THE CONTRIBUTION OF APPLYING ADSORPTION MATERIALS IN AIR DEHUMIDIFICATION UNDER IRAQI ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Abstract

Abstract This study contributed to reducing the latent load on air conditioners by removing moisture, the aim of this study is to investigate the ability of adsorption materials, such as silica gel-Blue and sawdust, to be used as a dehumidifier for water vapor produced by human respiration, sweating, ironing clothes, etc. The dehumidification system is designed in two parts, the first is responsible for absorbing moisture using adsorbent materials, and the second is exposed to sunlight to drying these adsorbents for reused. The experiments were conducted in the summer months and for a period of four months. The results of these experiments showed that the relative humidity when using silica gel-Blue was 31%, 36%, 25% and 28% in May, June, July and August, respectively. While the relative humidity when using sawdust was 52% in May and June, while it was 47% in July and 39% in August. From conducting practical experiments that it needed 750 g of silica gel-Blue to remove the moisture generated by one person. The amount of electrical energy consumed when using the dehumidifying system with and without the air conditioner was calculated and found to be 3.5 kWh and 5.1 kWh respectively. The energy efficiency ratio of the air conditioner was calculated, and a noticeable improvement appeared when using the dehumidifying system with the air conditioner, where its value was 4.74, while when using the air conditioner alone was 3.25. It can be concluded that silica gel-Blue proved effective in removing moisture more efficiently than sawdust when it was used under the same experimental conditions.