4

- i CHAPTER 4

. SCREENING ANALYSIS

TABLE OF CO NTENTS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 4

- 1

4.2 DISCU SSION OF TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS

................................ ........................... 4

- 1

4.2.1 Screened

- Out Technology Options

................................ ................................ .............. 4

- 1

4.2.2 Remaining Design Options

................................ ................................ .......................... 4

- 4

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.2.1 Retained De sign Options for Residential Clothes Washers

............................... 4

- 44-1 CHAPTER 4. SCREENING ANALYSIS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses the screening analysis conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) of the technology options identified in the market and technology as sessment for

residential clothes washers ( chapter 3 of th is technical support document ( TSD ) )

. In the market and technology assessment, DOE presented an initial list of technology options that can be used to reduce energy consumption of residential clothes washers

. The goal of the screening analysis is to identify any technologies that will be eliminated from further consideration in th e rulemaking analyses.

T he candidate technology options are assessed based on DOE analysis as well as inputs

from stakehol ders including manufacturers, trade organizations, and energy efficiency advocates

. Technology options that are judged to be viable approaches for improving energy efficiency are retained as inputs to the subsequent engineering analysis , and are designated as design options

. Technology options that are not incorporated in residential clothes washer equipment or in working prototypes or that fail to meet certain criteria regarding practicability to manufacture, install and service, impacts on equipment utility or availability, or health or safety will be

eliminated from consideration in accordance with Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Procedures for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards for

Consumer Products

. 61 FR 3 6974 ( July 15, 1996 )

. The rationale for either screening out or retaining each technology option is detailed in the following sections.

4.2 DISCUSSION OF TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS

For residential clothes washers , the screening criteria specified in section 4.1 were

a pplied to the technology options to either retain or eliminate each technology from the engineering analysis

. DOE derived the se by review ing the technology options for residential

clothes washers listed in c hapter 3 of the 1997 Technical Support Document for Clothes Washers (1997 TSD)

. Steam washing and improved horizontal

- axis

- washer drum design were identified in the September 2005 edition of Appliance Magazine

. 1 Silver ion injection was identified in the September 2007 edition of Appliance Magazine. 2 Pl astic particle cleaning was indentified in the September 2008 edition of Appliance Magazine

. 3

4.2.1 Sc reened

- Out Technology Options DOE has included spray rinse and advanced agitator technology options based on comments to the most recent standards rulemaking for

commercial clothes washers

.

The following section detail s the specific technology options that were screened out prior to the engineering analysis, along with the rationale for elimination.4-2 The technologies identified in the market and technology asses sment were evaluated pursuant to the criteria set out in EPCA

. ( 42 U.S.C. 6 291

– 63 09 ) EPCA provides criteria for prescribing new or amended standards, which will achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency t hat t he Secretary of Energy determines is technologically feasible

. (42 U.S.C

. 6 295 ( o )( 2 )(A) ) It also establishes guidelines for determining whether a standard is economically justified

. (42 U.S.C. 6 295 ( o )( 2 )(B) ) In view of the EPCA requirements for determining whether a standard is technologi cally feasible and economically justified, a ppendix A to subpart C of Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations p art 430 (10 CFR p art 430), Procedures, Interpretations and Policies for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer

P roducts (the Process Rule), sets forth procedures to guide DOE in the consideration and promulgation of new or revised product energy conservation standards under EPCA

. These procedures elaborate on the statutory criteria provided in 42 U.S.C. 6 295 and in part eliminate problematic technologies early in the process of revising an energy conservation standard

. Under the guidelines , at the outset of a rulemaking, DOE eliminates from consideration technologies that present unacceptable problems with respect to the following four factors:

(1 ) Technological feasibility

. If it is determined that a technology has not been incorporated in commercial ly available products or in working prototypes, then that technology

will not be considered further.

(2 ) Practicability to manufacture, install, and service

. If it is determined that mass production of a technology in commercial ly available products and reliable installation and servicing of the technology could not be achieved on the scale necessary to serve the relevant market at the time of the effective date of the standard, then that technology will not be

considered further.

(3 ) Impacts on product utility or product availability

. If a technology is determined to have significant adverse impact on the u tility of the equipment to significant subgroups of consumers, or results in the unavailability of any covered equipment type with performance characteristics (including reliability), features, size, capacities, and volumes that are substantially

the same as equipment generally available in the United States at the time, it will not be

considered further.

(4 ) Impacts on Health or Safety

. If it is determined that a technology will have significant adverse impacts on health or safety, it will not be conside red further.

Based on these factors, DOE screened out added insulation, bubble action, electr olyt ic disassociation of water, ozonated laundering, plastic particle cleaning, and ultrasonic washing for

the reasons that follow.4-3 Added insulation As described in chapter 3, adding insulation around the outer wash tub would have an insignificant effect on energy efficiency. Since the wash cycle is relatively short and the thermal mass of the water is very high, there is very little change in water te mperature from adding

insulation. Computer simulations performed on a traditional top

- loading vertical

- axis clothes

washer for a 20

- minute wash cycle at 140 degrees Fahrenheit ( °F ) showed that adding 1 inch of fiberglass insulation relative to no insulatio n resulted in only a 1

– 2 °F increase in water temperature during parts of the wash. 4 Furthermore, as water factor continue s to decrease for residential clothes washers, the potential energy savings due to added insulation also decre ases because of the lowe r quantity of hot water used during warm and hot cycles

. Currently, DOE is unaware of any commercially available products that contain insulation around the outer wash

tub.

Bubble action Although bubble washing has been incorporated into commercial ly available residential clothes washers in Europe and Asia , production is extremely limited and further

commercialization for the U.S. market would require manufacturers to develop entirely new platforms

. Therefore, DOE does not believe that this technology would be practicable to manufacture, install, and service on the scale necessary to serve the relevant market at the time of

the effective date of an amended standard.

Electr olyt ic disassociation of water

Electr olyt ic disassociation of water is in the res earch stage, so DOE believes that it would not be practicable to manufacture, install and service this technology on the scale necessary to

serve the relevant market at the time of the effective date of an amended standard

. Also, because this technology is in the research stage, it is not possible to assess whether it will have any adverse impacts on equipment utility to consumers or equipment availability, or any adverse impacts on consumers' health or safety.

Ozonated laundering Although o zonated launder ing is commercially available for residential clothes washers in extremely limited production in Asia , DOE believes that it would not be practicable to manufacture, install and service this technology on the scale necessary to serve the U.S.

residential cl othes washer market at the time of the effective date of an amended standard

. Also,

because implementation of this technology is so limited , it is not possible to assess whether it will have any adverse impacts on equipment utility to consumers or equipmen t availability, or any adverse impacts on consumers' health or safety.

Plastic particle cleaning Plastic particle cleaning is still in the research stage, so DOE believes that it would not be practicable to manufacture, install and service this technolog y on the scale necessary to serve the

relevant market at the time of the effective date of an amended standard. In addition, the requirements for the potential purchase, handling, reusing, recycling, and/or disposal of the plastic particles are unknown, as is cleaning performance, and therefore the impacts on consumer utility cannot be evaluated.4-4 Ultrasonic washing Ultrasonic washing has been demonstrated in residential clothes washers, but the ultrasonic clothes washer did not adequately remove soil from the clothes and would therefore reduce consumer utility

. In addition, bubble cavitations caused by standing ultrasonic waves could potentially damage some fragile clothing or clothing fasteners, further reducing consumer utility

.

4.2.2 Remaining Design Options

Table 4.2.1 list s the technology options for residential clothes washers that were retained by DOE and subsequently designated as design options

.

Table 4.2.1 Retained Design Options for Residential Clothes Washers

1. Adaptive control systems

2. Advanced agitation concepts for top

- loading machines

3. Automatic water fill control

4. Direct

- drive motor

5. Horizontal

- axis design

6. Horizontal

- axis design with recirculation

7. Hot water circulation loop

8. Improved fill control

9. Improved horizontal

- axis washer drum design

10. Improved water extraction to lower remaining moisture content

11. Increased motor efficiency

12. Low standby

- power electronic controls

13. Reduced thermal mass

14. Silver ion injection

15. Spray rinse or similar water

- reducing rinse technology

16. Thermostatically controlled mixing valves

17. Tighter tub tolerance4-5 REFERENCES

1 Appliance Magazine , September 2005.

2 D. Simpson

. 2007. “ Globalizing Laundry .” Appliance Magazine, September 2007. Available

online at : www.appliancemagazine.com/editorial.php?article=1820&zone=1&first=1 (Accessed March 11, 2010).

3 L. Bonnema. 2008. “Playing with Water,” 61 st Annual Laundry Appliances Report

– Appliance Magazine, September 2008. Available online at : www.appliancemagazine.com/zones/consumer/04_laundry/editorial.php?article= 2055&zone =4&first=1 (Accessed March 11 , 20 10 .)

4 Science Applications Inc. 1977. Energy Efficiency Program for Clothes Washers, Clothes Dryers and Dishwashers , SAI

- 77

- 839, La Jolla, CA

, pp

. 4

– 45.