Modeling of a new recuperative thermoelectric cycle for a tumble dryer

Convection tumble dryers, employed with compression heat pumps, raise questions about the environmental friendliness of refrigerants utilized in the process. An attractive alternative to substitute these conventional systems is thermoelectric heat pumps which operate reliably, silently, and without using a harmful refrigerant. A new cycle that combines thermoelectric heat pumping with a recuperating heat exchanger is introduced. To evaluate the performance of such a dryer, a comprehensive model was developed, taking into account temperature dependent materials properties, contact resistances as well as thermal and electrical resistances. The model was validated on experimental data of a prototype thermoelectric heat exchanger. Modeling results show that thermoelectric heat-pumping-based convection tumble dryers are a promising technology. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.