Optimization of the areas of solar collectors and photovoltaic panels in liquid desiccant air-conditioning systems using solar energy in isolated low-latitude islands

The climate conditions of high temperature and humidity in isolated low-latitude islands lead to high energy consumption of air-conditioning throughout the year. Since the area of island is limited and the supply of conventional energy is difficult, the solar radiation acts as an excellent energy resource for solar air-conditioning. Therefore, an important challenge is to optimize the ratio of the area of the solar collectors and photovoltaic panels to ensure the indoor air is maintained within a comfortable range. In this work, a solar-powered liquid desiccant air-conditioning system is considered as a suitable system, and the working principle of the air-conditioning system and the physico-mathematical models of the subsystems were determined. The energy consumption of the proposed system was compared with that of a conventional cooling dehumidification system under different fresh air loads and heat to humidity load ratios. When the installed area is limited, the ratio of the areas of the collector to photovoltaic panel under different load conditions is optimized. Furthermore, the influence of indoor air design parameters on the required installed area of the system was analyzed. The results provide a basis for the application of solar-powered liquid desiccant air-conditioning system in isolated low-latitude islands. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.