Modelling and experimentation for the fabric-drying process in domestic dryers

Theoretical analysis of the physical drying process occurring inside the household electric tumbler cloth-dryer is performed to determine various thermo-physical parameters affecting the energy consumption and for the development of a simulation model. Experiments are conducted on a test set-up based on a compact tumble-dryer to measure the values of parameters necessary for evaluating the performance. Three widely-accepted economy standards are considered for comparison of simulation and experimental results. Simulation results are in fair agreement with experimental data. An empirical correlation for the specific moisture-extraction rate (SMER) is developed to translate energy consumption information from one standard to the other. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.