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Old 02-25-13, 09:34 AM   #1
NiHaoMike
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Default DIY solar dehumidifier

Calcium chloride is a desiccant that can absorb so much moisture that it forms a solution. It is often sold cheaply as Damprid and Dri-Z-Air (and probably other brands as well).

So here's a simple way to make a solar dehumidifier:
* Get a black container (vented at the top) and put some calcium chloride in it. The amount should be such that it will not overflow even when fully saturated.
* On a sunny day, move the container outdoors so the sun can heat it up and evaporate the collected moisture, making it reusable.

That has the obvious disadvantage of requiring manual intervention. So let's add some plumbing to automate the process.
* One pump draws off some solution into a chamber where it is heated by solar power (possibly with a glycol loop and solar thermal collectors), venting the moisture outside.
* Another pump (or just gravity) directs the more concentrated solution through a heat exchanger cooled by a small evaporative cooler and returns it to the indoor container.

Has that been done before? How well does it work?

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