An experimental investigation on the integration of two-stage dehumidification and regenerative evaporative cooling

► A novel chiller with open-cycle rotary desiccant cooling is studied experimentally. ► The chiller is proved to be a good choice for space cooling using low-grade heat source. ► The temperature of the supply chilled water from this chiller is around 15–20°C. ► The thermal coefficient of performance is about 0.3–0.6 in terms of chilled water production. ► The ability for handling sensible heat of the rotary desiccant cooling is extended by the chiller. A novel chiller with open-cycle rotary desiccant cooling has been investigated experimentally. The technologies of two-stage dehumidification and regenerative evaporative cooling have been integrated together in this chiller. The objective of this study is to extend the ability for handling sensible heat of the rotary desiccant cooling system. Based on the experimental results, it is found that the novel chiller is a good choice for space cooling using low-grade heat source. The temperature of the supply chilled water from this unit is around 15–20°C. The thermal coefficient of performance is about 0.3–0.6 in terms of the chilled water production. Furthermore, the rotary desiccant cooling system, which produces both dry air and chilled water, is proved to be superior to the conventional rotary desiccant cooling system in handling the sensible heat. Especially, under humid and high humid conditions, the effective cooling capacity of the novel system is still at a favorable level. The specific thermal coefficient of performance of the novel rotary desiccant cooling system is around 0.8–0.9 considering the production of both chilled water and dry air.