SBIR Phase I: A High Efficiency and Low Cost Liquid Desiccant Dehumidifier Activated by Low Level Heat

这个小企业创新研究的第一阶段项目将建立一个高效率、低成本的液体干燥剂除湿器的概念验证单元，这种除湿器可以在低至140华氏度的温度下被热激活，比如来自低成本的太阳能热水器和空调冷凝器，设计成与这种除湿器集成在一起。这种低水平的热量目前无法经济地利用，而现有的除湿系统依赖于将空气冷却到非常低的温度然后再加热的低效过程，浪费了大量能源。Xunergy的热性能系数？S除湿器预计在0.9左右，远高于现有系统，并且加湿器使用基本上无腐蚀性和安全的液体干燥剂，因此预计成本低，使用寿命长。这种系统对于在炎热和潮湿的气候条件下调节通风空气特别具有成本效益。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是允许低水平的热量，如来自低成本的太阳能热水器和空调冷凝器的热量，用于驱动通风空气的调节，以低成本和长寿命的系统，大大降低通风空气调节的能源和其他成本，由于使用能源和泄漏的制冷剂排放温室气体，并减少高峰电力需求。特别是在湿热的天气，电网紧张的时候。通风空调的低成本也可能有助于在不增加成本的情况下使医院、学校、剧院、室内市场等公共建筑的空气更清新、更健康。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will build a proof-of- concept unit of a high efficiency and low cost liquid desiccant dehumidifier that can be activated by heat at a temperature as low as 140o Farenheit, such as that from the low cost solar water heaters and condensers of air conditioners designed to be integrated with such dehumidifiers. Such low level heat currently cannot be economically used, while the existing dehumidification systems rely on the inefficient process of cooling air to a very low temperature and then heating it up again, wasting a lot of energy. The thermal coefficient-of- performance of Xunergy?s dehumidifier is expected to be on the order of 0.9, much higher than those of existing systems, and the humidifier uses an essentially non-corrosive and safe liquid desiccant and therefore is expected to be of low in cost and long-lasting. Such a system will be particularly cost effective for conditioning of ventilation air in hot and humid climates. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project are allowing for low level heat such as that from low cost solar water heaters and that from condensers of air conditioners to be used for driving conditioning of ventilation air with a low cost and long lasting system, greatly reducing the energy and other costs of conditioning of ventilation air, emission of greenhouse gases due to the use of energy and the leaked refrigerant, and reducing the peak electricity demand, especially on hot and humid days when the grid is strained. The lower cost of ventilation air conditioning is also likely to help make air fresher and healthier in public buildings such as hospitals, schools, theaters, indoor markets etc. without increasing cost.