LECTURE 2

THE CONTENTS OF THIS LECTURE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1.0 HUMIDITY
2.0 DIFFERENT WAYS OF EXPRESSING HUMIDITY
2.1 Relative Humidity
2.2 Specific Humidity
2.3 Absolute Humidity
3.0 DEW POINT
4.0 DEGREE OF SATURATION
5.0 MEASUREMENT OF WATER VAPOUR IN AIR
6.0 THERMODYNAMIC METHOD OF MEASURING HUMIDITY
6.1 Dry-Bulb Temperature
6.2 Wet-Bulb Temperature
7.0

CONCEPT

OF

WET

BULB

TEMPERATURE

BAROMETRIC PRESSURE
7.1 Concept of Wet-Bulb Temperature
7.2 Concept of Barometric Pressure
REFERENCES

Page 1 of 9

AND

In this lecture let us discuss some more terminology related to psychrometry.

1.0 HUMIDITY
It is defined as the water-vapour content of the air. It is expressed in various ways.
They are explained later in this lecture. Normal atmospheric air in most of the cases
is humid. Humid air is also called moist air. The capacity of air to hold moisture
increases with temperature. But, one should not be in confusion that in summer, air
should be more humid compared to other seasons. This is because air may have
more capacity to hold water, but we require source of water as well. Also, even if
air has high water content at higher temperature, but it may not be saturated or
have higher relative humid compared to air having low water vapor content but
more relative humidity at lesser temperature. This is because relative humidity is
not only governed by temperature of air/atmosphere (dry bulb temperature) but
also wet bulb temperature. We will learn about dry bulb temperature and wet bulb
temperature later on in this lecture.
Now, let us discuss the different ways of expressing humidity.
2.0 DIFFERENT WAYS OF EXPRESSING HUMIDITY
2.1 Relative Humidity
It is defined as the ratio of vapour pressure at a temperature to the saturation
vapour pressure at that dry bulb temperature. It should be kept in mind that for
calculating relative humidity, saturation vapour pressure is taken at dry bulb
temperature and not at wet bulb temperature. Numerically it can be expressed as:

100%

.(1)

Using equation

= 0.000644 ( )
Page 2 of 9

..(2)

and

= 610.6 (

17.27

237.3+

)Pa

.(3)

described in Lecture 1, equation (1) can be written as:

0.000644 ( )
17.27

0.6106 (237.3+ )

100 %

We can see that, relative humidity is unit less. It is represented in percentage.

2.2 Specific Humidity

It is defined as the mass of water vapour present in kg per kg of dry air.
Mathematically it is expressed as follow.

= 0.622

..(4)

Where,
e = Vapour pressure or Partial pressure due to water vapour (kPa)
Pb = barometric pressure (kPa)

2.3 Absolute Humidity

It is defined as the amount of water vapor present in a unit volume of air, usually
expressed in kilograms per cubic meter. It is mathematically expressed as

Page 3 of 9

103
461.9

.(5)

Where,
m = absolute humidity (kg/m3)
T= temperature in Kelvin (K)
e = Vapour pressure or Partial pressure due to water vapour (kPa)
This is rarely used in analysis. Volume of air passing through ventilation system
keeps changing because of variation in temperature and pressure. Thus, use of
absolute humidity is discouraged.
3.0 DEW POINT
It is defined as the temperature at which air attains saturation and a further
addition of water vapour leads to dew formation because of condensation of water
vapour. It is rarely used to indicate the moisture content of the air/atmosphere.
The temperature recorded in this case is dry bulb temperature. But let me tell that
at dew point, dry bulb and wet bulb temperature are same [as per equation (2) in
Lecture 1 and Lecture 2]. What can be inferred from the above sentences are as
follow:
-

At saturation point e and esw are same.

Relative humidity of the air is 100%.

Specific humidity = 0.622esw/(Pb esw) kg/kg dry air

Dry bulb temperature and wet bulb temperature are same.

Dew point suggests that if further moisture is added to the atmosphere, it

will condense into mist/dew. This indicates that both evaporation and
condensation process are taking place at equal rate. Thus, there cannot be
any net evaporation in the system.

4.0 DEGREE OF SATURATION

It is stated as the ratio of weight of water vapour in air at given conditions to the
weight of the water vapour in air at saturation, keeping temperature constant. It is
Page 4 of 9

also called saturation ratio or percentage humidity. Mathematically, it can be

expressed as

0.622

0.622

Degree of saturation=

100% =

100%

..(6)

Where,
e = Vapour pressure or Partial pressure due to water vapour (kPa)
Pb = Barometric pressure (kPa )
esd = Saturation vapour pressure at wet bulb temperature (kPa)

We can see that e and esd are very small compared to Pb , so we can neglect them
and equation (6) becomes equal to equation (3). From this, we can take degree of
saturation approximately equal to relative humidity, but numerically they are not
similar.
Of all the humidity terminology discussed, specific humidity is most widely used.
Now, let us discuss some of the very conceptual points.
-

Water vapour is not a chemical constituent of air. It is like an impurity to air

like dust, smog, etc.

Instead of saying air is saturated, it is better to say that space is saturated.

Actually it is the space which becomes saturated, and not air. It means that
even if we evacuate a system and fill it with water vapour, the system can
hold the same amount of water vapour that air of the same volume can hold
at that temperature. But, conventionally we call it as air is saturated.

Page 5 of 9

5.0 MEASUREMENT OF WATER VAPOUR IN AIR

There are various methods of measuring water vapour in air. Table 1 lists the
various methods used with fewer details.
Table 1 Methods of measuring water vapour content in air
S. No.

Method

Apparatus
/Instruments
used

Details /Principle used

1.

Thermodynamic
method

Psychrometers

Measuring wet bulb and dry bulb

temperatures,
and
applying
various equations

2.

Using hygroscopic Hair

substances
hygrometers

Substances generally used are

organic like bones, hair etc. They
are prone to volumetric and
elasticity change when exposed to
moisture.

3.

Condensation
method

Cooling
of
air
lowers
the
temperature but not the actual
vapour pressure (AVP) of water
content in it. We know that
saturation vapour pressure(SVP) is
proportional
to
temperature.
Lowering of temperature causes
lowering of SVP, and a time comes
when at a particular temperature
SVP equals AVP.

4.

Absorption method
a. Chemical
method

a. Electrical
methods

Page 6 of 9

Dew-point
hygrometers

Electronic
psychrometers
or
humidity
meters

Some of the chemical compounds

(like calcium chloride, silica gel,
etc.) are hygroscopic in nature.
Through them a measured amount
of air is passed. These compounds
absorb water from the air. The
increase in their weight gives a
direct measure of the water vapour
content of the air.
Some of the compounds or semiconductors show change in their
resistivity
and
other
electromagnetic properties in moist

air. Based on this principle, these

instruments work.

Besides these methods, water vapour content in air can be measured using
principle of diffusion and optical properties of some substances. But these methods
are rarely used. The most commonly used is thermodynamic method.

6.0 THERMODYNAMIC METHOD OF MEASURING HUMIDITY

It is the only method used in mines. The instruments used are called hygrometers
or psychrometers. These instruments have a pair of thermometers, one of them
having its bulb covered with wet muslin cloth. The thermometer with wet bulb
muslin cloth on its bulb records wet-bulb temperature and the other one records
dry-bulb temperature. These two temperatures along with barometric pressure is
used in calculating humidity. Let us understand the three terms separately.
6.1 Dry-Bulb Temperature
It is the temperature recorded by using a conventional thermometer. The
thermometer

without

muslin

cloth

in

the

psychrometer

records

dry-bulb

temperature. It just reads the ordinary temperature of the air and is a measure of
sensible heat content of the air. Its unit is F or C or kelvin (K).
6.2 Wet-Bulb Temperature
It is recorded by thermometer having wet muslin cloth on its bulb. The temperature
recorded is in general lower than dry-bulb temperature because of cooling effect of
the evaporating water of wet muslin cloth. They are equal only when air is in
saturation and no net evaporation of water from wet muslin cloth takes place. Wetbulb temperature can never be higher than dry-bulb temperature. From the
definition point of view, it is defined as the temperature at which water vapour
evaporating into the air can bring down the air in saturation adiabatically at that
temperature. It is a measure of the evaporating capacity of the air. Its unit is F or
C or kelvin (K).
Page 7 of 9

7.0 CONCEPT OF WET-BULB TEMPERATURE AND BAROMETRIC PRESSURE

7.1 Concept of Wet-Bulb Temperature
The water molecules in the wet muslin cloth take up energy from the neighboring
molecules and evaporate into the air. The evaporating molecules leave the
thermometer surface with reduced energy. This causes depression in the
temperature near the thermometer bulb. Thus, lower temperature is recorded.
Thus, a difference between the temperature at the bulb and the atmosphere exists.
This causes flow of heat from the air through convection. Initially this flow of heat
from air to bulb with wet muslin cloth is slower than the rate of heat loss from the
bulb with wet muslin due to evaporation. But, a stage comes when the rate of heat
loss and rate of heat gained in the two opposite processes equal. At this point, no
further depression in temperature of wet-bulb is observed.

At equilibrium, the

temperature of thermometer with wet muslin cloth on its bulb is taken as wet-bulb
temperature.

7.2 Concept of Barometric Pressure

It is simply the pressure recorded by a barometer at a particular place. It is usually
expressed in kPa.

REFERENCES
Banerjee S.P. (2003); Mine Ventilation; Lovely Prakashan, Dhanbad, India.
Deshmukh, D. J. (2008); Elements of Mining Technology, Vol. II; Denett & Co.,
Nagpur, India.
Hartman, H. L., Mutmansky, J. M. & Wang, Y. J. (1982); Mine Ventilation and Air
Conditioning; John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Le Roux, W. L. (1972); Mine Ventilation Notes for Beginners; The Mine Ventilation
Society of South Africa.
Page 8 of 9

McPherson, M. J. (1993); Subsurface Ventilation and Environmental Engineering;

Chapman & Hall, London.
Misra G.B.

(1986); Mine Environment and Ventilation; Oxford University Press,

Calcutta, India.
Vutukuri, V. S. & Lama, R. D. (1986); Environmental Engineering in Mines;
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Page 9 of 9