Vo ( 1

CHAPTER 13

Humidification and Water Cooling

13.1. INTRODUCTION
In the processing of materials it is often necessary either 10 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
SIreaJD. This transfer into the mai n stream takes place by diffusion, lind at the interface
simultaneous heat and mass transfer take place according to the relations considered in
previous chapters. In the reverse operation, that is dehumidification, partial condensation
must be effected and the condensed vapour removed.
The most widespread application of humidification and dehumidification involves the
air-water system, and a discussion of this system forms the greater part of the present
chapter. Although the drying of wet solids is an example of a humidification operation, the reduction of the moisture content of the solids is the main objective, and the
humidification of the air stream is a secondary effect. Much of the present chapter
is, however, of vital significance in any drying operation. Air conditioning and gas
drying alsoinvolve humidification and dehumidification operations. Forexample, moisture
must be removed from wet chlorine so that the gas can be bandied in steel equipment
which Olherwise would be severely corroded. Similarly, the gases used in the IlIllJIU
facture of sulphuric acid must be dried or dehumidified before entering the converters,
and this is achieved by passing the gas through a dehydrating agent such as sulphuric
acid, in essence an absorption operation, or by an alternative dehumidification process
discussed later.
In order thaI hot condenser water may be re-used in a plant, it is nonnally cooled
by contact with an air stream. The equipment usually takes the fonn of a tower in
which the hot wateris run in at the top and allowed to flow downwards over a packing
against a countercurrent flow of air which enters. at the bottom of the cooling tower,
The design of such towers forms an important part (}f the present.chapter, though at the
outset itis necessary to consider basic definitions of the various quantities involved in
humidification, in particular wei-bulb and adiabatic saturation temperatures, and the way
in which humidity data are presented on charts and graphs. While the present discussion
is devoted 10 the very important air-water system, which is in some ways unique, the
same principles may be applied to other liquids and gases, and this topic is covered in a
final section. .

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HUMIDIACATION AND WATER COOLING

13.2. HUMIDIFICATION TERMS

13.2.1. Definitions
The more important terms used in relation to humidification are defined as follows:
Humidity (.Jt")
Humidity of saturated
gas (Jt'o)
Percentage humidity
Humid heat (s)

mass of vapour associated with unit mass of dry gas

humidity of the gas when it is saturated with vapour at a

given tempeIature
lOO(Jt' /Jt'o)
heatrequired to raise unit mass of dry gas and its associated
vapour through unit temperature difference at constant
pressure, or:
s=C.+.1fC",

where CQ and C.. are the specific neal capacities of the gas
and the vapour, respectively. (For the air-water system, the
humid heat is approximately:
s == 1.00+ 1.9.1f kJlkg K.)

Humid volume

volume occupied by unit massof dry gas and its associated

vapour
Saturated volume
Dew point

humid volume of saturated gas

temperature at which the gas is saturated with vapour. As
a gas is cooled, the dew point is the temperature at which
condensation will first occur.

Percentage relative
humidity

partial pressure of vapour in gas

)
( partial pressure of vapour in turated gas x 100

The above nomenclature conforms with the reconunendations of BS1339( I). although
there are some ambiguities in the standard.
,The relationship between the partial pressure of the vapour and the humidity of a gas
may be derived as follows. In unit volume of gas:

P..M",
mass of vapour = - -

RT

(P - P",)M A

and mass of non-condensable gas

RT

The humidity is therefore given by:

..Jf ::::

~
p -p...

(Mw)
M

(13.1)

A,

and the humidity of the saturated gas is:

(13.2)

f:.
".,;'

< '

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

740

o vipour in the gas. PMl the parti2I

in
s I the sam I
lure. MAthe
mol
g M", the mo uJar mass of the vapoo P the I I pressure,
(8314 Jlkmol.K in 51 unit ). :md T the absolute temperature.
or the ir- waer system. I'w is frequently small compared with P lind benee, s
tuting foc tl

The rela

ti-

if =: C:)
'p between

and the pcrtmta e re

pmx:nlllgC humidity of 11

bu 'dity lDAY~ derived fa

The percentage bumidity. by dclini . ::::; 100Jt" /)If0
Substituting fromequations 13.1 nd 131 nil implifying:
Percentage humidily =
::::;

(/~_:~fwO ') .( P

(P-PwQ)

\P"ll

P -P",

x 100
.

. c..

(percentage retanvebuwdity)

(13.3)

(P -Pw)

When (P - PwO)/(P - P..) ~ I, the percentage relative humidity and the percentage
humi!tity are equaL This condition is approached when the partial pressure of thevapour
is only a small'proportion of the total pressure or when the gas is almost saturated, thaI
is as P", ..... PwO