Energy Saving Potential of an Air-Conditioning System with Desiccant and Solar Assisted Ventilation

Abstract

In this paper, a simulation analysis has been performed using Energy Plus software on the conventional vapor compression-based building cooling system for warm-humid climate. In order to achieve an energy efficient approach, decoupling of latent and sensible heat loads is done using a separate desiccant-assisted dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS). A solar collector system is installed to provide the required amount of heating energy for regenerating the desiccant. Further, an integrated evaporative cooling (IEC) arrangement in DOAS is used to improve the system performance. The performance of the system is evaluated using three distinct modes of operation. Results show that in comparison with the conventional compression operated system, desiccant-assisted DOAS in conjunction with IEC system saves 2.62% of electrical energy on an annual basis.