EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE MODULARIZED ULTRA-LOW-GRADE HEAT-DRIVEN ENHANCED DESICCANT-COATED HEAT AND MASS EXCHANGERS

Abstract

In this work, two configurations of desiccant-coated tube banks are explored. The tube bank configurations are designed to reduce the pressure drop, minimize the thermal contact resistance between the fin base and the tubes, and achieve better flow distribution with lower energy consumption compared to conventional circular tube bank configuration and fin-tube configuration. The moisture removal rate, coefficient of thermal performance, and coefficient of performance of the desiccant-coated bank of tubes are experimentally evaluated under different experimental conditions. The dehumidification performance and energy-saving potential of the desiccant-coated tube bank configuration are also numerically studied, which shows that the extended desiccant-coated tube bank has the potential to provide a dehumidification ratio of 10g/kg and the energy consumption on the compressor side could be significantly reduced.