Experimental investigations on hybrid solid desiccant - vapor compressor air-conditioning system for Indian climate.

Hybrid solid desiccant-assisted pre-conditioner and split cooling system, which combines merits of moisture removal by rotary dehumidifier and VCR cooling coil for sensible heat removal, is recently developed as a potential alternative to the traditional vapor compression air conditioners. In the present paper, experiments on a hybrid solid desiccant VCR air-conditioning system were carried out for the typical hot and humid North Indian climate. The overall system performance was evaluated based on variations in ambient conditions i.e. temperature and humidity. The dehumidifier effectiveness is evaluated as a function of various inlet conditions. It is found that the hybrid system can achieve a better performance in hot and humid region due to significant reduction in humidity ratio, because of the introduction of desiccant dehumidifier.