Inexpensive Dry Air | Low Dew Point Dehumidification
Hold Your Dry Room's Dew Point. Lower the Energy Cost.
Reduce the energy needed to regenerate your upstream desiccant by 70–90%. The WaHa Vaporator® replaces the silica gel stage ahead of your existing zeolite polishing stage, helping your dry room meet its specification with less energy.
The WaHa Vaporator® provides low dew point dehumidification for lithium-ion battery dry rooms by replacing the upstream silica gel dehumidification stage. It uses 70–90% less energy than conventional silica gel wheel-based dehumidifiers, while a downstream zeolite polishing stage delivers the final dry-room dew point. A lithium-ion battery manufacturer engaged WaHa to build and validate a prototype that replaces the silica gel stage of its dry-room line.
The problem
Precise Humidity Control Comes With a Continuous Energy Cost
Moisture control is essential to lithium-ion battery production. Electrolyte filling and cell sealing require an extremely dry environment, making dry-room dehumidification a continuous operating demand. A published Vogt et al. (2021) study documented a production dry room with a dew point reaching −60°C during the working week.
That level of control requires substantial energy. A Yuan et al. (2017) study of an industrial pilot facility found the dry room accounted for approximately 43% of total manufacturing energy per battery pack.
Desiccant regeneration is typically the largest energy draw within dry-room air conditioning. WaHa targets that recurring load so manufacturers can reduce operating costs while maintaining the conditions their production processes require.
How it works
How Does WaHa Fit Into a Low Dew Point Dry Room?
The WaHa Vaporator® replaces the upstream silica gel stage in a dry-room system that uses a downstream zeolite polishing wheel. WaHa performs the initial drying; the existing zeolite stage finishes the air to the room's specified dew point.
Inside the WaHa Vaporator®, a thermodynamic engine regenerates the desiccant using substantially less energy than conventional silica gel wheel regeneration. The system uses commercial off-the-shelf parts and can work with commercial silica gel or water-harvesting metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
It's an upgrade to the upstream dehumidification stage, built to work with the dry room's existing downstream equipment. Water extracted from the air is also available for reuse on site.
The economics
Lower Regeneration Energy. Reduce Dry Room Operating Costs.
The WaHa Vaporator® uses 70–90% less energy than conventional silica gel wheel-based dehumidifiers. That comparison covers the dehumidification stage alone; it doesn't automatically carry over to fans, chillers, or downstream zeolite polishing, so total dry-room savings depend on how much of the overall load that stage represents.
Reduce a major operating load
Target desiccant regeneration, typically the largest energy draw in dry-room air conditioning, to reduce the cost of maintaining production conditions.
Keep your downstream equipment
Retain the existing zeolite polishing stage, chillers, and air handlers. WaHa focuses the upgrade on upstream dehumidification.
Measure the value at your site
A pilot measures regeneration energy against your existing baseline. Your operating hours and energy rates translate the measured reduction into potential cost savings.
Sized to your duty cycle
WaHa configures the desiccant wheel and stage count around your dew point requirement, airflow, and operating hours, so you aren't paying to run capacity the room doesn't need.
Adoption
Prototyped With a Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturer
A lithium-ion battery manufacturer engaged WaHa to build and validate a prototype replacing the silica gel stage of its dry-room dehumidification line with the WaHa Vaporator®.
The approach leaves the rest of the dry-room system in place. The WaHa Vaporator® takes over the upstream drying, and a downstream zeolite polishing stage finishes the air to the room's specified dew point.
For your facility, the process begins with a site assessment. WaHa reviews the required dew point, process airflow, ambient operating conditions, and existing equipment, then scopes a pilot to measure performance under your operating conditions.
Where it applies
Low Dew Point Dehumidification for Moisture-Sensitive Manufacturing
Lithium-ion battery dry rooms
Cell assembly and electrolyte filling in gigafactories and other battery production facilities. It's the application behind WaHa's customer prototype.
Semiconductor manufacturing
Wafer processing areas requiring tightly controlled, very low humidity air.
Thin-film electronics
OLED display and thin-film solar manufacturing processes that require low dew point environments.
Pharmaceutical dry rooms
Moisture-sensitive formulation and packaging processes requiring drier conditions than standard cleanroom humidity control.
Specialty chemical manufacturing
Production and handling of hygroscopic materials where trace moisture affects product quality.
Investment casting and energetics
Manufacturing operations with specified low dew point requirements for moisture-sensitive materials and processes.
Energy Savings and Operating Capabilities
Our technology is protected in depth: explore the WaHa patent portfolio.
Questions operators ask
Low Dew Point Dehumidification FAQ
How does the WaHa Vaporator® reduce dry-room dehumidification energy?
The WaHa Vaporator® uses a thermodynamic engine to regenerate the upstream desiccant with 70–90% less energy than conventional silica gel wheel-based dehumidifiers. Total dry-room savings depend on how much of the facility's energy load that stage represents.
Does WaHa replace our entire dry-room air conditioning system?
WaHa replaces the upstream silica gel dehumidification stage. The existing zeolite polishing stage, chillers, air handlers, and controls remain in place. A site assessment establishes how the WaHa Vaporator® fits into your equipment configuration.
What determines the final dew point delivered to the dry room?
The complete dehumidification system determines the final dry-room dew point. In a battery dry-room configuration, the WaHa Vaporator® performs upstream drying and a downstream zeolite polishing stage delivers the final specified condition. WaHa sizes its configuration around the site's dew point requirement and airflow.
What is the driest incoming air the WaHa Vaporator® can process?
The WaHa Vaporator® can operate with incoming air down to 1 g/kg mixing ratio: one gram of water vapor per kilogram of dry air. This specifies the minimum inlet moisture content. The outlet dew point and final dry-room condition depend on the system configuration.
What information does WaHa need for a site assessment?
WaHa needs your dry room's required dew point, process airflow, ambient operating conditions, and existing equipment configuration. These inputs allow WaHa to assess suitability and scope a measured pilot.
How does a pilot verify energy savings?
The pilot compares the regeneration stage's metered energy use before and after the upgrade over the room's real duty cycle. This establishes the reduction under your site's operating conditions and supports an assessment of the potential operating-cost savings.
Pure Water. Inexpensive Dry Air. Anywhere.
Find out what lower regeneration energy could mean for your dry room. Share your dew point requirement and equipment configuration to start a site assessment.
Assess My Dry Room