Thermodynamic analysis of a counter flow adiabatic dehumidifier with different liquid desiccant materials

Liquid desiccant systems have been proposed as energy saving alternatives to the conventional vapor compression systems for handling the latent load. This paper presents the results from a study of the performance of a counter flow liquid desiccant dehumidifier. A heat and mass transfer theoretical model of an adiabatic packed column has been developed, based on the Runge-Kutta fixed step method, to predict the performance of the device under various operating conditions. Good agreement was found between experimental tests and the theoretical model, with the maximum deviation being ±2.9% in air outlet temperature, ±15.9% in air outlet humidity ratio and ±2.8% in solution outlet temperature. Following the model validation, the rate and the efficiency of the dehumidification process were assessed under the effects of variables, such as air temperature and humidity, desiccant temperature and humidity and air and desiccant flow rates. The three most commonly used liquid desiccant solutions, namely LiCl, LiBr and CaCl2 were evaluated against each other. The results show that high absorber efficiency and system efficiency could be achieved under humid conditions, low air mass flow rates and LiCl as the desiccant solution.