Modeling Water Vapor Transport at Liquid/Membrane Interfaces for Applications in Liquid Desiccant Air Conditioners: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-17-679

Conventional compressor-based cooling has undergone incremental changes over the past 100 years. Further improvements in efficiency require evermore complex systems, especially under humid conditions. Meso-porous membranes offer unique opportunities for efficient humidity control in buildings using an absorbent desiccant solution, but membranes are not designed or optimized for this purpose. This project will use molecular dynamic simulations to determine optimal membrane properties for these air conditioning applications, focusing on the membrane properties at the membrane/liquid/air interface. Optimal membrane designs will enable smaller, more durable, and less expensive designs of these membrane air conditioning systems.