CONTINOUS HUMIDIFICATION PROCESSES

Water-cooling tower packed tower

evaporation of warm water when in contact with unsaturated air

latent heat of vaporisation given off cools water

water can be cooled only to wet bulb temperature

only small amount of water is lost

Water-cooling tower

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 Water-cooling tower packed tower

warm water flows counter-currently to an air stream

air flows upward
warm water cascades down
Natural draft water cooler or forced draft water cooler
adiabatic
water can be discharged to the river or recirculated and reused

Natural draft water cooler

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 Natural draft water cooler

CONTINOUS HUMIDIFICATION
PROCESSES

Humidification
Transfer of water from the liquid phase into a gaseous mixture of
air & water vapour
Air &water vapour

water

Dehumidification
Water vapour is transferred from the vapour state to the liquid state

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 Humidity Chart
Properties of air-water vapour mixtures at 1 atm abs pressure
Humidity vs dry bulb temperature
Wet bulb temp. =20oC, dry bulb temp. = 30oC,humidity = ?
Dew point =10oC, humidity = ?

Humidity
0.0115

0.0085

Humidity chart

Figure 9.3-2 Humidity Chart

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 Theory and calculations for water-cooling towers
where:
L= water flowrate (kg/s.m2)
TL = water temperature (oC)
G = dry air flowrate (kg/s.m2)
H = humidity of air (kg water/kg dry air)
Hy = entahlpy of air-vapour mixture(J/kg dry air)
kGa = gas-phase volumetric coefficient (kmol/s.m3.Pa)
MB = molecular weight of air
P = atmospheric pressure (Pa)
z= height of tower (m)
Using film mass-transfer coefficient Using overall mass transfer coefficient
Hy2 Hy2
G 1 G 1
z=
MBkGaP Hyi-Hy
z=
MBKGaP Hy*-Hy
Hy1 Hy1

Design of water-cooling tower using

Procedure: film mass-transfer coefficient
1. Determine H1 from the humidity chart given TG1 & Tw
2. Determine Hy1 from Hy1 = (1.005 + 1.88H1)103(TG1-0) + 2.501 x 106H1
3. Calculate Hy2 from G(Hy2-Hy1) = LcL(TL2-TL1) where cL = 4.187 x 103 J/kg.K
4. Plot the equilibrium line (table 10.5-1) on the Hy vs TL graph
5. Draw the operating-line with the point (TL1,Hy1) and (TL2,Hy2) on the graph

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 Design of water-cooling tower using film mass-transfer coefficient
h a
6. Plot several lines with slope = - L where hLa = liquid-phase
M k aP
volumetric heat transfer coefficient B G

7. Obtain several values of Hyi with the corresponding Hy. Tabulate values
of Hyi, Hy, (Hyi-Hy) and 1/(Hyi-Hy) Hy2
1
8. Plot 1/(Hyi-Hy) vs Hy from Hy1 to Hy2. Area under the curve =
Hy2 Hyi-Hy
G 1 Hy1
MBkGaP H -H
9. Calculate z from z =
H yi y
y1

Design of water-cooling tower using

Procedure: overall mass-transfer coefficient
1. Determine H1 from the humidity chart given TG1 & Tw
2. Determine Hy1 from Hy1 = (1.005 + 1.88H1)103(TG1-0) + 2.501 x 106H1
3. Calculate Hy2 from G(Hy2-Hy1) = LcL(TL2-TL1) where cL = 4.187 x 103 J/kg.K
4. Plot the equilibrium line (table 10.5-1) on the Hy vs TL graph
5. Draw the operating-line with the point (TL1,Hy1) and (TL2,Hy2) on the graph

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 Design of water-cooling tower using overall mass-transfer
coefficient
6. Plot several vertical lines

7. Obtain several values of Hy* with the corresponding Hy. Tabulate values
of Hy*, Hy, (Hy*-Hy) and 1/(Hy*-Hy) Hy2
1
8. Plot 1/(Hy*-Hy) vs Hy from Hy1 to Hy2. Area under the curve =
Hy2 Hy1
Hy*-Hy
G 1
MBKGaP Hy*-Hy
9. Calculate z from z =
Hy1

Example 10.5-1:
L = 1.356 kg water/s.m2
TL2=43.3oC

G=1.356 kg dry air/s.m2

TL1 = 29.4oC
TG1=29.4oC
Tw = 23.9oC

Given: kGa = 1.207 x 10-7 kgmol/s.m3.Pa & hLa/kGaMBP = 4.187x104 J/kg.K

1. Determine H1 from the humidity chart given TG1 & Tw

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 Example 10.5-1:
At TG1=29.4oC & Tw = 23.9oC, H1 = ?

Humidity
0.0165

2. Determine Hy1 from Hy1 = (1.005 + 1.88H1)103(TG1-0) + 2.501 x 106H1

Hy1 = (1.005 + 1.88[0.0165])103(29.4-0) + 2.501 x 106(0.0165) = 7.17 x 103 J/kg

Example 10.5-1:
L = 1.356 kg water/s.m2
TL2=43.3oC

G=1.356 kg dry air/s.m2

TL1 = 29.4oC
Hy1=7.17 x 103 J/kg dry air

3. Calculate Hy2 from G(Hy2-Hy1) = LcL(TL2-TL1) where cL = 4.187 x 103 J/kg.K

1.356 (Hy2-7.17 x 103) = 1.356 (4.187 x 103)(43.3-29.4)
Hy2 = 129.9 x 103 J/kg dry air

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Example 10.5-1:
G=1.356 kg dry air/s.m2 L = 1.356 kg water/s.m2
Hy2=129.9 x 103 J/kg dry air TL2=43.3oC
Hy1=7.17 x 103 J/kg dry air TL1 = 29.4oC
4. Plot the equilibrium line (table 10.5-1) on the Hy vs TL graph
5. Draw the operating-line with the point (TL1,Hy1) and (TL2,Hy2) on the graph

Example 10.5-1: hLa

6. Plot several lines with slope = - =-4.187 x 104 J/kg.K
MBkGaP
Taking a point ,for example, Hy2 = 129.9 x 103 J/kg dry air & TL2 = 43.3oC
Hy H -H 129.9 x 103-Hy
slope = -4.187 x 104 J/kg.K = = y2 y =
TL TL2-TL 43.3-TL
129.9 x 103-H 129.9 x 103-Hy
Lets TL = 42oC, -4.187 x 104 = y =
43.3-42 1.3

184.3 Hy = 184.3 x 103 J/kg dry air

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Example 10.5-1:
7. Obtain several values of Hyi with the corresponding Hy. Tabulate values
of Hyi, Hy, (Hyi-Hy) and 1/(Hyi-Hy)

184.7

162.1

141.8
129.9
124.4

106.5108.4
94.9 94.4
83.5
71.7

Example 10.5-1: Hy2

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8. Plot 1/(Hyi-Hy) vs Hy from Hy1 to Hy2. Area under the curve =
Hy1
Hyi-Hy
Hyi Hy Hyi-Hy 1/(Hyi-Hy)
94.4 x 103 71.7 x 103 22.7 x 103 4.41 x 10-5
108.4 x 103 83.5 x 103 24.9 x 103 4.02 x 10-5
124.4 x 103 94.9 x 103 29.5 x 103 3.39 x 10-5
141.8 x 103 106.5 x 103 35.3 x 103 2.83 x 10-5
162.1 x 103 118.4 x 103 43.7 x 103 2.29 x 10-5
184.7 x 103 129.9 x 103 54.8 x 103 1.82 x 10-5

Hy2
1
Area under the curve = = 1.82
H
1/(Hyi-Hy)

y1 Hyi-Hy

Hy1 Hy2
Hy

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 Example 10.5-1: L = 1.356 kg water/s.m2
TL2=43.3oC

P = 1.013 x 105 Pa z

G=1.356 kg dry air/s.m2

TL1 = 29.4oC
TG1=29.4oC
Tw = 23.9oC
Given: kGa = 1.207 x 10-7 kgmol/s.m3.Pa & hLa/kGaMBP = 4.187x104 J/kg.K
Hy2
1
9. Calculate z from z = G
MBkGaP Hyi-Hy
Hy1
z = 1.356 kg kmol s m Pa m
2
(1.82) = 6.98 m
s m2 29 kg 1.207x10-7kmol 1.013 x 105Pa

Minimum value of air flow, Gmin

Procedure:
1. Plot the equilibrium line on the Hy vs TL graph
2. From point M (TL1,Hy1), draw a straight line to intercept the equilibrium
line at TL2, point N
3. Obtain the value of Hy2 max.
4. Calculate Gmin from Gmin(Hy2 max-Hy1) = LcL(TL2-TL1) where cL = 4.187 x 103
J/kg.K
Hy2max
5. G = 1.3-1.5Gmin

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 Design of water-cooling tower using
height of transfer unit
Hy2 Hy2
G 1 1
z=
MBkGaP Hyi-Hy
= HG Hyi-Hy
Hy1 Hy1

where HG = height of a gas enthalpy transfer unit (m)

Hy2 Hy2
1 1
G
z=
MBKGaP Hy*-Hy
= HOG Hy*-Hy
Hy1 Hy1

where HOG = height of an overall gas enthalpy transfer unit (m)

z = HGNG = HOGNOG
Hy2
1
where NG = number of transfer units = Hyi-Hy
Hy1
Hy2
1
NOG = number of overall transfer units = Hy*-Hy
Hy1

Dehumidification tower
Humidification/ cooling tower
Operating line lies below the equilibrium line
Water is cooled & air humidified

Dehumidification tower

Operating line lies above the equilibrium line

humidity & temperature of air reduced

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