[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 156 (Friday, August 12, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 50145-50148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20604]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 50145]]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket Number EERE-2011-BT-TP-0054]
RIN 1904-AC63
Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Residential
Clothes Dryers
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a test
procedure rulemaking for residential clothes dryers to further
investigate the effects of automatic cycle termination on the energy
efficiency. DOE specifically is seeking information, data, and comments
regarding methods for more accurately measuring the effects of
automatic cycle termination in the residential clothes dryer test
procedure. DOE will address the issues surrounding testing of automatic
cycle termination sensors in this rulemaking prior to the compliance
date of amended energy conservation standards recently adopted for
residential clothes dryers. To the extent required by the statute, DOE
will also address any potential impacts on the amended energy
conservation standards resulting from these test procedure amendments
during the rulemaking process.
DATES: Written comments and information are requested on or before
September 12, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments. Alternatively, interested
persons may submit comments, identified by docket number EERE-2011-BT-
TP-0054 and/or RIN 1904-AC63, by any of the following methods:
E-mail: [email protected]. Include docket
number EERE-2011-BT-TP-0054 and/or RIN 1904-AC63 in the subject line of
the message. Submit electronic comments in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word,
PDF, or ASCII file format and avoid the use of special characters or
any form of encryption.
Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of
Energy, Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202)
586-2945. Please submit one signed original paper copy.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department
of Energy, Building Technologies Program, 950 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., 6th
Floor, Washington, DC 20024. Please submit one signed original paper
copy.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents, or
comments received, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
may be sent to Mr. Stephen Witkowski, U.S. Department of Energy, Office
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies
Program, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: 202-586-7463. E-mail: [email protected].
In the Office of the General Counsel, contact Ms. Elizabeth Kohl,
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW, Room 6A-179,
Washington, DC 20585. Telephone: 202-586-7796; E-mail:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 6, 2011, DOE published in the
Federal Register a final rule for the residential clothes dryer and
room air conditioner test procedure rulemaking (76 FR 972) (January TP
final rule), in which it (1) adopted the provisions for the measurement
of standby mode and off mode power use for those products; and (2)
adopted several amendments to the clothes dryer and room air
conditioner test procedures concerning the active mode for these
products. 76 FR 972 (Jan. 6, 2011). In the January TP final rule, DOE
declined to adopt the amendments to more accurately measure automatic
cycle termination that were originally proposed in the test procedure
supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (June TP SNOPR) (75 FR
37594, 37612-37620 (June 29, 2010)). As further discussed in the
January TP final rule, DOE conducted testing of representative
residential clothes dryers using the automatic cycle termination test
procedure proposed in the June TP SNOPR. The results of the testing
revealed that all of the clothes dryers tested significantly over-dried
the DOE test load to near bone dry and, as a result, the measured
energy factor (EF) values were significantly lower than EF values
obtained using the existing DOE test procedure. The test data also
indicated that clothes dryers equipped with automatic termination
controls would be considered less efficient than timer dryers. 76 FR
977.
As noted in the January TP final rule, DOE believes the test
procedure amendments for automatic cycle termination proposed in the
June TP SNOPR do not adequately measure the energy consumption of
clothes dryers equipped with such systems using the test load specified
in the DOE test procedure. DOE believes that clothes dryers with
automatic termination sensing control systems, which infer the
remaining moisture content (RMC) of the load from the properties of the
exhaust air such as temperature and humidity, may be designed
differently than the procedures in the June TP SNOPR considered.
Specifically, DOE believes these types of dryers are designed to stop
the cycle when the consumer load has a higher RMC than the RMC obtained
using the proposed automatic cycle termination test procedure in
conjunction with the existing test load. However, in considering
whether other test loads would be appropriate to incorporate into the
DOE test procedure to produce both representative and repeatable test
results, DOE notes that manufacturers have also indicated that test
load types and test cloth materials different than those specified in
the DOE test procedure do not produce results as repeatable as those
obtained using the test load as currently specified. 76 FR 977.
In support of its test procedure rulemaking, DOE conducts in-depth
technical analyses of publicly available test standards and other
relevant information. DOE continually seeks data and public input to
improve its testing methodologies to more accurately reflect consumer
use. In general, DOE is requesting comment and supporting
[[Page 50146]]
data regarding methods for more accurately measuring the effects of
automatic cycle termination. Additionally, DOE seeks comment and
information on the specific topics below:
Test Load Characteristics
DOE notes that the current test procedure specifies that tests be
conducted using a cotton momie test cloths that are each 24 inches by
36 inches in dimensions and are a blend of 50-percent cotton and 50-
percent polyester. DOE recognizes that this test load may not be
representative of real-world laundry loads dried by consumers and that
manufacturers may be designing their automatic cycle termination
control systems to achieve higher final moisture contents closer to 5-
percent RMC when drying real-world laundry loads even though the same
drying process conducted with the DOE test cloth would result in a much
lower RMC. However, DOE also notes that manufacturers have indicated
that test load types and test cloth materials different than those
specified in the DOE test procedure do not produce results as
repeatable as those obtained using the test load as currently
specified. DOE has requested information on the characteristics of
real-world laundry loads dried by consumers from a laundry detergent
manufacturer that develops a significant amount of consumer usage data,
but has not yet received any such data.
DOE notes that the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
(AHAM) clothes dryer test standard HLD-1-2009, ``Household Tumble Type
Clothes Dryers,'' and the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC) test standard 61121, ``Tumble dryers for household use--Methods
for measuring the performance,'' Edition 3 (2005) both specify a test
load consisting of cotton bed sheets, towels, and pillowcases. As noted
in the January TP final rule, DOE believes that clothes dryers with
automatic termination sensing control systems, which infer the RMC of
the load from the properties of the exhaust air such as temperature and
humidity, may be designed to stop the cycle when the consumer load has
a higher RMC than the RMC obtained using the automatic cycle
termination test procedure proposed in the June TP SNOPR in conjunction
with the existing test load. To investigate this, DOE conducted limited
additional testing using a test load similar to that specified in AHAM
Standard HLD-1-2009. For tests on two clothes dryers using the same
automatic cycle termination settings (i.e., normal cycle setting and
highest temperature setting), the alternate test load was dried to 1.7
to 2.2 percent final RMC, with an average RMC of 2.0 percent. In
comparison, the same clothes dryer under the same cycle settings dried
the DOE test load to 0.3 to 1.2 percent RMC, with an average RMC of 0.7
percent.
DOE requests consumer usage data on the characteristics of
laundry loads dried by consumers, including material (i.e., cotton,
polyester, etc.), type (i.e., t-shirts, towels, bed sheets, jeans,
etc.), and quantity.
DOE seeks comment on its limited testing comparing the
current DOE test load to one similar to the AHAM and IEC test standard
loads, described above. DOE also requests information and test data
comparing the measured energy use of different test loads, including
the AHAM and IEC test standard loads, to the DOE test load using the
same automatic cycle termination settings. Please indicate the cycle
settings used when providing data (when possible use the ``normal''
cycle or the cycle recommended by manufacturers for drying cotton or
linen clothes). Please also indicate the type of sensor technology used
for the clothes dryers under test (e.g., temperature sensors or
moisture sensors) and the starting and final moisture content of the
test load (when possible use the starting moisture content of 57.5
percent with an 8.45 pound (lb) test load for standard size dryers and
3.00 lb test load for compact dryers).
DOE requests test data on the repeatability of alternate
test loads using automatic cycle termination, including those specified
in the AHAM test standard HLD-1-2009 and other real-world loads.
Accuracy of Different Automatic Cycle Termination Sensors and Controls
DOE recognizes that different automatic cycle termination sensor
technologies and control strategies may measure the remaining moisture
content in a laundry load during the drying cycle to varying accuracy.
However, through DOE's testing conducted for the January TP final rule
using the DOE test cloth, shown in the table below, DOE was unable to
determine whether certain sensor technologies more accurately measure
the moisture content of the laundry load during the drying cycle (i.e.,
DOE was unable to distinguish between sensor technologies).
Table 1--DOE Clothes Dryer Automatic Cycle Termination Tests (Table III.8 in Final Rule Notice With Sensor
Technology Identified)
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Current DOE June TP SNOPR automatic cycle
test termination procedure
Current DOE procedure w/--------------------------------------
Test unit Sensor test modified
technology procedure field use Percent Final RMC
EF lb/kWh * factor ** EF lb/kWh change (percent)
EF lb/kWh
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Vented Electric Standard:
Unit 3................... Moisture + Temp. 3.20 2.82 2.59 -19.1 1.0
Unit 4................... Temperature..... 3.28 2.89 2.59 -21.2 0.6
Vented Gas:
Unit 8................... Temperature..... 2.83 2.50 2.42 -14.5 0.4
Unit 9................... Temperature..... 2.85 2.51 2.38 -16.3 0.9
Unit 11.................. Moisture + Temp. 2.98 2.63 2.40 -19.5 0.9
Vented Electric Compact 240V:
Unit 12.................. Moisture + Temp. 3.19 2.81 2.64 -17.3 0.5
Unit 13.................. Temperature..... 2.93 2.59 2.27 -22.7 1.4
Vented Electric Compact 120V:
Unit 14.................. Moisture + Temp. 3.23 2.85 1.98 -38.8 0.7
Ventless Electric Compact
240V:
[[Page 50147]]
Unit 15.................. Moisture + Temp. 2.37 2.09 2.07 -12.4 1.1
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* Tests use the appropriate field use factor of 1.04 for clothes dryers with automatic termination.
** Field use factor changed from the nominal 1.04 for clothes dryers with automatic termination to 1.18, which
is normally for timer dryers.
DOE requests information and data on the accuracy of
different sensor technologies and control strategies (e.g., temperature
sensors, moisture sensors, or a combination of both) in their ability
to measure the remaining moisture content of the laundry load. Please
indicate the cycle settings used when providing data (when possible use
the ``normal'' cycle or the cycle recommended by manufacturers for
drying cotton or linen clothes). Please also indicate the type of
sensor technology used for the clothes dryers under test (e.g.,
temperature sensors or moisture sensors) and the starting and final
moisture content of the test load (when possible use the starting
moisture content of 57.5 percent with an 8.45 pound (lb) test load for
standard size dryers and 3.00 lb test load for compact dryers).
DOE requests data on the target RMC used by manufacturers
when designing and programming automatic cycle termination controls
that maintains consumer satisfaction. DOE also requests information on
how the target RMC varies by clothes dryer capacity. As noted in the
table above, the final measured RMC from testing of DOE's sample ranged
from 0.4 percent to 1.4 percent, with an average of 0.8 percent.
Water Conditions
DOE notes that the IEC is currently revising its test standard for
clothes dryers, that is, IEC Standard 61121. As part of its revised
draft, the IEC notes that the characteristics of the water used for
wetting the test load prior to the test, particularly the conductivity,
can have a large influence on test results when testing automatic cycle
termination clothes dryers with moisture sensors. Clothes dryers with
moisture sensors use conductivity sensor bars to determine the amount
of moisture in the load when the load comes in contact with the
sensors. The following table provides the characteristics of either
soft or hard water to be used for appliance testing under IEC Standard
61121.
Table 2--Composition of Soft and Hard Water for Appliance Testing
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Water type
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Property Unit Standard soft Standard hard
water water
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Total hardness................................ mmol/l (Ca\2+\/Mg\2+\).......... 0.50 0.20 minus> 0.20
Conductivity (at 20 [deg]C)................... [micro]S/cm..................... 150 50 minus> 150
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DOE is not aware of any data regarding the effects of conductivity
of the water used to wet the test load on the measured efficiency.
DOE requests information and data on the effects of
conductivity of the water supply used to wet the test load prior to
drying cycle tests on the measured efficiency using automatic cycle
termination. In particular, DOE requests data on the effects of using
unaltered water supplies versus water supplies adjusted to meet the
specifications in the draft version of IEC 61121. Please indicate the
cycle settings used when providing data (when possible use the
``normal'' cycle or the cycle recommended by manufacturers for drying
cotton or linen clothes). Please also indicate the type of sensor
technology used for the clothes dryers under test (e.g., temperature
sensors or moisture sensors) and the starting and final moisture
content of the test load (when possible use the starting moisture
content of 57.5 percent with an 8.45 pound (lb) test load for standard
size dryers and 3.00 lb test load for compact dryers).
DOE requests data on any potential burden associated with
requirements for and adjustments to the water supply used for wetting
the test load.
Cycle Settings--ECOS Test Results
DOE notes that ECOS Consulting (ECOS) conducted a testing program
for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to evaluate clothes
dryer automatic cycle termination.\1\ (The ECOS report stated that the
difference between a standard clothes dryer and one that is effective
at turning itself off when clothes are actually dry is about 0.76
kilowatt-hours (kWh) per load (5,000 kWh over typical lifetime). The
ECOS report also stated that automatic termination cycles using lower
heat settings or lower dryness level reduce energy consumption and
increase efficiency because less energy is spent heating air, cloth,
and metal. The ECOS report summarized testing results for one clothes
dryer that showed that the difference in energy consumption between the
highest and lowest heat settings was 13 percent and that the drying
time increased (from 35 to 49 minutes), but very similar final RMCs
were achieved.
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\1\ NRDC, No. 30 at pp. 1-40. Public comment submitted in docket
number EERE-2007-BT-STD-0010.
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DOE requests information and data on consumer usage habits
regarding cycles selected for drying. In your responses, please be
specific by indicating general cycle settings, temperature settings,
and dryness level settings used by consumers.
[[Page 50148]]
DOE requests additional information and data on the
effects of using different automatic cycle termination settings. When
providing test results, please also indicate the type of sensor
technology used for the clothes dryers under test (e.g., temperature
sensors or moisture sensors) and the starting and final moisture
content of the test load (when possible use the starting moisture
content of 57.5 percent with an 8.45 pound (lb) test load for standard
size dryers and 3.00 lb test load for compact dryers).
DOE requests comments on methodology for accounting for
various cycle setting options in the DOE test procedure. In particular,
if interested parties believe that DOE should test multiple cycles,
please provide consumer usage data on the percentage of drying cycles
that consumers use for each automatic cycle termination setting.
DOE also requests comment on the additional testing burden
associated with a requirement to measure multiple cycle settings.
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 9, 2011.
Roland J. Risser,
Program Manager, Building Technologies Program, Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2011-20604 Filed 8-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P