Dehumidification

From Swikipedia

Introduction

The process in which the moisture or water vapor or the humidity is removed from the air keeping its dry bulb (DB) temperature constant is called as the dehumidification process.

Brief Description

Principles of dehumidifying:

Air may be dehumidified by

1. Cooling - condensation of vapor

2. Adsorption of water vapor

3. Absorption of water vapor

1. Cooling the air - vapor condensation

In a cooling system the humidity is reduced by cooling the air below dew point. A part of the moisture in the air is condensed and drained out.

2. Adsorption

In an adsorption system the humidity is reduced with an adsorbent material as silica gel or activated alumina. It is a physical process where moisture is condensed and held on the surface of the material without any change in the physical or chemical structure of the material. The adsorbent material can be reactivated by heat.

  •  Temperature for reactivation: 160 - 170 oC 

  •  Heat required for reactivation: 4800 - 4800 kJ/kg water removed 

Silica gel - SiO2 is a hard, adsorbent, crystalline substance and very porous. Voids are about 50 - 70% by volume and adsorb water up to 40% of its own mass. The bulk density of silica gel is 480 - 720 kg/m3. The specific heat capacity is 1.13 kJ/kgK.

Activated alumina is about 90% aluminum oxide Al2O3 and very porous. Voids are about 50 - 70% by volume and adsorb water up to 60% of its own mass. The bulk density is 800 - 870 kg/m3. The specific heat capacity is 1.0 kJ/kgK.

3. Absorption

In an absorption system the humidity is reduced with an absorbent material such as a calcium chloride solution. Absorption involves a change in the physical or chemical structure of the material and it is in general not easy to reactivate the material.

References:

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/dehumidification-d_141.html

http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/mechanical/articles/41505.aspx