Thermodynamic performance assessment of a solar-driven desiccant evaporative air cooling system (SDEAC) for outdoor environments- a dynamic study

In this work, a novel dynamic model of a solar-driven desiccant evaporative air cooling system for outdoor environments is proposed, namely the SDEAC system. The effects of operating and designing parameters on the performance of the SDEAC system are analyzed. The results indicate that the sensible cooling capacity, the latent cooling capacity, and the COP decrease monotonically as the rotational speed of the desiccant wheel increases. When the ratio of dehumidification area to total area (r(1)) is 0.5, the performance of the SDEAC system is optimal under the condition of sufficient solar radiation. The ratio of the dehumidified air flowrate to the regenerated air flowrate has a small effect on the cooling capacity but has a large effect on the COP. The SDEAC system has a higher sensible cooling capacity and total cooling capacity compared to the EAC system. Moreover, although the COP of the SDEAC is lower than that of the EAC system, it is still maintained at a relatively high level. The SDEAC system with a supply air flowrate of 670 m(3)/h to cool the outdoor air saves about 1283 similar to 1617 kWh of electricity and 788 kg-1139 kg of carbon emission reduction compared to a conventional vapor compression air conditioning system in different cities during the period of June to August.