Experimental Investigation of Desiccant Dehumidification Cooling System for Climatic Conditions of Multan (Pakistan)

Muhammad Aleem, Ghulam Hussain, Muhammad Sultan, Takahiko Miyazaki, Muhammad H. Mahmood, Muhammad I. Sabir, Abdul Nasir, Faizan Shabir and Zahid M. Khan
Additional contact information
Muhammad Aleem: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Ghulam Hussain: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Muhammad Sultan: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Takahiko Miyazaki: Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga-koen 6-1, Kasuga-shi, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan
Muhammad H. Mahmood: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Muhammad I. Sabir: Agricultural Mechanization Research Institute (AMRI), Old Shujabad Road, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Abdul Nasir: Department of Structures and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Faizan Shabir: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Zahid M. Khan: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 21, 1-23

Abstract: In this study, experimental apparatus of desiccant dehumidification was developed at lab-scale, using silica gel as a desiccant material. Experimental data were obtained at various ambient air conditions, while focusing the climatic conditions of Multan (Pakistan). A steady-state analysis approach for the desiccant dehumidification process was used, and thereby the slope of desiccant dehumidification line on psychrometric chart ( ? *) was determined. It has been found that ? * = 0.22 in case of silica gel which is lower than the hydrophilic polymeric sorbent, i.e., ? * = 0.31. The study proposed two kinds of systems, i.e., (i) standalone desiccant air-conditioning (DAC) and (ii) Maisotsenko-cycle-assisted desiccant air-conditioning (M-DAC) systems. In addition, two kinds of desiccant material (i.e., silica gel and hydrophilic polymeric sorbent) were investigated from the thermodynamic point of view for both system types, using the experimental data and associated results. The study aimed to determine the optimum air-conditioning (AC) system type, as well as adsorbent material for building AC application. In this regard, perspectives of dehumidification capacity, cooling capacity, and thermal coefficient of performance (COP) are taken into consideration. According to the results, hydrophilic polymeric sorbent gave a higher performance, as compared to silica gel. In case of both systems, the performance was improved with the addition of Maisotsenko cycle evaporative cooling unit. The maximum thermal COP was achieved by using a polymer-based M-DAC system, i.e., 0.47 at 70 °C regeneration temperature.

Keywords: desiccant dehumidification; silica gel; polymer; air-conditioning; Maisotsenko cycle; performance evaluation; Pakistan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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