Humidification.

1. An air (B) Water (A) sample has a dry bulb temperature of 50C and a wet bulb
temperature of 35C. Estimate its properties at a total pressure of 1 atm.
1 atm = 1.0133 x 10 5 N/m 2
Average molecular weight of air =28.84
Solution.
(i) Y (Chart) = 0.03 kg water vapour/kg dry air
= 0.0483 kmol/kmol
(ii) % Humidity (Chart) = 35%
(iii) % Relative saturation = Partial pressure/ Vapour pressure Partial pressure under the
given condition is given by

p A
Molal humidity =
( Pt p) A

p A
0.0483 =
[1.0133x105 p]
A

Hence, partial pressure, p A

= 0.04672 x 10 5 N/m 2
Vapour pressure of water (steam tables) at 50C = 92.55 mm = 0.1234 x 10 5 N/m 2

% R.H. = 37.86 %

(iv) Dew point = 31.5C

(v) Humid heat = C S = C B C A Y
= 1.005 + 1.884 (0.03) = 1.062 kJ/kg dry air C
(vi) Enthalpy (for a reference temperature of 0 C )
H C S t G t 0 Y '
(a) 2502kJ / kg
1.06250 0 0.032502 128.16kJ / kg
(b) Enthalpy of saturated air = 274kJ / kg
Enthalpy of dry air = 50kJ / kg
Enthalpy of wet air 50 (274 50)(0.35) 128.4kJ / kg
(vii) Humid volume VH
 1 Y ' TG 273
VH 8315
M B M A Pt
1 Y / 325
(a) 8315
5
28.84 18 1.1033 10
= 0.969 m3 mixture/kg of dry air
(b) Specific volume of saturated air = 1.055 m3/kg
Specific volume of dry air = 0.91 m3kg
By interpolation vH 0.91 (1.055 0.91)(0.35
0.961 m3/kg of dry air Ans.

2. Air is entering into a cooling tower with characteristics as follows:

Dry bulb temperature 25 C , Wet bulb temperature 22 C and Pressure 1atm . Find
(i) humidity, (ii) % humidity, (iii) % relative humidity, (iv) dew point and (v) enthalpy.
Solution.
From psychrometric chart,
(i) Humidity = 0.0415 kg water/kg dry air Ans.
(ii) % humidity = 61%. Ans.
(iii) Ys / (Saturation humidity) = 0.0255 kg water/kg dry air
PA 18
Ys /
Pt PA 28.84
PA 18
0.0255
1 PA 28.84
Vapour pressure, PA = 0.0393 atm.

PA 18
Ys /
Pt PA 28.84
PA 18
0.0145
1 PA 28.84
PA 0.0227 atm.

P
R.H. = A 100
PA
R.H. = (0.227/0.0393) x 100 = 57.77% Ans.
(iv) Dew point = 19. 5oC Ans.
 Cs 1005 1884Y /
(v) Humid heat,
1005 1884 0.0415 1032.32 J / kg C

H C S t G 2502300Y /
Enthalpy,
(1032.32 25) (2502300 0.0415)
= 65188.25 J/kg dry air. Ans.

3. A mixture of nitrogen acetone vapour at 800 mm Hg and 25 C has percentage

saturation of 80%. Calculate (i) absolute humidity (ii) partial pressure of acetone (iii)
absolute molal humidity and (iv) volume percent of acetone. Assume vapour pressure of
acetone at 25 C as 190 mm Hg.
Solution.
PA 58
Y/
Pt PA 28
(i)
190 58

800 190 28
= 0.645 kg acetone/kg nitrogen
Y/
100
Y /s
% saturation
Y/
80 100
0.645
Y / 0.516 Kg acetone/kg N 2 Ans.

PA 58
(ii) Y/
Pt PA 28
P A = 159.54 mm Hg Ans.
PA
(iii) Y 0.249 kmol acetone/kmol N 2 Ans.
Pt PA
(iv) Volume of 0.249 k mole acetone vapour at NTP 0.249 22.414 5.581 m3
Volume of 1 kmol of N 2 at NTP 22.414 m3
Calculating volume of acetone and N 2 at 25 C , using Ideal gas law,
P1v1 P2V2

T1 T2
 Volume of acetone at 25 C =
298 5.581 760 5.787 m3
800 273
Volume of N 2 at 25 C =
298 22.414 760 23.243 m3
800 273
Hence,
Total volume of mixture = 5.787 + 23.243 = 29.03 m3
Thus,
5.787
% volume of acetone = 100 19.93% Ans.
29.03

4. Partial pressure of water vapour in a mixture of air-water vapour at a total pressure of

106.6 kPa and a temperature of 60 C is 13.3 kPa. Express the concentration of water
vapour in (i) absolute humidity (ii) mole fraction (iii) volume fraction (iv) relative
humidity and (v) g water/m3 mixture. Assume vapour pressure is 20.6 kPa t 60 C.
Solution.

PA 13.3
(i) Y/
Pt PA 106.6 13.3
= 0.14255 kmol water vapour/kmol dry air
18
Y / Y 0.08897 Kg water vapour/kg dry air Ans.
28.84
P
(ii) Mole fraction = A 0.1248 Ans.
Pt
(iii) Volume fraction = Mole fraction = 0.1248 Ans.
P
(iv) Relative humidity = A 100 64.6%
PA
1 Y / t G 273
VH 8315
M B M A Pt
Humid volume,
1 0.08897 333
8315 3
28.84 18 106.6 10
3
= 1.029 m mixture/kg dry air Ans.
/
Y 0.08897
(v) g water/m3 mixture =
VH 1.029
= 0.0865 kg water/m3 mixture
= 86.5 g water/m3 mixture Ans.

5.