TY - GEN
T1 - Sorption vs. Separation – Prototype Comparison of Two Approaches to Façade-Integrated Dehumidification
AU - Lazovskis, Peteris
AU - Alvarenga, Jack
AU - Teitelbaum, Eric
AU - Merchant, Coleman
AU - Rucewicz, Sean
AU - Cabrera, Pamela
AU - Rebbagondla, Jaya Manideep
AU - Norford, Leslie
AU - Aizenberg, Joanna
AU - Grinham, Jonathan
AU - Meggers, Forrest
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - We present an alternative concept to vapor-compression air conditioning, by using sorption-based and separation-based methods to manipulate air humidity and velocity, in order to achieve higher efficiency comfort conditions and healthier air for hot and humid climates. Dry air moving over skin in such climates has been shown to increase the number of thermal comfort hours that do not require cooling, reducing building energy consumption. We have constructed prototypes for each method and have designed them for attachment to the exteriors of buildings that will, in the future, likely have to consider retrofit due to rising heat levels. Our lab and field tests yielded promising results, and our theoretical models show dehumidification coefficients of performance higher than equivalently sized vapor compression systems. The sorption-based system dehumidified better at fan driven air speed, while the separation-based system performed better at lower air speed. Both prototypes are novel in their mass-exchanger design, their small form-factor, and their component-based assembly. This progress shows that with further research, non-vapor-compression systems, and hybrid vapor-compression/desiccant systems are well-positioned to substantively reduce energy consumption for thermal comfort.
AB - We present an alternative concept to vapor-compression air conditioning, by using sorption-based and separation-based methods to manipulate air humidity and velocity, in order to achieve higher efficiency comfort conditions and healthier air for hot and humid climates. Dry air moving over skin in such climates has been shown to increase the number of thermal comfort hours that do not require cooling, reducing building energy consumption. We have constructed prototypes for each method and have designed them for attachment to the exteriors of buildings that will, in the future, likely have to consider retrofit due to rising heat levels. Our lab and field tests yielded promising results, and our theoretical models show dehumidification coefficients of performance higher than equivalently sized vapor compression systems. The sorption-based system dehumidified better at fan driven air speed, while the separation-based system performed better at lower air speed. Both prototypes are novel in their mass-exchanger design, their small form-factor, and their component-based assembly. This progress shows that with further research, non-vapor-compression systems, and hybrid vapor-compression/desiccant systems are well-positioned to substantively reduce energy consumption for thermal comfort.
KW - Liquid desiccant dehumidification
KW - vacuum membrane dehumidification
KW - ventilation
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U2 - 10.1007/978-981-97-8313-7_20
DO - 10.1007/978-981-97-8313-7_20
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85213021771
SN - 9789819783120
T3 - Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering
SP - 130
EP - 139
BT - Multiphysics and Multiscale Building Physics - Proceedings of the 9th International Building Physics Conference IBPC 2024, Building Systems and HVAC Technologies
A2 - Berardi, Umberto
PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
T2 - 9th International Building Physics Conference, IBPC 2024
Y2 - 25 July 2024 through 27 July 2024
ER -