Experimental investigation on a novel semi semi-coupled desiccant heat pump system.

A novel semi-coupled desiccant heat pump (SCDHP) system in which a desiccant coated evaporator (DCE) and a conventional evaporator (CE) operate in series is proposed to overcome the disadvantages of integrated solid desiccant heat pump (IHP) system. An experimental setup is established and tested to obtain the performance of SCDHP system. Results show that under Shanghai conditions, on the one hand, SCDHP system can inherit the high COP of IHP system, which can reach to higher than 4; on the other hand, when an auxiliary CE is installed in series with DCE, the average temperature drop of process air is about doubled, then corresponding cooling capacity increases by more than 50%, and the variation range of outlet air temperature reduces by about 70%, moreover, the coordination between outlet air temperature and humidity can be improved significantly.