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Trane Advances in Desiccant-Based Dehumidification
Trane Advances in Desiccant-Based Dehumidification
advances in
Desiccant-Based Dehumidification
Unlike “cold-coil” dehumidification, changes the desiccant physically or Figure 2. “Solid”-desiccant dehumidification
which removes moisture from the air chemically. Most absorbents, such as wheel
by condensing it on a cold surface, solutions of lithium chloride or
desiccant dehumidification relies on triethylene glycol in water, are liquids.
adsorption or absorption. This EN
reviews recent advances in the There are literally hundreds of
application of desiccant desiccants, each designed and
dehumidification in commercial manufactured for a specific task. They
and institutional buildings. can be categorized by their ability to
attract and hold water vapor at specific
temperatures and relative humidities.
The curve depicting this trait is a
desiccant isotherm. Figure 1 shows
An introduction typical isotherms for the Type I, Type II, “Process” air passes through one
to desiccants and Type III desiccants that are often section of the wheel. Desiccant on
Desiccants are substances that attract used for HVAC applications. that section adsorbs water vapor,
water-vapor molecules from the air via making the air drier than when it
Adsorbents, or “solid” desiccants, are entered. Wheel rotation then exposes
an adsorptive or absorptive process.
the focus of this article. Their most the moisture-laden desiccant to a
Adsorption refers to a desiccant that common application is the desiccant “regenerating” air stream that strips
does not change phase as it collects wheel, a cylindrical matrix of channels the captured moisture away from the
airborne moisture. Most adsorbents that are coated with or constructed desiccant (desorption).
are solids; familiar examples include from a solid desiccant. To maximize
activated alumina, silica gel, and moisture collection, the wheel rotates Moisture transfer is enabled by the
zeolites (molecular sieves). In slowly—only 10 to 30 rotations per difference in vapor pressures at the
absorption, collecting moisture hour—through two air streams desiccant surface versus the air
(Figure 2). passing over it. The desiccant collects
Figure 3. Desiccant dehumidification wheel Figure 4. Performance example: Desiccant dehumidification wheel upstream of cooling coil,
upstream of cooling coil, parallel regeneration parallel regeneration (dedicated outdoor-air application)
2 ● Trane Engineers Newsletter volume 34–4 providing insights for today’s HVAC system designer
Wheel downstream of cooling coil. during the cooling season, the coldest at a neutral dry-bulb temperature,
One reason for the inefficiency of temperature in the system is directly either directly to the occupied spaces
traditional desiccant systems is that downstream of an active cooling coil. or to other local HVAC units. In the
the components are asked to perform example shown in Figure 6, the “wheel
at less-than-optimal conditions. A Now, many systems are configured downstream” configuration
finned-tube cooling coil is most with the desiccant wheel downstream dehumidifies the process air to 55°F
effective when wet, but the process air of the cooling coil (Figure 5), rather DP, while warming it to 77°F DB—
leaving the wheel requires only than upstream, to better apply the roughly “neutral” compared to the
sensible cooling (so the coil is dry). operating principles of cooling coils and space. The separate regeneration air
desiccants. In this configuration, the stream is heated to 114°F DB to lower
Desiccant performance suffers, too. process air (OA) first passes through a its RH and dry out the desiccant.
Here’s why: DX or chilled water cooling coil, where
it’s cooled and dehumidified. Then the Compared with the “wheel upstream”
• Most desiccants adsorb more
cool, saturated air (CA) passes through arrangement, the “wheel
water vapor as the relative humidity of
the desiccant wheel, which adsorbs downstream” configuration can
the process air rises. While the RH of
moisture from the high-RH air— dehumidify the process air to an
entering outdoor air varies widely
lowering the dew point but raising the equally low dew point and requires
during the cooling season, the RH of
dry-bulb temperature. The resulting less recooling—perhaps none—
the air leaving an active cooling coil
conditioned air (CA’) is dry and warm— because the leaving dry-bulb
typically exceeds 90 percent.
but not as hot as in the “wheel temperature isn’t as hot. But it still
Therefore, the highest relative humidity
upstream” configuration (Figure 3) requires a separate regeneration air
in the system is directly downstream
described earlier. Water vapor transfers stream, and that air typically must be
of an active cooling coil.
from the desiccant to the regeneration heated to dry out the desiccant. The
• Most desiccants adsorb air (RG’) as the wheel rotates into the opportunity to regenerate the
more water vapor as the dry-bulb regeneration air stream. desiccant at a lower temperature
temperature of the process air falls. means that heat from the condensing
Again, the temperature of entering Today, the “wheel downstream” process of refrigeration equipment can
outdoor air varies significantly. But configuration is most commonly used be used for this purpose.
in dedicated outdoor-air applications,
where the outdoor air is dehumidified
to a low dew point and then delivered
Figure 5. Desiccant dehumidification wheel Figure 6. Performance example: Desiccant dehumidification wheel downstream of cooling coil,
downstream of cooling coil; parallel parallel regeneration (dedicated outdoor-air application)
regeneration
providing insights for today’s HVAC system designer Trane Engineers Newsletter volume 34–4 ● 3
Figure 7. Desiccant dehumidification wheel Figure 8. Desiccant dehumidification wheel
A different approach: downstream of cooling coil, series (series regeneration) in a mixed air system
regeneration
Series regeneration
The latest advance in desiccant-based
dehumidification places the desiccant
wheel in series with the cooling coil
(Figure 7), with the regeneration side
of the wheel upstream of the cooling
coil and the process side downstream
of the coil. Moisture transfer occurs
within a single air stream: The series
desiccant wheel adsorbs water vapor
from the process air downstream of
heat transfer. The increase in the dry-
the cooling coil and then releases the
bulb temperature of the process air is supply air (at a lower dew point)
collected moisture upstream of that
associated only with the amount of without lowering the coil temperature.
coil, allowing the cooling coil to remove
heat produced by the adsorption The regeneration side of the wheel is
it through condensation. A separate,
process. located in the mixed air, upstream of
regeneration air stream isn’t needed.
the cooling coil. Because the RH of the
The series desiccant wheel uses a Series desiccant wheel in a air upstream of the coil is much lower
Type III desiccant selected specifically mixed air application. Air leaving than the RH of the air downstream, the
for this application. The desiccant’s the process side of a series desiccant adsorbed water vapor transfers
ability to adsorb water vapor is very wheel is cooler than the space, not upstream—and the cooling coil gets a
high when the relative humidity of the neutral or warmer. This makes the second chance to remove the
air is high (Figure 1, p. 1); when the RH wheel suitable for use in the mixed air transferred water vapor via
is below 80 percent, its moisture- stream—and allows a single unit to condensation.
holding ability drops significantly. both comfort-cool and dehumidify
Recall that air leaving an active cooling the space. Figure 9 shows the performance of
coil often exceeds 90 percent RH; at this mixed air system in a surgery
this condition, the series desiccant Figure 8 shows an example of a room. Air leaves the cooling coil (CA) at
wheel can adsorb lots of water vapor mixed-air air handler with a series a high relative humidity. The series
from the air. When the wheel rotates desiccant wheel. The desiccant desiccant wheel adsorbs water vapor,
upstream of the cooling coil, it’s adsorbs water vapor from the air drying the supply air (SA) to a dew
exposed to air with a lower relative downstream of the cooling coil, point of 42°F (40 grains/lb). Sensible
humidity (typically 40 to 60 percent). At enabling the system to deliver drier heat added by the adsorption process
this condition, the desiccant can’t
retain the water vapor that it collected,
so the moisture transfers from the Figure 9. Performance example: Desiccant dehumidification wheel downstream of cooling coil,
wheel to the passing air stream. series regeneration (mixed air application)
4 ● Trane Engineers Newsletter volume 34–4 providing insights for today’s HVAC system designer
raises the supply-air temperature to Figure 10. Dedicated chiller for humidity- Figure 11. Air handler with series desiccant
56°F DB. critical zones wheel for humidity-critical zones
providing insights for today’s HVAC system designer Trane Engineers Newsletter volume 34–4 ● 5
51°F DB air leaving the cooling coil. If Figure 12. Performance example: Desiccant dehumidification wheel downstream of cooling coil,
sufficient capacity is available at the series regeneration (dedicated outdoor-air application)
central plant, proper cooling coil
selection could allow the existing 45°F
water to produce 51°F air leaving the
coil, thereby eliminating the need for a
separate chiller (Figure 11, p. 5).
6 ● Trane Engineers Newsletter volume 34–4 providing insights for today’s HVAC system designer
Figure 13. Total-energy wheel preconditions cooling coil alone, the supply-air dew • when the required dew point of
outdoor air entering a dehumidifying series point can be lower than the coil’s the conditioned outdoor air cannot be
desiccant wheel
surface temperature. achieved reliably with a traditional
cooling coil alone. However, the dew
• The series desiccant wheel
point that the dedicated outdoor-air
minimizes the addition of sensible
unit must deliver often exceeds 48°F.
heat, allowing it to supply cool air
(For guidance, see Trane manual
rather than warm—effectively meeting
SYS-APG001-EN.)
both the dehumidification (latent) and
cooling (sensible) needs of the space. A series desiccant wheel dehumidifies
• The series configuration the outdoor air to a low dew point, and
requires only one air stream; a then delivers it cool rather than neutral.
separate regeneration air stream Adding a total-energy wheel allows
is unnecessary. smaller-sized cooling, dehumidifying,
heating, and humidifying equipment,
Dedicated outdoor-air systems. For and can reduce system energy use. It
systems that dehumidify the outdoor also reduces (or often eliminates) the
air before delivering it directly to need to add “regenerative” heat to the
lowering the relative humidity of the air desiccant wheel when the relative
occupied spaces or to other local HVAC
before it enters the regeneration side humidity of the entering air is high. •
units, investigate the benefit of using a
of the series desiccant wheel (OA’). In
desiccant wheel:
such cases, adding a total-energy By John Murphy, applications engineer, and
wheel reduces (and often eliminates) • when the conditioned outdoor air Brenda Bradley, information designer, both of
must be delivered at a neutral dry-bulb Trane. You can find this and previous issues of the
the need to add regenerative heat. This
Engineers Newsletter at http://www.trane.com/
gives the series desiccant wheel an temperature. But remember … commercial/library/newsletters.asp. To comment,
advantage over the parallel Designing the dedicated outdoor- e-mail us at comfort@trane.com.
regeneration arrangement. air unit to deliver the air cold, not
neutral, takes advantage of the
The “series desiccant wheel”
Regardless of whether parallel or sensible cooling done by the cooling configuration described in this
series regeneration is used, including a coil in the dedicated outdoor-air unit. newsletter is marketed by Trane under
total-energy wheel will save both This allows the local HVAC units to be the name CDQ™ (Cool, Dry, Quiet).
cooling and heating energy and offer smaller, quieter, and less expensive.
the opportunity to downsize heating
and cooling equipment. It may also be
required by local energy codes or UAD and series desiccant wheels dry bulb for a UAD application—and it
ASHRAE Standard 90.1. does so with a warmer leaving-coil
Underfloor air distribution (UAD) systems
temperature (62°F vs. 55°F DB) than
usually distribute warmer air than
return-air bypass. In chilled water UAD
traditional overhead systems—65°F
systems, a warmer coil permits the use of
versus 55°F, for example. When a UAD
warmer water (55°F, in this case) or an
system is applied in a non-arid climate,
When to consider the supply air first must be sufficiently
extremely low flow rate of cold water …
perhaps even return water from other
using a desiccant dehumidified to avoid humidity problems
cooling coils in the system, allowing the
in the space, and then warmed to a
same water to be used twice before
comfortable temperature. In practice, this
returning to the chillers. •
Mixed air systems. If the system typically involves dehumidifying a portion
provides both comfort cooling and of the air to 55°F DP, and then mixing that
dry air with bypassed return air to raise
dehumidification for the space,
the supply-air temperature to 65°F DB.
investigate the benefits of using a
desiccant when the required supply-air A series desiccant wheel dehumidifies the
dew point is below 50°F. Common air and still delivers it cool, so it can
applications are surgery rooms, supply air at an appropriate dew point and
providing insights for today’s HVAC system designer Trane Engineers Newsletter volume 34–4 ● 7
Trane
A business of American Standard Companies Trane believes the facts and suggestions presented here to be accurate. However, final design and
www.trane.com application decisions are your responsibility. Trane disclaims any responsibility for actions taken on
the material presented.
For more information, contact your local Trane
office or e-mail us at comfort@trane.com