Hybrid liquid desiccant air-conditioning systems: A conceptual study with respect to energy saving potentials

• Energy savings of 30–60% depending on the system and climate are possible.
• Combination of absorber and evaporator shows no energy efficient advantage.
• Condenser heat is sufficient for regeneration in central European climate.

In conventional air-conditioning systems with vapour compression cycles the dehumidification is realised by cooling the air below the dew point of the supply air. One possibility to avoid cooling the air below the dew point and thus to reduce the electric energy demand of air-conditioning systems is hybrid liquid desiccant air-conditioning systems (HLDACS) which use an open absorption cycle for dehumidification of the air. This conceptual study examines four different HLDACS with respect to their electric energy demand and shows energy saving potentials compared to a conventional air-conditioning system for three different climatic design conditions. All considered systems consist of an open absorption system in combination with either a vapour compression system (VCS) or an indirect evaporative cooling system. The results show that electric energy savings of 30–60% depending on the HLDACS and climates are possible.