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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Desiccant-based dehumidification for Army facilities. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6404699

The U.S. Army maintains over 1 billion square feet of conditioned space worldwide. Due to increased loads from electronic equipment, higher occupancy levels, and increased requirements for outdoor ventilation make-up air, many facilities are not able to maintain the desired occupant comfort level for temperature and humidity. Army building managers need to be able to better control conditioned space in the most cost-effective manner. Desiccant-based dehumidification is one option that can help achieve cost-effective space conditioning. This report describes the operating characteristics of desiccant-based systems and explains the different types of equipment and operating cycles. The report includes the results of computer simulation case studies and describes the advantages of desiccant-based equipment for humidity control. A desiccant-based system can be a very cost effective method of dehumidifying building ventilation air streams. The simulation conducted for this research compared using a small chiller or a desiccant system for the dehumidification process. Annual savings of the desiccant system over the chiller system ranged from $3200 to $6200; the payback periods ranged from 6 13 months. Army building managers should consider desiccant systems both for new construction and when additional cooling.... Army facilities, Cation, Desiccant-based dehumidification, Cost effectiveness.

Research Organization:
Army Construction Engineering Research Lab., Champaign, IL (United States)
OSTI ID:
6404699
Report Number(s):
AD-A-263305/5/XAB; CERL-TR-FE--93/10
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English