A new system based on rotary dehumidification is proposed using evaporative supercooled water to create ice slurry. Rotary dehumidification is employed to reduce the steam partial pressure, generating supercooled water droplets outside heat transfer tubes. This design circumvents the high energy consumption associated with the traditional vacuum method. Additionally, when compared with the solution dehumidification method, this system is simple and has better dehumidification performance. A high degree of supercooling of the water droplets was realized, and the regeneration load of the desiccant wheel was supplemented by the condensation heat from the refrigeration system. A complete ice-making system was constructed, and component models for the desiccant wheel, carbon dioxide heat pump, and evaporative ice-making process were established. The feasibility and efficiency of the system were preliminarily verified by simulation, and the influence of the main operating parameters on the system performance was studied. Under optimal operating conditions, the coefficient of ice production performance for this new system exceeded that of the traditional supercooling water method by 25.9%, and the ice-making capacity in a single cycle increased by 4.3 times.

Cooling towers dissipate waste heat generated in industrial or domestic processes, thereby reducing the temperature of circulating water. Compared to other cooling methods, it has the advantages of effective cooling, corrosion resistance, and low cost. This paper discusses the application and performance optimization of cooling towers based on a literature review of recent domestic and international studies. It summarizes and analyzes the applications and related research on cooling towers for industrial cooling and building cooling. It also extends and analyzes cooling tower′s application in carbon capture and waste heat recovery. Various methods have been reviewed for performance optimization, including model, structural, and operational optimization. This paper highlights the challenges that still exist in the state-of-the-art and discusses its future development directions, which will facilitate efficient, green, and stable operation for future cooling tower systems.