June 21, 2010
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DEVap – 90% More Efficient Air Conditioner
http://www.impactlab.com/2010/06/18/devap-90-more-efficient-air-conditioner/
"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."
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/10/06/20/194201/New-Air-Conditioner-Process-Cuts-Energy-Use-50-90
