Experimental investigation on solid desiccant-vapor compression hybrid air-conditioning system in hot and humid weather

Solid desiccant-vapor compression hybrid air-conditioning systems are considered as promising alternative to the conventional air conditioning systems because of the independent control of temperature and humidity and being environment friendly. In the present work, performance study of solid desiccant vapor compression hybrid air-conditioning system has been experimentally carried out for typical hot and humid weather of Roorkee. The overall system performance has also been evaluated for a cooling season from March to mid of October on the basis of various outdoor conditions. It is found that the hybrid cooling system highlights good performance in hot and humid climatic condition. The present system has ensured 61.7% reduction in process air humidity ratio at the outlet of desiccant wheel as compared to outdoor humidity ratio. The effect of variations in outdoor temperature on dehumidifier performance is also highlighted. The obtained results also show that the system performance is highly sensitive to the change in outside ambient condition.