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- Title
Desiccant Dehumidification Process for Energy Efficient Air Conditioning.
- Authors
Cremonte, Thomas B.; Maisonneuve, Jonathan
- Abstract
The goal of this project is to use cost-effective dehumidification to reduce the latent heating load on air conditioning units, thereby improving energy efficiency and reducing power consumption. Given the proprietary information surrounding desiccant wheels, there exists considerable opportunities for alternative desiccant dehumidification systems. This paper investigates the application of inexpensive silica gel desiccant for dehumidification of commercial and institutional buildings. We demonstrate the use of silica gel beads in a custom rotary belt device, installed as a retrofit to the air conditioning system of a warehouse building. Operation, design, and theoretical energy savings are presented. Preliminary test results are presented showing the influence of key operating parameters including temperature of the regeneration air stream, rotation speed of the belt, and mass of desiccant relative to air volume. Performance of the unit under different weather conditions reveals that the current design can achieve up to 1.6 Btu/cfm of energy savings per year, as compared to the theoretical limit of 2.9 Btu/cfm. The scalability of such a unit offers promise in energy savings for medium and large scale commercial applications.
- Subjects
DIESEL particulate filters; DRYING agents; SILICA gel; INDUSTRIALIZED building; AIR conditioning; LATENT heat
- Publication
ASHRAE Transactions, 2019, Vol 125, Issue Part 1, p384
- ISSN
0001-2505
- Publication type
Article