Energy Saving Potential of a Dedicated Outdoor Air System with Desiccant Wheel Assisted by Thermoelectric Modules

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the energy saving potential of a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS). A desiccant wheel was used to control the humidity of outdoor air and a thermoelectric module (TEM), which is a solid heat pump, served as the heat regeneration source for the desiccant wheel and sensible cooling source for process air, respectively. The annual thermal performance and operating energy consumption of the proposed system were compared with those of a reference DOAS (comprising a desiccant wheel, boiler, and chiller) to examine the energy saving potential of the proposed system. The results show that the cooling coefficient of performance (COP) of the TEM ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 and the heating COP of the TEM ranged from 1.4 to 2.5, respectively. Consequently, it was found that the proposed system consumed 9.8% less operating energy compared to that of the reference DOAS.