Prof. M.V. Rane and his team of Department of Mechanical Engineering have formulated a process for the energy efficient conditioning of air using liquid desiccant (CAULD). The device which comes in contact with the air can function as an exchanger that has no loss or gain of heat to the surrounding, or even a loss or gain thermodynamically. The contacting device (device which comes in contact with the air) can function as humidifiers, dehumidifiers or; direct, indirect Evaporative Coolers (EC). The system is devised such that the liquid desiccant can be regenerated by multi or single stages. This ensures that the conditioned air by the process does not contain any desiccant in it. Compared to conventional VCRS, electrical power consumption is significantly reduced in the present invention. The system using CAULD is modular and can be scaled up / down to meet any air conditioning load. It operates with lower pressure drops and low desiccant flow rates compared to conventional desiccant cooling systems.The main advantages of the CAULD is that the outgoing air stream is free of desiccant as compared to the conventional liquid dessicant based air conditioning, uses low grade heat sources and has possibility of recovering water. This is possible by the appropriate design of the dehumidifier, regenerator, liquid-liquid heat exchanger air-air heat exchangers and other components of CAULD. Significant reduction in weight and cost can be achieved with the use of alternate materials such as plastics and problems due to corrosion of the dehumidifier/regenerator as in conventional systems is eliminated. The system is compact, low weight and techno-economically viable for air-conditioning.

Indian patent application no. 272/MUM/2003 Patent grant no. 206320
Inventors: M V Rane, S V Kota Reddy, and Roshini R Easow