PROBLEM SET: HUMIDIFICATION

1. Air containing 0.005 kg water per kg dry air is preheated to 52OC in a dryer and passed to the lower shelves. It leaves these
shelves at 60% relative humidity and is reheated to 52OC and passed over another set of shelves, again leaving at 60%
relative humidity. This is again repeated for the third and fourth sets of shelves, after which the air leaves the dryer. On the
assumption that the material in each shelf has reached the wet bulb temperature and heat loss is negligible, estimate the
temperature of the material on each tray and the amount of water removed in kg/h, if 300 m 3/min of moist air leaves the
dryer.
2. In an uncomfortable summer day, the air is at 87 OF and 80% relative humidity. A laboratory air conditioner is to deliver
1.00 x 103 ft3/min of air at 55OF in order to maintain the interior air at an average temperature of 75OF and relative humidity
of 40%.
a. If the vent switch on the air conditioner is turned to the open position, outside air enters the unit as shown below.
AIR CONDITIONER

outside air delivered air LAB 75OF,exhaust

COOLER REHEATER
87OF 55OF γR = 40%75OF
γR= 80% γR = 40%

condensed water Q
In the air conditioner, the air is cooled to a temperature low enough to condense the necessary amount of water and
reheated to 55OF, at which point it has the same absolute humidity as the room air. Determine the rate (lb/min) at which
water is condensed, the temperature to which the air must be cooled to condense water at this rate, and the net tons of
cooling required (Q), where 1 ton of cooling = -12,000 Btu/h.
b. If the vent switch is set to the closed position (as it normally would be), inside air would be recirculated through the air
as shown in the following diagram.
Recirculated room air 75OF, γR = 40%
AIR CONDITIONER

outside air COOLER delivered air LAB 75OF,exhaust

REHEATER
87OF 55OF 75OF
γR = 40%
γR = 80% γR = 40%

condensed water Q
3. Air at 80OF and 80% relative humidity is cooled to 51OF at a constant pressure of 1 atm. Determine the fraction of water that
condenses and the rate at which heat must be removed to deliver 1000 ft 3/min of humid air at the final condition.
4. A stream of air at 500OC and 835 torr with a dew point of 30OC flowing at a rate of 1515 L/s is to be cooled in a spray cooler.
A fine mist of liquid water at 25OC is sprayed into the hot air at a rate of 110.0 g/s and evaporates completely. The cooled
air emerges at 1 atm.
a) Calculate the final temperature of the emerging air stream, assuming that the process is adiabatic.
b) At what rate (kW) is heat transferred from the hot air feed stream in the spray cooler? What becomes of this heat?
5. Air with a dry bulb temperature of 311K and a wet bulb temperature of 300 K is scrubbed with water to remove dust. The
water is maintained at 298 K. The air leaving the scrubber is in equilibrium with water. It is then heated to 366 K in an air
preheater and admitted to an adiabatic rotary drier. The air leaves the drier at 322K. The material to be dried enters and
leaves the dryer at 319 K. The material losses moisture at a rate of 0.05 kg water per kg product. The total product is 1000
kg/h. Determine a) The humidity of the initial, after scrubbing, after heating and after leaving the dryer. b) The total weight
of dry air used per hour. c) The total volume of an leaving the dryer
6. 10,000 kg/h of air at 326 K and 20% humidity is to be produced from air at 301 K and 20% humidity by first heating, then
humidifying adiabatically to the desired humidity and finally reheating the air to 326 K. The air leaves the adiabatic
humidification chamber with 95% saturation. Calculate the following a) the temperature to which air is preheated, b) the
temperature of the air leaving the humidification chamber and c) the heat required in the preheater