Design Optimization of Mechanical Valves in Dishwashers Based on the Minimization of Pressure Losses

Abstract

Energy savings, albeit very small, are of great importance for devices whose use has become indispensable. In this study, an optimization based on sustainability and energy saving was aimed at designing the valve used in a white goods company's mass production of dishwashers. One significant factor that affects the overall efficiency of a dishwasher is pressure loss within the mechanical valve system. By optimizing the system, it is possible to minimize pressure loss and increase overall efficiency. To this end, 4th-order Bézier curves, which are used to model the blades of the impeller, were obtained using MATLAB R2023a software. Using Bézier curves, solid models of impellers with different blade profiles and numbers were created with SOLIDWORKS 2021 software. Fifty different models with six different blade numbers and five different materials were considered. In the numerical analyses, pressure losses were determined using ANSYS Fluent 2023R2 software. In addition to numerical analysis, blades were produced using the additive manufacturing method, and outlet pressures were measured experimentally. The experimental results were compared with the computational fluid dynamics analysis findings to evaluate the performance of different impeller designs. To determine the optimal design, the design of experiments and response optimizer approaches are applied, which enables the systematic evaluation of different design parameters. Furthermore, using numerical results, an artificial neural network model was created, and efficiency was predicted for the optimum parameters. Experimental and numerical results show that the optimum blade design enables the least pressure loss.