Experimental investigation on the performance of radial flow desiccant bed using activated alumina

In the present work, an experimental investigation on the performance of radial flow desiccant bed using activated alumina has been carried out. 39.860 kg of spherical particles of activated alumina with an average diameter of 4 mm was used to form a hollow cylindrical bed with length of 90 cm and outer and inner diameters of 27.8 and 10.8 cm, respectively. During the experiments, the weight of the bed was measured instantaneously using load cell to determine the adsorbed and desorbed water during the adsorption and desorption processes, respectively. The experimental tests were carried out at different conditions of inlet air and initial bed parameters. Temperature and humidity of air at inlet and exit of the bed were measured. The transient variation of air conditions and the bed performance is presented. The effect of bed pre-cooling on the system performance was highlighted. The obtained results show that air with inlet humidity ranging from 18.7 to 12.5 g/kg could be dehumidified, using activated alumina, to a lower level of humidity (1.2 g/kg). (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.