Experimental investigation on regeneration performance, heat and mass transfer characteristics in a forced solar collector/regenerator

•A forced counter flow solar C/R of 1.0 m(wide) × 2.0 m(long) × 0.35 m(high) and its measuring system are introduced originally.•There occurs a maximum amount on regeneration efficiency at some air flow-rate.•The regeneration efficiency at Ya,in = 10 g/kg was relatively increased by about 40% compared with that at Ya,in = 20 g/kg.•Air flow-rate has far more effect on heat and mass coefficients between air and solution than solution flow-rate.•Two correlations on heat and mass transfer coefficients are given.

A regenerator is one of the main components of a solar liquid desiccant cooling system. The regenerator used in this application is a forced counter flow type solar collector/regenerator(C/R). Experimental results of the tests indicate that there occurs a maximum value for regeneration efficiency at some air flow-rate. The regeneration efficiency of solution at ambient temperature decreases with the increase in solution flow-rate, instead of increasing at moderate temperature. The inlet temperature of solution has great influence on the regeneration efficiency and a higher concentration of solution is accompanied by a lower efficiency of regeneration. Compared with the regeneration efficiency at Ya,in = 20 g/kg, the regeneration efficiency was increased by about 40% at Ya,in = 10 g/kg. Higher solar radiation intensity will better regeneration performance of the C/R. Air flow-rate has far more effect on heat and mass coefficients between air and solution than solution flow-rate. The solution inlet temperature and salt concentration have contrary effects on heat and mass transfer coefficients with increase in their values. By Simpson numerical integration, two correlations on heat and mass transfer characteristics were given. Finally, it was concluded that the proposed solar collector/regenerator performs satisfactorily in humid climates of the Southern China.