Abstract: A blower assembly for an appliance defines a radial direction, a circumferential direction, and an axial direction. The blower assembly includes a motor, a housing, and an impeller. The housing has a front wall and a rear wall defining a volute with the impeller positioned therein. The impeller is mechanically coupled to the motor for rotating to direct a primary airflow into a primary airflow inlet of the housing and throughout the appliance. Further, the impeller includes a hub wall and a shroud wall. The should wall is spaced apart from the front wall of the housing along the axial direction to define a gap through which a secondary airflow can pass. An inner edge of the shroud wall has a shroud feature that causes the secondary airflow to align with the primary airflow entering the primary airflow inlet so as to minimize turbulence.

Abstract: An airflow system for a laundry appliance is provided. The laundry appliance has a cabinet for receiving one or more articles for washing or drying. The airflow system includes a duct assembly, a heat exchanger, and a blower assembly. The duct assembly defines an airflow path between an air inlet for receiving air from the cabinet and an air outlet for returning air into the cabinet. The heat exchanger is disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet. The blower assembly directs airflow along the airflow path. Further, during operation of the laundry appliance, the blower assembly directs the airflow through the air outlet, across the heat exchanger, through the air inlet, and back into the cabinet.

Abstract: A laundry treatment appliance includes a cabinet; a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet; a sealed system; a duct system; a blower fan capable of operating at variable rotational speeds; and a controller configured to perform an operation. The operation includes directing the blower fan at a preliminary rotational speed; determining a condensation capacity of the sealed system with regards to the process air in the duct system; determining a mass flow rate of moisture in the process air while directing the blower fan at the preliminary rotational speed; determining a target rotational speed of the blower fan corresponding to a set ratio of the determined condensation capacity to the determined mass flow rate; and directing the blower fan at the determined target rotational speed.

Abstract: A laundry appliance includes a cabinet defining an interior volume with a housing mounted within the interior volume of the cabinet. An air filter is positioned in the housing. The air filter may be positioned upstream of a heating system of the laundry appliance. The laundry appliance also includes a drain path extending through the housing.

Abstract: A heat pump appliance may include a cabinet, a sealed thermodynamic assembly, a blower fan, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The sealed thermodynamic assembly may include a fluid compressor, an evaporator, and a condenser disposed along the air path. The temperature sensor may be mounted to the evaporator to detect temperature at the evaporator. The controller may be configured to direct a drying operation. The drying operation may include activating the fluid compressor to motivate a refrigerant through the sealed thermodynamic assembly, activating the blower fan to motivate the airflow across the condenser, directing the fluid compressor to an inactive state following activating the blower fan, detecting an evaporator temperature at the temperature sensor while the fluid compressor is in the inactive state following activating the blower fan, and adjusting activation of the blower fan based on the detected evaporator temperature.

Abstract: A laundry appliance includes a cabinet with a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet. The drum includes a chamber for receipt of articles for drying. The laundry appliance also includes a sealed system configured to heat and remove moisture from process air flowing therethrough. The sealed system includes a multi-pass heat exchanger and a refrigerant splitter upstream of the multi-pass heat exchanger. The refrigerant splitter is configured to direct a flow of refrigerant generally along a vertical direction and/or against the force of gravity.

Abstract: A laundry appliance uses a determination of a frequency of compressor temperature response, refrigerant mass flow rate, or both to determine accumulation of lint in a filter. Based on the determination, various corrective actions can be taken including notifying the user, shutting off the appliance, initiating an automatic cleaning sequence for one or more lint filters, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A dryer appliance, a controller, and a method for operation are provided. The controller is configured to execute steps of a method including receiving an input indicative of a drying cycle end time; determining a moisture extraction rate based at least in part on the received input indicative of drying cycle end time, the moisture extraction rate indicative of a rate at which moisture is removed from articles within a chamber of the dryer appliance; determining a rate of change of moisture extraction rate corresponding to the drying cycle end time; and adjusting a condensation rate based at least on the rate of change of moisture extraction rate and the received input indicative of the drying cycle end time.

Abstract: A laundry appliance uses a determination of volumetric airflow rate after a steady state condition is reached to determine the accumulation of lint in filter. Based on the determination, various actions can be taken including notifying the user, shutting off the appliance, initiating an automatic cleaning sequence for one or more lint filters, and combinations thereof. One or more temperature sensors, relative humidity sensors, and weight sensors are used to provide measurements for determining the volumetric airflow rate.

Abstract: A laundry appliance is configured for and/or methods of operating a laundry appliance include determining a load size of articles to be dried in the laundry appliance and determining a load type of the articles to be dried in the laundry appliance. A termination criterion for a dry operation of the laundry appliance is determined based on the load size and the load type. The laundry appliance is further configured for and/or the method further includes performing the dry operation in the laundry appliance. The dry operation is terminated when the termination criterion is reached.

Abstract: A laundry appliance includes a cabinet and a tub mounted within an interior volume of the cabinet. A laundry basket is rotatably mounted within the tub. The laundry basket defines a chamber for the receipt of articles for treatment. The laundry appliance also includes a heating system coupled to the tub. The heating system is in thermal communication with the chamber such that heated air flows from the heating system to the chamber. The laundry appliance further includes a controller. The controller may be configured for, and methods of operating the appliance may include, providing a flow of a liquid into a tub of the laundry appliance, rotating a laundry basket within the tub after providing the flow of the liquid into the tub, and activating the heating system of the laundry appliance during at least a portion of the step of rotating the laundry basket.

Abstract: A method of operating a laundry appliance in a drying cycle includes motivating a flow of process air from a drum of the laundry appliance across an evaporator of a sealed system. Refrigerant in the evaporator of the sealed system absorbs heat from the flow of process air and the refrigerant circulates through the sealed system. The method also includes receiving, by a controller of the laundry appliance, an input indicative of a characteristic of the sealed system. The method further includes determining, by the controller, a dryness level of articles in the drum of the laundry appliance based on the received input indicative of the characteristic of the sealed system.

Abstract: A laundry appliance uses a determination of a frequency of compressor temperature response, refrigerant mass flow rate, or both to determine accumulation of lint in a filter. Based on the determination, various corrective actions can be taken including notifying the user, shutting off the appliance, initiating an automatic cleaning sequence for one or more lint filters, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A laundry appliance uses a determination of volumetric airflow rate after a steady state condition is reached to determine the accumulation of lint in filter. Based on the determination, various actions can be taken including notifying the user, shutting off the appliance, initiating an automatic cleaning sequence for one or more lint filters, and combinations thereof. One or more temperature sensors, relative humidity sensors, and weight sensors are used to provide measurements for determining the volumetric airflow rate.

Abstract: A dryer appliance includes a cabinet. A drum is disposed within the cabinet. The drum is mounted such that the drum is fixed relative to the cabinet. The drum defines a length between a first end portion of the drum and a second end portion of the drum. The dryer appliance also includes an air duct and a fan. The air duct is coupled to the fan. The air duct has an outlet positioned at a bottom portion of the drum. The fan is operable to urge a flow of air through the air duct and into the drum at the outlet of the air duct.

Abstract: A dryer appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, the dryer appliance includes a drum rotatably mounted within a cabinet. The drum defines a chamber that is in fluid communication with a conditioning system of the dryer appliance. The conditioning system heats air circulating therethrough and removes water from the process air. A collection tank collects the water and a drain pump removes water from the collection tank intermittently when the water reaches a predetermined level. The frequency at which the drain pump removes water from the collection tank is utilized to determine the moisture extraction rate indicative of the rate at which moisture is removed from the clothes. The moisture extraction rate is utilized to control the mass flow rate of refrigerant in a heat pump sealed system or the process air flow rate through the closed loop air circuit.

Abstract: A method of operating a laundry appliance in a drying cycle includes motivating a flow of process air from a drum of the laundry appliance across an evaporator of a sealed system. Refrigerant in the evaporator of the sealed system absorbs heat from the flow of process air and the refrigerant circulates through the sealed system. The method also includes receiving, by a controller of the laundry appliance, an input indicative of a characteristic of the sealed system. The method further includes determining, by the controller, a dryness level of articles in the drum of the laundry appliance based on the received input indicative of the characteristic of the sealed system.

Abstract: A dryer appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, the dryer appliance includes a drum rotatably mounted within a cabinet. The drum defines a chamber that is in fluid communication with a conditioning system of the dryer appliance. The conditioning system heats air circulating therethrough. A variable speed blower fan is provided to circulate air between the conditioning system and the chamber. A sensor is positioned at or proximate a drum exit of the drum. A controller of the dryer appliance receives an input indicative of the relative humidity of the air at the drum exit. Based on the received input, the controller determines a control command. The control command can be routed to a blower fan motor operable to drive the blower fan. The blower fan motor receives the control command and adjusts a flow rate of the air exiting the drum exit.

Abstract: A dryer appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, the dryer appliance includes a drum rotatably mounted within a cabinet. The drum defines a chamber that is in fluid communication with a conditioning system of the dryer appliance. The conditioning system heats air circulating therethrough and removes water from the process air. A collection tank collects the water and a drain pump removes water from the collection tank intermittently when the water reaches a predetermined level. The frequency at which the drain pump removes water from the collection tank is utilized to determine the moisture extraction rate indicative of the rate at which moisture is removed from the clothes. The moisture extraction rate is utilized to control the mass flow rate of refrigerant in a heat pump sealed system or the process air flow rate through the closed loop air circuit.

Abstract: A dryer appliance and a method of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, the dryer appliance includes a drum rotatably mounted within a cabinet. The drum defines a chamber that is in fluid communication with a conditioning system of the dryer appliance. The conditioning system heats air circulating therethrough. A variable speed blower fan is provided to circulate air between the conditioning system and the chamber. A sensor is positioned at or proximate a drum exit of the drum. A controller of the dryer appliance receives an input indicative of the relative humidity of the air at the drum exit. Based on the received input, the controller determines a control command. The control command can be routed to a blower fan motor operable to drive the blower fan. The blower fan motor receives the control command and adjusts a flow rate of the air exiting the drum exit.