Methods and systems for cooling buildings with large heat loads using desiccant chillers

Abstract

A system for providing cooling to a building includes a cooling tower for transferring waste heat from the building to the atmosphere and a liquid desiccant system for dehumidifying an air stream entering the cooling tower to increase cooling efficiency of the cooling tower. The liquid desiccant system includes a conditioner and a regenerator. The conditioner utilizes a liquid desiccant for dehumidifying the air stream entering the cooling tower. The regenerator is connected to the conditioner for receiving dilute liquid desiccant from the conditioner, concentrating the dilute liquid desiccant using waste heat from the building, and returning concentrated liquid desiccant to the conditioner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing cooling to a building, comprising:
 a cooling tower for transferring waste heat from the building to the atmosphere; and   a liquid desiccant system for dehumidifying an air stream entering the cooling tower to increase cooling efficiency of the cooling tower, said liquid desiccant system comprising:
 a conditioner utilizing a liquid desiccant for dehumidifying the air stream entering the cooling tower; and 
 a regenerator connected to the conditioner for receiving dilute liquid desiccant from the conditioner, concentrating the dilute liquid desiccant using waste heat from the building, and returning concentrated liquid desiccant to the conditioner. 
   
     
     
         2 - 34 . (canceled)