Experiments on a silica gel rotary dehumidifier

Abstract The performance characteristics of a silica gel rotary dehumidifier are experimentally investigated. Tests are conducted over the following range of parameters: ambient number, 0.9–1.6; speed of the desiccant-wheel, 4–12 rph; regenerative temperature, 60–75°C; velocity of the process air stream, 1.4–2.2 ms −1 . It is found that the process air conditions governed by the ambient number significantly influence the performance of the dehumidifier. Also, an optimum value of the rotational speed exists at which the dehumidifier operates at maximum capacity.