The growing demand for air conditioning, particularly in hot and humid climates has caused a significant increase in demand for energy resources. A promising solar technology with potential to alleviate the problem is an open absorption system, where humidity is absorbed directly from the air to be treated by direct contact with the absorbent. The absorbent is then regenerated, again in direct contact with an external air stream, at relatively low temperatures of the heat source. The paper describes a study of a liquid desiccant cooling system designed to air-condition a group of offices on the top floor of a building in the Mediterranean city of Haifa, Israel. The system is capable of using as its source of power low-grade solar heat, of the type obtainable from low-cost flat plate collectors, and has a potential to provide both cooling and dehumidification in variable ratios, as required by the load. Several cycle variations have been considered, corresponding to different design options. A parametric study shows that entrance conditions of the ambient air significantly affect the heat and mass transfer occurring during the dehumidification process. The temperatures and flow rates of the heating and cooling water and the flow rates of solution through the dehumidifier and regenerator affect the humidity of the supply air delivered to the conditioned space, and show an optimum in certain cases.
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August 2004
Technical Papers
A Liquid Desiccant System for Solar Cooling and Dehumidification
K. Gommed,
K. Gommed
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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G. Grossman
G. Grossman
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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K. Gommed
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
G. Grossman
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS for publication in the ASME JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the ASME Solar Energy Division May 2003; final revision, December 2003. Associate Editor: M. Krarti.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Aug 2004, 126(3): 879-885 (7 pages)
Published Online: July 19, 2004
Article history
Received:
May 1, 2003
Revised:
December 1, 2003
Online:
July 19, 2004
Citation
Gommed , K., and Grossman, G. (July 19, 2004). "A Liquid Desiccant System for Solar Cooling and Dehumidification ." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. August 2004; 126(3): 879–885. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1690284
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