Samsung's next-gen clothes dryer project to get support from US DOE
Samsung Electronics' Bespoke artificial intelligence washer and dryer / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics’ research project on its next-generation clothes dryer will get support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the company said Thursday.
According to Samsung Electronics, it will collaborate with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and University of South Carolina’s Department of Chemical Engineering for the project on developing an advanced desiccant clothes dryer with a heat recovery system.
The three organizations will receive $1.2 million in funding from the DOE over the next two years and will contribute an additional $1.2 million, bringing the total research budget to $2.4 million.
The project aims to develop technology that applies desiccants, a high-functioning moisture absorbing substance, to clothes dryers to significantly reduce energy consumption.
Through the project, the organizations aim to cut the power consumption of dryers to about 35 percent of that used by conventional vented dryers, while maintaining comparable drying performance.
Vented dryers are popular in the North American market because they vent moist air directly outdoors, allowing for shorter drying times. However, their low energy efficiency makes them difficult to operate on the U.S. 120-volt system, often requiring voltage upgrades as well as additional duct work.
If the next generation dryer becomes commercially available, it would be able to run on a 120-volt power supply without the need for external ducting, making it suitable for a wide range of housing types.
Samsung Electronics said it plans to apply research findings to its new dryers and washers.
“The research project is a practical opportunity to bring innovative energy saving technologies to deliver real value to customers,” Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President Moon Jong-seung said.
“Our goal is to expand home appliances that offer more sustainable everyday living through collaboration with global research institutions.”