CPA 410 Particle

technology
1. Humidification

BJ du Plessis
February 2024
Humidity ℋ

𝑚𝐴 𝑘𝑔
ℋ=
𝑚𝐵 𝑘𝑔

Ideal gas law 𝑝𝐴 𝑀𝑀𝐴

Rauolt’s law and Dalton’s Law  ℋ=
𝑃𝑇 − 𝑝𝐴 𝑀𝑀𝐵

Component A Liquid/vapour – the component that can condense at system temperature and pressure.
Component B Dry gas or air – the component that will not condense
Saturated humidity ℋo
At a given temperature, the maximum partial pressure = vapour pressure
Thus is called the saturated humidity.
𝑝𝐴∗ 𝑀𝑀𝐴
ℋ𝑜 =
𝑃𝑇 − 𝑝𝐴∗ 𝑀𝑀𝐵

Antoine equation
For water

3985.44
ln 𝑝∗ = 16.5362 − P in kPa and T in kelvin
𝑇 − 38.9974
Percentage humidity (%ℋ)
This is the ratio of the humidity to the saturated humidity

%ℋ = ℋ/ℋo

Relative humidity (ℋR)

This is the amount of vapour relative to the maximum amount of water in the
gas. It can be expressed as ratio of the partial pressure of the vapour to the
vapour pressure of the liquid at the gas temperature

ℋR = pA/p*A
Both these values
generally expressed as %
 80
0.06 Humidity Chart
Air Water
1 Atm. 60
0.05

0.04
40

0.03
ℋ

0.02
20

0.01

0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Temperature °C
 0.06

0.055

0.05

0.045

0.04
Humidity (kg/kg)

0.035

0.03

0.025

0.02

0.015

0.01

0.005

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature oC
Humid heat (Heat capacity) (S)

S = CpB+CpAℋ (kJ/kg DA K)

For the air-water system S = 1.0048+1.8637ℋ (kJ/kg DA K)

Humid volume (V’) This is the total volume of gas per unit mass of dry
gas.
1 ℋ 𝑅𝑇
𝑉′ = + (m3/kg DA)
𝑀𝐵 𝑀𝑎 𝑃𝑇
Saturated volume (V’o)
This is the humid volume calculated with the saturation humidity
Dewpoint (TDP)

This is the temperature at which the gas is saturated with vapour. Any decrease in
temperature or increase in pressure will result in condensation of vapour.

Dewpoint is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water
(keeping pressure and composition constant)
0.06

0.055

0.05

0.045

0.04
Humidity (kg/kg)

0.035

0.03

0.025

0.02

0.015

0.01

0.005

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature oC
 0.06

0.055

0.05

0.045

0.04
Humidity (kg/kg)

0.035

0.03

0.025

0.02

0.015

0.01

0.005

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature oC
 0.06

0.055

0.05

0.045

0.04
Humidity (kg/kg)

0.035

0.03

0.025

0.02

0.015

0.01

0.005

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature oC
 0.06

0.055

0.05

0.045

0.04
Humidity (kg/kg)

0.035

0.03

0.025

0.02

0.015

0.01

0.005

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature oC
 100 80 60 40 20
0.08 2600

Psychrometric chart
Air Water 82.5 kPa

0.07 2500

0.06 2400

Latent Heat of evaqporation  (kJ/kg)

0.05 2300
Humidity (kg/kg)

0.04 2200

0.03 2100

0.02 2000

0.01 1900

0 1800
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130

Temperature (oC)
Example
An air water gas contains 1% moisture (mass/mass).
Temperature of the gas is 35°C.
What is the humidity? (0.0101 kg/kg)
What is the partial pressure of the water vapour? (1.623 kPa)
What is the % humidity? (27.9%)
What is the relative humidity? (29.0%)
What is the dewpoint of this mixture? (14.3°C)

For water

3985.44
ln 𝑝∗ = 16.5362 − P in kPa and T in kelvin
𝑇 − 38.9974
Problem 1
For an air-methanol mixture at 1.0 bar, 50 C and 60% saturated, calculate the following
a) Humidity
b) The partial pressure of the methanol
c) Relative humidity
d) Percentage methanol (volume basis)
e) The humid volume
f) The dew point
The molar mass of air can be taken as 29 kg/kmol.
Solution
a) From the Antoinne constants (page 6) and a temperature of 50 C the vapour pressure p* = 55.037 kPa
Thus the saturated humidity = 1.3507 kg/kg and the actual humidity ℋ = 0.6(1.3507) = 0.814 kg/kg
𝑝 𝑀𝑎 𝑝 32
b) ℋ = 0.814 = =
𝑃𝑡 −𝑝 𝑀𝑏 100−𝑝 29

thus p = 42.344 kPa

c)ℋR = p/p* = 42.344/55.037*100 = 76.938%
d) According to Dalton’s law % Methanol = 42.344/100 = 42.344 %
1 0.814 8.314(273.1+50)
e) Humid volume V’ = (1/MB+ℋ/MA)RT/P = + = 1.6066 m3/kg DA
29 32 100

f) The dew point is defined as that temperature where the partial pressure = vapour pressure
Solving the Antoinne equation gives TDP = 44.02C
1.3.1 Example
A toluene-air mixture at 1 atm. and 60 C contain 4.76% (mass) toluene. Calculate the adiabatic saturation temperature of
the mixture.
Heat capacity of toluene vapour = 1.12 kJ/kg K Heat capacity of air = 0.91 kJ/kg K
For Toluene  = 406.65 -0.752 T (kJ/kg) with T in C MM toluene = 92 g/mole.
Solution
4.76
ℋ= 100−4.76
= 0.0493 𝑘𝑔/𝑘𝑔 S = 1.12 + 0.91(0.0493) = 0.9652 kJ/(kg DA)(K)
3242.38
ln 𝑃∗ = 14.2515 − ….(1)
𝑇+273.1 −47.18
𝑃∗ 92
ℋ𝑆 = ….(2)
100− 𝑃∗ 29

S = 406.65 -0.752 T ….(3)

Guess TS = 30 C
Calculate vapour pressure @ this temperature (1) = 4.865 kPa
Calculate saturated humidity @ this temperature (2) = 0.160 kg/kg
Calculate latent heat of evaporation @ this temperature (3) = 361.531 kJ/kg
ℋG - ℋs = - S 1/s(TG - TS)
LHS = -0.11067 RHS = - 0.0801
Iterate until LHS = RHS giving Ts = 27.1C
 𝑝𝐴 𝑀𝑀𝐴 𝑝𝐴∗ 𝑀𝑀𝐴
ℋ= ℋ𝑜 =
𝑃𝑇 − 𝑝𝐴 𝑀𝑀𝐵 𝑃𝑇 − 𝑝𝐴∗ 𝑀𝑀𝐵
0.09
Humidity Chart
Air Water
1 Atm.
0.08

0.07

0.06

0.05
ℋ

0.04

0.03

0.02

0.01 Antoine equation

For water
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature °C 3985.44
ln 𝑝∗ = 16.5362 −
𝑇 − 38.9974 P in kPa and T in kelvin
 0.06 80
Humidity Chart
Air Water
1 Atm. 60
0.05
%ℋ = ℋ/ℋo
0.04
40
0.03
ℋ

0.02
20
0.01

0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Temperature °C

An air water mixture has a temperature of 30°C and is 40% saturated. Atmospheric pressure is 1 atm
What is the humidity?
What is the dewpoint?

An air water mixture is 60% saturated and has a humidity of 0.02. Atmospheric pressure is 1 atm
What is the temperature?
What is the dewpoint?
 80
0.06 Humidity Chart
Air Water
1 Atm. 60
0.05

0.04
40

0.03
ℋ

0.02
20

0.01

0
0 10 20 30 40 50
temperature = 30°C Temperature °C
%ℋ = 40%
 80
0.06 Humidity Chart
Air Water
1 Atm. 60
0.05

0.04
40

0.03
ℋ

0.02
20

0.01

0
0 10 20 30 40 50
ℋ = 0.02 kg/kg Temperature °C
%ℋ = 60%
An air water mixture has a temperature of 30°C and is 40% saturated. Atmospheric pressure is 90 kPa
What is the humidity?
What is the dewpoint?
Calculate p*|30°C
Get saturated humidity @30°C (ℋo)
Calculate the humidity From %ℋ

From Humidity calculate the partial pressure

At the dewpoint the partial pressure = vapour pressure

An air water mixture is 60% saturated and has a humidity of 0.02. Atmospheric pressure is 90 kPa
What is the temperature?
What is the dewpoint?

Saturated humidity = 0.02/0.6

Determine the vapour pressure
From this get the temperature of the gas

Know hum = 0.02 – calculate the partial pressure

At the dewpoint the partial pressure = vapour pressure
Wet bulb temperature (Tw)

ℋ𝑖𝑛 ℋ𝑜𝑢𝑡

𝑇𝑖𝑛 Water (Tw) 𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡

𝑊 = 𝑘𝑌 𝐴(ℋ𝑊 − ℋ𝐺 )

𝑄 = ℎ𝐺 𝐴(𝑇𝐺 − 𝑇𝑊 )

Q = -Ww = -kyAw (ℋW - ℋG)

ℎ𝐺 1
ℋ𝐺 − ℋ𝑤 = − (𝑇𝐺 − 𝑇𝑤 )
𝑘𝑌 𝜆𝑤
 ℎ𝐺 1
ℋw is the saturated humidity at the wet bulb temperate ℋ𝐺 − ℋ𝑤 = − (𝑇𝐺 − 𝑇𝑤 )
𝑘𝑌 𝜆𝑤
ℋ𝑤 = 𝑓(𝑇𝑤 )

ℎ𝑔
𝜆𝑤 = 𝑓 𝑇𝑤 = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡
𝑘𝑦
Humidity Chart
0.09 Air Water
1 Atm.

0.08

Guess Tw
0.07

then calculate ℋw and w 0.06

ℋ
ℋw
0.05
Iterate until LHS = RHS
0.04

0.03

0.02 ×ℋG
0.01

0
0 10 20 Temperature
30 °C 40 50 60

Tw
 0.09

Humidity Chart
Air Water
1 Atm.
0.08

0.07

0.06

0.05
ℋ

0.04
x
0.03
x
x
0.02 x
x
0.01

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature °C
 0.12

0.11

0.1
ℎ𝐺 1
ℋ𝐺 − ℋ𝑤 = (𝑇𝐺 − 𝑇𝑤 )
0.09 𝑘𝑌 𝜆𝑤
0.08
Humidity (kg/kg)

0.07

0.06

0.05

0.04

0.03

0.02

0.01

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130

Temperature (oC)

NOTE: The ratio of heat to mass transfer coefficients will stay constant,
provided the air flow rate is > 4.5 m/s.
At these conditions, no appreciable change in temperature or humidity of the gas.
 100 80 60 40 20
0.08 2600
Psychrometric chart
Air Water 83 kPa

0.07 2500

0.06 2400

Latent Heat of evaqporation  (kJ/kg)

0.05 2300
Humidity (kg/kg)

0.04 2200

0.03 2100

0.02 2000

0.01 1900

0 1800
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130

Temperature (oC)
Student Name _____________________________________
Student Number ___________________________________
Adiabatic saturation temperature (Ts)

Ts Ts
1
ℋ𝐺 − ℋ𝑠 = −𝑆 (𝑇𝐺 − 𝑇𝑠 )
𝜆𝑤 and T – Ts = 0

and T – Ts = 0 Ts
 ℎ𝐺 1
ℋ𝐺 − ℋ𝑤 = − (𝑇𝐺 − 𝑇𝑤 )
𝑘𝑌 𝜆𝑤

1
ℋ𝐺 − ℋ𝑠 = −𝑆 (𝑇𝐺 − 𝑇𝑠 )
𝜆𝑠

ℎ𝑔
൘𝑘
𝑦
= Lewis relationship
𝑆
Air Toluene at 1 atm
0.09
Humidity Chart
Air Water
1 Atm.
0.08

0.07

0.06 2

0.05
ℋ

0.04

0.03

0.02

0.01
1
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature °C
0.09
Humidity Chart
Air Water
1 Atm.
0.08

2
0.07

0.06

0.05
ℋ

0.04

0.03

0.02

0.01

1
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature °C