Membrane-based liquid desiccant air dehumidification: A comprehensive review on materials, components, systems and performances

Xiaoli Liu, Ming Qu, Xiaobing Liu, Lingshi Wang

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

106 Scopus citations

Abstract

Membrane-based liquid desiccant air dehumidification (MLDAD) is a separation process driven by the vapor pressure difference. Different from the conventional liquid desiccant air dehumidification, MLDAD uses semi-permeable membranes to separate the processing air and desiccant liquid so that only water vapor molecules in the air side can transfer through the membrane and be absorbed by the solution. In this process, the vapor is removed from the air stream, and the carryover of solution droplets in the air is also able to be eliminated. This review addresses the characteristics of liquid desiccants and membranes, the design of MLDAD modules and systems, the performance assessment and comparison of the dehumidification and regeneration module, as well as the system-level energy analysis. State-of-the-art research results are presented, and the future needs for this promising technology are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)444-466
Number of pages23
JournalRenewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Volume110
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2019

Funding

This work was supported by the Emerging Technologies Program of the Buildings Technology Office at the US Department of Energy; Xergy, a small business technology inventor.

Keywords

  • Air dehumidifier
  • Dehumidification system
  • Liquid desiccant
  • Membrane
  • Module design
  • Performance comparison

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