Dessicant Dehumidifiers – Seibu Giken DST
DST’s parent Seibu Giken of Japan is at the forefront of desiccant rotor technology. With over 800,000 rotors delivered they are the world leader. Seibu Giken invented the use of stable Desiccant Silica gel in rotors in the 1980s, which allowed the use of desiccants in high-efficiency commercial applications.
The basic principle of Dehumidifiers is that they remove moisture from the air by drawing the air into a medium (desiccant wheel or condenser) and cooling the air below its dew point, where the water is then removed from the system.
The Desiccant wheel is a highly absorbent material, which easily attracts the water vapour in the air as it flows through it. Then using the return air from the space, the moisture is taken out of the unit and outside in an energy-efficient method. The air is loaded with water vapour on the way into the desiccant wheel, and upon leaving the wheel it is significantly drier.
The refrigerant dehumidifiers use a similar technique, but water vapour is removed by cooling the air to below its dew point (the temperature at which it begins to turn to water droplets) and turning into the water on the cold condenser fins. These water droplets then fall into a drip tray below, and the water is removed from the system. The air is then reheated on a condenser and cycled into the space.