7.

Humidification

Humidification :to increase the amount of vapour present in a gas

stream,

Dehumidification: to reduce the vapour present.

• In humidification, the vapour content may be increased by passing

the gas over a liquid which then evaporates into the gas stream.

• The transfer takes place by diffusion, and at the interface

simultaneous heat and mass transfer take place.

• In the reverse operation, partial condensation must be effected and

the04/08/2021
condensed vapour removed. 1
Application of humidification and dehumidification involves the air-
water system,

• Drying of wet solids is an example of a humidification operation.

• Air conditioning and gas drying also involve humidification and

dehumidification operations.

• For example, moisture must be removed from wet chlorine so that

the gas can be handled in steel equipment which otherwise would
be severely corroded.

04/08/2021 2
.

04/08/2021 3
04/08/2021 4
04/08/2021 5
When (P — Pwo)/(P — Pw) ≈ 1, the percentage relative humidity and the percentage
humidity are equal.
This condition is approached when the partial pressure of the vapour is only a small
proportion of the total pressure or when the gas is almost saturated, that is as Pw ->
Pwo.
04/08/2021 6
 Psychometrics (vapor-gas mixture)

Thermodynamic Properties of Air-Water Mixtures

Psychrometry; Thus, hot air is used both to supply the heat for evaporation and to carry
away the evaporated moisture from the product. Notable exceptions are freeze and vacuum
dryers, which are used almost exclusively for drying heat-sensitive products because they tend
to be significantly more expensive than dryers operate near to atmospheric pressure.

• Drying with heated air implies humidification and cooling of the air in a well insulated
(adiabatic) dryer.

• A Psychrometric chart for the air-water system shows the relationship between the
temperature (abscissa) and absolute humidity (ordinate, in kg water per kg dry air) of humid
air at one atmosphere absolute pressure over 0o to 130o C.

• Line representing percent humidity and adiabatic saturation are drawn according to the
7
thermodynamic definitions of these terms. 04/08/2021
Psychrometrics, psychrometry, and hygrometry- names for the field of engineering
concerned with the physical and thermodynamic properties of gas-vapor mixtures.
Applications
Although the principles of psychrometry apply to any physical system consisting of gas-

vapor mixtures.

Heating

Ventilating

Air – Conditioning

Meteorology

04/08/2021 8
 Psychometric Terms and Definitions

04/08/2021 9
04/08/2021 10
 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

1. The humidity is defined as:

 Saturated air – water vapor is in equilibrium with liquid water

at the given temperature & pressure.

Saturation Humidity, Hs
04/08/2021 11
 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

2. Percentage humidity, Hp :
- 100 times the actual humidity H of the air divided by the
humidity Hs if the air were saturated at the same temperature and
pressure:

3. Percentage relative humidity, HR

The amount of saturation of an air-water vapor mixture is also
given as percentage relative humidity HR using partial pressures:

04/08/2021 12
4. Humid heat of an air-water vapor mixture
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

 The humid heat cs is the amount of heat in J (or kJ) required to

raise the temperature of 1 kg of dry air plus the water vapor
present by 1°C.
 The heat capacity of air and water vapor can be assumed
constant over the temperature ranges usually encountered at
1.005 kJ/kg dry air•K and 1.88 kJ/kg water vapor•K,respectively.
 Hence, for SI and English units,

04/08/2021 13
 5. Humid volume of an air-water vapor mixture
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

 The humid volume vH,. is the total volume in m3 of 1 kg of dry

air plus the vapor it contains at 101.325 kPa (1.0 atm) abs
pressure and the given gas temperature. Using the ideal gas
law,

For a saturated air-water vapor mixture, H = HS,

04/08/2021 14
 6
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

 The total enthalpy of 1 kg of air plus its water vapor is Hy (J/kg

or kJ/kg) dry air.
 If T0 is the datum temperature chosen for both components, the
total enthalpy is the sensible heat of the air-water vapor mixture
plus the latent heat λ0 in J/kg or kJ/kg water vapor of the water
vapor at T0.

04/08/2021 15
 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

EXAMPLE 1. Humidity from Vapor-Pressure Data

The air in a room is at 26.70C (800F) and a pressure of 101.325

kPa and contains water vapor with a partial pressure
pA = 2.76 kPa. Calculate the following:

(a) Humidity, H.
(b) Saturation humidity, Hs, and percentage humidity, Hp.
(c) Percentage relative humidity, HR.

04/08/2021 16
 University Solution
of Electronic Science and Technology of China

From the steam tables at 26.70C, the vapor pressure of water is

pAS = 3.50 kPa (0.507 psia). Also, pA = 2.76 kPa and P = 101.3 kPa (14.7 psia).
For part (a), using the following Eq,

b)

04/08/2021 17
 Humidity Chart of an air-water vapor mixture
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

 Humidity chart below : A convenient chart of the properties of air-water vapor

mixtures at 1.0 atm abs pressure.
 In this figure the humidity H is plotted versus the actual temperature of the
air-water vapor mixture (dry bulb temperature).
 The curve marked 100% running upward to the right gives the saturation
humidity H as a function of temperature.
 In Example 1, for 26.7°C, HS was calculated as 0.02226 kg H20/kg air.
 Plotting this point for 26.7°C (80°F) and HS = 0.02226 on Fig. 9.3-2, it falls on
the 100% saturated line.
 Any point below the saturation line represents unsaturated air-water vapor
mixtures.
 The curved lines below the 100% saturation line and running upward to the
right represent unsaturated mixtures of definite percentage humidity HP.
 All the percentage humidity lines HP mentioned and the saturation humidity
line HS can be calculated from the data for vapor pressure of water.

04/08/2021 18
 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

04/08/2021 19
 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

EXAMPLE 2. Use of Humidity Chart

Air entering a dryer has a temperature (dry bulb temperature)
of 60 0C (140 F) and a dew point of 26.7 0C (80°F).

Using the humidity chart, determine

 The actual humidity H,
 Percentage humidity H,

 Humid heat cs, and

 Humid volume vh in SI and english units.

04/08/2021 20
 Solution:
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

The dew point of 26.70C is the temperature when the given

mixture is at 100% saturation.

Starting at 26.7°C (Fig. 9.3-2), and drawing a vertical line until

it intersects the line for 100% humidity, a humidity of H =
0.0225 kg H2O/kg dry air is read off the plot. This is the actual
humidity of the air at 60°C.

Stated in another way, if air at 60 °C and having a humidity H =

0.0225 is cooled, its dew point will be 26.7°C. In English units, H
= 0.0225 lb H2O/lb dry air.

Locating this point where H = 0.0225 and t = 600C on the chart,

the percentage humidity HP is found to be 14%, by linear
interpolation vertically between the 10 and 20% lines.
04/08/2021 21
 The humid heat for H = 0.0225 is
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

04/08/2021 22
Solved Problem 1; Assume that the outside air temperature is 32°C with a relative humidity φ =
60%. Use the psychrometric chart to determine the specific humidity ω [18 gm-moisture/kg-air],
the enthalpy h [78 kJ/kg-air], the wet-bulb temperature Twb [25.5°C], the dew-point temperature
Tdp [23°C], and the specific volume of the dry air v [0.89m3/kg]. Indicate all the values
determined on the chart.

23
04/08/2021
 Solved problem 2; An air-conditioned room at sea level has an indoor design
temperature of 75°F and a relative humidity of 50%. Determine the humidity ratio,
enthalpy, dew point, and thermodynamic wet bulb temperature of the indoor air
at design condition
vol
um
eo
f ai
r pa
rall
el t
o the
mo
ist
vo lu m
e

enthalpy of room air

Tdew = 55°F. humidity ratio

we
t bu
lb t
em
per
atu
re T
*=
62.
5°F

24
04/08/2021 Figure Psychometric chart
 Quiz one (5%)
1) Write the application of humidification and

dehumidification in air-water systems ?

2)

25
04/08/2021
04/08/2021 26
 Quiz one (5%)

In a vessel at 101.3 kN/m2 and 300 K, the percentage

relative humidity of the water vapour in the air is 25. If

the partial pressure of water vapour when air is

saturated with vapour at 300 K is 3.6kN/m2. Calculate:

(a) The partial pressure of the water vapour in the vessel;

(b) The specific volumes of the air and water vapour;

(c) The humidity of the air

d) humid volume and

(e) The04/08/2021
percentage humidity.

27
04/08/2021 28
04/08/2021 29