Dehumidification: from material to modules and characterization

The heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning units (HVAC) units are an integral part of daily activities. It is estimated that about 75% of the energy supplied to the residential building is used for running the HVAC units to achieve human comfort zones. Worldwide, about 40% of the total energy of residential buildings and 36% of the total energy in commercial buildings is used for air conditioning units, and the energy demand will triple by the end of 2050. Simultaneously about 10% of greenhouse gases released to the environment are by cooling units. Therefore, global warming demands a solution for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly dehumidification units for air conditioning, which is the dominant energy-consuming segment in HVAC units. Herein we have developed hollow fiber membranes offering a leading advantage in developing miniaturized prototypes. The hollow fiber support is coated with different unique materials providing a higher transportation rate for water vapor over other molecules. The block copolymer named NEXAR and PEBAX, Ionic liquid encapsulated carbon capsules (ENILs), and polyphenols are used to coat the hollow fibers exhibiting higher water vapor transport rate. The resulting composite hollow fiber membranes depicted water vapor permeance up to 3.4 m3(STP)/h.m2.kPa and selectivity of 80,000 over nitrogen gas.

Speakers

Lakshmeesha Upadhyaya

Research Scientist