Performance Evaluation of Different Desiccant Matrix Materials Coated with Silica Gel

ABSTRACTExcessive cooling of air is required in conventional air conditioning systems to reduce the humidity, leading to the development of desiccant wheel-based air conditioning systems. The desiccant wheel consists of desiccant material which is deposited on matrix material. In this study, aluminum, magnesium alloy, Teflon and fiberglass have been considered matrix materials of the desiccant wheel. A one-dimensional mathematical model has been developed to evaluate the effect of these matrix materials. The results show that fiberglass can be selected as a suitable matrix material for drying applications because it has maximum moisture removal (1.92 g/kg) and temperature difference (4.72 °C) at optimal rotational speed, which are desirable for drying. While aluminum can be selected as a suitable matrix material for air conditioning applications because, at the optimal rotational speed, it has lower maximum moisture removal (1.26 g/kg) and temperature difference (3.14 °C) as compared to other matrix materials. As moderate maximum moisture removal and lower temperature difference are the requirements for air conditioning. A similar trend of results has been also obtained for other parameters (volume ratio, regeneration velocity, regeneration temperature, etc.) of this study.DisclaimerAs a service to authors and researchers we are providing this version of an accepted manuscript (AM). Copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proofs will be undertaken on this manuscript before final publication of the Version of Record (VoR). During production and pre-press, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal relate to these versions also. AcknowledgementWe thank the reviewers for providing helpful comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript. We sincerely appreciate all valuable comments and suggestions, which helped us improve the manuscript's quality.Additional informationNotes on contributorsLaxmikant YadavLaxmikant Yadav is working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India. He obtained his Doctorate and Master of Engineering from NIT Kurukshetra. His research area includes desiccant dehumidification systems and refrigeration & air conditioning. He has ten years of teaching experience. Ajay SharmaAjay Sharma has completed his Master of Technology in Energy Technology under the guidance of Dr. Laxmikant Yadav in 2022 from National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India. Ravi PratapRavi Pratap has completed Master of Technology in Mechanical Engineering under the guidance of Dr. Laxmikant Yadav from Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur, U.P, India. Shubham Kumar MishraShubham Kumar Mishra has completed his Master of Technology in Mechanical Engineering (Thermal) from National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India, in 2022. Ashutosh Kumar VermaAshutosh Kumar Verma is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering Department of National Institute of Technology Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India. His area of interest includes refrigeration & heat, ventilation, and air conditioning, and desiccant dehumidification. He has six years of teaching experience in the private engineering college of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University Uttar Pradesh.