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

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.