Home Appliances

Airflow Sciences Corporation has worked with several of the major U.S. appliance manufacturers to study flow patterns in their products.

Air flow and temperature distribution are critical to the proper functioning of household appliances. The transfer of heat and moisture comes into play in such items as toasters, ovens, ranges, and clothes dryers.

We have worked on a variety of home appliances including:

• Clothes Dryers
• Gas Ovens
• Electric Ovens
• Stovetop Burners
• Refrigerators/Freezers
• Water Purification Units
• Vacuum Cleaners

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Example: CFD Model of Home Clothes Dryer

A computational model of a dryer was created of the rotating drum, along with the inlet ductwork, exhaust ductwork, and fan. One of the strengths of flow simulation is the ability to examine the aggregate effect of many components used in combination. Visualization of the computed flow velocities and directions is possible for any plane within the model. Some features of the flow geometry that were thought to be a concern were shown to actually work well, so attention could be given instead to those areas where improvement would be possible.

 

Examination of the flow patterns revealed other specific areas where a design modification could increase the effectiveness of the dryer.

Several such modifications were examined through computational simulations to arrive at those that would produce the best results while meeting manufacturability constraints. The final design avoids unnecessary pressure losses, thereby ensuring sufficient air flow through the dryer over a broader range of operating conditions.