Dehimidifier/Regenerator System

ANALYSIS FOR AN ADIABATIC DEHUMIDIFIER/REGENERATOR SYSTEM USING A DESICCANT
Juan Sebastian Suárez Ospina

Abstract
This paper is related with the study on an adiabatic dehumidifier/regeneratorsystem to obtain the overall mass transfer coefficient. The experimental test was developed for two operating conditions: winter and summer, to evaluate the effect on mass transfer coefficients by amodeling based in the two resistances film theory. The dehumidification and regeneration processes are carried out using a desiccant to ensure that the process will be adiabatic. The best results wereobtained when the operating conditions were similar to winter. In addition these values shown a maximum ±20% deviation from the values predicted for the model.

Introduction

The humidification anddehumidification processes are commonly used in the chemical plants to accurate process or service fluids. In addition the air conditioning is widely used to provide comfort in several environments;therefore this is a great approach to optimize and give the better use for these systems.

The use of desiccant, in this case lithium chloride, makes the process adiabatic, due to the capability ofthe salts to absorb the heat latent produced in the process. The process const basically in two sections: the first section is the humidification and the second is the regeneration zone. Theequipment is similar but the processes are different.

Then the solution model tries showing a correlation to obtain a overall mass transfer coefficient and the influence of operating conditions in theperformance of the system. The follow results and figures will show the values obtained for each variable variation and for the overall mass transfer coefficient

Results

The mass transfer rate inthe dehumidification process was affected by the environmental condition, because the humidity ratio is greater summer than winter. Then this approach makes a change in the operating lines and...