Performance comparison between heat pump-driven and typical hybrid desiccant cooling systems at various air mixing ratios

초록

The demand for hybrid desiccant cooling systems (HDCS), which comprise cooling systems and desiccant wheels (DW), has recently increased owing to the high levels of discomfort experienced during hot and humid summer conditions. However, the energy consumption of HDCSs remains high because of the regeneration heat applied to DWs. To address this limitation, this study investigates the performance of a hybrid cooling system that combines a heat pump (HP) and an HDCS (HP-HDCS) under varied air mixing ratios (AMRs) between the DW discharge air and return air. The results showed that both the HP-HDCS and HDCS achieved satisfactory indoor air requirements at AMR = 0.8 under various summer climates. However, the total power consumption of the HPHDCS was 27.5-34.1% lower than that of the HDCS while maintaining the target indoor air quality. Additionally, its moisture extraction capacity and exergy efficiency increased by 32.2-42.1% and 36.5-51.5%, respectively. Therefore, HP-HDCSs can contribute to achieving higher overall energy efficiency and thermal comfort under hot and humid cooling conditions compared to the conventional HDCS owing to its significantly reduced electricity for the regeneration heat to DWs.

키워드