Review of energy saving potential through waste heat recovery from thermal clothes drying processes

Abstract

Washing and drying clothes are essential components of human comfort, playing pivotal roles in public health and social interaction by maintaining personal hygiene. In many commercial laundries, tumble dryers stand out as the most energy-intensive equipment, with a significant portion of this energy dissipating into waste streams due to the absence of a heat recovery system. The aim of this paper is to conduct a literature review on enhancing energy efficiency in the thermal clothes drying process. This includes investigating the actual energy consumption of tumble dryers in commercial laundries and exploring various energy-saving approaches through efficiency analyses, including the utilization of low-cost heat exchangers.