2.2 THE PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
The effect of Cotes adsorption dehumidifiers basically stems from the action of two flows of air.
In this case the air is controlled by one fan, and the air is departed later in the drying process.
The drying process
The incoming moisture-laden flow of air enters one side of the cabinet and gets filtered by an air filter. The air
then passes through a slowly turning rotor whose inner surfaces are coated with desiccant silica crystals that
attract the water molecules passing through. When the moist air passes through the rotor, water molecules are
adsorbed and lodge in the pores on the surface of the silica gel. This means the air leaves the rotor containing
less moisture (humidity) than when it entered. And because the adsorption process releases energy to the air,
the temperature increases during the process. The air is then departed in to two separate airflows – Process air
and Regeneration air. Process air is the dry air.
The regeneration process
The regeneration air is then heated by heating element to reduce its relative humidity. On its way through the
rotor, this heat evaporates the moisture previously adsorbed by the silica crystals in the rotor. The resulting
water vapour now leaves the dehumidifier in the outgoing regeneration air.
The two air flows are fixed, and the rotor turns - this gives an automatic process of simultaneous water
adsorption and water extraction
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