Performance analysis of four-partition desiccant wheel and hybrid dehumidification air-conditioning system

A desiccant dehumidification system with air can decrease energy consumption because it can be driven by low-grade waste heat below 80 degrees C. If this system can be driven by low-temperature heat sources whose temperature is below 50 degrees C, exhausted heat from fuel cells or air conditioners that exist everywhere can be used as heat sources. This could lead to considerable energy saving. This study provides a detailed evaluation of the performance of a four-partition desiccant wheel to make a low-temperature driving heat source possible and achieve considerable energy saving by the simulation and experiment. Further, the study investigates the in-depth performance of a hybrid air-conditioning system with a four-partition desiccant wheel by simulation. As a result, it was clear that there exists an optimum rotational speed to maximize the dehumidification performance and that the hybrid air-conditioning system improves COP by approximately 94% as compared to the conventional vapour compression-type refrigerator. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.