A desiccant wheel-assisted separate sensible and latent cooling air-conditioning system improves the energy efficiency of conventional air-conditioning systems by increasing the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant for sensible cooling. With the addition of a desiccant wheel into the air-conditioning system, the system integration requires a further study to ensure that the desiccant wheel receives sufficient hot air for its regeneration while maximizing the entire air-conditioning system's coefficient of performance. This paper discusses the application of divided condensers which are specifically designed for such systems in order to meet the goals. In-house developed heat exchanger design software was used to evaluate different layouts of divided condensers. The different layouts were compared to each other in terms of outlet air temperature profile. A parametric study was also conducted to explore the possible design with less material cost than a baseline condenser. Finally, the performance of the desiccant wheel-assisted separate sensible and latent cooling air-conditioning systems with various efficiency-enhancing options were simulated under the summer test condition according to the AHRI standard 210/240 for performance rating of unitary air-conditioning and air-source heat pump equipment to investigate its energy saving potential.
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