Investigation of adsorption isotherms and rotational speeds for low temperature regeneration of desiccant wheel systems

Effects of adsorption isotherms, namely shape factor and maximum adsorption capacity, and rotational speed on regeneration temperature of desiccant wheel systems are investigated. Higher maximum adsorption capacity is beneficial for reducing regeneration temperature especially for deep dehumidification of single-stage systems under humid climate, while the influence is not obvious with small dehumidification capacity. Higher shape factor (=1) is recommended for dehumidification at high relative humidity, while lower shape factor is better for low relative humidity. Rotational speed in the range of 10-15 r h−1 is advised for single and two-stage systems under a wide range of working conditions for both deep and regular dehumidification applications when wheel thickness is 0.2 m and maximum adsorption capacity is 0.8 kg kg−1. The reasons for different requirements of shape factor for regular and deep applications are discussed theoretically. Rotational speed ranges for different wheel thickness and maximum adsorption capacity are recommended.