Investigation on an air solar-driven open sorption system for comfort cooling

An air solar-driven open sorption system for comfort cooling is investigated experimentally in an indoor test facility. The main components of the system are a solar dehumidifier and a cold storage with desiccant. One operation cycle is 36 h. On the first day of the operation cycle, the solar dehumidifier is charged.

At night the cold storage is charged and on day two, the cold storage is discharged. A material investigation is undertaken to find the most suitable desiccant for both components, including samples of different silica gels and zeolites. The scope of this work is to determine the usability and the performance of the system.

The usability of the system is addressed by an investigation of the climatic conditions of fourteen different locations. It is shown that a small porous silica gel is the best desiccant for both the solar dehumidifier and cold storage, that the system can work well in eight of the investigated climates, and that the system can supply cool, dry air for comfort cooling of buildings.