Estimation of humidification load from humidifier column by convective heat transfer in water-air-vapour system

Due to the increasing awareness of the health benefits associated with the use of air humidification and its significance in other high-tech industrie s, an experimental and theoretical study was carried out to estimate humidi fication load in a convective heat transfer in water-air-vapour system. A s imple gas bubbling method was employed for the experiments, while several m odels were developed to account for the applicability of the experimental d ata. The results showed agreement between the measured and the calculated d ata, and both purported that the humidification unit can be run successfull y with airflow of 10-200 ml/min at the temperatures of 26-90 degreesC. Howe ver, as from 300 to 1000 ml/min, the optimum operating temperatures decreas ed from 90 degreesC to 35 degreesC at 2 atm. At the operating conditions, t he unit achieved relative humidity between 54% and 90% within the airflow o f 10-1000 ml/min. The proposed unit characterisation. method indicated a fu ture advancement academically and industrially in this narrow but important subject matter. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.