Progressive development in hybrid liquid desiccant-vapour compression cooling system: A review

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the air-conditioning (AC) sector has seen significant growth in liquid desiccant air-conditioning (LDAC) system technologies. The LDAC system has been considered as a viable substitute to vapour compression system (VCS) as a result of its exceptional temperature and humidity control and energy-saving ability. This study provides an overview of the developments associated with the incorporation of liquid desiccant technologies into VCS units to date. Various configurations of dehumidifiers and hybrid technologies have been compiled and analysed according to economic and environmental considerations. The operating principle of dehumidification and the regeneration process of a LDAC system are initially discussed. Afterwards, the numerous advancements in materials for liquid desiccant and dehumidifiers, which play a crucial part in the dehumidification and regeneration processes, are discussed. Numerous studies have demonstrated that by incorporating liquid desiccant systems with the VCS units, a comfort level of cooling can be achieved by employing a dehumidification process while providing 40–80% energy savings. This review article is beneficial to researchers since it identifies research gaps and explores prospective future research techniques to further enhance the performance of hybrid liquid desiccant-vapour compression systems..