TITLE:
Performance Evaluation of Single Bed Desiccant Desorption Process
AUTHORS:
Yasser A. F. El-Samadony, Ahmed M. Hamed, Abd Elnaby Kabeel
KEYWORDS:
Desiccant; Regeneration; Desorption; Silica Gel
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Resources,
Vol.4 No.1,
March
28,
2013
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.