Effectiveness of Heat and Mass Transfer Processes in a Packed Bed Liquid Desiccant Dehumidifier/Regenerator

Abstract

Seasonal performance simulations of liquid desiccant cooling systems provide valuable information for developing cost-competitive and energy efficient alternatives to conventional air conditioning techniques. To ensure reliable simulation results, component models must be based on and verified by experimental data. This paper presents closed-form performance correlations for the effectiveness of heat and mass transfer processes in a packed bed dehumidifier/regenerator. The physical phenomena relevant to the heat and mass transfer in these devices has been used to develop a novel set of correlations based on the relevant nondimensional parameters. A large body of previously reported experimental data, including results recently obtained by the present authors, was used in deriving the correlations. The key improvements offered by these newly developed correlations include the applicability for both dehumidification and regeneration, inclusion of proper nondimensional parameters such as wettability, and extension in range of validity. The number of different studies used makes these correlations valid for broad ranges of conditions encountered in packed bed liquid desiccant dehumidifiers and regenerators.