How to Choose industrial adsorption dehumidifier?

The choice you make will dictate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of maintaining humidity within your building. In this article, we explain the differences between adsorption dehumidifiers and condensation dehumidifiers, the applications most suited to each, and why Dantherm Group has become such a renowned source of expertise across Europe.

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What is dehumidification?

While this may seem like going back to basics, choosing the right system relies upon an understanding of the key scientific principles that dictate how moisture is removed from the air.

At the centre is relative humidity (RH). This is a unit (represented as a percentage) that tells us the amount of water vapour held in the air in relation to the amount of water vapour that the air can hold at its current temperature.

It’s the reason that temperature is such a defining factor in the efficiency of a dehumidifier and the cost-effectiveness of your chosen solution.

When the temperature falls, the relative humidity will increase, indicating that the air has less capacity to hold moisture. Eventually, the environment will reach 100%RH or the ‘dew point’ – the state at which the air can no longer hold water and begins to release it in the form of condensation.

Inside buildings, this is most common when warm, water-saturated air comes into contact with cold surfaces like metal fittings or single-glazed windows.

As a rule of thumb, it is important to maintain relative humidity below 60%RH to prevent rust, mould and other effects of excess humidity causing extensive damage to buildings. At the same time, it’s important to keep an RH level between 50% and 60% to maintain healthy and comfortable conditions for people inside the buildings.

What’s the difference between condense and adsorption dehumidification?

While both solutions remove moisture from the air, different processes affect their drying performance and energy usage in different environments.

Condense drying
Also known as refrigerant dehumidification, a condense unit draws moisture-laden air (humid air) into a dehumidifier and across a refrigerated coil. The air is rapidly cooled below its dew point, condensing the water vapour and recovering its latent heat energy for re-use. The cooled air is then passed across the condenser where it is reheated and returned to the room as warm air at the required lower humidity.

Adsorption drying
Often referred to as desiccant dehumidification, an adsorption dehumidifier brings the air to be dehumidified (process air) through a slowly rotating silica gel rotor. The desiccant material attracts the moisture to its surface, removing it from the air stream (dry air). Behind the rotor, the air flow is split: a part of it is discharged as dry air, the other part is used to regenerate the rotor. This (wet) air must then be exhausted to the atmosphere using a duct. Slowly rotating the rotor through both air-streams creates a continuous dehumidification process.

Which is the right solution for you?

The infographic above should give you a clear overview of the differences between the two types of system. Determining the most appropriate unit for your environment is centred on creating the most ideal conditions while minimising costs. In other words, balancing what’s technically possible with what’s sustainable.

This takes us back to the relationship between temperature and relative humidity.

At higher temperatures, condense technology will usually be more energy efficient. In humid environments like a swimming pool, for example, the energy consumption using an adsorption solution can be 3-4 times higher when compared to a condense solution. That’s a lot of wasted money and a great cost to the environment.

However, condense dehumidifiers and drying units have limitations under 8°C and 40%RH, which makes them less suited to more controlled environments. In laboratories, for example, an RH level lower than 30% is often required, and in freezer rooms and cold storage facilities, temperatures are usually around -18°C. In both these cases, an adsorption solution is much more efficient in terms of both cost and performance.

That’s why we always start with the temperature and the required RH level. Below are some common examples of how temperature and relative humidity can determine your choice of technology:

Why you should speak to an expert before making your decision

It’s very rare that there is only ever one correct solution to dehumidify an environment. As the fish fillet factory example above shows, there are applications which deviate from the guidance with temperature and RH. The examples above are therefore not necessarily definitive and specialists should be consulted in every case. Even after thorough research, you may find yourself faced with a choice of several different units which, on paper, all seem appropriate. To select the best, it's important to work with an expert to understand the specific needs of your environment.

Making the choice between desiccant and condense is not the only deciding factor of your solution. Other important considerations include:

• Fresh air
  Part of a carefully controlled environment includes the circulation of clean fresh air throughout the building.
  
  

• People
  It’s the responsibility of a building or property owner to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for staff, customers and visitors.
  
  

• Construction
  The age, location and materials of a building will affect the way it reacts to temperature and humidity. For example, older buildings with less insulation and low natural lighting will be more susceptible to mould and damp due to fast drops in temperature.
  
  

• Items in storage
  Storage facilities could be used to house food products, classic cars or delicate archives – all of which are highly reactive to changes in temperature and humidity.
  
  

• Times of year
  Humidity levels change naturally with the seasons. In locations with fluctuating climates, your dehumidification system needs to be effective all year round.
  
  

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• Investment value versus operating costs
  When both technologies can be used, the decision maker is often tempted to choose the solution with lowest investment. However, a Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis proves that for solutions with significantly lower operating costs, a higher investment is the most economical choice.

Benefit from expertise in both solutions

Because Dantherm Group develops condense and adsorption solutions, our sales team has no incentive to promote one methodology over another. This puts them in the best position to work with you to understand your business before recommending the most suitable unit from our large range of commercial and industrial dehumidifiers.

With five decades of understanding across various sectors, as well as the benefits and limitations of both types of solution, we can provide the best system in terms of suitability, energy efficiency and drying performance.

Criteria for choosing a professional dehumidifier

The choice of a professional dehumidifier depends on several technical parameters that must be decided according to your specific needs.

➔ Dehumidification capacity is a key criterion. It is expressed in litres per day or kilograms of water per hour, at a temperature of 20 °C and a relative humidity of 60%. It varies depending on the humidity level you want to reach in the room. At DESSICA, our equipment covers a wide range from 0.6 kg/h to over 54 kg/h, and from 35 to 80 litres/24h for condensation models

➔ The air flow rate, expressed in m³/h, must be adapted to the size of the room to be treated, to the air infiltrations and outlets (door openings and ventilation). Our solutions range from 200 m³/h to over 100,000 m³/h.

➔ Energy consumption, expressed in kW, mainly consumed by the regeneration air heating element, is also important: our dehumidifiers can be powered by electricity, steam, hot water or gas, depending on your available sources of energy.

➔ The noise level is expressed in dB(A). The average noise level of industrial air dehumidifiers is 63 dB(A), which is equivalent to the noise inside a moving car.

Dessica dehumidifiers are industrial machines and are not designed for installation in homes or residential buildings.

➔ Ease of use and maintenance: our equipment is designed for industrial use, with simplified maintenance. We recommend the following operations: regular filter replacement, yearly visit by a technician, desiccant wheel replacement every 8 to 12 years (depending on use). Dessica provides its customers with a responsive maintenance and after-sales service (find out more).

➔ Manufacturing site: Dessica is the only French manufacturer specialising in dehumidifiers and air dryers. Our premises and production workshop are located in France the Rhône-Alpes region, north of Lyon.

➔ Company expertise: Dessica has been an expert in the field of industrial air dehumidification since . The team is made up of technicians and engineers who specialise in dry air technology. DESSICA offers its customers a comprehensive approach: research and design, manufacturing, commissioning, maintenance, hire and temporary installations.

With over 25 years of expertise, our team of engineers supports you from the initial project study phase through to commissioning.

Read the article: How industrial air dehumidifiers work

Options and features of professional dehumidifiers

In addition to the basic configurations and depending on the model, several options and features are available:

• Potentiometer for adjusting air flow
• Remote start system
• Pre-filtration and final filtration
• Hour meter
• PLC with start and stop sequence, machine safety and fault reporting
• Configurable left or right dry air direction
• Wheeled body with lifting eyebolt

The following options and features are available on the most advanced models:

• Operating feedback
• Various sensors
• Desiccant wheel rotation control
• Operating time
• Dehumidifier filter clogging control
• TCP/IP communication over an Ethernet port: transfers information from a computer to another device.

Accessories for professional dehumidifiers, depending on the model:

• External filter boxes
• Wall mounting bracket
• Hygrometric probe for measuring relative or absolute humidity
• Hygrostat: device used to maintain a constant level of humidity in a specific area

The various industrial applications of professional dehumidifiers:

Professional air dehumidifiers are useful in many sectors where humidity control is essential to process quality or product preservation. In the agri-food industry, they help preserve the quality of raw materials, prevent mould and maintain strict hygiene conditions. The pharmaceutical sector uses them to guarantee the stability of moisture-sensitive products and ensure the compliance with regulations of production environments. In the construction industry, this equipment is used to accelerate the drying of materials and prevent moisture-related damage. For storage and logistics operations, they protect sensitive goods from corrosion, prevent frost formation and ensure optimal dry air storage. Whatever the application, dehumidifiers enable effective humidity control, extend the equipment life and improve working conditions. At DESSICA, we offer solutions adapted to every need, drawing on our recognised expertise and extensive range of equipment.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of construction desiccant dehumidifier. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.