Energy storage in open cycle liquid desiccant cooling systems

Energy for air dehumidification and cooling can be stored efficiently and non-dissipatively in liquid desiccants. For optimal storage capacity, new dehumidifiers have been developed and tested, dehumidifying air by a cooled microflow of a hygroscopic aqueous salt solution, e.g. LiClH₂O in an almost isothermal absorption process. A small, theoretically sufficient solution flow of about 0.21 l/(hm²) could be distributed uniformly over a cooled exchanger surface. An air dehumidification of 5.5 g/kg and a storage solution has been measured under steady state ARI^∗ conditions with an experimental dehumidifier for an air flow of 1000 m³/h.