"Desigrated"-desiccant integrated façade for the hot-humid climate of Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

"Desigrated" presented an attempt to integrate heat prevention strategies with low-ex cooling technologies, namely the desiccant and M-cycle evaporative cooling technology, in the form of a façade system for high-rise office buildings. The project targets to provide an alternative cooling solution for the hot and humid climate context of Bangkok. The results from experiments by various researchers are used as assumptions in developing the system, which was then evaluated through numerical methods and dynamic simulations. Being one of the prominent dehumidification technologies, a composite silica gel heat exchanger (CCHE) was implemented as the primary part of the façade system, while the M-cycle technology would also be implemented as a secondary cooling technique to cool down the supply air. The evaluation shows a promising result with up to 36% energy consumption reduction in comparison with the conventional cooling system, presenting itself as a transitioning tool in order to replace refrigerant cooling.