Energy-Harvesting Benefit of a Thermoelectric Generator for a Liquid Desiccant System in an Organic Rankine Cycle

Abstract

A liquid desiccant (LD) system can be used for dehumidifying hot and humid outdoor air for air conditioning during the summer. The LD system requires thermal energy to regenerate the desiccant solution for stable dehumidification performance. In this study, we propose the use of heat generated from the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) in a combined heat and power system. In addition, waste heat is observed in a closed-loop LD system with an integrated ORC. Therefore, use of a thermoelectric energy harvester is suggested to reclaim the wasted heat by converting it into electricity. Finally, a detailed energy simulation model was developed to investigate the benefit of using the thermoelectric energy harvester in the LD system with integrated ORC during the summer.