Analytical solutions for the optimal cooling and heating source temperatures in liquid desiccant air-conditioning system based on exergy analysis

Bowen Guan, Xiaohua Liu and Tao Zhang

Energy, 2020, vol. 203, issue C

Abstract: In liquid desiccant air-conditioning (LDAC) systems, the same moisture removal amount can be realized by different temperature combinations of cooling and heating sources. However, only limited studies have addressed optimal cooling and heating source temperatures for LDAC systems. In this study, analytical solutions for the optimal cooling and heating source temperatures in LDAC systems are determined under ideal conditions. Under the optimal temperatures, the minimum exergy inputs of the cooling and heating sources are achieved. The accuracy of the analytical solutions is validated based on results obtained from an enumeration method. Two critical conclusions are drawn: (i) for any solution flow rate, there is a set of optimal cooling and heating source temperatures and a minimum exergy input, whereas among different solution flow rates, there is an optimal solution flow rate leading to the minimum exergy input (calculated in this study); and (ii) once the product of the solution mass flow rate and solution specific heat capacity is fixed, the optimal cooling and heating temperatures, states of air and solutions can be uniquely determined, free from the influence of the desiccant solution type. Thus, this study provides a fundamental reference for achieving the best exergy performance in LDAC systems.

Keywords: Analytic solutions; Cooling and heating source temperatures; Exergy analysis; Liquid desiccant; Air-conditioning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544220309671
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:203:y:2020:i:c:s0360544220309671

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.117860

Access Statistics for this article

Energy is currently edited by Henrik Lund and Mark J. Kaiser

More articles in Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().