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Desiccant Car Dehumidifier

Use conventional liquid desiccant dehumidifier
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This idea is very simple -- use a completely conventional desiccant dehumidification system to remove humidity from the interior of your vehicle.

After absorbing humidity from the interior of the vehicle, the desiccant (either solid or liquid) is regenerated using waste heat of the engine. Since this heat is essentially "free," the only energy needed by the is for the fan and either a motor to spin an enthalpy wheel (for solid desiccant systems), or a low pressure pump to move liquid desiccant.

This system would either augment your car's air conditioner (if the air is dried first, less energy is needed to cool it to below it's original dew point), or even to replace the air conditioner (in climates where cooling isn't needed, but dehumidification is).

goldbb, Jul 08 2009

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       I just had this same idea, but for window defogging. Rather than pumping unwanted heat or cold (either works) into the car to defog the front window, use an engine heat regenerated dessicant to dry the air instead. More energy efficient than cooling the air, no uncomfortably hot air dumped in, and especially good for times when the oustside temperature is pleasant but damp.
MechE, Aug 31 2009
  

       I'll buy one: it'd probably work more often than the A/C does.
FlyingToaster, Aug 31 2009
  
      
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