Performance Evaluation of Single Bed Desiccant Desorption Process

Abstract

In the present study, dynamic performance of single bed desiccant regeneration system has been investigated experimentally. The desiccant bed operates as an adsorber and then as a regenerator, intermittently. In the experimental work of this investigation, Silica gel is used as a desiccant material. In the regeneration process, hot air from an air heater is blown through the bed using an air blower. The performance of desorption process at different conditions of flowing air is demonstrated. The experimental tests were carried out at different conditions of inlet air and initial bed parameters. Temperature and humidity of air at inlet and exit of the bed were measured. The obtained results showed that hot air with an inlet temperature ranging from 40°C to 75°C could release a notable amount of water from the desiccant bed. The relation between the studied parameters during the desorption processes is correlated. Results also show that the “Rehabilitation period” in desorption process should be eliminated to decrease the desorption time and it could be eliminated if the hot air mass flow rate is greater than 1.92 kg/hr per kg of silica gel.

Share and Cite:

Y. El-Samadony, A. Hamed and A. Kabeel, "Performance Evaluation of Single Bed Desiccant Desorption Process," Natural Resources, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2013, pp. 69-75. doi: 10.4236/nr.2013.41008.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] S. Farooq and D. M. Ruthven, “Numerical Simulation of a Desiccant Bed for Solar Air Conditioning Applications,” Transaction of the ASME, Vol. 113, 1991, pp. 80-88.
[2] T. S. Kang and I. L. Maclaine-Cross, “High Performance, Solid Desiccant, Open Cooling Cycles,” Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Vol. 111, No. 2, 1989, pp. 176-183.
[3] M. Epstien, M. Grotmes, K. Davidson and D. Kosar, “Desiccant Cooling System Performance: A Simple Approach,” Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Vol. 107, No. 1, 1985, pp. 21-28. doi:10.1115/1.3267648
[4] M. Dupont, B. Celestine and B. Beghin, “Desiccant Solar Air Conditioning in Tropical Climates: II—Field Testing in Guadeloupe,” Solar Energy, Vol. 52, No. 6, 1994, pp. 519-524. doi:10.1016/0038-092X(94)90659-9
[5] I. Pentchev, K. Paev and I. Seikova, “Dynamics of NonIsothermal Adsorption of Packed Bed of Biporous Zeolites,” Chemical Engineering, Vol. 85, No. 2-3, 2002, pp. 245-257. doi:10.1016/S1385-8947(01)00160-7
[6] W. Pridasawas, “Solar-Driven Refrigeration Systems with Focus on the Ejector Cycle,” Doctoral Thesis, Stockholm, 2006.
[7] D. G. Waugaman, A. Kini and C. F. Kettleborough, “A Review of Desiccant Cooling Systems,” Journal of Energy Resources Technology, Vol. 115, No. 1, 1993, pp. 18. doi:10.1115/1.2905965
[8] P. Mazzei, F. Minichiello and D. Palma, “HVAC Dehumidification Systems for Thermal Comfort: A Critical Review,” Applied Thermal Engineering, Vol. 25, No. 5-6, 2005, pp. 677-707. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2004.07.014
[9] K. Daou, R. Wang and Z. Xia, “Desiccant Cooling Air Conditioning: A Review,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2006, pp. 55-77. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2004.09.010
[10] A. M. Hamed, “Desorption Characteristics of Desiccant Bed for Solar Dehumidification/Humidification Air Conditioning Systems,” Renewable Energy, Vol. 28, No. 13, 2003, pp. 2099-2111. doi:10.1016/S0960-1481(03)00075-2
[11] A. M. Hamed, W. R. Abd-elrahman and S. H. El-Emam, “Experimental Study of the Transient Adsorption/Desorption Characteristics of Silica Gel Particles in Fluidized Bed,” Energy, Vol. 35, No. 6, 2010, pp. 2468-2483. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2010.02.042
[12] A. E. Kabeel, “Adsorption-Desorption Operations of Multilayer Desiccant Packed Bed for Dehumidification Applications,” Renewable Energy, Vol. 34, No. 1, 2009, pp. 255-265. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2008.04.011
[13] W. R. Abd-Elrahman, “Theoretical and Experimental Study on the Performance of a Fluidized Air Dryer,” M.Sc. Thesis, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 2005.
[14] M. M. Awad, A. K. Ramzy, A. M. Hamed and M. M. Bekheit, “Theoretical and Experimental Investigation on the Radial Flow Desiccant Dehumidification Bed,” Applied Thermal Engineering, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2008, pp. 7585. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2006.12.018
[15] A. K. Ramzy, A. M. Hamed, M. M. Awad and M. M. Bekheit, “Theoretical Investigation on the Cyclic Operation of Radial Flow Desiccant Bed Dehumidifier,” Journal of Engineering and Technology Research, Vol. 2, No. 6, 2010, pp. 96-110.
[16] Y. El-Samadony, A. M. Hamed and A. E. Kabeel, “Dynamic Performance Evaluation of Single Bed Desiccant Dehumidification System,” International Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2013, pp. 18-25.
[17] “ASHRAE Handbook-Applications,” American Society of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Engineer, Atlanta, 1997.
[18] J. P. Holman, “Experimental Method for Engineers,” 6th Edition, McGraw-Hill, Singapore City, 1994.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.