Improving gas-fired heat pump capacity and performance by adding a desiccant dehumidification subsystem

Abstract

This paper examines the merits of coupling a\ndesiccant dehumidification subsystem to a gas-engine-\ndriven vapor compression air conditioner.\nA system is identified that uses a rotary,\nsilica gel, parallel-plate dehumidifier. Dehumidifier\ndata and analysis are based on recent\ntests. The dehumidification subsystem processes\nthe fresh air portion and handles the latent\nportion of the load. Adding the desiccant subsystem\nincreases the gas-based coefficient of\nperformance 40% and increases the cooling\ncapacity 50%. Increased initial manufacturing\ncosts are estimated at around $500/ton ($142/kW)\nfor volume production. This cost Level is\nexpected to reduce the total initial cost per\nton compared to a system without the desiccant\nsubsystem.