Performance characteristics of desiccant rotor using metal organic framework material

A desiccant rotor is often adopted for dehumidification applications, owing to the increased importance of humidity control and energy saving in air conditioning and ventilation systems for buildings. In previous studies, silica gel, zeolite, and silica composites have been widely used in the desiccant rotor. However, it is difficult to further improve the dehumidification performance of a conventional desiccant rotor, owing to the inherent limitations of the desiccant material. In this study, a desiccant rotor using a metal organic framework (MOF) material was proposed and manufactured to improve the dehumidification performance under various operating conditions. The dehumidification and regeneration performance of the MOF desiccant rotor were measured and analyzed by varying the temperature, humidity, volumetric flow rate of the process air, and temperature of the regeneration air. Furthermore, the performance of the MOF desiccant rotor was compared to that of a conventional silica composite desiccant rotor. The MOF desiccant rotor showed 53% lower sensible energy ratio and 139% higher specific moisture removal capacity than the conventional desiccant rotor. In addition, empirical correlations were developed for performance predictions for the MOF desiccant rotor.