SBIR Phase I: Development of a Modular Ultrasound Transducer Array for Efficient Washing and Drying of Textiles

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project focuses on the development and qualification of a modular ultrasound transducer used for both cleaning and drying textiles to enhance the energy efficiency, performance, and volume of throughput for commercial laundry systems. The 2022 San Diego Regional Decarbonization Framework’s Technical Report states, “Commercial laundry systems face higher barriers to the adoption of electric options than do residential. Running many large electric dryers, as in a laundromat, could require substantial upgrades to a building’s electrical system if it is transitioning from gas equipment. The slower speed of heat pump dryers is also more of a challenge in throughput-limited commercial laundry systems than in residential applications”. This project aims to produce an easily integrable laundry-specific ultrasound array to support the electrification of the $5.3 billion commercial laundry market. The benefits align with laundry facility operators' needs by reducing energy costs by as much 80% and improving processing times by as much as 50%. The resulting cost savings for facilities helps promote the use of reusable linens and shifts demand from disposables. The intellectual merit of this project includes a demonstration of a robust, highly efficient ultrasound transducer that easily integrates into arrays for use in laundry equipment. State-of-the-art laundry systems rely on mechanical agitation and evaporative drying. Power ultrasound enables efficient energy transfer for the washing and drying processes, reducing energy usage by as much as 80% while increasing linen throughput. The primary deliverable for Phase 1 is a proof of concept for a linen-specific ultrasound transducer array for commercial laundry that performs the task rapidly and significantly reduces energy usage. The proprietary design employed in this work enables a low-cost, durable, and configurable method of integrating ultrasound into commercial laundry processing equipment. These benefits ultimately reduce processing time and energy costs for operators. The key objectives for this project are: 1) manufacturing, refining, and validating the washing subsystem via standardized tests, 2) adding drying functionality to the array and independently validating the drying performance of the fabricated transducers; and 3) verification of the performance of the combined subsystems for both washing and drying, including an evaluation of the energy efficiency and processing time in lab-scale tests. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.