Performance Analysis and Optimization Study of a Desiccant wheel Enhanced Condensation Atmospheric Water Harvesting Hybrid System

Guo Zihao; Chen Liu; Zhang Yuanyuan; Chen Sihao

doi:10.12465/issn.0253-4339.20260515001

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Performance Analysis and Optimization Study of a Desiccant wheel Enhanced Condensation Atmospheric Water Harvesting Hybrid System

更新时间：2026-09-09

- Performance Analysis and Optimization Study of a Desiccant wheel Enhanced Condensation Atmospheric Water Harvesting Hybrid System
- Journal of Refrigeration Pages: 1-9(2026)
- 作者机构：
  
  1.西安科技大学能源与矿业工程学院西安 710054
  2. 广东海洋大学海洋工程与能源学院湛江 524088
- 作者简介：
  
  Chen Liu， female， associate professor， School of Energy and Mining Engineering， Xi'an University of Science and Technology， 86-13279397868， E-mail： chenliu@xust.edu.cn. Research fields： technology and application of desiccant air conditioning systems.
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.12465/issn.0253-4339.20260515001
  CLC： TV213.9;TU991.114
- Received：15 May 2026，
  
  Revised：2026-06-01，
  
  Accepted：29 July 2026，
  
  Online First：20 August 2026，
- 稿件说明：
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郭子豪，陈柳，张媛媛，等. 转轮除湿强化冷凝空气取水复合系统性能分析及优化［J］. 制冷学报，XXXX，XX（XX）：1-9.

Guo Zihao，Chen Liu，Zhang Yuanyuan，et al. Performance Analysis and Optimization Study of a Desiccant wheel Enhanced Condensation Atmospheric Water Harvesting Hybrid System［J］. Journal of Refrigeration，XXXX，XX（XX）：1-9.
郭子豪，陈柳，张媛媛，等. 转轮除湿强化冷凝空气取水复合系统性能分析及优化［J］. 制冷学报，XXXX，XX（XX）：1-9. DOI： 10.12465/issn.0253-4339.20260515001.

Guo Zihao，Chen Liu，Zhang Yuanyuan，et al. Performance Analysis and Optimization Study of a Desiccant wheel Enhanced Condensation Atmospheric Water Harvesting Hybrid System［J］. Journal of Refrigeration，XXXX，XX（XX）：1-9. DOI： 10.12465/issn.0253-4339.20260515001.

摘要

干燥地区环境空气的低露点温度会显著降低冷凝空气取水系统的取水效率，为了提升冷凝空气取水技术在干燥地区的应用性能，本文提出了转轮除湿强化冷凝空气取水复合系统，通过发挥转轮除湿高吸附、强解吸能力实现环境空气露点温度大幅提升，强化冷凝取水效率；建立了复合系统传热传湿数学模型，通过数值仿真分析了环境含湿量、环境温度、再生温度及冷源温度对3种不同转轮分区结构的复合系统（WFS-1、WFS-2、WFS-3）空气取水性能的影响规律。研究结果表明：环境含湿量与产水量呈正相关，含湿量高于3 g/kg（干空气）时WFS-1系统性能最优，含湿量低于3 g/kg（干空气）时WFS-3更具优势；环境温度升高会显著抑制系统取水性能，其中WFS-3展现出更宽的温度适应范围；再生温度存在最优区间，超过80 ℃后系统产水量提升有限，WFS-3在高温再生条件下单位热能产水量最高；降低冷源温度可扩展系统在低湿环境下的取水极限。本研究为干旱地区高效、低能耗空气取水系统的设计与优化提供了理论参考。

Abstract

Objective

In arid regions， the low dew-point temperature of ambient air significantly limits the water-harvesting efficiency of conventional condensation-based atmospheric water-harvesting （AWH） systems. To address this limitation， this study proposes a desiccant-wheel-enhanced condensation AWH hybrid system that elevates the dew-point temperature of the incoming air prior to condensation， thereby enhancing the condensation potential. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the performance of three hybrid system configurations featuring different desiccant-wheel partition structures （WFS-1， WFS-2， and WFS-3） under various environmental and operational conditions as well as identify the optimal configuration and operating parameters for efficient water production in arid environments.

Methods

A comprehensive mathematical model describing coupled heat and mass-transfer processes in a hybrid system was developed. The model integrates desiccant-wheel dehumidification and regeneration processes with the subsequent cooling condensation process. Numerical simulations were performed to evaluate the effects of key parameters on system performance， including the ambient humidity ratio， ambient temperature， regeneration temperature， and cooling-source temperature. Three system configurations—WFS-1， WFS-2， and WFS-3—were compared. Performance metrics included water harvesting rate （WHR， kg/h） and water harvesting efficiency （WHE， kg/（kW·h））. All simulations were conducted under steady-state assumptions， and model accuracy was validated against experimental data from the literature.

Results and Discussion

The simulation results revealed several key findings. First， the ambient humidity ratio showed a strong positive correlation with the water yield. When the humidity ratio exceeded 3 g/kg（dry air）， WFS-1 achieved the highest WHR owing to its lower pressure decrease and simpler heat-transfer characteristics. However， under extremely dry conditions （humidity ratio <3 g/kg（dry air））， WFS-3 outperformed the other two configurations owing to its enhanced moisture adsorption efficiency in low-humidity environments.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that integrating a desiccant wheel with condensation-based atmospheric water harvesting is a viable strategy for improving the water yield in arid regions. The hybrid system performance was highly sensitive to the ambient humidity ratio， and ambient， regeneration， and cold-source temperatures. Among the three configurations， WFS-1 is recommended for moderately humid arid conditions （humidity ratio >3 g/kg（dry air））， whereas WFS-3 performs better in extremely dry environments （humidity ratio <3 g/kg（dry air））， and offers superior energy efficiency under high-temperature regeneration conditions. These findings provide theoretical guidance for the design and optimization of energy-efficient atmospheric water-harvesting systems tailored to arid and semiarid regions.

关键词

Keywords

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