[pt] Como parte de um sistema solar de condicionamento de ar por resfriamento evaporativo, foi projetado e construindo um desumidificador de ar utilizando tri-etileno glicol como agente higroscópio líquido. O modelo teórico desenvolvido, baseado no procedimento adotado para cálculo de torres de resfriamento. Levou em consideração o abaixamento de pressão de vapor na superfície líquido-gás assim como o calor de mistura de tri-etileno glicol e água. Os dados experimentais obtidos concordam satisfatoriamente com os resultados previstos pelo modelo teórico proposto, dentro das faixas de vazão pesquisadas. Uma correlação semi-empírica foi desenvolvida para cálculo dos coeficientes de difusão de desumidificadores de ar como função das vazões das fases líquida e gasosa. Finalmente é sugerido um procedimento para projeto de desumidificadores de ar de características semelhantes ao modelo proposto. / [en] As part of solar evaporative cooling air conditioning system, using tri-ethylene glicol as a liquid dehumidifier, an absortion tower was designed and built for drying air. The theory of heat and mass transfer between liquid and gas was developped following the same procedure as usually adopted for cooling tower calculations.The lowering of vapor pressure and the heat of solution were taken into account. Experimental data agree reasonably with theory within a wide range of flow rates. A correlation was developped relating mass transfer coefficients to liquid and gás flow rates. A procedure is finally suggested for designing and estimating the performance of na absortion tower.

[pt] No Brasil, devido ao clima tropical, muita energia elétrica é utilizada em sistemas de ar condicionado. Devido à excelente irradiação solar que incide na maior parte do país, existem boas condições para atender esta grande demanda de refrigeração através da utilização de sistemas de ar condicionado assistido por energia solar térmica. Nesta dissertação, as mais importantes tecnologias que utilizam a energia solar para a climatização foram verificadas quanto a sua aplicabilidade técnica e econômica no Brasil, com foco em sistemas de médio porte. Os princípios básicos para o dimensionamento de um sistema de refrigeração solar são descritos e um estudo de caso é apresentado e discutido, comparando-se um sistema de ar condicionado assistido por energia solar (auditório em Guaratinguetá, São Paulo) com um sistema tipo split convencional. No estudo deste caso, a dinâmica de simulação térmica de edifícios foi modelada utilizando o programa Helios-PC. Também se analisa como a carga térmica de resfriamento pode ser diminuída considerando-se uma temperatura adequada no interior da edificação, de acordo com as normas brasileiras de conforto térmico, como também pelo emprego de isolamento adequado na construção do edifício. / [en] In Brazil a lot of electrical energy is used by building air-conditioning because of the tropical climate. In many cases there is a general congruence of solar irradiation and demand for building air-conditioning and solar thermal cooling has the potential to satisfy a part of the rapidly growing cooling demand. Due to excellent solar irradiance and a high cooling demand there exists in Brazil good conditions for the use of solar-assisted air-conditioning. In this work the most important solar cooling techniques and their suitability in Brazil are discussed. The objective of the present study is to analyze the technical and economic feasibility of medium sized solar-assisted air-conditioning in Brazil. The energy saving potential of solar-thermal air-conditioning in comparison to best practical solutions in Brazil using conventional split air-conditioning systems, is shown based on a case study (auditorium in Guaratinguetá - São Paulo). The economy of solar-assisted air-conditioning is thereby discussed. The basic principles for the dimensioning of a system for solar cooling are described. The auditorium in the case study is modelled by using the dynamic thermal building simulation program Helios-PC. In this context it is, as well, demonstrated how the cooling load could be decreased by adapting the indoor temperature according to the Brazilian standards of thermal comfort and by using building insulation.

Solar DEC (Desiccant and Evaporative Cooling) air-conditioning is a renewable technological approach to the future air-conditioning of buildings driven with solar-thermal heat. The principal acceptance of solar airconditioning has led to system prototypes mainly across Europe, however the diffusion of this innovative technology is proceeding slowly due to little field testing experience. In climates with coexisting heating demand particularly, a multivalent system approach that utilizes solar-heat not only for air-conditioning but also for hot water preparation and heating has potential as a feasible concept. However, previous research focused on systems using solar heat exclusively for the DEC-process. This research contributes to the advancement of the solar DEC-technology with multivalent use of solar thermal heat. The investigation consists of an initial detailed in-situ monitoring analysis of a system prototype operated in an industrial environment, followed by the development of optimised system concepts and a climate-specific analysis of the solar DEC-technology. The monitoring provided in-depth knowledge about the system operation, revealing the reasons for the insufficient refrigeration capacity achieved in practice. A detailed simulation model for an entire multivalent solar DEC-system including the heat sinks, DEC-system, heating and hot-water preparation was developed and a DEC-control strategy has been formulated. A new optimised control strategy for multivalent systems with simultaneous sink supply concept was devised. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to investigate the key design parameters for the dimensioning of multivalent solar DEC-systems. The research concluded that the auxiliary primary energy consumption of the optimised system was lower by one third compared to the initial system. Finally, a methodological zoning approach was developed, to systematically produce design-specific outline data for the application of the solar DEC-technology at climatically different sites.