Optimization of an efficient and environmentally friendly drying program for cotton textiles in clothes dryers

Abstract

Motivated by the imperative need to mitigate the environmental burden imposed by substantial energy consumption in clothes drying, this study hypothesizes that implementing a staged drying program, which dynamically adjusts parameters in accordance with the varying temperature and humidity demands throughout the drying process, can significantly enhance energy efficiency, minimize fabric damage, and reduce the overall environmental footprint of cotton textile drying in domestic clothes dryers. To identify key parameters in each drying stage, a thorough analysis of the time-variability and stage characteristics of the drying process was conducted. Thus, an efficient experiment design was implemented to balance the heater power, relative humidity dividing points between adjacent stages and air circulation. Results indicated that a staged drying program, utilizing the temperature and humidity characteristics of each drying stage, consumed less electricity during tumble-drying. Specifically, energy consumption was reduced by approximately one-third compared to the original program. Fabric smoothness improved by 1.0 grade, and over-drying is efficiently prevented. Furthermore, the environmental and economic impacts were reduced by applying the optimized program. Assuming a total usage of 1000 times for a dryer and an average drying load size of 3.5 kg per drying cycle, employing the optimized program can result in a reduction of 148 kg in CO2 emissions and a savings of $26 throughout the dryer’s entire lifespan. This finding provides insights for dryer manufacturers to optimize drying procedures based on cloth types, and it will significantly reduce the environmental impact of drying machines.