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Passive Desiccant Air Conditioners--AIL Research, Inc., P.O. Box 3662, 50 Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08543-3662; 609-452-2950
Mr. Jeffrey A. Miller, Principal Investigator
Dr. Andrew Lowenstein, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-747650
Amount: $747,650
In dry climates, such as those found in the southwest, evaporative coolers can maintain comfortable conditions in homes and commercial buildings while using much less energy than freon-based and other similar cooling systems. This passive cooling system passes air through wet media, with the evaporation of water cooling the air. Their performance decreases as humidity levels rise, hence their limited geographical use. This project will develop a passive desiccant air conditioner that will allow evaporative cooling to be used in more humid environments, thereby increasing its potential use with its attendant eco-nomic and environmental benefits. In Phase I, a flexible computer model of the passive desiccant air conditioner was developed. The model was used to design a product that used much less energy than a conventional air conditioner over a cooling season while having acceptable manufac-turing costs. In Phase II, the design of the passive desiccant air conditioner will be refined through working with a manufacturer; a sub-scale model of a commercial system will be demonstrated on a building; manufacturing costs will be determined; and potential installation, operation, and maintenance problems will be identified and corrected.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: A passive desiccant cooling system should save energy when applied to both residences and commercial buildings. It can also be used to reduce energy use in many industrial processes that now use cooling towers. Such energy savings will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and pollutants, conserve fossil fuels, and reduce the need for additional power plants, especially those built for peak power needs.