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“Humidity”

Introduction
Air always contains a certain amount of water in the form
of vapors. This determines the level of humidity in an
atmosphere. The capacity of the air to hold water vapors
increases with temperature.
This is why in our homes, as soon as the temperature
decreases, the vapors contained in the air condenses, as is
evident on the colder surfaces in the room, such as the
windows, walls etc.
One of the most variable characteristics of the
atmosphere, humidity is an important factor in climate
and weather:
Introduction
It regulates air temperature by absorbing thermal
radiation both from the Sun and the Earth; it is
directly proportional to the latent energy available for
the generation of storms; and it is the ultimate source
of all forms of condensation and precipitation.
Humidity varies because the water-holding capacity of
air is determined by temperature. When a volume of
air at a given temperature holds the maximum amount
of water vapors possible, the air is said to be saturated.
Definition:
“Humidity is defined as the amount of water vapors in
air”
Humidity is directly proportional to temperature. As
temp varies humidity varies directly
Absolute Humidity:
“Quantity of water vapors in a particular volume of air
is known as Absolute Humidity”
Its unit is gram per cubic meter.
Relative Humidity:
Relative Humidity is the amount of water vapors in air at
a specific temperature as compared to water vapors that
air hold without condensation(Normal Temperature).
Saturated air has a relative humidity of 100%; near the
Earth the relative humidity rarely falls below 30%.
Specific Humidity:
Ratio of water vapors (in kilograms) to the total
moist(kilogram) in air. It can Be expressed as:
SH = Mw/Mt
Where :
Mw = kilograms of water vapors in air.
Mt= Kilogram of Total Moist is air.
Humidity Effects On Production & Quality
Humidity remained a problem for engineers as
temperature can be felt, vibrations can be seen and felt
but humidity can never be seen with naked eye. But
now different sensors are used to record the humidity
of specific region.
However every industry is being effected by humidity
in terms of machine, material and working conditions
so production and quality of products being disturbed
directly due to humidity.
Humidity Effects On Production & Quality
Major Problems identified due to humidity are:

 Rusting/Corrosion
 Mildew/Fungi growth
 Lumping(Clusters Formation)
 Decomposition
 Warping (Distorted through heating)
Industries Effected By Humidity
Pharmaceutical Industry:
Major problems generated in this industry:
 Lumping of dry powder
 Decomposition and difficulty in
compression/compactness of tablets leads to breaking
of tablets.
Food Industry:
> Lumping of powder prevents its flow in the
manufacturing process.
> Eatables become soggy and loss their crispiness.
Industries Effected By Humidity
Fertilizer Industry:
Lumping is created in fertilizer products which leads
to lack in the desired results from a specific product.
Electronic Industry:
Corrosion is created due to the excess of humidity
which results in the dissatisfying results leading to
heavy penalty to the industry.
Industries Effected By Humidity
Textile Industry:
When relative humidity is less than 50%, there is a
reduction in the strength and elasticity of the threads.
This requires time consuming manual interventions in
the textile processing industry.
Humidity Controls in textile Industry
Proper and correct humidification is necessary for
obtaining the desired results from any production
plan. Due to correct Humidified Environment
following results are generated:

 High Quality.
 High Production.
Similarly in textile sector, increasing the relative
humidity to 70% reduces breakages of thread that
increases the overall productivity of the system.
Humidity Controls in textile Industry
Correct relative Humidity level helps limit the dust in
air during processing of fibers, this improves the
condition of the working environment and reduces the
maintenance time involved in cleaning the fibers.
Humidity control causes dimensional changes and
makes certain processes more difficult such as cutting
the fabrics to size.
Humidifiers
A humidifier is a household appliance that increases
humidity (moisture) in a single room or in the entire
house.
There are point-of-use humidifiers, which are
commonly used to humidify a single room, and whole-
house or furnace humidifiers, which connect to a
home's HVAC system to provide humidity to the entire
house.
Why need Humidifier
One thing that makes winter uncomfortable for humans,
even inside a nice warm building, is low humidity. People
need a certain level of humidity to be comfortable. In the
winter, indoor humidity can be extremely low and the lack
of humidity can dry out your skin and mucous membranes.
Low humidity also makes the air feel colder than it actually
is. Dry air can also dry out the wood in the walls and floors
of our houses. As the drying wood shrinks, it can cause
creaks in floors and cracks in drywall and plaster. So for all
these reason, there must be a maintained level of humidity
is necessary and humidifier is used for this purpose.
Types of Humidifiers
There are many different ways to raise the humidity in your
home. For example, you can put a pan of water on the stove
or on the radiator, or you hang wet towels near a heater
duct. But most people use a mechanical humidifier to do
the job. Here are the four most popular technologies:
1) Steam Humidifier/Vaporizer
2) Impeller
3) Ultrasonic
4) Wick/Evaporative System
Steam Humidifier/Vaporizer
Often referred to as a "vaporizer," a steam humidifier
boils water and releases the warm steam into the
room. This is the simplest, and therefore the least
expensive technology for adding moisture to the air.
You can find inexpensive impeller models for less than
$10 at discount stores. Another advantage of this
technology is that you can use a medicated inhalant
with the unit to help reduce coughs.
Impeller Humidifier
In this humidifier, a rotating disc flings water at a
comb-like diffuser. The diffuser breaks the water into
fine droplets that float into the air. You normally see
these droplets as a cool fog exiting the humidifier.
Ultrasonic Humidifier
An ultrasonic humidifier uses a metal diaphragm vibrating
at an ultrasonic frequency, much like the element in a high
frequency speaker, to create water droplets. An ultrasonic
humidifier is usually silent, and also produces a cool fog.
Wick/Evaporative System
The wick system uses a paper, cloth or foam wick or
sheet to draw water out of the reservoir. A fan blowing
over the wick lets the air absorb moisture. The higher
the relative humidity, the harder it is to evaporate
water from the filter, which is why this type of
humidifier is self-regulating -- as humidity increases,
the humidifier's water-vapor output naturally
decreases.
Pros & corns of different types of humidifiers
Here are some things to keep in mind as you are
weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the
different technologies:
Steam vaporizers can be dangerous around children
because they can cause burns. They also have the
highest energy costs. However, there are no bacterial
or mineral concerns with this technology.
Pros & corns of different types of humidifiers
Impeller and ultrasonic designs have low energy costs but
raise two concerns. First, if the water gets stagnant, these
designs will spray the stagnant water, and any bacteria it
contains, into your home. This is why it is important to
clean the tank regularly and refill it with clean water when
you haven't been running it. Many high-end ultrasonic
units therefore have antibacterial features built in. For
example, some units use ultraviolet light to kill bacteria.
Improves the atmosphere and air quality in home, thus
moisturizing the respiratory system, which is beneficial
for asthma sufferers.
Pros & corns of different types of humidifiers
The second concern is minerals in the water. Impeller
and ultrasonic designs send these minerals into the air.
If the water in your area contains a lot of minerals, you
will notice them as dust.
Some humidifiers monitor the relative humidity of the
air and will turn on and off as appropriate to maintain
a preset level. 
Humidifiers can be installed as small portable room
units, or they can be integrated into your furnace for
full-house humidity control.
Working Of Humidifier
The most common type of humidifier is called
an evaporative humidifier. This type of humidifier is
actually quite simple and, for the most part, self-
regulating. A reservoir holds cold water and dispenses
it into a basin. A wicking filter absorbs the water
from the basin. A fan then blows air through the
moistened filter.
Working Of Humidifier
As the air passes through the filter, it evaporates some of
the water there. The higher the relative humidity, the
harder it is to evaporate water from the filter, which is why
a humidifier is self-regulating -- as humidity increases, the
humidifier's water-vapor output naturally decreases.
Sometimes an evaporative humidifier will be hooked up to
the heating and cooling system of a house or building.
These systems work in a similar way: A metal mesh or
screen is located in the duct coming from the furnace
and/or air conditioner; water from the building's pipes
flows down the screen; as air coming from the duct blows
across the screen, it picks up moisture.
Conclusion
Air contains a certain amount of water vapor. The
amount of water vapor any mass of air can contain
depends on the temperature of that air: The warmer
the air is, the more water it can hold. A low relative
humidity means that the air is dry and could hold a lot
more moisture at that temperature.
It is important to keep a healthy level of humidity both
on commercial as well as domestic level.

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