Humidification operations

Fundamentals and applications

Sachin Jangam

Minerals, Metals and Materials Technology Centre (M3TC),

ME Department, NUS

Prof Arun S Mujumdar

Minerals, Metals and Materials Technology Centre (M3TC),
Liquid
Gas

ME Department, NUS

Date January 28, 2011

Humidification
Inter-phase transfer of mass and energy which results when a gas is
brought in to contact with a pure liquid in which the gas is essentially
insoluble
Humidification operation General term
- Humidification of gas
- Dehumidification of gas
- Cooling of gas
- Cooling of liquid
- Measurement of its vapor content

Liquid
Gas

The matter transferred between phases constituent of liquid phase

Vaporization or condensation
This mass transfer is accompanied by heat transfer

Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium
Vapor Pressure
Every liquid exerts an equilibrium pressure
depends on temperature
Vapor pressure plotted against the temperature

P=1atm
A

Liquid

Gas

Tnbp

Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium
Interpolation between data
Vapor pressure temperature data is available for common liquids such as
water, refrigerants..
For other liquids very few data available
Common methods uses Clausius-Clapeyron equation
Molal latent heat

dp
'
=
dT T ( G L )
Molal specific volumes

Liquid
Gas

Neglecting L and using ideal gas, the simplified form is

dp dT
=
p RT 2
'

ln p =

'
RT

+ constant

Enthalpy
Enthalpy (H) = U + p

Liquid
Gas

Typical Enthalpy Temperature diagram

Enthalpy
Saturated vapor
A
A

Relative Enthalpy

H1

Liquid

H2

vapor

Critical point

H3

Gas

H4

Saturated liquid

t4

t2

H1-H2 = C(t1 t2)

t1
Temperature

tcrit

Basic Terms in Humidification

Absolute Humidity

moles A
pA
y A pA
Y=
=
=
y B pB pt pA moles B
MA
pA M A mass A
Y =Y
=
M B pt pA M B mass B
'

Saturated vapor-gas mixture and its Absolute Humidity

Liquid
Gas

pA
YS =
p t pA
MA
Y = YS
MB
'
S

Basic Terms in Humidification

Contd.

Unsaturated vapor-gas mixture

Dry Bulb temperature

pA
RH =
100
pA
Percentage saturation or percentage
absolute humidity
Liquid
Gas

Y
100
YS

Y'
100
'
YS

Absolute humidity

Relative saturation or relative humidity

Y1
Y2

T2 TDP

Dew Point (Tdp)

Temperature

Basic Terms in Humidification

Humid Volume (H)
1
t G + 273 1.013 105
Y'
22.41
H =
+
273
Pt
MB MA
1
Y' t G + 273

= 8315
+
Pt
MB MA
Humid Heat (CS)
Liquid
Gas

CS = C B + Y 'C A
Q = WBCS t

Contd.

Basic Terms in Humidification

Contd.

Enthalpy (H)
Enthalpy of gas
Enthalpy of vapor

H ' = C B (t G t 0 ) + Y ' [C A (t G t DP ) + DP + C A,L (t DP t 0 )]

For simplification

H ' = C B (t G t 0 ) + Y ' [C A (t G t 0 ) + 0 ]

Liquid
Gas

= CS (t t 0 ) + Y '0

Adiabatic saturation curves

Gs mass dry gas time-1

area-1

Gs
Y
2
H
2
t
G2

Y Absolute humidity
1
H Enthalpy
1
t Dry bulb temperature
G1

L1 mass liquid time-1 area-1

Liquid
Gas

H Enthalpy
L
t temperature
L

Adiabatic Gas-Liquid Contact

Adiabatic saturation curves

Mass balance for substance A

L' = G S' Y2' - Y1'

Contd.

An enthalpy balance is

G H + LHL = G H
'
S

'
1

'

'
S

'
2

On Simplification

H + (Y - Y )H L = H
'
1

'
2

'
1

'
2

According to definition of H

CS1 (t G1 t 0 ) + Y1'0 + (Y2' - Y1' )C A,L (t L t 0 )

Liquid
Gas

= CS2 (t G2 t 0 ) + Y2' 0

Adiabatic saturation curves

Contd.

Simplifying for a special case at saturation temperature, the final form

would be

(t G1 t as ) = (Y

'
as

'
1

as

)C

S1

Using this equation the adiabatic saturation lines can be plotted

Liquid
Gas

For any vapor gas mixture there exist the adiabatic saturation temperature
such that if contacted with liquid a this temperature, there will be
humidification and cooling of gas till tas

Wet bulb temperature

Definition
Vapor gas
mixture

Liquid
Drop

TG
PA,G

TG
TW

Liquid

Effective Gas
Film

Sensible heat

Gas

Latent heat

PA,W

PA,G

Measurement of Wet bulb temperature

Boundary
layer
Wick

Gas

Thermometer

TW
TG

PA

Make up
liquid

Gas Temperature T
Humidity Y

Liquid
Gas

PA
TW

Calculations
Heat transfer from the gas to the liquid

Q t = h G A(TG TW )
or

Q t = WA

Mass transfer rate can be written as

WA = k G A (YW YG )
Using above equation
Liquid
Gas

Wet bulb
depression

(TG TW ) =

(YW Y )
hG kG

Psychrometric
ratio

Use Lewis relation to calculate hG/kG for air water system

Le =

hG
=1
K G CS

Air-water system

Liquid
Gas

Air-water system

Psychrometric relations at 1std atm

M A = 18.02 kg/kmol, H 2 O
M B = 28.97 kg/kmol, air

Y =

0.622 pH 2O

'

Y =
'
S

1.0133 10 pH 2O
5

0.622 pH 2O
1.0133 10 pH 2O
5

kg H 2 O kgair
kg H 2 O kgair

H = (0.00283 + 0.00456 Y ' ) (t G + 273) m 3 mixture/kg air

Liquid
Gas

CS = 1005 + 1884 Y ' J / (kg air) C

t 0 = 0C

0 = 2502 300 J / kg

Using Psychrometric chart

j

h
k
n

l
100%

e
o

Liquid

Humidity

Volume

Percentage
Sat

b
a

Gas

T1

Temperature

Heating and Humidification

Liquid
Gas

Cooling and Dehumidification

Liquid
Gas

Applications of Humidification
Cooling of liquid (Cooling Towers)
Cooling of gases
Recovery of vapors from gas mixtures
Dehumidification in pharmaceutical industries
Application in drying technology
Desalination of water using humidification
Liquid
Gas

Cooling Towers
Main Function
Types of Cooling towers
Direct evaporative cooling towers
Natural Draft
Mechanical draft
Induced draft
Liquid
Gas

Forced draft
Indirect evaporative cooling towers

Cooling Towers

Liquid
Gas

Cooling Towers - subtypes

Liquid
Gas

Induced draft

Forced draft

Cooling Towers - subtypes

Liquid
Gas

Cooling Towers

Liquid
Gas

Cooling Towers Calculation of height

Bulk
water TW

Bulk air
TG, Y

Water film
Liquid
Gas

Air film
Water-air
interface
Tf, Yf

Counter current flow of air and water

Cooling Towers Calculation of height

Water Balance
dL' = G S 'dY'

Enthalpy Balance
L'C L dt L = G'S CS dTG + G'S 0 dY' = G'S dH'G
Only small amount of liquid
is evaporated

H'G = CS (t G t 0 ) + 0 Y'

H L = C L (t L t 0 )

G'dH'G = L'dH L
Liquid
Gas

After Integration

G'S (H'G2 -H'G1 ) = L'C L (t L2 - t L1 )

Cooling Towers Calculation of height

Liquid
Gas

H = Enthalpy per mass of dry gas

HG2*

HG2

Slope=
(LCA/G)

HG1
*

HG1

tL1

Temperature

tL2

Cooling Towers Calculation of height

Heat transfer from the body of the liquid to interface
h L a dz ( t L t f ) = L'C L dt L

Heat transfer from the bulk gas to interface

h G a dz ( t f t G ) = G'S CS dTG

Mass transfer from the interface to gas

K Y a dz (Y'f Y' ) = G'S dY'
Liquid
Gas

Putting all values in following equation

L'C L dt L = G'S CS dTG + G'S 0 dY' = G'S dH'G

Cooling Towers Calculation of height

G'S dH'G = h G a dz ( t f t G ) + 0 K Y a dz (Y'f Y' )
G'S dH'G = K Y a [(CS rt f 0 Y'f ) (CS rt G 0 Y' ) ]dz
r=

hGa
CS k Y a

If the Lewis relation is applied then r =1

Liquid
Gas

G'S dH'G = K Y a [H'Gf -H'G ]dZ

hG
Le =
=1
h D CS

Cooling Towers Calculation of height

or

K Ya
dH'G
dz
=
(H'f H'G ) G'S

Integration of this equation

G'S

z = dz =
KY a
1
2

dH'G
1 (H'f H'G )

Liquid
Gas

Assumption is kY is constant
z = HTU NTU

Cooling and Dehumidification

GS
TG2, Y2

Humidity

L2 = 15kg/s
TL2= 45C

L1
TL2= 29C
Liquid
Gas

GS
TG1
TW1
H1
Y1

Yas
Y2
Y1
tas tG2

tG1

Temperature

Cooling and Dehumidification

G'S dY' = K Y a (Y'as Y' )dz
Y '2

Y '1

dY'
KY a
=
dz

(Y'as Y' )
G'S 0
z

Since Yas is constant

(Y'as Y'1 ) K Y aZ
=
= NTG
ln
(Y'as Y'2 )
G'S
Liquid
Gas

G'S
HTG =
KY a

Application in drying

Condenser

Dryer

Compressor

Evaporator
Liquid
Gas

Air cycle on Psychrometric chart

- dehumidifying atmospheric air in evaporator and reheating to a desired
temperature in the condenser of heat pump can be used beneficially in
drying for better drying rate and product quality

Liquid
Gas

Absolute Humidity

100%
RH
2

Temperature
Air Cycle in HPD

Dehumidification using desiccants

Types of desiccants
Absorbent
Liquids or solids
(Examples, Lithium and sodium chloride)
Adsorbent
Solids,
Liquid
Gas

(Examples, Molecular sieves, silica gel)

Desalination of water using HD operation

Liquid
Gas

Lecture on Humidification

For Your Attention

Liquid
Gas