Humidity control is an important factor affecting the overall sustainability, productivity,

and energy efficiency of controlled environment agriculture. Liquid desiccants offer the

potential for pinpoint control of humidity levels in controlled environments. In the present

work, a dehumidification processes utilizing liquid desiccants pumped through the lumens

of triple-bore PVDF hollow fibre membranes is implemented in a bench scale controlled

environment agriculture system. Hydrophobic hollow fibre membranes were combined

into an array and placed near the crops. Concentrated magnesium chloride liquid desiccant

solution with a low vapour pressure was pumped through the hollow fibre lumens.

The dehumidification permeance rate responded dynamically to the changing transpiration

rate of the plants, as influenced by changes in environmental factors such as light,

temperature, and vapour pressure. The dehumidification permeance rate increased from

an average of 0.26e0.31 g m2 h1 Pa1 as the velocity of the liquid desiccant through the

hollow fibres increased from 0.023 to 0.081 m s1. Humidity levels were targeted to be

maintained within a range of 70e90% relative humidity at 23 C. The membrane-based

liquid desiccant system was demonstrated to successfully control humidity within a

bench-scale controlled environment agricultural setup.