New Air Conditioner Process Cuts Energy Use 50-90%

necro81 writes "The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory has announced that it has developed a new method for air conditioning that reduces energy use by 50-90%. The DEVap system (Desiccant-Enhanced eVaporative air conditioner) cools air using evaporative cooling, which is not new, but combines the process with a liquid dessicant for pulling the water vapor out of the cooled air stream. The liquid dessicant, a very strong aqueous solution of lithium chloride or sodium chloride, is separated from the air stream by a permeable hydrophobic membrane. Heat is later used to evaporate water vapor back out — heat that can come from a variety of sources such as solar or natural gas. The dessicants are, compared to typical refrigerants like HCFCs, relatively benign on the environment."

Comments

Is this a closed system?

[OnePumpChump]

Swamp coolers use a LOT of water. Is this better than them in terms of water use? If not, it's just trading one environmental ill for another. The places that have water to spare also have humidity high enough that even this system might not do so well with its evaporative cooling, and the places where evaporative cooling works best don't have the water to spare.

Re:Is it better than this?

[hcpxvi]

Sheesh, RTFA, already. They mention the coolerado and explain exactly why this new idea has the potential to do better.