Performance predictions of silica-gel desiccant dehumidifiers

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5857137

Mathiprakasam, B; Lavan, Z

The analysis of a cross-cooled desiccant dehumidifier using silica gel in the form of sheets is described. This unit is the principal component of solar powered desiccant air conditioning system. The mathematical model has first been formulated describing the dynamics of the dehumidifier. The model leads to a system of nonlinear coupled heat and mass transfer equations for the sorption processes and linear heat transfer equations for the purging processes. The model accounts for the gas film resistance and for the moisture diffusion in the desiccant. The governing equations are solved by a finite difference scheme to obtain periodic steady state solutions. The accuracy of the theoretical predictions is ascertained by comparing them with the experimental results. The performance of the dehumidifier, for a chosen set of initial conditions and dehumidifier parameters, has also been given.

• Research Organization: Illinois Inst. of Tech., Chicago (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-77CS31589
• OSTI ID: 5857137
• Report Number(s): DOE/CS/31589-T10; DES-80-3; ON: DE82003367
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
ADSORBENTS
AIR CONDITIONING
DEHUMIDIFIERS
DESICCANTS
DIFFUSION
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
HEAT TRANSFER
ITERATIVE METHODS
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PERFORMANCE
REGENERATORS
SILICA GEL
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONING
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR REGENERATORS
SORPTION
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
TESTING
VALIDATION