A novel curdlan based desiccant coated heat exchanger for efficient dehumidification

Abstract

Desiccant-coated heat exchangers (DCHEs) are instrumental in dehumidification processes; however, the efficiency of existing DCHE systems is often hindered by suboptimal desiccant performance and inadequate optimization of the desiccant-heat exchanger interactions. To address these limitations, we developed a novel curdlan-based DCHE system, formulated a dynamic heat and mass transfer model in COMSOL, and assessed its dehumidification capabilities across a range of environmental conditions. Our dynamic model was experimentally validated, yielding errors of ± 10% for outlet temperature and ± 7.3% for humidity during both dehumidification and regeneration phases. Under an inlet air humidity of 80%, the system achieved a moisture removal capacity (MRC) of 11.84 g/kg and a moisture removal rate (MRR) of 79.4%. Furthermore, the coefficient of performance (COP) peaked at 2.84, with an average cooling capacity (Q) of 385.4 W at a regeneration temperature of 50 °C. This study paves the way for significantly enhancing DCHE dehumidification efficiency and presents a promising energy-saving solution for managing ambient humidity.