I. Overview of Desiccant Dehumidifier

A desiccant dehumidifier is a device that uses a specially designed rotating dehumidifying wheel to remove moisture from the air. 

It is an industrial-grade dehumidification solution. Unlike traditional compressor-based dehumidifiers, the desiccant dehumidifier 

does not rely on refrigerants and compressors; instead, it operates based on the principle of physical adsorption, making it particularly 

suitable for maintaining stable dehumidification performance in low-temperature and low-humidity environments. 

II. Working Principle

The core component of the desiccant dehumidifier is a honeycomb-shaped rotating wheel coated with a moisture-absorbing material 

(usually silica gel or molecular sieve). 

During operation, the wheel rotates slowly and is divided into three functional areas:

Treatment Area: When humid air passes through this area, the moisture is absorbed by the moisture-absorbing material.

Recovery Area: Heated air passes through this area to remove the moisture absorbed by the wheel, restoring the wheel's drying capacity.

Cooling Area: The hot regenerated wheel is cooled here to prepare for entering the treatment area again.

This continuous rotating working method enables the equipment to continuously provide dry air. 

III. Performance Features

Excellent low-temperature performance: Maintains efficient dehumidification capability even in environments below 5°C

Strong low-humidity control capability: Can reduce humidity to below 10% RH, meeting special industrial requirements

Large air volume handling: Suitable for large spaces or places with high ventilation volume

Stable and reliable: No refrigerant or liquid water generation, reducing the risk of freezing 

IV. Main Functions and Applications

• The desiccant dehumidifier is widely used in:

• Humidity control in GMP workshops of pharmaceutical factories

• Drying rooms for lithium battery production

• Food processing and storage

• Precision electronic manufacturing

• Storage of military products

• Constant humidity protection for museums and archives

• Dehumidification in swimming pool venues

In addition to the basic dehumidification function, high-end models also have:

• Intelligent automatic humidity control

• Multi-stage humidity adjustment

• Remote monitoring function

• Heat recovery system (energy-saving type) 

V. Analysis of Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

The dehumidification efficiency in low-temperature environments is much higher than that of traditional compression type.

It can achieve extremely low humidity levels (down to 5% RH or below).

There is no compressor, resulting in relatively lower operating noise.

Maintenance is simple and the lifespan is long (the rotor is typically replaced every 5-8 years).

It is not limited by environmental temperature and can be used throughout the year. 

Disadvantages:

The initial investment cost is relatively high.

Recovery requires heating, and the energy consumption is relatively large.

The equipment size is usually large.

The rotors need to be replaced regularly (efficiency decreases after long-term use). 

VI. Typical Case: Humidity Control in Lithium Battery Production Workshop

A large lithium battery manufacturing enterprise adopted a desiccant dehumidification system in the newly built factory to solve the 

humidity problem in the production environment. This workshop was required to maintain a low humidity environment of below 20% RH 

throughout the year. The area was approximately 2,000 square meters and the ceiling height was 4 meters. 

Solution:

Two centrifugal dehumidification units with a capacity of 8000 m³/h each are configured. 

The system adopts a mixed treatment mode of fresh air and return air. The system is equipped with two levels of dehumidification:

The first level employs conventional dehumidification pre-treatment

The second level uses deep dehumidification by the centrifugal wheel 

Implementation effect:

The humidity in the workshop is stabilized at 18 ± 2% RH.

The environmental temperature is maintained at 23 ± 1°C.

The energy consumption is reduced by approximately 25% compared to the original plan (with the installation of a heat recovery device).

The equipment operation noise is lower than 65 dB(A).

This system effectively ensures the quality stability of key processes such as coating and baking of lithium battery electrodes, and the 

product defect rate has decreased by 40%. 

VII. Purchase and Usage Suggestions

Select the appropriate type (standard type or low-temperature type) based on the operating environment temperature.

Calculate the suitable air volume and dehumidification capacity according to the actual dehumidification requirements.

When considering energy consumption issues, you can choose to equip a heat recovery device.

Pay attention to the air flow organization during installation to avoid short circuits.

Replace the filter regularly to keep the incoming air clean.

Check the status of the rotor according to the manufacturer's recommended schedule. 

VIII. Future Development Trends

With the advancement of materials science, new-generation moisture-absorbing materials such as MOFs (Metal-Organic Framework Compounds) 

are expected to further enhance the efficiency of desiccant dehumidification; intelligent control systems will achieve more precise humidity regulation; 

heat pump-assisted regeneration technology can significantly reduce energy consumption; modular design makes the equipment more flexible to 

adapt to different scenarios.

Desiccant dehumidification technology, as an important solution in the field of industrial dehumidification, will continue to play an irreplaceable role in 

key industries such as precision manufacturing, medicine and health, and food processing that are sensitive to humidity.