N102-162 TITLE: Shipboard Clothes Dryers, "Green Technology"

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles

OBJECTIVE: Develop a 50-pound (dry weight) capacity, electrically-heated tumbler-dryer, compatible for operations within a U.S. Navy shipboard laundering environment, which does not require external exhausting and venting of air.

DESCRIPTION: The Navy currently outfits ships with tumbler-dryers built to the A-A-59364 CID standard (superseding MIL-T-23480A). This standard includes requirements for exhaust, ducting and lint box/screen integration which might be eliminated by introducing newer, more energy efficient, clothes drying technology.

Existing technology in drying garments on board ship involves constantly drawing in air from the atmosphere surrounding the dryer, heating the air by steam or electrical means, forcing the heated air through a rotating basket, and exhausting this moisture and lint laden air into ventilation ductwork. This equates to 750cfm air displacement, and 54 amps per phase, for each 50-lb dryer in the laundry. Ships laundry spaces are typically located low in the ship, resulting in the need for lengthy exhaust ducting and fans to expel dryer exhaust overboard.

Historically, laundry dryer lint fires have been a major source of shipboard fires. The use of hot air (~180F) results in a significant amount of lint production during the drying cycles. Inevitably, some of this lint is drawn into the ventilation duct work. A ships laundry is an inherently humid environment, and ships are spending deployments in humid geographical areas of the world. Heat, humidity and lengthy runs of ventilation create a high probability for fire.

The desire is to design a 50-lb capacity tumbler-dryer which would operate utilizing more energy efficient "green" technology that might preclude the need for high heat temperatures and exhausting this hot, lint-laden air through lengths of ventilation ductwork. The use of new efficient technologies should reduce degradation of fabrics and result is a decrease in lint production. Less lint means a lower probability for lint fires. Technologies which could eliminate the need for external exhausting and venting of air overboard could allow the reclamation of limited volume on ship for use elsewhere. The current requirement for dedicated dyer exhaust ducting demands considerable shipboard space (cubic volume of exhaust ventilation). The elimination of dryer exhaust ventilation frees up this volume of space for other uses. Less lint production and no dryer exhaust duct work means no lint buildup in dryer ventilation, reducing the fire potential and decreasing manpower expended to clean these dryer exhaust systems.

Any shipboard design would need to be of a modular construction. This will allow the tumbler-dryers to be disassembled pier side and moved into the ship�s laundry space without the need for hull cuts or other large accesses. All modular sections should be designed to fit through a standard 26" shipboard hatch/door.

PHASE I: Study engineering and manufacturing processes to determine drying technologies that would increase drying efficiency, decrease environmental impacts, and be suitable for installation and operation in a U.S. Navy shipboard laundry. The equipment must be developed to meet shipboard (environmental) requirements, and current mechanical and electrical standards. The ideal model would be able to be loaded aboard ship via normal personnel passageways and hatches.

PHASE II: Develop prototypes of selected dryer design for operational testing and evaluation at the production site, followed by shipboard trials which will be arranged by the Navy.
PHASE III: Follow up successful equipment evaluation by requesting Navy assistance for acquisition support, to facilitate Fleet equipment sales and potential (Navy/DoD) shore infrastructure installations.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL: The new dryer design should serve as a catalyst for market entry as industry transitions to environmental and energy saving technology. Assist with technical documentation (e.g., drawings and life cycle support plans) to have the new dryer added to the list of approved shipboard equipment.

REFERENCES:

1. Commercial Item Description A-A-59364 ; Tumbler-Dryer, Laundry, Steam and Electric (Naval Shipboard), 50-pound and 100-pound dry weight capacity.

2. Naval Ship� Technical Manual (NSTM) Chapter 655; Laundry and Dry Cleaning.

3. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Design Criteria Manual for Surface Ships of The United States Navy; NAVSEA0938-LP-018-0010.

KEYWORDS: Ventless, exhaust-free, ductless, heat exchange, closed cycle, dehumidification, tumbler-dryer, clothes dryer, shipboard laundry, modular

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between April 21 and May 19, 2010, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting May 19, 2010, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (10.2 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 10.2 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.