The regeneration of various solid desiccants using novel heated surface plate based on heat pipe vacuum tube collector: an experimental investigation

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this article, various desiccants such as silica gel, molecular sieve 13X, and activated alumina have been regenerated using a novel heated surface plate. No experiment for the regeneration of desiccant has been done with the use of a hot surface plate heated by the heat pipe vacuum tube collector. A novel apparatus SHPPCP (solar heat pipe powered copper plate) based on heat pipe vacuum or evacuated tube collector (ETC) has been made. SHPPCP contains a surface plate, which is an open box of copper and this open box is attached to heat pipes. The Heat pipe is made of copper and used to extract heat from ETC. Desiccants regenerate by taking heat from the surface plate. The average temperature range for regeneration was 65–105°C during the experiment. The different parameters like humidity ratio, surface plate temperature, regeneration rate, solar intensity, and so on, have been discussed to get the performance of a desiccant. Silica gel among other desiccants has shown better adsorption rate and regeneration rate. The maximum regeneration rates of silica gel, activated alumina, and molecular sieve are 0.0936 kg/h, 0.072638 kg/hr, and 0.051348 kg/hr, respectively, and the minimum regeneration rates of silica gel, activated alumina, and molecular sieve are 0.0936 kg/h, 0.072638 kg/hr, and 0.051348 kg/hr, respectively.