Performance study of heat and mass transfer in an adsorption process by numerical simulation

- Higher conductivity of adsorbent results in larger moisture removal capacity.
- Smaller moisture removal capacity is obtained when a larger porosity is used.
- The moisture removal capacity drops as the adsorbent tortuosity increases.
- Thinner adsorbent layer adsorbs moisture more efficiently.
- The circular tube dehumidifies the most among the investigated channel shapes.

In this work, a detailed three dimensional model is employed for the quantitative description of flow and coupled heat and mass transfer in a gas channel coated with porous adsorbent layer. The flow field of the gas stream is obtained by solving the Navier-Stokes equation. The highly coupled mass and heat transfer in both the gas channel and the adsorbent layer are locally described, and the accompanying adsorption/desorption dynamics in the adsorbent layer are modelled as well. A parametric study has been carried out, in which the influences of thermal conductivity of the adsorbent layer, specific heat, porosity, tortuosity, layer thickness and geometrical shape on the performance of moisture adsorption processes are investigated in an exhaustive way. The heat and mass transfer mechanisms in the investigated cases are thoroughly analysed taking advantage of the rigorous 3D model, which deepens our understanding on the intricately coupled transport processes. The results reported in this work are useful for rational design and optimization of adsorption processes in adsorbent coated gas channels.