The novel system concept named ECOS (Evaporatively COoled Sorptive Heat Exchanger) consists of two plate heat exchangers which unite the process air dehumidification by adsorption and the process air cooling by indirect evaporative cooling in a single component [1]. The plate heat exchanger is divided in sorptive and cooling channels which are in thermal contact. Process air passing the sorptive channel is dehumidified and simultaneously cooled. The heat of adsorption is removed by evaporatively cooling the building exhaust air in the cooling channel, thereby also cooling the sorptive matrix and enhancing its sorption capacity. In order to enable the continuous conditioning of process air two sorptive heat exchangers are alternating between the regeneration/ pre-cooling and adsorption stages. Fig 1 gives an overview of the air flows moving through the channels during different cycle stages: fresh, hot ambient air through sorption channels during desorption, water evaporation into ambient air during pre-cooling and fresh ambient air through sorption channels combined with water evaporation into the building return air in the cooNumerical modelling of the sorptive heat exchanger

For means of performance prediction a model of the sorptive heat exchanger was implemented using the object-oriented modelling language Modelica. In the course of the collaborative research project a prototype of a sorptive heat exchanger is also being built. Experimental characterization of this prototype will be used for model validation.