given load. They also don't have

the same issues related with lint in most other types of dryers.

Heat Pump Dryers

A closed-cycle heat pump clothes dryer uses a heat pump to dehumidify the

processing air. Such dryers typically use less than half the energy per load of a

condenser dryer. Whereas condensation dryers use a passive heat exchanger

24
cooled by ambient air, these dryers use a heat pump. The hot, humid air from the

tumbler is passed through a heat pump where the cold side condenses the water

vapor into either a drain pipe or a collection tank and the hot side reheats the air

afterwards for re-use. In this way not only does the dryer avoid the need for ducting,

but it also conserves much of its heat within the dryer instead of exhausting it into

the surroundings.

Microwave Dryers

Japanese manufacturers have developed highly efficient clothes dryers that

use microwave radiation to dry the clothes (though a vast majority of Japanese air

dry their laundry). Most of the drying is done using microwaves to evaporate the

water, but the final drying is done by convection heating, to avoid problems of arcing

with metal pieces in the laundry. There are a number of advantages: shorter drying

times (25% less), energy savings (17–25% less), and lower drying temperatures.

Some analysts think that the arcing and fabric damage is a factor preventing

microwave dryer.

A microwave clothes dryer uses a combination of microwave energy and hot

air to dry clothes. The microwave energy heats the water in the clothes and

vaporizes it, and a flow of hot air carries the moisture from the dryer.

While metal buttons and zippers generally do not overheat in a microwave

dryer, some types of so-called tramp metals will heat excessively and cause burn

spots, which can lead to dryer fires. At an operating frequency of 2450 MHz, for

example, objects such as bobby bins, nails and wire ties will easily heat enough to

25
burn holes in clothes. At frequencies of both 2450 MHz and 915 MHz, golf pencils

are heated beyond the ignition temperature of cloth and cause burns. The metal

objects heat so quickly that the adjacent cloth can ignite even though the remainder

of the load in the dryer is quite damp. While some localized damage to the clothes

may be tolerated, a dryer fire is totally unacceptable.

Domestic Clothes Dryer

In a domestic dryer, the combination of a rotatable tumbling drum having inlet

and outlet openings therein, prime mover means for driving said drum an annular

impeller operatively associated with said prime mover means to be rotated thereby,

said rotatable impeller including means forming a plurality of separate fluid flow

passageways there through, at least one of said fluid flow passageways receiving a

heated exhaust air stream from said tumbling drum outlet openings, at least another

of said fluid flow passageways directing a cooler dry air stream through said inlet

openings to said drum.

In many domestic clothes dryer constructions, one problem is that a

substantial part of the heat input to the dryer for removing moisture from clothes

being tumbled in its rotatable drum is exhausted exteriorly of the drum through duct

work leading from the appliance. Various arrangements have been suggested for

utilizing the waste heat in the exhausted air from the dryer to preheat inlet air to the

tumbling drum to reduce the drying cycle time. Such systems, however, require a

separate heat exchanger construction that must be located within the limited

dimensional configuration of the outer cabinet of the dryer. Furthermore, to produce

26
an effective heat exchange between such exhaust flow and the inlet air flow, a

relatively expensive heat exchange construction is necessitated.

Non-tumble Clothes Dryer

A non-tumble dryer comprises a cabinet and a drawer configured to support

an article to be dried and slid ably mounted to the cabinet. An air supply system

provides air to a drying chamber formed at least partially by one of the cabinet and

the drawer for drying the article supported by the drawer. The non-tumble dryer can

function as a pedestal whereby the top of the cabinet can be configured to support a

laundry appliance in an elevated position. Alternatively, the cabinet can overlie one

or more laundry appliances.

Known household non-tumble clothes dryers are integrated with the tumble

clothes dryer or configured to be a pedestal with its own cabinet that supports the

tumble clothes dryer in an elevated position above the ground. The known pedestal

non-tumble clothes dryer relies on the air supply and heating system of the tumble

clothes dryer for operation. As a result, the pedestal non-tumble clothes dryer cannot

be utilized as a stand-alone appliance separate from the tumble clothes dryer and

cannot be moved to another location, such as above the tumble clothes dryer or

above or below the washing machine. Additionally, the width of the pedestal non-

tumble clothes dryer is limited to the width of the laundry appliance, but many

clothing items are larger than this width when laid flat.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

27
 The environmental impact of clothes dryers is especially severe in the US and

Canada, where over 80% of all homes have a clothes dryer. According to the US

Environmental Protection Agency, if all residential clothes dryers sold in the U.S.

were energy efficient, "the utility cost savings would grow to more than $1.5 billion

each year and more than 22 billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions

would be prevented”.

Clothes dryers are second only to refrigerators and freezers as the largest

residential electrical energy consumers in America. Sensor dryers can automatically

sense that clothes are dry and switch off. This means over-drying is not as frequent.

Most of the European market sells sensor dryers now, and they are normally

available in condenser and vented dryers.

28
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

Drying clothes usually use natural way by using the energy from the sunlight

and the wind, but nowadays the technology is plentifully developed upward and the

clothes dryers that use the electric energy or other energy come to use extensively,

especially in the urban area where limited sunlight, cloudy day and restricted air flow

for house types such as high rise condominiums and apartments natural drying is

prohibited in some housing areas for aesthetic reasons and conventional domestic

electric dryers are too expensive and inefficient.

Clothes washing machines do a superb job of rinsing away the sweat and dirt our

garments pick up each day, typically in less than an hour, but they have one mighty

drawback: they give you back your clothes clean but soaking wet. Before you can

put your t-shirt and jeans back on, you need to get rid of a huge amount of water,

Outdoor drying with a clothes line or rotary dryer has several big advantages; it’s

free, it uses no energy, leaves your clothes smelling fresh but the disadvantages of

outdoor drying are it can take few hours to a day or more to be dry, the chance of

rain making your clothes wetter than they were when you hung them out especially

29
in high altitude areas, the risk of theft and the possibility of air pollution especially in

urban areas.

This study aimed to develop an improved machine particularly in clothes

drying to dry the clothes within a short period of time without any hassle and problem

in attaining the desired time of drying. This study focus on the design and the

improved mechanism than the other dryers. The safety and convenience of using

the machine are highly considered. The evaluation of the multipurpose evaporative

clothes dryer be a big help in households and business establishments.

This is about to develop a clothes dryer machine will make the difference

between the dryer machines in the current market that basically spinning and a

heating element concept to remove moisture content.

30
 METHODOLODY

This study is focused on the designing and assembling of the wet clothes

dryer. This study focused on drying of clothes and maintaining its quality. The

construction of the multipurpose evaporative clothes dryer includes the design

processes, the materials needed in constructing the multipurpose evaporative

clothes dryer and the output or prototype made. After the constructing the

multipurpose evaporative clothes dryer, testing is necessary to evaluate the

equipment and test also the efficiency of the Multipurpose Evaporative Clothes

Dryer. The diagram that follows is the research procedure to be followed by the

researchers as seen on figure 3.1.

31
 Start

Literature and Study

DESIGNING
1. Design
2. Material listing
3. Measurement

Acquisition and Preparation

of Material

Fabrication/Improvement

Testing and Evaluation

No
Working

Yes

Recommendations

Final Output

End
32
Figure 3.1 Process flow chart shows the research procedure of Multipurpose

Evaporative Clothes Dryer

Research design

This research used the Project Development Method (PDM), wherein the

researchers conceptualized the design, fabrication and testing of a multipurpose

evaporative clothes dryer. According to Pettenella (2014) (as cited by Rodolfo et al,

2015), PDM aims to give students theoretical and practical knowledge on how to

make projects by following appropriate steps on consonance with research

development process, from the research design to the research finalization. The

equipment was fabricated and the parts assembled in conformity to the design.

Subsequently, revisions were made for any observed defects and then the device

was re-assembles until was found functional and acceptable in order to make the

design into reality, fabrication process needs to be done. The fabrication processes

started from dimensioning the raw material until it was finish as the desired product.

The steps in fabrication are:

Planning Stage. In this stage the researchers have considered the previous studies

and literature and designs of different wet clothes dryer existing around the world.

Based on the problem, actions and designs were drawn as basis for the

development of the prototype citrus.

33
Preparation of Design. This is the stage where the researchers prepared the

designed the correct specification of materials used and produced.

Design of Drying Chamber

The drying chamber is consisting of closed cabinet made up of low thermal

conductivity materials and a spinner tub where wet clothes to be dried are kept. The

cabinet as a seal-pack type door and from the bottom wall of the cabinet arise

suction pipe, from where blower sucks the air from inside of the chamber and at the

back of the drying chamber the exhaust fan is installed.

Design of the centrifugal fan and heating element

The centrifugal fan consists of CPU fan. The purpose of the fan is:

1. To suck air to the drying chamber and for the exhaust of air.

2. To maintain low pressure in the drying chamber.

The heating element is consisting of a heater. It is the heat source of the dryer.

Drying Capacity Analysis

Drying capacity is the most important economic factor for optimizing clothes drying

operation. The equation 1 was used to calculate drying capacity of the clothes dryer.

weight of wet clothes

Capacity= (kg/hr.)………………….(1)
total dryingtime

Analysis of Specific Electrical Energy Consumption (SPEEC)

34
Energy required for drying process is another main concern in clothes drying, which

portray the efficiency of a clothes dryer. The SPEEC (kWh /kg) is total electrical

energy consumed by all motors (blower and heater in this study) associated with a

dryer for drying one kilogram of wet clothes to final moisture content. High SPEEC

value for a dryer signifies a weak performance of a dryer. Therefore, SPEEC was

determined in current study for clothes dryer, which was calculated by Equation 2

and Equation 3:

Et
SPEEC (kWh/kg) = ……………… (2)
W

Where W is total weight of wet clothes to be dried in kilogram.

ET = Eh + Eb…………………………. (3)

Where ET is the total electrical energy (kWh) of dryer, Eh is the electrical energy of

heater and Eb is the electrical energy consumed by the vacuum fan.

How does the multipurpose evaporative clothes dryer works?

1. The heart of the machine is a spinner drum with holes which is rotated

through the shaft. The spinner drum always rotates in the same direction.

2.  air is drawn into the machine through an intake fan that is located at the

bottom of the drying chamber.

3. A intake fan sucks the air in and pulls it toward a heating element.

4. The fan is powered by an AC motor.

35
5. As the cool air passes over the heating element, it's warmed and turned to hot

dry air.

6. Warm air from the heating element enters the drum, typically through

large pipe at the back. the entire drum is full of small holes and hot air rises

up from below. 

7. The spinner drum is rotated slowly by a belt, pulley and shaft that

is connected to the AC motor. AC motor drives both the drum and the fan.

8. As the drum rotates, the clothes will spin to drain the water while the drying

chamber becomes hotter.

9. the water from the drying chamber go out through the hose in the bottom of

the chamber.

10. Exhausted air passes through exhaust fan.

36
Data Gathering Procedure
The block diagram of the Multipurpose Evaporative Clothes Dryer consists of

spinner drum, drying chamber, suction fan, exhaust fan and heater.

Prepare all the materials,

tools and equipment

Plot and cut all necessary materials needed in

assembling the drying chamber, centrifugal fan
and heater

Assemble the parts of a multipurpose

evaporative clothes dryer by joining, bending,
riveting or screw fastening and then locate it in

Construct the multipurpose evaporative clothes

dryer

Testing and Revising

Figure 3.2 Block diagram of the study

37
TABLE 3.3 Tools and Equipment to be used

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT DEFINITION AND FUNCTION

Power drill
This tool was used for drilling hole on
angle bars and stainless sheets.

Hammer
A hand tool consisting of a shaft with
a metal head at right angles to it, used
mainly for driving in nails and beating
metal.

Measuring Tape

This tool was used to measure the

desired measurements of the desired
measurements into place.

38
 Pliers
A hand tool with two hinged arms
ending in jaws that are closed by hand
pressure to grip something.

Nut and Bolt

A short cylindrical metal bar with a
screw thread, used with a nut; a piece
of metal, usually square or hexagonal,
with a hole in the middle, screwed on
the end of a bolt as a fastening for it.

Bearing
The part of a machine that supports
a sliding or rotating part.

Portable grinder
A handheld power tool with an
abrasive disc, used for cutting, grinding,
and polishing.

39
 Lathe Machine
It is a machine which turns cylindrical
material, touches a cutting tool to it,
and cuts the material. The lathe is one
of the machine tools most welled used
by machining.

Welding Machine

Device that provides an electric current

to joint materials, usually metals or
thermoplastics, by causing
coalescence.

Construction and Installation Procedures

In order to make the design into the reality, fabrication process needs to be done

first. The fabrication process starts from dimensioning the raw materials until it is

finish as a desired product. The process involve are

1.) Measuring: Materials are measured to desired dimensions or location.

2.) Marketing: All measured materials need to be marked to give precise

dimension.

3.) Cutting: Marked materials are then cut into pieces.

40
 4.) Joining: Materials are joined by the method of welding, using bolt nuts,

adhesive glue and using rivets. Welding is commonly use method to join

metal parts.

5.) Drilling: Marked holes are then drilled to make holes for rivets and bolts.

6.) Bending Process: Bending is process by which metal can be deformed

by plastically deforming the material and changing it shape

7.) Grinding Process: Grinding is a finishing process used to improved

surface finish, abrade hard materials, and tighten the tolerance on flat and

cylindrical surfaces by removing a small amount of materials.

Materials and Billings

The list of materials and their respective costs that were purchased in order to

construct the prototype of the design, fabrication and testing of a multipurpose

evaporative clothes dryer.

TABLE 3.4 MATERIALS AND BILLINGS

NO. MATERIAL
DESCRIPTION QUANTITY PRICE
AMOUNT
1. 0.5Hp Motor 1pc 2500 2,500

2. Angle Bars (1/4” by 1”) 2pcs 230 460

3. Bearings 2pcs 195 390

4. Bolts and Nuts (1/4 4pcs 40 160

by2”)
6pcs
(1/4 by ¾”)

41
5. Pillow block 2pcs 120 240

6. CPU Fans 3pcs 160 480

7. Cutting Disc 10pcs 70 700

8. Exhaust Hose 1pc 550 550

9. Fiber Glass 4pcs 500 2,000

10. G.I Sheet 1pc 1000 1,000

11. Grinding Disc 2pcs 75 150

12. Heater 4pcs 265 1,060

13. Thermal Insulator 1pc 550 550

(1x21) m

14. Pillow blocks 2pcs 250 500

15. Pipes 1pc 500 500

16. Welding Rod 1box 180 180

17. V-Belt 1pc 170 170

18. Pulley 2pc 250 500

Total 12,090

42
TABLE 3.5 FAN EFFICIENCIES

Type of Fan Peak Efficiency Range

Centrifugal Fans
Airfoil, backward curved/inclined 79-83
Modified radial 72-79
Radial 69-75
Pressure Blower 58-68
Forward Curved 60-65
Axial Fan
Vane Axial 78-85
Tube Axial 67-72
Propeller 45-50

Formulas for Design Calculations

Solving for actual density of air, ρa

F 1(F 2)
ρa=
1.2

Where:

F1 = density at certain temperature, ° K

F2 = density at certain height
Ideal density of air = 1.2 kg/m3
* the value of F1 and F2 are based on the graphical data, from Engineering Standard for
process design of fans and blowers.
For main power transmitting shaft, from PSME CODE

43
 D3 N
P=
80
Where:
D = diameter of the shaft
N = Speed of rotation (rpm)

For the power of the machine

From Bernoulli’s Equations
Ps Vs Pd Vd
+ + z= + + Hl+ Ht
γ 2g γ 2g

Where
Ps = static pressure at the suction
Pd = static pressure at the discharge
Vs = velocity head at the suction
Vd = velocity head at the discharge
Z = height of the pipe

γ = specific weight of air

Hl = head loss
Ht = total Head

Calculation for initial power

P = γ QHt

Pi = initial power, hp
Ht = total head
Q = volume flow rate, m3/s

44
Where
Q = AV
A = area of the inlet fan
V = velocity of the air entering

Calculation for power output

P = 2 π NT
Where
N = speed of rotation, rpm
T = torque of the machine, N-mm

Calculation for sensible heat

Q=mc∆T

Where
Q = sensible heat, J
m = mass of the object, kg
c = specific heat of the material, J/kg-℃
∆T = change in temperature, ℃

Thermal Conductivity – Heat Transfer

Rate of Heat transfer through pipes
( 2 πL ) k (Ti−¿)
Q = hiAi(T1-Ti) = ro
ln ⁡( )
ri
Where
Q = rate of heat transfer
hi = heat transfer coefficient, W/m2-K

45
Ai = surface area where the heat transfer takes place, m2
T1 = temperature of the solid surface, K
Ti = initial temperature, K
L = length of the pipe
K = thermal conductivity of the material
To = outside temperature
ro = outside radius of the pipe
ri = inside radius of the pipe

46
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