Modeling and simulation of a desiccant assisted solar and geothermal air conditioning system

Abstract In this study, we investigated a desiccant assisted air conditioning system that includes borehole heat exchangers for direct cooling and solar energy for desiccant regeneration. We developed a system model and ran simulations of this model for five cities in the United States. Our research shows that the system can provide sufficient latent and sensible cooling throughout the cooling period. Depending on the location, a maximum Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio of up to 7.66 (kW/kW) is achieved. We further investigated the utilization of borehole heat exchangers within a desiccant assisted hybrid air conditioning system by comparing their energetic, economic and environmental performance to a vapor compression chiller that utilizes R410A as refrigerant. We found that electricity savings of more than 50% and CO2 equivalent emission savings of up to 91% are possible, while the geothermal system is not cost competitive at most of the investigated locations.