Numerical investigation of performance trade-off characteristics of a packed bed dehumidifier using aqueous blends of lithium chloride and calcium chloride

Current research in dehumidification systems is mainly focused on thermally driven liquid desiccant systems. However, the selection of proper desiccant solution has a greater significance on the performance of a dehumidifier. In this perspective, current work is presented with governing equations of energy, mass and species balance to study the performance of a dehumidifier. The governing equations are solved using finite difference method coupled with Jacobi’s model for an air–desiccant contact system of a cross-flow packed bed adiabatic dehumidifier operating with different desiccant blends of lithium chloride (LiCl) and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) solution. The effect of variation in blend proportion on outlet parameters of a packed bed dehumidifier is patterned under various desiccant to air (L/G) mass flow rate ratios. It is observed that the addition of CaCl₂ desiccant solution into LiCl changes the nature of thermo-physical properties of blends‚ which are predicted using non-random two liquid (NRTL) equation. Further, a trade-off analysis among the performance parameters is presented. It demonstrates that dehumidifier performance paradox such as enthalpy effectiveness (ɛ_h), moisture removal rate (MRR) and moisture effectiveness (ɛ_m) have a tendency to be optimal for 35% LiCl with 5% CaCl₂ blend (BL1) among all blends at L/G ratio of 2. The variation of thermodynamic properties (air temperature, humidity, desiccant temperature and desiccant concentration) inside the dehumidifier module is visualized in terms of contour plots. Furthermore, the irreversibility in heat and mass transfer operation for the optimal blend is investigated in terms of physical and chemical exergy destruction paradigm. The result of such investigation elucidated that the maximum chemical exergy destruction is 0.88 kW, whereas the physical exergy destruction is 0.06 kW.