Unit Operations II M1GP Class on Thursday 05/03/2020

Chapter II: Humidification Operations.

1. Generalities:

Let us consider pure liquid water in the presence of air at atmospheric pressure (figure below).
Even if this water is at a temperature lower than its boiling point, we know
that it evaporates partially, and the air will be saturated with water vapor. Let yethe fraction
water vapor molar in the air, and yathe mole fraction in dry air in this mixture.

Balance between liquid water and humid air

Even if air is not a pure substance, we consider it here as a 'pseudo-component': a

0.2 moles of O corresponds to 1 mole of dry air.2and 0.8 mole of N2and has a molar mass equal to
0.2x32 + 0.8x28 = 29 g/mol

At atmospheric pressure, it is perfectly legitimate to consider this gaseous mixture as a

perfect gas.

There is therefore amole fractionwater vapor in the air that corresponds to the equilibrium with water

liquid:

If themole fractionthe water vapor in the air is less than the air will continue to be charged
in water vapor. If, on the other hand, air containing amole fractionin superheated steam
à Under the conditions T, P, there will be condensation of liquid water from this air.

An air in equilibrium with liquid water is said to be saturated: itsmole fraction in water vapor
corresponds to the maximum amount of water vapor that it can contain.

The ambient air is generally not saturated, and that is a good thing: it indeed allows for the evaporation of the
transpiration, which is one of the essential mechanisms for the thermal regulation of the body.
The humidity of the air is an essential factor of climate comfort.

Theabsolute humidity

It is calledabsolute humidityof air, the ratio of the mass of water vapor to the mass of dry air

content in the mixture:

"Unit Operations II" M1GP Class on Thursday 03/05/2020

One will easily verify thatabsolute humidityand themole fractionof water vapor are linked

par : where is the ratio of the molar mass of water to

that of the air.
Therelative humidity

It is calledrelative humidity in a manner, the relationship between hermole fraction of water vapor and

themole fractionsaturated water vapor:

Relative humidity is 100% for saturated air: one should not deduce that this air is
constituted 100% of water vapor.

The relationship betweenrelative humidityandabsolute humidityeast

2. Notions of Temperature:

a. Dew point temperature:

The temperature ofdewof a humid air is the temperature at which it must be cooled to
the first drop of liquid water settles.

Let it be a tune ofabsolute humidityw, initially at temperature T. Thepartial pressureof steam

water is given by: (with )

If Tris the temperature ofdewthis means that this air is saturated at temperature Tr the
temperature ofdewIt is also the boiling point of pure water at pressure P.e.

b. Dry temperature:

To measure the humidity of the air, a wet-bulb psychrometer is more often used:
place two thermometers in the draft, one dry (which gives the air temperature T), and
the other whose bulb is kept moist (by wrapping it in a cotton soaked in a reservoir
of liquid water). The indicated temperature Thby this second thermometer is always lower than
the air temperature T, and is called wet temperature.

Wet bulb psychrometer

Unit Operations II M1GP Class on Thursday 05/03/2020

In contrast to the 'wet' temperature, the one measured is sometimes called 'dry temperature'.
by the dry thermometer; in fact, it is simply the air temperature, T.

The construction of a wet bulb psychrometer is much easier than that of a

saturator (there is no need to reach equilibrium, and we only slightly modify the composition
of tested air).

3. Humid air diagram:

a. Mollier diagram:

The Mollier diagram (or enthalpy diagram) is a diagram related to fluids, to their
state change (liquid/vapor) and their pressures/temperatures of use. The abscissa
corresponds to the entropic value of the point, in kJ/(kg)⋅K). The ordinate at its enthalpy, in kJ/kg.

It is named after the German physicist and engineer Richard Mollier (1863-1935).

It can be used to determine the amount of heat produced or consumed by a change in

temperature and/or state of a fluid. This approach involves placing different points that
corresponding to a predefined pressure and temperature. In short, it is about doing
figure the initial state and the final state of a fluid, then refer to the ordinate of the diagram for
determine the respective enthalpies of each point. We can also read
directly a variation of enthalpy without having to resort to surfacing.

In the liquid + gas domain, we note that the isotherms coincide with the
isobars. Also, the critical point is the inflection point of the curve delimiting the
dry saturated steam bell.

These diagrams are often used in thermodynamics and in the industrial world.
Unit Operations II M1GP Class on Thursday 05/03/2020

b. Psychrometric diagram (Carrier):

Les propriétés de l'air humide sont souvent représentées sur un digramme psychrométrique :
temperature on the x-axis,absolute humidityin ordinate.

On this diagram, we can draw curves atrelative humidityconstant (in blue, the highest
corresponding to the saturation) and curves (actually, straight lines) at constant enthalpy (in
red).

The adiabatic saturation temperature is easily determined (and a bit

approximately) by following the isenthalpic line that passes through the representative point of the considered air,
up to the saturation curve, and by reading the temperature. (if we neglect the enthalpy of water
feeding liquid to the saturator, it can indeed be assumed that the saturated outgoing air has the same
enthalpy of the incoming air.

In the graph below, we have particularly shown the determination for air at 30°C and 50%.
relative humidity,from:

• the adiabatic saturation temperature: about 22°C

• the temperature ofdewaround 19°C
"Unit Operations II" M1GP Class on Thursday 09/04/2020

4. Unit operations on moist air:

a. Heating at constant pressure

Representation of a constant pressure warm-up on the moist air diagram

This is the type of transformation undergone by the air when it is heated in a heat exchanger.
heat, on heating resistors or in a solar collector:

b. Cooling at constant pressure

Representation of constant pressure cooling on the psychrometric chart

It is the transformation undergone by the air as it passes over the evaporator of a system.
refrigeration, condensation may occur with a decrease in absolute humidity if the
the final temperature is below the dew point:
Unit Operations II M1GP Class on Thursday 09/04/2020

c. Adiabatic humidification:

It is the type of transformation undergone by air when passing through a convective dryer or in
a cooling tower

Representation of adiabatic humidification on the psychrometric chart

This transformation A → 1 is also called direct evaporative cooling. One defines a

air humidification efficiency by the ratio it's the cooling report
real on the maximum cooling that would be obtained if the air were saturated (Hr = 100%) at the end of
transformation

5. Dehumidification of the air:

In a number of cases, we may be required to humidify the air to be treated:

in winter, because the specific humidity of the outside air is low; this necessity to humidify
the air in winter is very common in air conditioning;
in industrial air conditioning, for example: textile industry, powder factories, hospitals,
etc.
In summer, in arid countries, to cool hot and dry air by direct vaporization
water in this air, etc.

We distinguish:

the air humidification by steam injection; this humidification is carried out at

dry bulb temperature of the air is approximately constant;
the humidification of air by injecting liquid water droplets into it, that is to say
by evaporation of liquid water in contact with which air circulates; humidification can occur
do with heated water, with cooled water, or with water to which we
does not add or subtract heat.
Unit Operations II M1GP Class on Thursday 09/04/2020

One may also be required, in other cases, to dehumidify the air to be treated:

By cooling using a cold battery with a surface temperature lower than the
dew point temperature of the air or by passing through an air washer with circulating water cooled to
a temperature lower than the dew point temperature Tr.

When one wishes to achieve a very low mixing ratio, moisture can be removed from the air.
by bringing it into contact with a hygroscopic compound such as:

a concentrated solution of a suitable salt (calcium chloride or lithium chloride,

etc.) which absorbs a part of the atmospheric water; the system where it takes place
this absorption is then comparable to a washer;
a solid adsorbent that retains moisture through physical effect (adsorption for example in
using suitable solid adsorbents: silica gel, activated alumina, aluminosilicates,
etc.). Absorption can be physical (physisorption) or chemical (chemisorption).

The processes of absorption and adsorption are accompanied by the release of heat.
The absorption in solution and physical adsorption involve an absorption heat or
of adsorption which is on the order of magnitude of the heat of condensation. The chemisorption
is accompanied by a release of heat comparable to a reaction heat.