Illustrating Humidity

AIHA Conference & Exposition Philadelphia, PA June 7, 2007 PO 128 IEQ General Interest
Presented By : Paul Haas CSP, CIH

Teaching Psychrometrics
We teach classes describing dehumidification Students range from PhDs to remediation workers Many students had difficulty understanding the concepts We developed animations to illustrate the behavior of water vapor

Water
As everybody knows water is simply two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom (H2O) Water Molecule H2O as a single molecule is a gas (Water Vapor).

Hydrogen Bond
The molecules of water are charged. Positive on one side, negative on the other. This makes them want to stick together positive to negative in what is called a Hydrogen Bond. Hydrogen Bond

Kinetic Energy
Heat makes the molecules of water vibrate and bounce off one another Kinetic Energy - Latent Heat This vibration is kinetic energy as it is energy in the form of movement of the molecules. The more heat the more vibration. If it were not for this kinetic energy we would have ice in a crystal structure (Ic)

Liquid Water
If there is kinetic energy between 32 and 212F the molecules bounce off one another sufficiently to allow movement as a liquid Liquid water behaves as large agglomerates of water molecules held together by hydrogen bonds It behaves more like H252O126

Liquid Water (Continued)

This is why membranes like Tyvek work they have holes big enough to allow H2O to pass, but too small to allow H252O126 to pass. The first part of this animation shows how water molecules are held together to form liquid water
Coalescence - Evaporation

Evaporation
At all temperatures above absolute zero there will be enough kinetic energy that the occasional water molecule will escape as water vapor
Below 32F this is called sublimation Between 32 and 212 F it is called evaporation Above 212F it is boiling releasing steam

The second part of this animation illustrates evaporation Coalescence - Evaporation

Condensation
Water vapor stays as a gas because there is enough kinetic energy to keep the individual water molecules bounding off each other If the temperature is cooled the molecules slow enough that the hydrogen bond sticks them together and they condense out as water Condensation

Condensation
Typically this condensation occurs when the water vapor encounters a chilled surface Where there are mold problems with drywall the chilled surface is typically drywall panels that have been cooled by air conditioning

Psychrometrics
Not surprisingly the behavior of water vapor is of great importance in air conditioning and other building issues The relationships were studied at length and equations developed to describe the phenomenon These relationships are expressed graphically in the psychrometric chart

10
20

15 20
En t 25 hal p y
45

25

30
30 35

40
40

50
50

B 30 tu pe r p 35 oun d

60
55

70
60

90 % 70 % Re %
65

of d 40 ry ai r 45

50

50 55
lat ive
75

80
40 %

90
30 % 20

Psychrometric Chart

Dry bulb temperature (F) 100

1
%

Hu mi dit y
80

60
85 F

110 120
2%

0%

90

W et bu lb tem pe rat ure

130

95

Specific humidity (Grains of water vapor per pound of dry air) Air dewpoiht (F) 20 0.1 30 40 50 60 70 80 86

100

25

75

175

Air dewpoiht (F) (Inches of mercury)

50 0.1

0.7

0.9

1.1

1.3

Dry Bulb Temperature

Temperature of the air as measured by a dry thermometer When you refer to temperature you are generally referring to the dry bulb temperature

Dry bulb temperature 70

Relative Humidity
50%

e ativ l e R

y dit i m Hu

Relative Humidity The amount of moisture in the air as a percent of the amount of moisture the air can hold Warm air can hold more moisture than cool air

Specific Humidity
Specific humidity

The amount of moisture in the air in grains of water vapor per pound of air

55 gr

Vapor Pressure
Pressure due to the water molecules in gaseous water Expressed in inches of mercury Convert to inches of water by multiplying by 13.6

Vapor pressure 0.37"

Dew Point
The temperature at which the air can no longer hold the moisture that is in it. At the dew point moisture condenses out as dew on a surface or as a fog.

50

Air dewpoint temperature

Sa tur a

tio

nc urv e

50

Dew Point
Temperature of surface above dew point
Surface stays dry

Temperature of a surface below dew point

Moisture condenses on surface

Air below dew point

fog

Enthalpy
The amount of heat in the air. This is the sum of the heat that is in the air temperature plus the heat of conversion to keep water in a vaporous form.

25.4 Btu

En

th

al

py

Wet Bulb Temperature

Air temperature as measured by a wet bulb thermometer Wet bulb temperature when compared to dry bulb temperature can be used to determine relative humidity

et

bu

58.5

lb

tem pe rat ure

Psychrometrics
Relative humidity
Changes with temperature Not a measure of the total amount of moisture in the air.

Specific Humidity and Dew Point

both are a measure of the total moisture in the air.

Dew Point
Depends on total moisture in air Can be directly related to temperature measurements of surfaces to determine condensation risk.

Example
Consider a hot humid day 90F and 90% RH We want to condition the air to 70F at about 50% RH We do this by chilling the air far enough to condense out enough moisture to dehumidify it Our goal is air with 50 to 55 grains of moisture per pound of air

Using the Psychrometric Chart

Plot 90 and 90% RH on the chart There is 195 grains of moisture per pound of air Cool the air to 50 Now there is 53 grains of moisture and 100% RH. 142 grains of moisture have condensed out the air is now dehumidified. Cool from 90 degrees, 90% RH to 50 degrees

Using the Psychrometric Chart (2)

The air is dehumidified, but cold (50F) and is at 100% RH However it only has 53 grains of moisture When warmed to 70F the RH drops to 49% Warm Back Up to 70 degrees Summary

Tying It All Together

We had hot humid air
chilled it to condense the moisture out warmed it back up to reach our target humidity
Temp Relative Humidity Specific Humidity

90 50 70

90% 100% 49%

195 gr. 53 gr 53 gr

Chart at left gives the temp, RH and specific humidity at each step

Tying It Together (2)

This animation ties the whole thing together On the left we see what the water molecules are doing On the right we see the temp, RH and Psychrometric chart Dehumidification
Water molecules as a gas Temperature and RH at each step more kinetic energy Water molecules as liquid Psychrometric Chart for each step less kinetic energy

Dehumidification
50
OF DR YA 45 IR

55
70% 60%

60

65

200 190

1.3

EH UM IDIT Y

EH UM IDI TY

PO U 40 ND

180 170 160 150

POUND OF DRY AIR

1.2

PE R

RE

TE MP ER AT UR E-

RE

-B TU

90 %

80

LA

T IV

LA

1.1

80 1.0

140

75

.9 75

SA TU RA TIO

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRA INS OF MOISTURE PER

DEHUMIDIFICATION
70
% 25 30 %

130 120 110 100

.8 70 .7

65
20 %

90 80
%

65 .6

60
10

60 .5 55 .4 50 45 40 35 30 .2 .3

55 50 45 40 35
10
1 0% RE L

70 60

Y DIT MI HU E V I AT 8%
6%

10

15

50 40 30 20 10 130 135 140 145 150

30
4%

25

2%

25 20 10 0

.1

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115 120

125

DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - F

DHUMIDIFICATION- 90 & 90% RH TO 50

VAPOOR PRESSURE - INCHES OF MERCURY

85

8 0%

85

DEWPOINT TEMPERATURE - F

T IV

50

35

EN TH AL PY

40

Dehumidification
Chill air below dew point Water condenses out on the fins of the cooling coil The leaving air has a reduced dew point and specific humidity (50 to 55 grains/pound) The leaving air will be saturated and have a relative humidity of about 100% When warmed it will be at about 50% RH

Psychrometric Resources
Munters Corporation
The Dehumidification Handbook, Second Edition PsyCalc Psychrometric calculator Munters Corporation, 79 Monroe Street, Amesbury, MA 01913, (800) 422-6379, web page: www.muntersamerica.com.

Linric Company
PsyCalc Psychrometric calculator PsyFunc Excel functions Linric Company, P.O. Box 10303, Bedford, NH 03110, Fax: (603) 472-4823 web page: www.linric.com

ASHRAE
Psychrometric charts ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals Humidity Control Handbook ASHRAE, 1791 Tullie Circle, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, email: orders@ashrae.org, phone (800) 527-4723, web page www.ashrae.org

Morse Zehnter Associates

Roger G. Morse AIA 504 Snake Hill Road Poestenkill, NY 12140 (518) 283-7671 rgmorse@mzaconsulting.com Coauthors - Paul Haas and Dean Zehnter 2240 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 300 West Palm Beach, FL 33409 (561) 712-4777 phaas@mzaconsulting.com