Performance Analysis of Desiccant Dehumidifier with an Expanded Regeneration Section

Abstract

Temperature and humidity are critical parameters for maintaining the storage conditions and ensuring the post-harvest quality and shelf life of agricultural products. This study evaluates the performance of a desiccant dehumidifier under varying conditions to optimize storage environments. The relative humidity of the process air ranges from 60% to 90%, while the regeneration air temperature varies from 60°C to 80°C. The flow rates of process air and regeneration air are fixed at 350 m³/h and 760 m³/h, respectively. The relative humidity of the process air is reduced from 61%–91% at the inlet to 33.5%–48.75% at the outlet. During the experiment, the process air inlet temperature varies between 27.75°C and 36°C, while the regeneration air outlet temperature ranges from 37.75°C to 57.5°C. Performance parameters such as dehumidification effectiveness (η), moisture removal capacity (MRC), coefficient of performance (COP), and sensible energy ratio (SER) were analyzed. At 90% relative humidity and 80°C regeneration air temperature, a maximum dehumidification of 13.35 g/kg was achieved, whereas the lowest dehumidification of 5.5 g/kg was observed at 60% relative humidity and 60°C regeneration air temperature. These findings demonstrate the potential of the desiccant dehumidifier to maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels for prolonged shelf life and reduced post-harvest losses.