P.

Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling

TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Peter Novak

School of Technologies and Systems, Novo mesto, Slovenia

The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling

Review paper
UDC: 620.97:621.57

Desiccant cooling is becoming more and more important to prevent exponen-

tial rise of electricity consumption for air conditioning systems (ACS). Growing
use of ACS is expected because of global warming. Using standard refrigeration
equipment and popular split ACS the electricity consumption will go up. There
are two possibilities: to produce more electricity from renewable, to cover the
growing demand or change the cooling technology. To compete with high effi-
ciency electrical driven refrigeration systems a new break trough is needed in old
desiccant and adsorption cooling systems. Using the solar or waste energy as
driving force of these systems we are facing also with the cold storage problems.
In the paper the overview on recent development in these fields in USA and Eu-
rope is presenting.
Key words: renewable energy, desiccant, cooling, equipment, systems

Introduction

Room air-conditioning (RAC) is grooving with the standard of populations,

grooving outdoor temperature, and sinking prices for the equipment. Serial production
of RAC units split, multi-split, centralized chilled water technology are used every
where, depending on the climate and building thermal quality. The number of sold units
of RAC has almost linear growth in last 10 years approaching in 2008 50 million units per
year. Many negative impacts on electricity consumption, urban degradation and CFC
emissions have been detected. In order to limit these negative impacts, new environmen-
tally sound concepts of cooling for application in the small capacity range are of particular
importance.
The use of thermal driven cooling system (absorption, sorption desiccant,
open or close cycles) can be a possible solution among others. According to the EU deci-

Author's e-mail: peter.novak@energotech.si

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

sion to use more renewable energy sources, the solar assisted cooling is becoming more
important. The addition of desiccant components to an HVAC system directly removes
the water vapor (latent heat) from the air, overcoming inherent dehumidification limita-
tions of cooling coils. Desiccants enable independent control of temperature and humid-
ity, improving HVAC system efficiency by freeing direct expansion cooling components
to run at more efficient operating points. They can provide free reheat and also control
humidity in the shoulder seasons when cooling coils are in effective and allow indoor
moisture to persist. Desiccant cooling systems can be integrated with new evaporative
heat rejection components that not use CFC and HCFC refrigerant, which are currently
banned and restricted. The use of desiccant and other thermally regenerated sorbents in
buildings can also improve, and in some cases, eliminate airborne particles and gases that
cause sick-building syndrome, dust mites, and overall discomfort in building environ-
ment [1]. Incorporating desiccant components as an integral part of onsite power, heat-
ing, and cooling equipment will save energy and improve the performance of the entire
energy delivery system (CHP). In most occasions the cooling load and solar gains occur at
more or less the same time. Use of solar energy in desiccant systems is obviously. The IEA
Tasks 25 and now 38 Solar AC and Refrigeration wants to contribute to the process for an
accelerated market introduction of solar air-conditioning and refrigeration. Thermally
driven technology is of particular interest in case of application where solar collector can
contribute to the heating and cooling and can be used year around. Present state-of-the-
-art of solar cooling technology is still in its infants phase. In fig. 1 the world wide distribu-
tion of the cooling power assisted by solar energy confirm this conclusion (Sparber 2007,
[2]). High efficient and low cost RAC have the big advantage of heat transfer by phase
change, using relatively small amount of exergy (electricity in average 1 kW for 4 kW of
cooling power).
Solar heat for thermally driven cooling process has to enable chilled water or
conditioned air to the building. Different technologies are available for heat supply, stor-
age, and heat rejection (fig. 2). All need to be optimized and cost effective.

Figure 1. World wide distribution of the cooling power assisted by solar energy
(Sparber 2007, [2])

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Figure 2. Solar heat can be used for thermally driven cooling process for
buildings AC on different ways

Principles

Desiccant cooling systems are very old technology in the past with any competi-
tive advantage to the compressor cooling systems. The basic principles and materials pair
are known for decades. No breakthrough was achieved in last five years. The types of
sorption materials used as a basis for desiccant systems include the following: silica gel;
lithium chloride (liquid or dry), highly corrosive; lithium bromide, corrosive; activated
alumina; titanium silicate; molecular sieve (zeolites, etc.); polymer desiccants mem-
branes.
Huge material research and development is needed to improve the thermal and
adsorption characteristics of different pairs (water in open and closed cycles and different
other heat transfer medium (methanol, ethanol, etc.). Expectations to include the new
achievements in material science using the nanotechnologies for design a new sorption
pairs are great. Looking on equipment and system site, we still have only standard old five
technologies or configurations: liquid spray towers, solid packed towers, rotating hori-
zontal bed, multiple vertical bed, rotating desiccant wheels and polymer desiccant mem-
branes. For each of that equipment we can find some advantages and disadvantages.

Liquid spray towers

This type of towers are based on liquid desiccant. Liquid desiccant systems
have a number of features that make them uniquely promising. They can make effective
use of low temperature waste heat that other technologies cant, like cooling water from
engine generator sets, and proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Process air passes
trough a desiccant spray in a conditioner module. In regeneration process the outside
air passes trough a warm desiccant spray in a regeneration module. There are some ad-
vantages as: large air flow capacity, modular design, provides microbiological decon-
tamination, reduce re- generation air requirement, energy storage capability (holding
tanks can be used to provide excess capacity), desiccant quality can be easily monitored

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Conditioner
and adjusted, no possibilities of cross
leakage of air streams, air temperature,
and humidity are controlled simulta-
Regenerator neously. But there is also disadvantage to
maintain the low humidity at loads with
small sensible component (fig. 3).

Solid packed towers

Based on solid desiccant. Process air

Figure 3. Liquid spray towers
Figure 4(a). Solid packed towers
passes trough a tower filled with solid
desiccant and regeneration air passes
trough the second tower with solid
desiccant. Towers alternate between per-
forming the process. Air path are chang-
ing between two towers. Advantage is to
be able achieving very low dew points.
Disadvantages are: output conditions vary
with level of moisture trapped, air veloc-
ity is critical for optimal performance,
large pressure drop (fig. 4).
Special solution is integrated compact
two chambers adsorption desiccant
chiller with integrated HEX-s in adsor-
ber and desorber, figs. 4(a) and 4(b).
In fig. 5 the experimentally achieved
COP for different working pairs and firing
water temperature is presented (GBU
Adsorption Chiller, 1996).

Figure 5. Variation of COP with the

Figure 4(b). Compact two chamber desiccant variation of firing water temperature and
chiller design different working pair

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Rotating horizontal bed

They are based on solid desiccant.

Process air passes trough perforated
trays where the desiccant is held. The
trays rotate trough process air path and
regeneration air path. Advantages of de-
sign are: modular design, constant outlet
moisture level, high air flow capacity ca-
pability, lower first costs, and simple de-
sign. Disadvantages: desiccant settling in
trays, air leakage between process air and
regeneration air within the trays (fig. 6). Figure 6. Rotating desiccant wheel

Multiple vertical beds

They are based on solid desiccant.

Desiccant is held by stacked perforated
trays that the air passes trough. For re-
generation process part of stacked perfo-
rated trays is used. This is a combination
of packed towers and rotating bed design
trough the use of a rotating carousel of
many towers. Advantages are: constant
outlet moisture level, high performance,
low dew points. Disadvantages are: com-
plex mechanical system, increased main-
tenance, higher first costs (fig. 7). Figure 7. Multiple vertical beds

Rotating desiccant wheel

Desiccant wheel are based on solid

desiccant. Process air passes trough hex-
agonal or sinusoidal shaped passages of
the wheel. Part of the wheel is used as re-
generator. Desiccant is impregnated into
semi-ceramic structures that resemble a
honeycomb. Advantages are: light weight
and porous structure, low pressure drop
across the wheel, low dew points, high ca-
pacity, and simple system. Disadvantage:
higher first costs (fig. 8). Figure 8. Rotating desiccant whell

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Polymer desiccant membranes

In PEM fuel cells research on membranes is in parallel research oriented also to

produce a desiccant membrane capable of transferring moisture nearly as well as metals
transfer heat. These membranes retain the moisture transport abilities of their fuel cells
counterpart but dont require their unique electrical properties, so they are more
straightforward to produce. Some institute and industry are preparing the counter flow
plate heat exchanger that recover more than 75% of the heat and moisture from waste
heat energy flow. This can be a replacement for heat-only recovery device and performs
as well as rotary exchanger, but without moving parts. This novel polymer is unique in its
ability to attract, transport, and reject water vapor while remaining impermeable to other
gas molecules. They can be used also as containment of liquid desiccant and shows great
promise in devices that utilize the powerful drying ability of ionic salt solution, while re-
sisting their corrosive effect and completely eliminating the possibility of their entrain-
ment into the dehumidified air stream [3].

Thermodinamics of desiccant systems

The COP is defined as the useful cold production per unit of driving heat:

COP = Qcold Qheat (1)

The first and second law of thermodynamics applied to the basic process of a
thermally driven chiller lead to expression for the maximum possible COPid in which
COP is only dependent of three temperature levels:

TC TH - TM
COP id = (2)
TH TM - TC

where the temperatures are: TC cold source (useful cooling temperature), TH driving
heat temperature, and TM intermediate level heat rejection temperature.
The COP calculated according to eq. 2 gives the upper thermodynamic limit,
which can never be achieved in practice. In fig. 9 the ideal and real COP as function of the
driving temperature for most common heat driving cooling technologies for selected TC
and TM are presented. It is evident that adsorption systems can be operated with somewhat
lower temperatures than single effect absorption, but they achieve also lower COP values.
The influence of both on the COP at constant Carnot efficiency factor (CEF) is presented
in fig. 10.
CEF is the quotient between real COPr and ideal COPid at the same conditions:

xCarnot = COPr/COPid (3)

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Figure 9. COP Curves of sorption chillers Figure 10. Real COP at CEF 0.3 for
and the upper thermodynamics limit (ideal) different cooling water outlet (TC)
according to eq. 2 for TC = 9 C and and heat rejection temperature (TM)
TM = 28 C (Henning, [4]) at TH = 60 C

The CEF lies in the range of 0.3 to 0.4 for common system on the market (fig.
11). It can be increased by different measures (effective heat transfer, increased heat re-
covery, etc.).
For a given application (AHU for AC, chilled beams, fan coils) the chilled water
temperature TC is defined. Climatic conditions defined the heat rejection temperature
TM. The temperature difference DT between these two temperatures is called the useful
temperature drop (in some literature temperatures lift):
DT = TM TC (4)

Necessary driving temperature TH for given temperature drop DT can be calcu-

lated on the base of previous equations:
T + DT DT
TH = C (5)
COP TC
1-
x Carnot

Figure 11. Carnot efficiency

factor vs. useful
temperature drop (lift) Dt
for commercial available
thermally driven water
chillers (Henning, [4])

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

In the case we will use the solar energy as the driving heat; in the fig. 12 (a) the so-
lar collector temperature are plotted against useful temperature drop (lift) for two differ-
ent values of COP (0.7 and 1.1) and CEF (0.3 and 0.4).

Figure 12(a). Required heat source temperature for different COP/REF combinations
as function of the useful DT, typical solar collector technologies are indicated
(Henning, [4])

Real collector efficiency at given driving temperature and most common heat
driven technologies are presented in fig. 12(b). For desiccant cooling any type of sollar
collectors can be used with very high efficiency between 55 to 70% at working point.

Dry desiccant systems

On the left side of fig. 13 is presented a typical solar assisted desiccant system and
on the right side the desiccant cycle psychometrics. Indoor air (5) is humidified to (6), re-
heated in heat recovery wheel to (7), and heated by auxiliary heater (gas, waste heat or so-
lar energy to (8). Passing the humidifier take out the moisture and leave the system with
the state (9). Outdoor humid air (1) passes first the dehumidifier where the desiccant re-
moves moister from the air, which release heat and raises the air temperature to (2). The
air is then cooled in heat recovery wheel (3) and on the end adiabatic humidified near to
the saturation point (4). The principle is very old and is becoming important again in last
years because the system is working without ozone depleting refrigerant and electricity.
In such one system the latent and sensible heat are handled more efficiently than
in vapor compression system, because the component can be optimized to independently
remove these separate loads. Optimization of the heat transfer in heat recovery wheel and

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Figure 12(b). Efficiency of different solar collectors at 800 W/m2 used as energy source
for heat driving cooling system
Curve designations on the picture are used for: (a) single glazed flat plate with AR;
(b) evacuated tube collector; (c) CPC flat plate collector with teflon foil; (d) flat plate collec-
tor with double AR glazing and inert glass filling; (e) small parabolic trough
(only direct irradiation of 600 W/m2)

moisture transfer in dehumidifier wheel is going on for many years, but the success is lim-
ited. New approach using new technologies in material-engineering (nano-technologies,
molecular technologies, etc.) is needed to make this system energy and costs efficient.
Because conventional vapor compression cooling systems are not designed to
handle temperature and humidity separately, oversized compressors are often installed
to dehumidify the incoming air. Desiccant AC systems can be applied in different modes.

Figure 13. Typical desiccant system and his psychometrics

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

In many cases the standard arrangement of two wheels, because of irreversibilitys, can
not satisfy the required indoor conditions. If the dehumidified and cooled air dew point is
too high, additional cooling is necessary (mostly with vapor compression systems). To
solve this problem the patented solution with primary air division in two streams is pro-
posed (Archibald, DES-EVAP [9]). System is presented in the fig. 14. To achieve the
point D with lower dew point, additional cooling from point C to C is needed. The solu-
tion is to use part of dried and cooled outdoor air in indirect adiabatic cooler installed in
primary air stream. If this principle is applied with solar air collectors integrated in the
roof, very efficient and simple system, mostly for single homes can be build.

Figure 14. Solar assisted DES-EVAP desiccant cycles with additional indirect evaporative
cooler (Archibald, patented, [9]) in system with regeneration heat from solar roof
(air solar collectors and waste heat used also for domestic hot water)

The next innovation on desiccant systems in last years is also the proposal of Dai
et al. [10]. To make solar assisted desiccant system more efficient, or better to say, applica-
ble for the standard flat plate solar collectors, they propose two stage cooling system.
Scheme of such system and psychometrics is shown in fig. 15.
Experimental results confirm high COP of the system, near to 1.0 with driving
solar heat temperatures under 80 C. COP of solar system is approaching 0.5, which is one
of the highest.

Liquid desiccant systems

As we have mentioned before, the liquid desiccant systems, many times desig-
nated as adsorption system (USA, Europe) are in many application more convenient.
Many new concept and heat transfer solution has been developed in last years. Those,
having commercial or near commercial application will be discussed in the paper.

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Figure 15. Two stage solar driven desiccant system (Dai et al., [10])

Liquid desiccant conditioner and regenerator are traditionally implemented as

adiabatic beds of contact media that are highly flooded with desiccant. The possibility of
droplet carryover into supply air and connected corrosion in ducts or even in AC rooms
has limited the use/sale of these systems. To prevent droplet carryover a special low flood-
ing rates heat exchanger was developed with simultaneous heat and mass exchange. This
is accomplished by using the walls of parallel-plate plastic heat exchanger as the
air/desiccant contact surface. Compared to existing solid and liquid desiccant systsems,
the low-flow technology is more compact, has significantly lower pressure drop, and does
not dump heat back onto the buildings central air conditioner. Test confirm the high
sensible and latent effectiveness of the conditioner, the high COP of the regenerator, and
the operation of both components without droplet of desiccant carryover. The figs. 16
and 17 shows the design and experimental results.

Figure 16. Operation of the low-flow liquid desiccant air conditioner (left), regenerator
(middle), cross-section of plastic plate (2.5 305 mm) with wick ~0.5 mm for equal
distribution of desiccant over the HEX surface (next), and conditioner (right ~10.000 m3/h),
(Lowenstein et al., [14])

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Figure 17. Water removal and COP of a low flow regenerator (left) and performance of the
low flow regenerator with heat recuperation (right), (Lowenstein et al., [14])

Similar research is going on in Germany [16]. Designed similar HEX/ /condi-

tioner with experimental validation of simulation results are shown on fig. 18.
New desiccant exchan-
ger design with packed
desiccant has been tested
in CEA-INES by Demasles
et al. [17]. Using this type of
conditioner authors pro-
posed also the solar cooling
scheme with two alternat-
ing round HEX (figs. 19
and 20).
Compact adsorbtion
liquid desiccant chillers has
been developed in India
Figure 18. Protype of novel HEX/regenerator
and Germany. First for ag- (Krause et al., [16])
ricultural product cooling

Figure 19. Special HEX with desiccant silica gel particles between finned surface

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Figure 20. Solar desiccant cooling installation sheme with integrated HEX-H
(Demasles et al. [17])

and second for AC. The first one is in the figs. 4 and 5, the second design is shown in fig.
21, left. Very interesting is the HEX design using silica-gel coated HEX surface, (fig. 21,
right).

Figure 21. Internal construction of desiccant - adsorption chiller (right)

and silica-gel coated tube and fin absorber HEX

Sorption with metal hydride

Two different metal hydride are coupled in special reaction beds for hydrogen
exchange. The metal hydride has to be chosen to match the required temperature bound-
ary condition for the cooling system.

Conclusions

Driving heat source for the desiccant systems can be: any waste heat with T > 50 C
and solar energy. Driving temperature strongly depend on required cooling temperature.

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

Figure 22. Hydrogen exchange between two coupled reaction beds

(Lindner et al., Murthy, [21, 22])

Heat rejection temperature (TM) has great influence on COP. Dry systems are les conve-
nient for heat exchange as wet system. All-air systems with desiccant wheels are appropri-
ate for solar air systems if designed for low flow, low pressure drop. Liquid desiccant
systems are more compact, enable some storage capacity. Storage is unsolved problem in
all low exergy cooling systems. All air systems are not appropriate for the storage, except
the storage in the building mass or on driving heat storage (solar water storage). Systems
with liquid desiccant have the advantage to store the strong solution at room temperature
with no loss as long as needed. Storage volumes are large and expensive. Until now there is
no competitive solution to the ice storage. The metal hydride is challenge, but the tempera-
ture range is over 100 C and research is needed to find the practical solutions. Heats driv-
ing desiccant cooling system are in fast development. Dry, mostly rotary wheels, system, are
on the market.
Competitiveness with compressor driven cooling system is not yet achieved. Sys-
tems are bulky and not reliable as the compressor systems. Heat transfer in all air systems
is low, HEX are large. Liquid desiccant system (low flow and similar) with storage possi-
bilities are appropriate for all tipe of driving heat (solar and waste heat) and shows some
advantages against wheels system. Energy efficiency of new desiccant systems for low
exergy cooling can be higher as standard absorption system. There is no solution yet for
replacement of small room air conditioner RAC split systems. Only large, centralized
ventilation and AC system can be the place for use of dry or liquid desiccant system in
near future (especially in low energy buildings).

References

[1] ***, OTTI Introduction, Proceedings on CD, 2nd International Conference Solar Air-Condi-
tioning, 2007, Tarragona, Spain

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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
TERMOTEHNIKA, 2010, XXXVI, 1, 3146

[2] Sparber, W., et al., Overwiew on World Wide Installed Solar Cooling Systems, OTTI Intro-
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Tarragona, Spain, No. 76
[3] ***, IEA Task 38, http://www.iea.org
[4] Henning, H. M., Morgenstern, A., Solar Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Collaborative
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[6] ***, US Army Constr. Eng. Research Lab., Desiccant Cooling Tecnology, Resource Guide,
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[7] ***, NREL Distributed Thermal Energy Technologies, www.enrel.gov.
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[14] Lowenstein, A., A Zero Carryover Liquid-Desiccant Air Conditioner for Solar Applications,
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[15] ***, AIL Researh: OA6000 A Liquid-Desiccant Dedicated Outdoor Air System,
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P. Novak: The Most Recent Development of Desiccant Cooling
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Apstrakt

Peter NOVAK

Visoka {kola za tehnologije i sisteme, Novo Mesto, Slovenija

Najnovija dostignu}a u razvoju sorpcionog hla|ewa

Sorpciono hla|ewe postaje sve va`nije u spre~avawu eksponencijalnog
porasta potro{we elektri~ne energije u sistemima za klimatizaciju. Zbog global-
nog zagrevawa se o~ekuje porast kori{}ewa sistema za klimatizaciju. Kori{}ewe
standardne rashladne opreme i popularnih split-sistema za klimatizaciju }e
uzrokovati porast potro{we energije. Postoje dve mogu}nosti: proizvesti vi{e
elektri~ne energije iz obnovqivih izvora da bi se pokrila pove}ana potra`wa ili
promeniti tehnologiju hla|ewa. Zbog konkurencije visoko-efikasnih elektri~nih
rashladnih sistema, potreban je novi napredak u razvoju starih sorpcionih i adsorp-
cionih rashladnih sistema. Kori{}ewem energije Sunca ili otpada kao pogonske
sile ovih sistema, tako|e se suo~avamo sa problemima skladi{tewa rashladne
energije. U ovom radu je prikazan pregled skora{weg razvoja u ovim oblastima u SAD
i Evropi.
Kqu~ne re~i: obnovqiva energija, sorpcija, hla|ewe, oprema, sistemi

Elektronska adresa autora: peter.novak@energotech.si

Paper submitted: February 20, 2010

Paper accepted: March 8, 2010

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