Integral thermal and electrical energy utilization of the capacitive deionization regeneration method for absorption air-conditioning system

Sustainable development calls for greener air-conditioning system. One promising candidate could be the absorption air-conditioning system, as it is driven by renewable energy and no harm to environment. However, its application is impeded by the lower performance caused by energy waste in thermal regeneration process. To solve this problem, capacitive deionization regeneration (CDI) method has been proposed: absorbent solution is concentrated with electrodes in an electric field, which is more efficient than the thermal heating method. Nevertheless, the experimental research in this paper shows the actual performance of this method is not as good as expected, as energy loss in heat still exists. To improve, an integral heat and power driven CDI method is proposed: it reutilizes the waste heat generated from the CDI units and energy supply system. Models have been developed and analysis has been made on the combined system. Experimental data is acquired to obtain key parameters. Performance comparison has been conducted between the new method and other methods. The results expose the influence of some key factors. The integral system greatly enhances the performance by doubling the COP. The highest value can exceed 8 with energy recovery strategy, making the new system competitive for future application.