Numerical study of falling film dehumidification performance on corrugated plates

•Thoroughly studied the variables affecting falling film dehumidification on corrugated plates.•Provided the optimum shape of the corrugated plate for falling film dehumidification performance.•Proposed a mass transfer correlation based on the current numerical data.•Clarified the enhancement mechanism of the corrugated surface for falling film dehumidification. Due to a number of benefits, liquid desiccant dehumidification has received a lot of attention lately. In comparison to previous improvement strategies, corrugated plates have demonstrated higher efficacy in liquid desiccant dehumidification. This study employs computational fluid dynamics to examine the dehumidification performance of falling film liquid desiccant dehumidification on over sinusoidally shaped corrugated plates. The effects of plate geometries, solution parameters, and moist air (concentration of humidity, temperature, and flow rate) were discussed. Additionally, a mass transfer correlation was proposed based on the current numerical data. It is indicated that the corrugated plate significantly enhances dehumidification performance due to the liquid film waves intensification, mass transfer area expansion, and induction of vortexes close to the gas-liquid interface. The most effective falling film dehumidification is achieved using a corrugated plate with a wavelength of 5.0 mm and an amplitude of 0.5 mm. By raising the solution or air inlet temperature, the dehumidification rate is reduced while being strengthened by raising the solution or air inlet concentration, velocity, or air humidity. While decreasing when solution intake concentration or air velocity rises, the efficacy of dehumidification rises as solution velocity does. The proposed mass transfer correlation accurately predicts 93.3 % of the 45 data, with an error of 11 % or less. In the current parameter scopes, the magnitude has a more significant effect on Shair than the wavelength. Adjustments to air velocity and solution concentration can cause significant fluctuations in Shair, while air and solution temperature have little effect on Shair.