NY-14-C079 -- Experimental Investigation ofa Hybrid Air Conditioner for Hot and Humid Climates

In hot and humid regions, removal of moisture from the air using conventional air conditioners represents a considerable portion of the air conditioning load. Desiccant assisted air conditioners (A/C) are used to overcome this problem. In this work, the performance of a hybrid A/C, which consists of a desiccant wheel, an enthalpy wheel, and a vapor compression cycle (VCC), is investigated experimentally. The desiccant wheel is made of a new desiccant material, which can be regenerated with a low temperature heat source, as low as 45°C (113°F). The effect of the process air stream’s temperature and humidity, and the effect of the ventilation rate are investigated. The experimental results show that the hybrid A/C is more effective than the standalone VCC in maintaining the indoor conditions within the comfort zone. The simulation of the complete solar hybrid A/C that uses a concentrating photovoltaic/thermal collector shows that a system coefficient of performance higher than unity is possible.