EFFICIENCY OF A LIQUID DESICCANT DEHUMIDIFICATION SYSTEM REGENERATED BY USING SOLAR COLLECTORS REGENERATORS WITH PHOTOVOLTAIC FANS

A hybrid solar dehumidification air-conditioning system was used to study the absorption of water vapor from moist air by contacting the air with aqueous solutions that contained from 90 to 94% triethylene glycol (TEG). For the packings of 2-inch polypropylene Jaeger Tri-Packs, which have a surface-to-volume ratio of 157 m(2)/m(3) (48 ft(2)/ft(3)), the efficiency of dehumidification can reach 93.3%. The environmental air was introduced into the dehumidifier cocurrently flowing with the liquid desiccant,and the liquid desiccant was sprayed on the top of the packing material. The air-to-liquid mass flow ratio was controlled in a range of 0.46 to 1.36, As the moisture was absorbed from air by the TEG solution, the solution was diluted. The regeneration of the solution was carried out in 20-piece (38.8 m(2)) basin-type solar collectors/regenerators whose regeneration coefficients of performance are above 0.2. Air generated by photovoltaic fans was blown into the solar collectors/regenerators and carried away the water vapor from the evaporation of the aqueous desiccant solution. On the basis of the experimental results, the system performance is acceptable for most applications.