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Mohamed R.H. Abdel-Salam, University of Saskatchewan
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Gaoming M. Ge, Ph.D., University of Saskatchewan
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Robert W. Besant, University of Saskatchewan
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Carey J. Simonson, Ph.D., P.E., University of Saskatchewan
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Liquid to air membrane energy exchangers (LAMEEs) are used to transfer heat and moisture between air and desiccant solution streams. LAMEEs use semi permeable membranes to prevent the transfer of desiccant droplets to the airstream, which guarantee high levels of indoor air quality. When a LAMEE is used for air cooling and dehumidifying, energy of phase change is released as the desiccant solution absorbs moisture from the humid airstream. Consequently, the temperature of the desiccant solution increases as it flows along the exchanger which decreases the LAMEE’s effectiveness. A 3-fluid LAMEE is a novel type of LAMEEs which includes a cooling water circuit to cool the desiccant solution along the exchanger. The main contribution of this paper is that it quantifies for the first time the amount of phase change energy released in liquid desiccant energy exchangers used for air cooling and dehumidifying process.
