An experimental investigation on the performance of a thermoelectric dehumidification system

Abstract

A thermoelectric (TE) air-cooling system for dehumidifying indoor air in a building was investigated. The system was composed of 4 TE modules. The cold sides of the TE modules were fixed to an aluminum heat sink to remove moisture in the air of a test chamber of 1 m3 volume, while a heat sink with circulating cooling water at the hot sides of the TE modules was used for heat release. The effects of input electric current to the TE modules and air flow rate through the heat sink were experimentally determined. The system’s performance was evaluated using dehumidification effectiveness and coefficient of performance (COP). A suitable condition occurred at 18.5 A of current flow and 240 W of power being supplied to the TE modules with a corresponding cooling capacity of 149.5 W, which gave a dehumidification effectiveness of 0.62. Therefore, it is anticipated the proposed TE dehumidifier concept will contribute to the air conditioning system’s reduction of room humidity.