Some researchers have come up with energy-efficient air-conditioning solutions involving the use of desiccants, which largely incorporate the use of low grade waste heat or solar energy rather than electricity. However, issues such as bulkiness of the systems, high initial cost and long pay-back periods, difficulty with retrofitting, non-availability or inconsistent availability of heat sources make such solutions’ market penetration rather challenging. This paper proposes a desiccant (silica gel) coated oblique fin plate-frame structure that can be retrofitted into existing air-ducts. This study suggests the use of oblique fin plate-frame structure to be a plausible alternative to conventional desiccant based air-conditioning solutions.
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