1.1 Humid air LLL Basic Parameters of Humid Air For the majority of industrial drying processes preheated air is used asa drying agent. This ar-water vapour mixture transmits heat to the ‘wet material and simultancously absorbs moisture from the material. For drying calculations, knowledge of the following basic thermody- ‘namic properties of humid air and their change in the course of drying is required Dry-bulb temperature T,. This isthe temperature of the vapour-gas mixture, determined by inserting in it a thermometer with a dry bulb. Absolute air humidity. The mass absolute humidity Y, is the mass weight of water vapour per kg of dry air (kg of water my Ukgof dry air) a “The mass weight ofthe dry aris used as the basis because it does not ‘change in the drying process. Applying the equation of state to the dry air and water vapour we obtain Pe and PV =m RT where 287 {kg K)—alr gas constant and Re 461.5 J/kg K) —water vapour gas constant Hence, the definition of absolute air humility gives ms at Re Ye nn pe Ry OS 3 a2 4) DRYING: PRINCIPLES, APPLICATIONS AND DESIGN ‘The conclusion of equation (12) is that the partial pressure of water ‘vapour (p,) fora given total pressure of the mixture (P) isa function of the absolute bumidity only py ay a3) Pa ‘The mass of water vapour in the air is highest when the partial pressure of water vapour preaches the value corresponding to satu ‘ation conditions atthe given temperature (py Then Yon = 0.622 Pas — aa) — Pa Relative air humidity 9. Ths is the rato of the actual vapour press- ure in the air-water mixture with respect to the saturation vapour [pressure ofthe moisture atthe same temperature oe «sy Paw ‘Taking into account equation (1.5) the absolute air humidity can be expressed as ¥ = 0622 52am 16 P= Pace a“ Often, the relative humidity is determined as a percentage valuc 1009 = 100 2 an ton for which o Pam Pon 9 On the basis of equation (18) the plot of py =/1T,. 9) can be obtained (Figure 1.1) ‘Percentage saturation of sir. This is the ratio of absolve air humid ity with respect to saturation absolute air humidity at ~dry-balb’ temperature as