Effect of inter-cooling on the performance and economics of a solar energy assisted hybrid air conditioning system with six stages one-rotor desiccant wheel

• Development of a mathematical model for predicting the performance of solar energy assisted hybrid air conditioning system.
• The model uses a one-rotor six-stage rotary silica gel desiccant wheel.
• Theoretical model results are in good agreement with experimental data.
• The influences of main operating parameters on optimal rotational speed are discussed.
• A life cycle cost analysis of the proposed system has been investigated.

In this study, a mathematical model for predicting the performance of solar energy assisted hybrid air conditioning system (SEAHACS) was considered. The desiccant wheels used honeycombed silica gel–haloids composite material. This one-rotor desiccant wheel is divided into six stages, in which two-stage dehumidification process, two-stage pre-cooling process and two-stage regeneration process are realized. Three air streams are involved in the present system. The mathematical model has been validated with the experimental data. As the key operating and design parameter, the range of process air inlet temperature from 27.5 to 45 °C, range of humidity ratio of the inlet process air from 9 to 21 g/kg, process air inlet velocity from 1.5 to 5.5 m/s have been examined for a range of rotation speed from 6 to 20 rev/h. the optimization of this parameters is conducted based on the moisture removal capacity D, relative moisture removal capacity, dehumidification coefficient of performance, thermal coefficient of performance, and supply air temperature and humidity ratio. At last, the influences of these main parameters on optimal rotational speed are discussed. Eventually, the life cycle cost analysis of the solar energy assisted hybrid air conditioning system has been investigated.