Solar Powered Air Conditioning System Using Rotary Honeycomb Desiccant Wheel.

Document Type : Research Studies

Author

Tanta University, Faculty of engineering, Thermal engineering

Abstract

A solar powered air conditioning system using a liquid desiccant is proposed to overcome the latent heat part of the cooling load in the air conditioning system. A solar air heater containing a porous material is used as a heat absorber. In addition, a rotating wheel containing a honeycomb clothes saturated with Calcium Chloride solution, is utilized for the regeneration and absorption processes. Different system parameters are investigated. The effect of airflow rate and solar radiation intensity on the system regeneration and absorption abilities are studied. The obtained results show that the system is highly effective in the regeneration process. Also, the system is feasible and energy-efficient in comparison with the traditional electric dehumidification. Furthermore, the system can be used to extract a reasonable amount of water from air. An empirical equation to calculate the removed moisture as a function of air flow rate at solar noon is obtained. 

Main Subjects