Performance analysis of three-stage liquid desiccant deep dehumidification processor driven by heat pump

A new type of a heat pump driven three-stage lithium bromide liquid desiccant deep dehumidification processor is presented,which can dehumidify the outdoor humid air to a rather dry state,even when there is no available indoor exhaust air.The test results show that with an outdoor air temperature of 28 to 31 ℃ and an outdoor air humidity ratio of 11 to 14 g/kg,the supply air temperature and the supply air humidity ratio are 1.6 to 2.6 ℃ and 2.6 to 3.0 g/kg,respectively,and the coefficient of performance（COP）of the processor is 1.8.During the test,a liquid pipeline link problem leading to mixture losses of hot and cold liquid desiccants is found.These pipelines are modified.Then,the performance of the modified processor is investigated.And the experimental results show that with an outdoor air temperature of 25 to 32 ℃ and an outdoor air humidity ratio of 18 to 21 g/kg,the supply air temperature and the supply air humidity ratio are 3.2 to 4.0 ℃ and 3.4 to 3.6 g/kg,respectively,and the COP is 2.8.Finally,a mathematical model of the processor is established.The comparison of the simulation results and the test results of the processor exhibits that the pipeline modification improves the performance by about 20%.

Properties of Advanced Adsorbent for Solid Desiccant Cooling

Characteristics of 13x molecular sieve, silica gel and DH 5 and DH 7 prepared by authors, were investigated for the solid desiccant cooling system. The adsorption isotherms of DH 5 and DH 7 were experimentally determined. The performance parameters of adsorption capacity, air humidity, regeneration temperature and cooling volume were tested and discussed in detail. The results show that the properties of new adsorbents DH 5 and DH 7 on desiccant cooling are much better than those of common desiccants. The maximum adsorption volumes of water on DH 5 and DH 7 are 0.72?kg/kg and 0.73 ?kg/kg, respectively. The desiccant cooling volumes of DH 7and DH 5 are 2.2 and 1.3 times larger than those of silica gel and 13x(molecular sieve), respectively, after regeneration at 100?℃. The cooling volume per mass unit of DH 5 is 1.9 times larger that of 13x.

Liquid drying of BeO gelcast green bodies using ethanol as liquid desiccant

BeO gelcast green bodies were dried by liquid drying method with liquid desiccant ethanol.Effects of ethanol concentration,solids loading and aspect ratio of green body on the moisture and shrinkage of green bodies were studied through measuring mass and dimension.Additionally,liquid drying stress was analyzed and a model of the initial stage drying stress was established.The results show that higher ethanol concentration,lower solids loading and higher aspect ratio of gelcast green bodies increase the drying rate.Increasing the ethanol concentration decreases the shrinkage rate.Liquid drying stress is generated due to a non-uniform drying rate.During the process of liquid drying,the inner drying stress of the green body changes from compressive stress to tensile stress,while the outer drying stress changes from tensile stress to compressive stress.

Performance analysis on a novel water chiller using liquid desiccant

A new type of liquid desiccant water chiller for applications on air-conditioning and refrigeration is introduced.The system can be driven by low-grade heat sources with temperatures of 60 to 80 ℃,which can be easily obtained by a flat plat solar collector,waste heat,etc.A numerical model is developed to study the system performance.The effects of different parameters on performance are discussed,including evaporating temperature,regenerating temperature,ambient condition,and mass flow rates of closed moist air and regenerating air.The results show that an acceptable performance of a cooling capacity of 2.5 kW and a coefficient of performance of 0.37 can be achieved in a reference case.The regenerating temperature and the humidity ratios of ambient air are two main factors affecting system performance,while the temperature of ambient air functions less.In addition,the mass flow rate of regenerating air and closed moist air should be carefully determined for economical operation.

Improvement of conventional liquid desiccant dehumidification technology

A new system of liquid desiccant dehumidification,called ultrasound atomization dehumidification system,is proposed.In this system,a packed bed is replaced by ultrasound atomization technology,so high resistance and liquid desiccant consumption caused by the packed bed are avoided.A mathematical model is established to predict the efficiency and the liquid consumption of the dehumidification process under ideal conditions.Through comparing the simulation results with the experimental data of a conventional packed-bed dehumidifier,it is found that the liquid desiccant consumption of the conventional packed-bed dehumidifier is much greater than that under ideal conditions.In the proposed system,the dehumidification process occurs on the surfaces of the micron liquid desiccant droplets produced with the irradiation of ultrasound,so there is a greater contact area created with the same quantity of the liquid desiccant;moreover,the power consumption is lower because there are no nozzles and no solution pump.It can be seen that this new system is closer to ideal conditions when compared with the conventional liquid desiccant dehumidification system.

Design of ionic liquids as liquid desiccant for an air conditioning system

Suitable control of the humidity can contribute to electric energy savings. However, the present dehumidification system has many weak points. The liquid desiccant air-conditioning system has recently gained growing interest from the stand point of reducing energy consumption during dehumidification. In order to find the appropriate ionic liquids(ILs) as a desiccant for the liquid desiccant air-conditioner system, we conducted a systematic evaluation of the humidification capability of 16 types of ILs. Among the tested ILs, tributyl(methyl)phosphonium dimethyl phosphate([P4441][DMPO_4]) exhibited the best dehumidification capacity and had a less corrosive effect on four types of metals as possible piping materials. It should be noted that this [P_(4441)][DMPO_4] has a very stable nature and produced no odor while conducting the experiment and storing for over 1 year at room temperature under ambient conditions. Furthermore, it was revealed that a 77%(w/w) aqueous solution of [P4441][DMPO_4] worked as an efficient desiccant liquid for the liquid desiccant air-conditioner system.

Solid Desiccant Dehumidification Techniques Inspired from Natural Electroosmosis Phenomena

Electroosmosis has been shown to be an effective means of different applications in various fields such as Micro-Electro-Mechanical systems （MEMS） and biomimetics applications. This paper aims to prove the concept that the electroosmosis phenomena can also be cooperated into larger scale applications in the building service industry like dehumidification or damping proof. The electroosmotic flow inside a porous medium is validated experimentally to further understand the dehumidification mechanism of combined techniques. An experimental test validates that the condensation from the porous medium can be obtained by electroosmotic force generated by external electric field, especially for specific desiccant powders like zeolite and diatomaceous earth. With a range of volts from 5 V to 20 V applying between the testing plates, the maximum flow rate through the cross section in the testing plate achieved during the peak period is 1.35 laL＇min 1. These promising phenomena can act as an alternative way for energy choice in dehumidification industrial field. Further researches on new regeneration methods for solid desiccant dehumidification are required to make the system simple, energy-saving and suitable for small air conditioning units.

A new solar coupling regeneration method for liquid desiccant air-conditioning system

A new solar coupling regeneration system is proposed in order to improve the reliability of solar desiccant regeneration system.The new system makes comprehensively use of the solar energy and can also be appropriate for energy-storage in a night operation mode when the electric power supply is at its valley.Comparison of the performance of the new system,the solar thermal regeneration system and the solar electrodialysis regeneration system are made and the influential factors of the performance of the new system are investigated.The results reveal that the new system will be more energy efficient than the solar thermal regeneration system and the solar electrodialysis regeneration system.

Economic Investigation on the Ultrasonic Atomization Dehumidifying System with Liquid Desiccant and Its Potential Best-Fit Application

The performance of liquid desiccant dehumidification systems can be improved substantially by applying the ultrasonic atomization technology.However,considering the currently-high expense and extra power for the ultrasonic atomizers,it’s unclear if the ultzasonic atomization dehumidifying system(UADS)possesses good economic performance over the conventional packed-bed(PBD)systems.This paper conducted a comparative study on the economic performance between the UADS and PBD.An economic analysis model integrated with the empirical formulae was established while an office building located in Guangzhou,China was employed as the study case.The results indicate the UADS may fit best for buildings with deep-dehumidification needs but smaller-scale areas.

Optimization Analysis of High Temperature Heat Pump Coupling to Desiccant Wheel Air Conditioning System

The high temperature heat pump and desiccant wheel(HTHP&DW) system can make full use of heat released from the condenser of heat pump for DW regeneration without additional heat. In this study, DW operation in the HTHP&DW system was investigated experimentally, and the optimization analysis of HTHP&DW system was carried out. The performance of DW had influence on the dehumidification(evaluated by dehumidification and regeneration effectiveness) and cooling load(evaluated by thermal and adiabatic effectiveness). The results show that the enthalpy increase occurred in all the experiments. Compared to the isosteric heat, heat accumulation in the desiccant and matrix material and heat leakage from regeneration side to process side have greater influence on the adiabatic effectiveness. Higher regeneration temperature leads to lower adiabatic effectiveness that increases more cooling load of the system. When the regeneration temperature is 63℃, the maximal dehumidification effectiveness is 35.4% and the satisfied adiabatic effectiveness is 88%, which contributes to the optimal balance between dehumidification and cooling.

The Experiment and Simulation of Solid Desiccant Dehumidification for Air-Conditioning System in a Tropical Humid Climate

The aim of this research was to study and design a solid desiccant dehumidification system suitable for tropical climate to reduce the latent load of air-conditioning system and improve the thermal comfort. Different dehumidifiers such as desiccant column and desiccant wheel were investigated. The ANSYS and TRASYS software were used to predict the results of dehumidifiers and the desiccant cooling systems, respectively. The desiccant bed contained approximately 15 kg of silica-gel, with 3 mm average diameter. Results indicated that the pressure drop and the adsorption rate of desiccant column are usually higher than those of the desiccant wheel. The feasible and practical adsorption rate of desiccant wheel was 0.102 kgw/h at air flow rate 1.0 kg/min, regenerated air temperature of 55?C and at a wheel speed of 2.5 rpm. The humidity ratio of conditioning space and cooling load of split-type air conditioner was decreased to 0.002 kgw/kgda (14%) and 0.71 kWth (19.26%), respectively. Consequently, the thermal comfort was improved from 0.5 PMV (10.12% PPD) to 0.3 PMV (7.04% PPD).

Numerical simulation of liquid desiccant evaporator driven by heat pump

The standard k-ε turbulence model and discrete phase model (DPM) were used to simulate the heat and mass transfer in a liquid-desiccant evaporator driven by a heat pump using FLUENT software, and the temperature field and velocity field in the device were obtained. The performance of the liquid-desiccant evaporator was studied as the concentration of the inlet solution varied between 21% and 30% and the pipe wall temperature between 30 and 50 ℃. Results show that the humidification rate and the humidification efficiency increased with the inlet air temperature, the solution flow rate, the solution temperature, and the pipe wall temperature. The humidification rate and humidification efficiency decreased with increasing moisture content in inlet air and the concentration of inlet solution. The humidification rate increased substantially but the humidification efficiency decreased as the inlet air flow rate increased. The error between the simulations and experimental results is acceptable, meaning that our model can provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the performance of a humidifying evaporator.

Performance of Desiccant-Based Cooling Systems in Hot-Humid Climates: A Review

This paper reviews the principle and application of the thermally activated desiccant cooling systems with their capability to perform efficiently in hot-humid climates.The paper first introduces the continuous increase of thermal comfort required in building and their relation with the consumption of conventional energy sources.The importance of desiccant cooling technology and its applications has been introduced as well.The energy and environmental issues with the conventional energy supply and the demand with the environmental problems and conditions mainly related to indoor air quality have been also discussed in the second chapter of this paper.The third part of this paper deals with different techniques and systems applied for cooling and dehumidification including the principles of solid and liquid desiccant applications.Indeed,these systems perform well in hothumid climates.The result of a case study of the solid desiccant cooling system combined with solar energy for the desiccant wheel regeneration has been presented in the last chapter in this paper to show the capability of these systems once well applied in a hot-humid climate.

Optimization of Desiccant Absorption System Using a Genetic Algorithm

Optimization of the open absorption desiccant cooling system has been carried out in the present work. A finite difference method is used to simulate the combined heat and mass transfer processes that occur in the liquid desiccant regenerator which uses calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution as the working desiccant. The source of input heat is assumed to be the total radiation incident on a tilted surface. The system of equations is solved using the Matlab-Simulink platform. The effect of the important parameters, namely the regenerator length, desiccant solution flow rate and concentration, and air flow rates, on the performance of the system is investigated. In order to optimize the system performance, a genetic algorithm technique has been applied. The system coefficient of performance COP has been maximized for different design parameters. It has been found that the maximum values of COP could be obtained for different combinations of regenerator length solution flow rate and air flow rate. Therefore, it is essential to select the design parameters for each ambient condition to maximize the performance of the system.

Performance Evaluation of Single Bed Desiccant Desorption Process

In the present study, dynamic performance of single bed desiccant regeneration system has been investigated experimentally. The desiccant bed operates as an adsorber and then as a regenerator, intermittently. In the experimental work of this investigation, Silica gel is used as a desiccant material. In the regeneration process, hot air from an air heater is blown through the bed using an air blower. The performance of desorption process at different conditions of flowing air is demonstrated. The experimental tests were carried out at different conditions of inlet air and initial bed parameters. Temperature and humidity of air at inlet and exit of the bed were measured. The obtained results showed that hot air with an inlet temperature ranging from 40°C to 75°C could release a notable amount of water from the desiccant bed. The relation between the studied parameters during the desorption processes is correlated. Results also show that the “Rehabilitation period” in desorption process should be eliminated to decrease the desorption time and it could be eliminated if the hot air mass flow rate is greater than 1.92 kg/hr per kg of silica gel.

Physiological Quality of Pigeonpea Seed after Application of Desiccant Herbicides

The pre-harvest application of herbicides may impair seed quality. This way, this paper was conducted to evaluate the effects of the application of desiccant herbicides on the physiological quality of pigeonpea seeds. Six batches of seeds from plants desiccated with glyphosate were evaluated at doses: 1.125 (B1), 1.5 (B2) and 1.875 L&middotha-1 (B3);and Gramocil (20% Paraquat + 10% Diurom) at doses: 1.5 (B4) and 2 L&middotha-1 (B5), and a control which received no application (B6). Seed viability was assessed through the germination standard test, and vigor through the first germination count, accelerated aging, electrical conductivity, seedling length, seedling dry matter and biomass density tests. The experimental design was the completely randomized, with four replications. Data were submitted to variance analysis, and when significant effects were observed, the Scott- Knott test was carried out at 5% probability using the SISVAR 5.1 software. The results showed that: a) the application of 1.875 L&middotha-1 of glyphosate was harmful to pigeonpea seed viability and vigor, evaluated through the accelerated aging test;b) applications of glyphosate in a 1.875 L&middotha-1 dose and Gramocil in 2 L&middotha-1 resulted in low vigor according to the electrical conductivity test of seeds;and c) the seed vigor measured by the first count, seedling length, seedling dry matter and biomass density test was not influenced by the type of desiccant applied.

Solid Desiccant Heat Pump Fresh Air Unit using Composite Silica Gel

The introduction of fresh air into the indoor space leads to a significant increase in cooling or heating loads.Solid desiccant heat pump fresh air unit which can handle the latent and sensible load of fresh air efficiently have been proposed recently.To improve the performance of the solid desiccant heat pump fresh air unit in the fresh air handling process,in this paper,the application of composite silica gel in a heat pump fresh air unit was investigated.The comparison between silica gel coating(SGC)and composite silica gel coating(CSGC)shows that the adsorption rate and water uptake capacity of CSGC are more than two times higher than those of SGC.An experimental setup for the solid desiccant heat pump fresh air unit was established.The performance of SGC and CSGC was tested in the setup successively.Results show that under summer conditions,compared with the solid desiccant heat pump fresh air unit using silica gel(SGFU),the average moisture removal and COP of the one using composite silica gel(CSGFU)increased by 15%and 30%,respectively.Under winter conditions,compared with SGFU,the average humidification and COP of CSGFU increased by 42%and 17%.With optimal operation conditions of 3 min switchover time and 40 r/s compressor frequency,the COP of CSGFU under summer conditions can reach 7.6.Results also show that the CSGFU and SGFU have higher COP and dehumidification rate under higher outdoor temperature and humidity ratio.

Optimization and comparative performance analysis of conventional and desiccant air conditioning systems regenerated by two different modes for hot and humid climates:Experimental investigation

A desiccant air conditioning system is considered a capable alternative to a conventional air conditioning system because of its independent control of temperature,humidity and being eco-friendly.Also,to resolve the problem of more energy consumption for the restoration of a desiccant,structures comprising of desiccant can utilize thermal energy or complete waste heat to revive desiccant material.Therefore,this research work executes an experimental,optimization and comparative examination for conventional and desiccant air conditioning sys-tems regenerated by two different modes,i.e.firstly using(Mode-I)complete waste heat from condenser and secondly using(Mode-II)rod(electric heater)heat for regeneration at different process air inlet temperatures,i.e.(28,29.5,31,32.5,34,35.5 and 37°C),at different process air inlet velocities,i.e.(1.5,2.5,3.5 and 4.5 m/s)and a fix(2.5 m/s)regeneration air inlet velocity.Thus,optimization of performance parameters,i.e.VCOP,ECOP,dehumidification effectiveness,moisture removal capacity(kg/hr),DCOP,regeneration effectiveness and regeneration rate(kg/hr),is identified for achieving maximum efficiency of conventional and desiccant air con-ditioning systems under the above operating conditions.

Investigation of energy-efficient solid desiccant system for wheat drying

The study investigates the applicability of solid desiccant system for drying of freshly harvested wheat grains in order to reduce the moisture content to an optimum level.Fast and low-temperature drying systems are required by today’s drying industries in order to provide economical and safe drying.Therefore,comparison of desiccant drying has been made with the conventional method in terms of drying kinetics,allowable time for safe storage,the total time for drying cycle,and overall energy consumption.It has been found that the air conditions of proposed desiccant drying system provides a high drying rate and longer allowable storage time for safe drying.As the desiccants possess water adsorbing ability by means of vapor pressure deficit,therefore,the desiccant system successfully provides low-temperature drying which ensures the quality of wheat grains.Overall energy consumption is estimated for both conventional hot air drying and desiccant drying system.It has been found that the desiccant system requires less energy as drying is accomplished at minimum level of air flow and within allowable storage time.In addition,the overall performance index of the desiccant system is higher at all temperatures.The study is useful for developing a low-cost and sustainable drying technology for various agricultural products.

Efficiency comparison and performance analysis of internally-cooled liquid desiccant dehumidifiers using LiCl and CaCl2 aqueous solutions

Internally-cooled dehumidifiers are efficient liquid desiccant dehumidifiers, whose performance is mainly determined by the device structure and operating conditions. Based on energy and mass conservation in the air, solution, and cooling water in the device, mathematical models are built and their theoretical performance is simulated and analyzed in this paper. A novel measure of dehumidification efficiency is introduced to evaluate the performance of internally-cooled dehumidifiers, in which the equilibrium humidity ratio of the inlet solution is calculated according to the minimum temperature in the inlet solution and the cooling water. Numerical simulations show that a counter flow between air and solution is always the most efficient, followed by cross flow, and parallel flow is the least efficient. Cooling water with the same flow direction as the solution performs better than that with a counter flow, with approximately a 5% improvement in efficiency. Compared with Ca Cl2, the dehumidification efficiency of a Li Cl solution is greater by 60%, while its exergy efficiency is less by 16%. Dehumidification efficiency can be improved with the number of air-solution heat transfer units(NTUa-s) increasing, and reduced with the air mass flow rate raised. With NTUa-s increasing, exergy efficiency can be improved, and an increase in mass flow rate of cooling water results in a decrease of efficiency. Higher solution concentration and lower inlet temperature of solution and air can achieve both higher dehumidification efficiency and exergy efficiency.