Lead Performer: GE Global Research, Niskayuna, NY
Partners: N/A
DOE Funding: $1,040,000
Cost Share: $260,001
Project Term: October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2016
Funding Opportunity: Building Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Incubator Technologies (BENEFIT) ‐ 2014 (FOA DE‐FOA‐0001027)

Project Objective

The goal of the program is to design, build, and demonstrate a residential dryer with a high energy factor. The dryer is unique as it uses an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) to remove humidity from the air stream. The project’s outcome will be a potentially revolutionary energy saving technology for clothes drying.

Project Impact

The proposed technology addresses the major inefficiencies in current electric vented dryers. The DOE funding allows investigation of higher-risk, higher-payoff technologies that may not normally be pursued by GE. Given the aggressive, competitive nature of the appliance business, higher risk programs are often put aside, and investment in technology growth is for incremental improvements. The DOE funding is spurring investment into high-risk, high-payoff programs that directly promote growth and energy savings in the United States. The predicted EF of the proposed technology is very high, yielding significant energy savings when compared to conventional electric dryers. Given there are approximately 84 million dryers in the U.S. consuming ~64 billion kWh per year, net savings in excess of 20 billion kWh per year could be realized. In addition, it is envisioned that the proposed ESP, when successful, would find applications in industrial and residential dehumidification.

Contacts

DOE Technology Manager: Tony Bouza
Lead Performer: Stan Weaver, MicroSystems Laboratory, GE Global Research

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