Testing and Analysis of a Liquid Desiccant HVAC System for Remote Community Greenhouses

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Remotely located Canadian communities' often have difficulty growing local foodstuffs due to their harsh**climates. Combined with the lack of transportation infrastructure and the long distances to other communities,**this limits access to fresh produce and jeopardizes food security. Consequently, Cindar Power Developments**Inc. (CPDI) is developing a new high-performance sealed greenhouse for use in northern climates to give these**communities the capacity to grow their own vegetables. The new greenhouse will be powered by a**high-efficiency, bio-fueled co-generation power plant that will also supply the community with electricity and**heat. A key challenge of sealed greenhouses is the creation of large dehumidification loads that need to be met**to maintain optimal plant growth. A promising method of servicing these loads are through the use of liquid**desiccant (LD) dehumidification systems that absorb the excess moisture in a salt solution. Heat, rather than**electricity is used to regenerate the salt solution allowing for continuous operation. This uses less electrical**energy than traditional vapour-compression dehumidifiers. This heat will be supplied from the high-efficiency**co-generation plant. This NSERC Engage Plus grant continues the work of researchers at Queen's University**and CPDI that was completed under an initial Engage grant which studied the feasibility of the LD system and**the greenhouse design. The Engage Plus extension will allow for the refinement and validation of the computer**model, and contribute to the establishment of a pilot plant in a North-Western Ontario community in the near**future.**