Process Instrumentation

Module 5
Lecture -2
Humidity Measurement
Dr V S Krushnasamy
Dept of EIE
DSCE
 Humidity Measurement
Humidity terms
Dry & wet bulb Psychro meters
Dew point hygrometer.
 Humidity terms
Humidity
Dry air
Moist air
Saturated air
Absolute humidity
Relative humidity
Humidity ratio or Specific humidity
Dew point temperature
Dry bulb temperature
Wet bulb temperature
Wet bulb depression
Percentage humidity
 Introduction
The amount of water vapor contained in air or
gas is called as humidity.
This humidity affects human comforts and
many industrial processes as In case of
chemical industries , garment industries ,
paper industries , food industries , leather
industries, pharmaceutical industries ,
precision equipment manufacturing ,etc .
Humidity: The amount of water vapor contained in
air or gas is called as humidity . It is usually
measured as absolute humidity , relative humidity
or Dew point temperature.
Dry air: When there is no water vapor contained in
the atmosphere , it is called dry air.
Moist air: When there is water vapor contained in
the atmosphere , it is called moist air.
Saturated air: It is the moist air where the partial
pressure of water-vapor equals the saturation
pressure of steam corresponding to the
temperature of air.
Absolute humidity : it is the mass of water vapor
present per unit volume . (Or ) it is the quantity of
water vapor present in air and its unit is grams per
cubic meter of air.
Relative humidity:
(𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑣𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡)
R.H = at
(𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑣𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
given temperature.
 Here a comparison is made between the humidity
of air and the humidity of saturated air at the
same temperature and pressure.
 It should noted that if RH is 100%,it is said to be
saturated air . That is ,the air contains all the
moisture it can hold.
 The degree of saturation(% of RH) of air keeps on
changing with temperature.
Humidity ratio or Specific humidity : For a given
volume of air water vapor mixture

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟−𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑟

Humidity ratio=
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑖𝑟
Dew point temperature : By continuous cooling
at constant pressure, if the temperature of air is
reduced , the water-vapor in the air will start to
condense at a particular temperature . The
temperature at which the water vapor starts
condensing is called as dew point temperature.
Dry bulb temperature
When a thermometer bulb is directly exposed
to an air-water vapor mixture ,the temperature
indicated by the thermometer is dry-bulb
temperature.
This dry bulb temperature is not affected by the
moisture present in the air, that is ,the
temperature of air is measured in normal way
by the thermometer.
The dry bulb is used to distinguish the normal
temperature measured from the temperature
measured by the wet-bulb.
Wet bulb temperature
 When a thermometer bulb is covered by a
constantly wet wick, and if the bulb covered by the
wet wick is exposed to air-water vapor mixture ,
the temperature indicated by the thermometer is
the wet-bulb temperature.
 When air is passed on the wet wick present on the
bulb of the thermometer , the moisture present in
the wick starts evaporating and this creates a
cooling effect at the bulb . The bulb now measures
the thermodynamic equilibrium temperature
between the cooling effected by the evaporation of
water and heating by convection.
Wet bulb depression
WBD = Dry bulb temp – Wet bulb temp
 Always Dry bulb temperature is higher than the Wet bulb
temperature.

Percentage humidity
% Humidity =
𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑣𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟
𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑣𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟, 𝑖𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒
𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
 Instruments used measure humidity
Sling psychrometer
Absorption hygrometer
Dew Point Meter
Dew Point Meter
 Dew Point Meter
Principle
By continuous cooling at constant pressure, if
the temperature of air is reduced , the water-
vapor in the air will start to condense at a
particular temperature . The temperature at
which the water vapor starts condensing is
called as dew point temperature.
 Dew Point Meter
Description
A shiny surface(mirror) fixed with a
thermocouple.
A nozzle to provide a jet of air on the mirror.
A light source focused constantly on the
mirror.
A photo cell to detect the amount of light
reflected from the mirror.
Operation
 The mirror is constantly cooled by a cooling medium . The
cooling medium is maintained at a constant temperature.
 To this mirror is attached a thermocouple , whose leads are
connected to a millivolt meter .
 Constantly ,light is made to fall in an angle on the mirror and
the amount of reflected light is sensed by a photo cell.
 Now an air jet is made to fall on the mirror and the water-
vapor(moisture)contained in the air starts condensing on the
mirror and they appear as small drops(dews) on the mirror.
 This dews formed on the mirror reduces the amount of light
reflected from the mirror and it is detected by photo cell.
 When for the first time ,there is a change in the amount of
transmitted light , it becomes an indication of dew formation.
 At this instance ,the temperature indicated by the
thermocouple attached to the mirror becomes
dew point temperature.
 This arrangement is used to determine the time
at which the dew appears for the first time and
dew point temperature.
Applications & Limitations
 This instrument is used on ships to protect
cargoes from condensation damage by
maintaining the dew point of air in holds lower
than the cargo temperature.
 Used in industries in determining dew point.
 There are limitations in cooling fluids and light
measurement.