An Analytical Solution to Heat and Mass Transfer in Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactors for Liquid Desiccant Air Dehumidification

Hollow fiber membrane contactors are used in air dehumidification. The benefit of this technology is that the liquid desiccant is not in a direct contact with the process air; therefore, the problem of liquid droplets crossover is prevented. The equations governing the heat and moisture transfer from the air to the liquid, through the membranes, are described. An analytical solution is obtained for the dimensionless differential equations, with which the dehumidification effectiveness could be estimated by simple algebraic calculations. It provides a convenient yet accurate tool for the component design and system optimization. The model is validated by experiments. The effects of varying operating conditions on system performance are investigated. It is found that the total number of transfer units for sensible heat and the overall Lewis number are the most dominant parameters influencing heat and mass transfer.