In contrast to an adiabatic dehumidification process, there
is simultaneous cooling/heating in an internally-cooled/heated
dehumidifier/regenerator using liquid desiccant. The operating
performance of an internally-cooled/heated system was examined
through both experimental tests and simulation analysis in present
study, and the main conclusions are as follows:
1) A stainless steel internally-cooled dehumidifier was designed,
and the experimental results for different working conditions
were analyzed using a LiBr aqueous solution as the liquid
desiccant. Effects of the inlet parameters on the moisture
removal rate, dehumidifying efficiency, and volume mass
transfer coefficient were obtained.
2) The predicted results by the established theoretical model
agreed well with the experimental results. Based on the validated
model, the performance of internally-cooled/heated air
processor using liquid desiccant was investigated. Low regeneration
temperature could be realized.
3) Exhaust heat from the condenser of heat pump was utilized to
regenerate desiccant. The COP of the heat pump driven air
handling system was in the range of 4.2e6.5. The system COP
increased obviously with the decrease of the humidity ratio of
the processed air.