TABLE OF CONTENTS The factors influencing the performance, i.e., the efficiency and capacity, of open-cycle desiccant cooling systems were investigated. The parameters of interest were the shape of the sorption isotherm, the regeneration temperature, the mass fraction of the desiccant in the dehumidifier matrix, the moisture uptake at saturation (100% relative humidity), the ambient operating conditions, the operational mode (ventilation or recirculation), and the degree of staged regeneration. The influence of these variables on the performance of an open-cycle desiccant cooling system was analyzed for four representative locations in the United States.
Gas-fired desiccant processes for dehumidification and cooling of air for general space-conditioning purposes represent an attractive complement and/or alternative for existing HVAC equipment. High initial first cost and relatively low efficiencies have precluded wide acceptance of desiccant cooling technology. Previous investigations (Collier et al. 1986; Collier 1988) have identified desirable desiccant material properties that will significantly improve performance on a per unit basis. Desiccant materials with a Brunauer Type 1M isotherm (Ruthven 1984) have that potential.
As part of an ongoing effort to develop a new Type 1M class of desiccant materials, extensive computer simulations of open-cycle desiccant cooling system were performed (Belding et al. 1988). The objective of that work was to determine the most influential parameter(s) on the performance of...
