Experimental and numerical analysis for predicting the dehumidification performance of a hollow fiber type membrane using the log mean pressure difference method

Abstract

The membrane-based dehumidification method is economical and environmentally friendly. Furthermore, the hollow fiber type membrane (HFM) has superior dehumidification performance because it has a large contact area. Despite many advantages, the membranebased dehumidification method is still in the research and development stage, its use in the field is limited, and research on technology to integrate systems is insufficient. In this study, the relationships between parameters affecting dehumidification performance in terms of dehumidification rate and dehumidification amount were compared in order to apply the membrane-based dehumidification system in the field. The experimental and simulation values were compared in order to find a correlation with the dehumidification amount (or water fraction). Dehumidification performance increased when dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity, and log mean temperature difference (LMPD) were increased. The results of this study can be used to predict system performance in advance when a membrane-based dehumidification system is applied in the field.