Over the next 30 years, the greenhouse gases produced to provide air conditioning to more of the world will increase by a factor of five. Potable water will also become increasingly more difficult to find. What if these two problems could be paired together to provide a solution?
Scientists are developing a new type of cooling system that at least partially decouples the latent cooling from the sensible cooling. Overcooling on the sensible side to remove latent heat and then reheating is one HVAC’s most energy wasteful practices. If a better way to dehumidify were found, then significant energy savings is possible.
The system uses a porous metal-organic framework with a desiccant like lithium-chloride. Water vapor is absorbed from the outside air (or inside air if it’s dry outside). The desiccant is regenerated using solar energy – heat and photovoltaic power, and the water can be treated and used for domestic purposes, while the dry air reduces the need for cooling in the space. It’s an HVAC double play in deserts and areas where freshwater is scarce. – Steve Terry, DTC HVAC & Refrigeration Instructor
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