Appliances Neutral drain function in washing machines

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the neutral drain function of Whirlpool/Kenmore direct drive washers, which is a phase where the washer pumps out water without spinning or agitating. The mechanism behind this function is not immediately clear, even after disassembling and reassembling the gear case. Observations indicate that the direction of the shaft's rotation changes between agitation and spinning, but the implementation of neutral draining remains elusive. Online resources suggest that pauses in motor rotation control the activation and deactivation of neutral draining, raising questions about how a mechanical device can respond so adaptively. The possibility of a centrifugal clutch being involved in this process is mentioned as a potential explanation.
Stephen Tashi
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Education Advisor
Messages
7,864
Reaction score
1,602
TL;DR Summary
Is there a animation showing how the gear case in a Whirlpool/Kenmore direct drive washer implements neutral draining?
It would be interesting to me (but not essential) to see a visual explanation of how the gear case in a Whilepool/Kenmore direct drive washer implements the neutral drain function. The neutral drain function is a period of time when the washer is pumping out water but not spinning or agitating. I've disassembled and reassembled a Kenmore direct drive gear case guided by the detailed video

I can see (first hand) how changing the direction of rotation of the shaft switches from agitation to spinning. But I don't see how it implements neutral draining. Articles on the web say that a pause in the motor rotation activates and deactivates the neutral draining. It's hard to see how a purely mechanical device can react so flexibly to pauses.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Centrifugal clutch ??
 
Some time ago I posted this Raspberry PI DIY Mass Spec using Raman Scattering. It's was something of a cumbersome project though, needing a 3D printer and special heat-resistant plastic giving of carcinogenic fumes during printing. To be blunt it was also not very mobile and interpreting the results was further cumbersome Recently though, I've been told that Arduino, and it's various sensor packages, has matured to the point where it's a usable alternative. Now I realize that a cigarette...
Thread 'Nonlinear rubberband type thing - "k" dropping fast as it is stretched'
What materials can I try in order to get a curve of displacement versus force that looks somewhat like this.. (of course, there would be a small kink around the origin where the ends of the rubberband are closer together than its length, which is not shown here). I am looking for something that will last at least 100 stretch cycles and is not messy, so for example liquid based colloidal stuff won't be suitable. Is there something one can whip up using silicone and some additive, say? Or...
Back
Top