Cascade desiccant air-conditioning/air drying process and apparatus with cold thermal energy storage

摘要

A process using a cascade desiccant air-conditioning/air drying apparatus having cold thermal energy storage means is used to produce a major increase in the system's thermal coefficient of performance. The latent heat of vaporization from the water separation occurring in desiccant regeneration is recovered in the heating process for desiccant regeneration in the next stage. This energy recovery results in a major improvement in thermal coefficient of performance in air-conditioning or air drying processes. Values greater than 1.0 are expected to be common and values greater than 2.0 are possible. Presently most thermal driven air-conditioning systems have a thermal coefficient of performance less than 1.0 with an average value less than 0.7.