Desiccant wheels models: investigation on the fully developed temperature and velocity profile assumption

Desiccant wheels are the most critical component in desiccant cooling systems and for this reason many models are available in the open literature in order to predict their performances. Gas side resistance model (GSR) are particularly interesting because they can be used, at the same time, for detailed component analysis and for desiccant cooling systems simulations. In these models, fully developed velocity and temperature profile along each desiccant wheel channel are typically assumed, and it means that heat and mass transfer are estimated through constant Nusselt and Sherwood numbers. The aim of this work is to evaluate in which conditions this assumption is valid.