The transverse motion of fabrics in domestic tumble dryers under different drying conditions. Issue 1 (11th March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yu, Xinchen; Ding, Xuemei
• Is Part Of: Drying technology. Volume 39:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 35
• Page End: 51
• Publication Date: 2021-03-11
• Subjects: Transverse motion -- fabric drying -- heat and mass transfer -- domestic tumble dryer -- high-speed detection system; Drying -- Periodicals; Desiccation; 660.28426
• DOI: 10.1080/07373937.2019.1693398
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0737-3937

Abstract

Abstract: The transverse motion of fabrics in domestic tumble dryers plays an important role in fabric heat and mass transfer using hot air. However, owing to a lack of effective and accurate experimental methods, little attention has been paid to this dynamic behavior. This paper describes how a high-speed detection system was utilized to track a tracer fabric dyed yellow as it was tumbled amongst other fabrics under different drying conditions, with the aim of identifying transverse fabric motion in a domestic tumble dryer. The experimental results demonstrate that fabric motion is complicated and can be affected by the size of fabrics as well as by drying load mass. Most fabrics inhabited two main regions, the bulk region and the disperse region. Increasing the size of the disperse region, where fabrics are projected into the air by the motion of the rotary drum, also expands the contact area between the fabric and the surrounding air, and augments the mixing motions of textiles. This contributes positively to the mass and heat transfer, and to the prevention of wrinkling. A higher drying efficiency together with a better smoothness appearance was observed with a fabric size of 80 cm × 80 cm and a mass of 3 kg. The high-speed detection system identified that specific ranges of fabric size and load mass led to increased fabric mixing and air-fabric contact.