Design and Construction of a Thermoelectric HVAC Dehumidification System

The concept of this project builds on prior research. Last year, it was determined that thermoelectric cells have the ability to successfully dehumidify a small enclosure. The aim of this project is to push the limits of those same thermoelectric cells by designing a HVAC system to determine if the cells have the ability to dehumidify air that is moving through a duct, similar to that in a central air systems found in homes and commercial buildings. Prior research determined the optimal voltage output and temperatures for the thermoelectric cells to operate at, so the variables in the experiments of this research are the speed at which the air is traveling through the duct, the relative humidity level at the start of the duct, and the temperature of the air. The final measurement is the relative humidity level of the air leaving the duct to determine whether or not the thermoelectric cells were able to dehumidify the air as it passes through the duct. After compiling this data through multiple runs, analysis was done to determine how effective the system is at dehumidifying air, to determine how energy efficient the system is compared to standard HVAC systems found today, and to investigate the economic feasibility of this system.