Desiccant Cooling at the University of Lincoln: A Case Study

The desiccant cooling cycle is a novel open heat-driven cycle which can be used both to cool and to dehumidify air. Although desiccant cooling systems have been used in Scandinavian buildings for over 20 years, they have only relatively recently been used in the United Kingdom (UK). This paper describes the operation of a desiccant cooling system at the University of Lincoln, which was among the first facilities in the UK to install such a system. The desiccant system at the University of Lincoln was monitored for the period September 1998 to August 1999. The results of this monitoring programme reveal the system to be an effective low-energy solution.