An Investigation of a Falling Film Desiccant Dehumidification/ Regeneration Cooling System

Abstract

The present work outlines a liquid desiccant refrigeration cycle with a significantly higher efficiency, as compared to a traditional chiller cycle operating between the same two thermal reservoirs. The present investigation includes a general cooling design under nominal values. A parametric study enables the determination of the overall cooling and humidity levels as compared to the ambient conditions. Typical cooling achieved by this analysis is approximately 17°C below the ambient temperature, and the relative humidity of the inlet air can be reduced up to 22 percent. The proposed cycle yields a 18–23 percent higher coefficient of performance as compared to a chiller cycle operating between the same temperatures. The proposed dehumidifier displays close agreement when compared to a standard cross-flow heat exchanger and the general trends and performance of this cycle compare well with previous studies on falling film dehumidifiers.