| Abstract | This study developed a liquid desiccant absorber with solution atomization achieved using ultrasound. The proposed system consisted of an ultrasonic generator, an ultrasonic nozzle, a syringe pump, a direct current (DC) fan, and a voltage regulator. The hot and humid air was dehumidified using a finely atomized desiccant solution through mass transfer. Parametric studies were primarily performed to evaluate the dehumidification performance under various operating parameters. The liquid-to-gas ratio, solution concentration, and solution temperature were used as the operating parameters, and air temperature and humidity ratio differences were investigated. The measured data showed that the average values of the humidity ratio difference were 0.556, 1.009, and 1.186 lbw/lba (0.556, 1.009, and 1.186 kgw/kga) when the liquid-to-gas ratios were 0.04, 0.08, and 0.1, respectively. As solution concentration increased from 25 to 33%, the humidity ratio difference correspondingly increased from 1.186 to 1.471 lbw/lba (1.186 to 1.471 kgw/kga). When the solution temperatures were 50, 62.6, and 68 °F (10, 17, and 20 °C), the differences in air humidity ratio between the inlet and outlet were 2.063, 1.764, and 1.471 lbw/lba (2.063, 1.764, and 1.471 kgw/kga), respectively. The results indicate that the air humidity ratio difference was significantly affected by the liquid-to-gas ratio and solution temperature and slightly affected by the solution concentration. However, the apparatus should be modified to improve the dehumidification performance because the air humidity ratio difference of the prototype used in this study was small compared to that of a conventional packed-bed type liquid desiccant system. Consequently, the system must be modified to achieve a performance similar to that of the conventional systems, and energy-saving potential must be investigated in future studies. |
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