Design Methods &

Communication
18WSC401

Philip Yeung
B525185
Design Brief
Given Brief
Domestic and Leisure - Design a household item
that will enable the extension of domestic or
leisure life style to the road/countryside.

Defined Brief
Design a portable drying device for wild camping
and mountaineering activities in bad weather.
 Primary User
Research
I spent 2 months wild camping and hiking
around the whole Scotland during last
summer and I spoke to many mountaineers
and wild campers during my trip to find out
problems they face during their outdoor
adventures. All of them agree that drying wet
items outdoor is one of the biggest problems
they have specially during bad weather. There
aren’t any products in the market that can
solve this problem effectively.
 6%

28%
Survey Summary 28%

72%
How often do you go wild camping?
67%
Have you ever been caught in bad weather
during wild camping?
Gender:

Survey results were collected from 18

(In a Year)
individuals with wild camping experiences,
Age: most of them are from Loughborough
mountaineering club. According to the data,
17% 100% of wild campers have been caught in bad
weather and 61% of them did not manage to
keep everything dry throughout their trips. The
61% 22%
top 3 most difficult items to dry are walking
boots, gloves and socks and the most common
approaches to dry them are to hang them
inside the tent overnight or just bring spare
Did you manage to keep everything dry clothes.
throughout your trip?

Items wild campers find difficult to dry: What is your approach to dry wet items?
Just wear them wet!

Just accept it…

83% 33% 44% 6% 8%
Abandon camping! Go back to
car and find somewhere dry!

Place inside sleeping

bag during my sleep!
 Identify Problems
Items wild campers find difficult to dry:
17%

61% 22% 83% 33% 44% 6% 8%

Did you manage to keep

everything dry throughout your
trip?

Drying wet hiking boots, socks and gloves are the biggest problem
currently faced by wild campers and mountaineers.

Drysure developed a boot dryer that doesn’t require electricity or heat. It

uses silica gel beads to absorb moisture from wet boots.

There aren’t any portable drying device in the market for drying wet socks and
gloves. Therefore, I am going to design a portable socks and gloves drying device.

Frostbite Blister Wrinkly Feet Wrinkly Hands

 Ideas Generation

Different ways of drying wet items

I researched into ways to dry wet items and created a
mind map. Heat is the most common way to dry wet items
but it is difficult to harvest heat energy in bad weather as
there won’t be direct sunlight and woods would be too
wet for camp fire. Using forces, wind and desiccant seems
to be the most reasonable drying method.
Existing Product Analysis

Summary
Most of the portable drying
devices on the market are
designed for campsite use as
they require electricity and they
are too bulky to carry around
without a car.

There are products out there for

drying wet boots and compact
clothesline for hanging wet
items up on a sunny day.

There aren’t any products in the

market that can effectively dry
wet items without the use of
electricity or the sun during
extended hikes and wild
camping.
 Existing Product Study
Portable Shoe Dryer

Drysure is a non-heated and non-

electric portable shoe/boot dryer
designed for ski boots, trainers, hiking
boots, etc. It is designed to absorb up
to 10 days of sweat/moisture before
they need reactivating. I chose this
product for further investigation as it is
the only non-electric and weather
independent portable drying device
out of all the products in my existing
product analysis from previous page.

£24.95 - 29.95 Pros Cons

Ways to reactivate the dryer:
•Put them on a warm radiator • Does not require heat or
• Leave them in direct sunlight electricity.
• Remove the outer shell and put the bead bags on the • 12x more effective than air
middle shelf in the oven at 100ºC (212ºF) for 1-2 hours. drying.
• Can be reuse after reactivating
on a warm radiator or direct
sunlight or in the oven.
• Can be used in any weather
conditions.
• Needs to place inside a PVC
pouch when not using to
stop dryer absorbing
moisture from air.
• Does not dry soaking wet
shoes/boots.
• Only dry shoes & boots but
nothing else.
• No clear indication of when
reactivation is required.
The Science of Drying
Clothes
Evaporation - turning the liquid water in your
clothes into a vapor (gas) and then getting rid of
it.

Outdoor Drying – using energy from the sun and

wind to evaporate and disperse water in wet
clothes.

Indoor Drying – using tumble dryer or

dehumidifier or Radiator to remove water in wet
clothes.
 What is your approach to dry wet items?
Drying Experiment
Temperature & humidity inside the tent

According to my survey, 44% of wild

campers hang their wet clothes inside
their tents overnight. The purpose of
this experiment is to work out the
effectiveness of drying wet items inside
a tent while wild camping. This
experiment was done in Wales on a
rainy weekend.

Wet towel I hung up a wet quick dry t-shirt, cotton

t-shirt, gloves, scarf, socks and towel
inside a tent for 8hrs and weighted
Sleeping bag (where I sleep)
Wet socks,
them after to work out the amount of
scarf & gloves water removed overnight. Only 10-14%
Wet quick dry t-shirt of the water was removed from the
Inside the tent quick dry t-shirt, gloves, scarf and
socks. The cotton t-shirt and towel
even got wetter than before.
Wet cotton t-shirt

The results have proven that hanging

wet items inside a tent overnight
2 Person Tent couldn’t not dry them.
Inside the tent
 Concept Generation

C
 Concept Generation
E
F G

I
 Concept Screening Matrix
CONCEPTS
A B C D E F (Reference) G H I
SELECTION
CRITERIA

Drying Performance - - + + 0 0 + + +
Drying Time - - + - 0 0 - - -
Portability + + 0 - - 0 0 0 0
Ease of Use + 0 0 + - 0 + + +
Reliability - - 0 0 - 0 + + +
Design Complexity + + - + + 0 - + +
Manufacture Cost + + - + + 0 - + -
Sum +’s 4 3 2 4 2 0 3 5 4
Sum 0’s 0 1 3 1 2 7 1 1 1
Sum -‘S 3 3 2 2 3 0 3 1 2
Net Score 1 0 0 2 -1 0 0 4 2
Rank 4 5 5 2 9 5 5 1 2
Continue? NO NO NO YES NO NO NO YES YES

I selected 3 concepts out

of 9 based on concept
screening matrix. Concept
D,H and I will be taken
forward for feasibility
study and eventually one
of them will be the final
concept.
D
I
Description: Collapsible non- Description: Portable non-heated Description: Portable solar
electric centrifugal clothes dryer dryer with reusable moisture powered dryer with built-in
driven by wind. absorbing cartridge and built-in electric fan.
electric fan.
 Concept D: Feasibility Study
Spin Dryer Spin Speed Efficiency
White Knight Gravity KUPPET Portable Mini
Drain Spin Dryer Washer Spin Dryer
(2800rpm) (1300rpm)

Collapsible Design
The average spin speed of domestic
spin dryer is between 800rpm to
1800rpm and there will still be
residual dampness in clothes. For
concept D, with the size of the
<RESIDUAL >ENERGY spinning drum and the surface area
>SPIN SPEED
= DAMPNESS
= REQUIRED on the turbine blades it is impossible
to use a spinning drum driven by
wind to dry wet socks and gloves.

Centrifugal Force Equation

F = centrifugal force
m = mass of wet socks and gloves
ω = angular velocity
r = radius of the spinning drum
v = tangential velocity
n = revolutions per second
Pros Cons
• Does not require heat or electricity. • Only work in windy condition.
• Uses renewable energy to dry wet socks • Very unlikely to completely dry out
and gloves. wet socks and gloves.
• Collapsible design makes it easy to carry • Long setup time.
around. • Cannot be used while walking.
• Sustainable design as modular parts can • Long drying time.
be easily replaced.
 Concept H: Feasibility Study
I bought 1kg of colour indicating silica gel beads online to do some testing
to find out how effective is it for drying wet socks and gloves. First, I
weighted the fresh orange silica gel and dry socks before the test. Then I
added water to dry socks and wrung out as much water as possible. After
that I weighted the damp socks and placed it inside an air-tight container
with 273g of silica gel beads. After 24hrs almost all the beads turned blue
colour and the socks were almost completely dry. This test has proven that
silica gel is able to dry a pair of damp socks without using heat.

Silica gel can adsorb up to a maximum Pros

The amount of silica gel beads required to dry a pair of socks: of 40 percent of its weight in moisture

(Damp socks weight – Dry socks weight) ÷ 0.4 = (218-109) ÷ 0.4 = 272.5g • Does not require heat
• Can be recharged with a power
Amount of water in damp socks bank or solar panel during wild
Theoretical amount of silica gel beads required to
absorb all the water from damp socks camping
• Can be used in any weather
conditions
• Built-in electric fan to speed up
during and remove unpleasant
odour
Fresh silica gel (273g) Dry Socks (109g) Adds water to dry socks Wrings out wet socks Damp socks (207g)
• Silica gel can be reused over and
over again

Cons
• Not collapsible
Drying time: 2hrs Drying time: 5hrs Drying time: 12hrs Used silica gel (369g) • Require electricity
 Concept H: Feasibility Study

Silica gel beads

cartridge CAD model

3D Printing Printed cartridge Filled cartridge with

Arduino silica gel beads
Microcontroller Electric fan
Container Damp socks

5V Power
Supply

Silica gel cartridge

I created a CAD model of a cartridge then 3d printed it for
testing. I filled the cartridge with silica gel beads then
attached it to a container with an electric fan. After that I
placed a pair of damp socks inside the container and wait for
22hrs it to dry. After 22hrs, the socks are completely dry and all the
Damp socks
(207g) silica gel beads turned blue colour. This test has proven that
using an electric fan along with silica gel beads can speed up
the drying process.
 Concept I: Feasibility Study
I bought a DC5V electric fan online to do some testing to find out how
effective is it for drying wet socks and gloves compared to using silica gel
beads. I placed a pair of damp socks inside a container with just an electric
fan attached to the lid. The drying speed of this method is significantly
slower than drying with silica gel beads. Only 42ml of water removed after
24 hours of drying whereas 87ml of water was removed with the silica gel
beads drying method.

Voltage: DC 5V
Power: 1.08W
Size: 40x40x10mm Pros
Speed: 7000rpm
Airflow: 13.6m^3/h
Noise: 32dB • Does not require heat
• Can be recharged with a power
Power Consumption bank or built-in solar panel during
Arduino
wild camping
Electric fan
Microcontroller
USB power supply
• Can be used in any weather
conditions
• Built-in electric fan for drying and
Damp socks
remove unpleasant odour

Cons
• Not collapsible
• Require electricity
Container Air vent Electric fan • Long drying time
 Drying Test Results
Test Subject
Dry Weight (g)
Gloves
64
Socks
109
Test Summary
Damp Weight (g) 147 207
Water absorbed (ml) 83 98
Air dry Inside Inside Inside Air dry Inside Inside Inside After testing out different drying
Drying Method
inside a
tent
container with
silica gel beads
container with container with inside a
silica gel beads electric fan tent
container with
silica gel
container with
silica gel
container
with electric
methods to dry damp socks and gloves,
(230g) + fan beads (273g) beads + fan fan the results has shown that drying wet
2hrs - 141 139 144 - 201 199 203 items inside a container with an electric
4hrs - 134 131 140 - 192 188 200 fan and silica gel beads is the most
6 hrs - 126 122 137 - 184 179 195
effective drying method. The water
8hrs 138 121 115 132 197 178 172 191
10hrs - 116 108 130 - 172 164 188
removal rate is almost 3 times higher for
12hrs - 112 103 127 - 167 157 185
drying damp gloves with silica gel and
Weight (g) after electric fan instead of just hanging it
14hrs - 108 98 123 - 161 150 183
16hrs - 105 93 119 - 153 140 180 inside the tent. Test results might vary
18hrs - 103 89 115 - 144 129 176 depend on ambient temperature and
20hrs - 99 84 112 - 136 119 173 humidity. Because of time and cost
22hrs - 95 78 109 - 128 109 169 constraints, most of the testing was done
24hrs - 92 73 105 - 120 - 165 indoor except for the tent drying test.
Water remains (ml) 74 28 9 41 88 11 0 56
Water removed (ml) 9 55 74 42 10 87 98 42
Water removal rate (ml/hr) 1.1 2.3 3.1 1.8 1.3 3.6 4.5 1.8
Dryness 11% 66% 89% 51% 10% 89% 100% 43%

Damp socks/gloves Container Electric fan Electric fan

Turning blue Silica gel beads Cartridge filled with

Tent Damp socks/gloves
silica gel beads
 D
Final Concept
According to the results of the feasibility study, it is clear
that concept D is not a realistic drying solution as it is
impossible for natural wind to turn the spinning drum at
the rotational speed required to dry wet socks and gloves.

Concept I with just an electric fan has a long drying time

and the solar panels might not be efficient enough to
power the electric fan for long period of time.
H
Concept H is the best out of the 3. It was able to fully dry a
pair of damp socks in 12 hours with only 273 grams of silica
gel beads. It doesn’t rely on wind of solar panels and it can
dry wet socks and gloves in any weather conditions. Silica
gel beads can be used over and over again after
reactivation by heating it up on a camping stove.

To develop concept H further, I am going to doing more in-

I depth research, testing and prototyping.
 Silica Gel Beads

Facts about silica gel beads: D

• The most commonly used desiccant is silica gel which is a form of
silica or Silicon Dioxide (SiO2).
• Silica gel is non-toxic, non-flammable, and non-reactive and stable
with ordinary usage. B
A
• The gel form contains millions of tiny pores with an enormous
surface area that can adsorb and hold moisture. Applications:
F
• Silica gel can adsorb up to a maximum of 40 percent of its weight in • Food additive
moisture and does not swell in size as it adsorbs moisture. • Food preservation [C]
• It can reduce the relative humidity (RH) in a closed container down • Protects moisture sensitive electronics. [F]
to below 40% RH at any temperature in its range until it is saturated. • Protects moisture sensitive substances.
• Dries the air in industrial compressed air systems. [D]
• It will work from below freezing to past the boiling point of water, • Controls relative humidity in museum and library
but performs best at room temperatures (16-32C) and high humidity exhibitions and storage.
(60-90%). • Absorbs odour in cat litter. [B]
• Once saturated, the moisture can be driven off the silica gel by • Absorbs minerals during water filtration process
heating it at 150C in a convection oven for approximately three • Humidity Indicator [E]
hours or until the crystals turn orange so they can be re-used again. • Shoe dryer [A]
CAMPING GEAR
Mood Board

CONSUMER PRODUCTS
WATER BOTTLE DESIGN
Sketching
 Drying tube

Cardboard Models
Dryer lid
cardboards Rolled up plastic folder

Cardboard model 60L Backpack Silica gel cartridge Main unit with built-in
Silica gel cartridge rechargeable batteries
and electric fan
Socks wrapped
around the cartridge
This cardboard model allowed
me to check if there’s enough
clearance between the internal
Glove of the drying tube and the
silica gel cartridge to fit a pair Socks
of damp socks / gloves.

The portable dryer can be placed in the Water bottle

Backpack side
water bottle compartment on the side of a pocket
adjustable strap
backpack. Adjustable strap can be used to
add extra security to prevent falling out.
Glove wrapped
around the cartridge
Removable lid
Base unit Triangular prism shaped cardboard model

Socks

Base unit
Design Sketching
CAD
CAD Rendering
 3D Printed Prototype

3D Printing the base unit 3D Printing the cartridge 3D Printed Parts

Transparent acrylic
tube (drying tube)

Gluing 3d printed parts together Polishing rough edges on parts Cutting the plastic tube
in the right length

40L Backpack

Prototype

Different views of the fully assembled 3d printed prototype

Function A cylindrical shaped portable sock and
glove dryer with reusable silica gel
beads filled cartridge and built-in
electric fan. Silica gel beads absorb
moisture from wet socks/gloves then
turn blue colour once it reaches the
moisture absorption limit. It can then
be reactivated by heating it on a
camping stove or leave it in direct
sunlight until it turns orange again.
Built-in electric fan speeds up drying
process to 7hrs as well as removing
unpleasant odour from wet
socks/gloves. The device can be used
in anytime, anywhere and any
weather.

Battery 3000mAh
Capacity
Battery life 20hrs (medium fan speed)
Drying time 7-12hrs
Waterproof IP65
Drying Media Silica gel beads (reusable)
Size 84 x 84 x 264mm
Weight 500g
 Customer Persona
Single
Married

Female

21
Years Old
Male

Hobbyist
28
Years Old Amy works at an outdoor shop as a cashier. She
Professional
loves going hiking and wild camping in her spare
time. She often goes to remote locations to wild
camp and take photos of the beautiful outdoor
Ben is an experienced mountaineer and he spends
scenery. She only packs essential items to her
most of his time ascending mountains in different
trips and prefers to have a really light backpack.
places around the world. He often experiences
The thing she hates about wild camping is
severe weather conditions during his adventures
having wet socks, gloves and boots and not
and keeping himself warm and dry is the main
being able to dry them. Carrying extra socks and
priority as failing to do so lead to serious
gloves adds extra weight to her backpack and
consequences. Packing 2-3 pairs of socks and
carrying all the wet socks and gloves back home
gloves is essential as they are almost impossible
at the end of her trip is a pain.
to dry once they get wet.
 Unique Selling Point
What I Provide
Customer Needs &
Expectations I want a product to dry all my Portable cylindrical shaped
wet clothes during wild camping! sock & glove dryer
Drying
wet socks &
glove anytime,
anywhere, in any Anytime, anywhere,
weather with reusable
moisture absorbing in any weather
I am looking for a way to dry my wet
material
clothes during my outdoor adventures! Rechargeable

Uses silica gel beads to dry

I need a product that damp socks & gloves
can dry my socks.

Non-heated

Drying wet
shoes/boots

Drying wet clothes at campsites What my

(requires electricity)
Competitors
provide
 Conclusion
Design Brief
Design a portable drying device for wild camping
& mountaineering activities in bad weather.
Identify Problem
Drying wet hiking boots, socks and gloves
are the biggest problem currently faced by
wild campers and mountaineers.
I tested different drying methods to dry damp
socks and gloves during wild camping and
mountaineering activities in bad weather where
there is no access to electricity and heat. Then I
discovered that silica gel beads is an effective
moisture absorbing material that works in almost
any temperature and humidity which is the perfect
requirement for designing a outdoor portable dryer
to be used in any extreme weather conditions. I did
multiple testing to work out the rate of drying for
different method and the water removal rate is
almost 3 times higher for drying with silica gel and
electric fan compared to just hanging it inside the
tent. The drying speed can be accelerated even
further with a more powerful electric fan and
maybe perhaps with more silica gel beads.