Microwave-assisted, silica-based composite desiccant dehumidification method and system

An air dehumidification system for removing water vapor from an air flow, the air dehumidification system-comprising:

• a first Faraday cage configured to confine microwaves;
• a desiccant wheel located within the first Faraday cage and configured to rotate relative to a longitudinal axis X of the first Faraday cage, wherein the desiccant wheel is coated with a desiccant material;
• a metallic plane that extends through a diameter DD of the desiccant wheel and divides the desiccant wheel into a first half and a second half;
• and
• a magnetron system configured to generate the microwaves and direct them into the desiccant wheel to evaporate water adsorbed by the desiccant material,
• wherein the metallic plane is configured to, at a given instant, uniformly distribute the microwaves into the first half of the desiccant wheel and to prevent the microwaves from the entering the second half.

A method for manufacturing a composite adsorbent for adsorbing water, the method comprising:

• providing a silica-cage having plural pores and internal channels that fluidly connect the plural pores;
• preparing an aqueous salt that includes a salt;
• placing the silica-cage in the aqueous salt to form at least one interior chamber, which is a result of a collapse of at least one pore of the plural pores and one channel of the internal channels;
• removing the silica-cage loaded with the salt from the aqueous salt;
• and
• drying the silica-cage loaded with the salt.