Bi-directional Thermo-hygroscopic Facades: Feasibility for Liquid Desiccant Thermal Walls to Provide Cooling in a Small Office Building

This paper discusses the design of a bi-directional thermo-hygroscopic façade as a dedicated outdoor air system to cool and dehumidify outside air. The paper discusses the environmental, historical, bio-inspired design, past systems, and materials and components for a hygroscopic building envelope to function. The feasibility of the system limits itself to thermodynamic understanding of liquid desiccant performance and fresh air in this system. The mechanism transfer from beneficial performance criteria in the historical and biological examples provides an array of improvements to the system.

keywords: Thermal-Hygroscopic, Façade, Bi-Directional, Liquid Desiccant, Regenerative