A feasibility study of a solar desiccant air-conditioning system - Part I:Psychrometrics and analysis of the conditioned zone

A desiccant dehumidifier in conjunction with evaporative coolers can reduce air conditioning operating costs significantly since the energy required t o power a desiccant cooling system is small and the source of this required energy (solar, waste heat, natural gas) can be diverse. Such a solid desic cant cooling system with a backup vapour compression system is simulated an d the performance of the system is evaluated to study its feasibility in fo ur cities in the United States. This paper describes the relevant psychrome tric calculations and analyses of the conditioned zone required for simulat ing the transient performance of the system. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.