HUMIDIFICATION AND

DEHUMIDIFICATION SETUP
(KCMT-167)
 Foreword
Welcome to the fast growing family of K.C. product owners. We appreciate your interest in us
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You have chosen the finest quality product in the market which is produced using latest techniques
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Our products are easy to understand and operate. They are excellent for students who are trying to
gain practical knowledge through experiments.

However your comfort and safety are important to us, so we want you have an understanding of
proper procedure to use the equipment. For the purpose, we urge you to read and follow the step-
by-step operating instructions and safety precautions in this manual. It will ensure that your
favourite product delivers reliable, superior performance year after year.

This manual includes information for all options available on this model. Therefore, you may find
some information that does not apply to your equipment.

All information, specifications and illustrations in this manual are those in effect at the time of
printing. We reserve the right to change specifications or design at any time without notice.

Customer satisfaction is our primary concern. Feel Free to contact us for any assistance. So what
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K.C. Engineers Pvt. Ltd.

 Important
Important Information About This Manual

Reminder for Safety

Modification on Equipment:

This equipment should not be modified. Modification could affect its performance, safety or
disturbance. In addition damage or performance problems resulting from modification may not be
covered under warranties.

Precautions and Maintenance:

This is used to indicate the presence of a hazard that could cause minor or moderate personal injury
or damage to your equipment. To avoid or reduce the risk, the procedures must be followed
carefully.
 Contents
1. Objective  1

2. Aim  1

3. Introduction  1

4. Theory  1

5. Description  2

6. Utilities Required  2

7. Experimental Procedure  3

8. Observation & Calculation  4

9. Nomenclature  5

10. Precautions & Maintenance Instructions  6

11. Troubleshooting  7

12. References  7

K.C. Engineers Pvt. Limited, Ambala HUMIDIFICATION AND DEHUMIDIFICATION SETUP

(Rev. 1)
 HUMIDIFICATION AND DEHUMIDIFICATION SETUP
1. OBJECTIVE:
To study the mass transfer operation in humidification and dehumidification column for

different flow & thermodynamic conditions.

2. AIM:
2.1 To calculate the humidity for humidification & dehumidification process.

2.2 To calculate the mass transfer coefficient in the humidification column.

3. INTRODUCTION:
In the processing of materials it is often necessary either to increase the amount of
vapour present in a gas stream, an operation known as humidification; or to reduce the
vapour present, a process referred to as dehumidification. In humidification, the vapour
content may be increased by passing the gas over a liquid which then evaporates into
the gas stream. This transfer into the main stream take place by diffusion, and the
interface simultaneous heat and mass transfer take place according to the system. In the
reverse operation, that is dehumidification. The most widespread application of
humidification and dehumidification involves the air-water system. Drying of wet solids is
an example of a humidification.

4. THEORY:
The mass transfer coefficient Ka, can be measured in a humidification &
dehumidification column in which the area of contact between two phases is known and
boundary layer separation does not take place. A humidification & dehumidification
column also provides useful information on mass transfer to and from fluids in turbulent
flow.

For turbulent flow mass transfer to pipe wall involving evaporation of liquids in wetted
wall towers, Gilland and Sherwood proposed the correlation:

Various dimensionless groups that control the phenomenon are:

NSh = 0.023 NRe0.81 NSh0.44

K.C. Engineers Pvt. Limited, Ambala HUMIDIFICATION AND DEHUMIDIFICATION SETUP

Page No. 1 of 7 (Rev. 1)
 0.81 0.44
Ka d d V
= 0.023
D d

0.81 0.44
0.023 D d V
Ka =
d d

Where,

Reynolds number, NRe = dV /

Schmidt Number, NSc = / D

Sherwood Number, NSh = Ka d/ D

The known flow rate of air at a measured humidity is brought into contact with a film of
water at a certain temperature and vapor pressure. Moisture is absorbed by the air from
water film and the resultant humidity of the exit air and the temperature measured.

5. DESCRIPTION:
The set-up consists of two glass columns with Packings of rasching ring and silica gel. Air
flow rates can be set and measured by rotameter and temperature by RTD. The set-up
studies in volumetric mass transfer co-efficient. In this system the air is firstly free from
moisture by passing in the heated chamber and then inserted in the column from the
bottom and water is from the top and comes down with the packing wall. The moisture is
absorbed from the glass column and goes up in the condenser for dehumidification and
then passed into the silica gel filled glass column for complete dehumidification and then
passed into the atmosphere. Water is recycled in the sump tank through the pump. The
temperature of the air dry bulb and wet bulb are measured.

6. UTILITIES REQUIRED:
6.1 Electricity Supply: Single Phase, 220 V AC, 50 Hz, 5-15 Amp combined socket with

earth connection.

6.2 Compressed Air Supply: @ 4 CFM at 2 Bar.

6.3 Water Supply (Initial fill).

6.4 Floor Drain Required.

6.5 Bench Area Required: 1.2m x 1m.

K.C. Engineers Pvt. Limited, Ambala HUMIDIFICATION AND DEHUMIDIFICATION SETUP

Page No. 2 of 7 (Rev. 1)
7. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE:

7.1 STARTING PROCEDURE:

7.1.1 Ensure that switches given on the panel are at OFF position.
7.1.2 Close all the valves provided on the set up.

7.1.3 Fill the sump tank with water.

7.1.4 Connect the air supply to the set up.

7.1.5 Connect electric supply to the set up.

7.1.6 Set the desired air temperature in the DTC by operating the increment or

decrement and set button of DTC.

7.1.7 Fill the wet bulb bottle with water.

7.1.8 Switch ON the pump.

7.1.9 Allow water to flow through condenser by control valve provided & ensure

that water is coming out from the outlet of condenser.

7.1.10 Start the compressed air supply & adjust the flow rate of air by rotameter

provided.

7.1.11 Start the operation with minimum airflow.

7.1.12 Switch ON the heater and wait till desired temperature achieves.

7.1.13 Allow water to flow through humidification column and adjust the flow rate

by rotameter and control valve.

7.1.14 After every 10-15 minutes, note down the temperature and flow rate

readings of air by DTI & rotameter provided up to steady state.

7.1.15 Simultaneously the temperature of the water in and out is noted and flow

rates measured.

7.1.16 Repeat the experiment for different air & water flow rates.

7.1.17 Repeat the experiment for different air temperatures.

K.C. Engineers Pvt. Limited, Ambala HUMIDIFICATION AND DEHUMIDIFICATION SETUP

Page No. 3 of 7 (Rev. 1)
 7.2 CLOSING PROCEDURE:
7.2.1 When experiment is over switch OFF the heater.

7.2.2 Switch OFF the pump.

7.2.3 Switch OFF the main power supply.

7.2.4 Drain water tank by open the drain valve.

8. OBSERVATION & CALCULATION:

8.1 DATA:
Diameter of the column d = 0.048 m
Length of the column L = 0.5 m
Total pressure PT = 1.01325 bar
Diffusivity of the D = 25.83*10-6 m2/s

8.2 OBSERVATION TABLE:

S. Fa T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 Fw
No. (LPM) (oC) (oC) (oC) (oC) (oC) (oC) (oC) (oC) (oC) (oC) (LPH)

8.3 CALCULATIONS:
To calculate the humidity of air H1, H2, H3 and H4 at temperature (T3 & T4),

(T5 & T6), (T7 & T8) and (T9 & T10) from psychometric chart.

H1 = _________ (kg of H2O/ kg of air)

H2 = _________ (kg of H2O/ kg of air)

H3 = _________ (kg of H2O/ kg of air)

H4 = _________ (kg of H2O/ kg of air)

K.C. Engineers Pvt. Limited, Ambala HUMIDIFICATION AND DEHUMIDIFICATION SETUP

Page No. 4 of 7 (Rev. 1)
 T3 + T5 o
T= ( C)
2

Calculate the property of air ( ,) at temperature T (0C) from data book.

= _________ N s/m2

= _________ kg/m3

A = d 2 (m2)
4

Fa
V= (m/s)
1000 60 A
0.81 0.44
0.023 D d V
Ka = (m/s)
d d

CALCULATION TABLE:
H1 H2 H3 H4
S. Ka
(kg of H2O/ kg (kg of H2O/ kg (kg of H2O/ kg (kg of H2O/
No (m/s)
of air) of air) of air) kg of air)

9. NOMENCLATURE:

Nom Column Heading Units Type

A Cross section area of column m2 Calculated
d Diameter of column m Given
L Length of column m Given
PT Total pressure bar Given
2
D Diffusivity of air m /s Given
2
A Cross section area of column m Calculated
Density of air kg/m 3
Calculated
Viscosity of air Ns/m 2
Calculated
Fa Flow rate of air LPM Measured
Fw Flow rate of water LPH Measured

K.C. Engineers Pvt. Limited, Ambala HUMIDIFICATION AND DEHUMIDIFICATION SETUP

Page No. 5 of 7 (Rev. 1)
 V Velocity of air m/s Calculated
T1 Water inlet temperature C Measured
T2 Water outlet temperature C Measured
T3 Air inlet dry-bulb temperature for humidification C Measured
T4 Air inlet wet-bulb temperature for humidification C Measured
T5 Air outlet dry-bulb temperature for humidification C Measured

T6 Air outlet wet-bulb temperature for humidification C Measured

T7 Air inlet dry-bulb temperature for dehumidification C Measured

T8 Air inlet wet-bulb temperature for dehumidification C Measured
T9 Air outlet dry-bulb temperature for dehumidification C Measured
T10 Air outlet wet-bulb temperature for Dehumidification C Measured
T Mean temperature of Inlet & outlet of dry air C Calculated
H1 Humidity of air at inlet of humidification column kg of H2O/ kg Calculated
of air
H2 Humidity of air at outlet of humidification column kg of H2O/ kg Calculated
of air
H3 Humidity of air at inlet of dehumidification column kg of H2O/ kg Calculated
of air
H4 Humidity of air at outlet of dehumidification column kg of H2O/ kg Calculated
of air
Ka Gas film coefficient m/s Calculated

* Symbols are unit less.

10. PRECAUTION & MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS:

10.1 Never run the apparatus if power supply is less than 200 volts and more than 230

volts.

10.2 Never switch ON mains power supply before ensuring that all the ON/OFF

switches given on the panel are at OFF position.

10.3 Operator selectors switch of temperature indicator gently.

10.4 Always keep the apparatus free from dust.

10.5 Wet bulb bottle should be filled with water before starting the experiment.

K.C. Engineers Pvt. Limited, Ambala HUMIDIFICATION AND DEHUMIDIFICATION SETUP

Page No. 6 of 7 (Rev. 1)
11. TROUBLESHOOTING:
11.1 If electric panel is not showing the input on the mains light, check the main
supply.

12. REFERENCES:
12.1 Coulson, J M & Richardson, J F (1991). Chemical Engineering vol-1. 4th Ed. ND:
Asian Books Pvt. Ltd. pp 629-644.
12.2 Treybal R.E. (1981). Mass Transfer Operations.3rd Ed. McGraw-Hill International
Editions. pp 231-242.

K.C. Engineers Pvt. Limited, Ambala HUMIDIFICATION AND DEHUMIDIFICATION SETUP

Page No. 7 of 7 (Rev. 1)