Feasibility and performance analysis of a desiccant solution regenerator using hot air

This paper investigated a desiccant solution regenerator using hot air to concentrate diluted desiccant solution, aiming to utilize the waste heat of hot air, such as the hot air from the condensers of vapor compression refrigeration systems. To verify the feasibility of the utilization of the hot air for the desiccant solution regeneration and disclose the performance of such kind of regenerators, performance analysis was conducted numerically by a validated mathematical model and parametric distribution of the air in a typical case was explored. The results showed that it was possible to use hot air for the desiccant solution regeneration when the requirement of the lowest inlet solution temperature was met and a typical case showed that the suggested hot air temperature was around 65 °C. Effects of main operation parameters on the regeneration thermal efficiency and regeneration rate were discussed and the result showed the regeneration thermal efficiency could achieve the maximum (ηreg, max) when the R was around 8 and lower flow rate of the desiccant could achieve higher ηreg, max. In addition, effects of dimensions of the regenerator on the regeneration performance were disclosed and some suggestions of design of the regenerators were introduced based on the study.