Desiccant wheel dehumidification systems are becoming increasingly popular particularly in industrial applications although more and more desiccant dehumidifiers are now being manufactuared for home use.With desiccant dehumidifiers,moist air flows over a rotating wheel filled with a desiccant (a material that attracts and holds moisture;this acts like a sponge drawing moisture from the air). As the wheel turns, the desiccant passes alternately through the incoming process air where the moisture is adsorbed,and through a "regenerating" zone where the desiccant is dried and the moisture expelled.Rotation of the wheel is continuous and as such, the adsorbent process is constantly repeated.Desiccant dehumidification absorbs moisture without ice build-up and is not limited by low temperatures.A desiccant dehumidifier usually produces air with a substantially lower relative humidity and slightly raised temperature.
To regenerate the desiccant wheel, air must be heated and sent through the other side of the desiccant wheel to drive out water;this requires energy,hence desiccant dehumidifiers have higher running wattage than compressor based dehumidifiers.However desiccant dehumidifiers get the job done faster and are therefore on for less time;the end result in terms of consumption is therefore very similar.
(Desiccant dehumidification information obtained via http://www.gasairconditioning.org/desiccant_how_it_works.htm and http://www.callaladdins.com/water/desiccant.html)
