COURSE UNIT

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL

ENGINEERING: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
LABORATORY 1

COURSE MODULE COURSE UNIT WEEK

15 15
Measurement of Humidity

CHECKLIST
 Read course and unit objectives
 Read study guide prior to class attendance
 Read required learning resources; refer to unit
terminologies for jargons
 Proactively participate in classroom discussions
 Participate in weekly discussion board (MS Teams)
 Answer and submit course unit tasks

UNIT EXPECTED OUTCOMES (UEOs)

At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:

Cognitive:
1. Use measuring instruments in the performance of laboratory exercises.
2. Analyze the significance of the quantities determined using engineering measuring devices.
3. Analyze the properties of fuels and lubricants using different methods.
4. Design an experiment involving measurement of properties.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

Affective:
1. Listen attentively during class discussions
2. Demonstrate tact and respect when challenging other people’s opinions and
ideas
3. Accept comments and reactions of classmates on one’s opinions openly and
graciously.

Psychomotor:
1. Participate actively during class discussions and group activities.
2. Express opinion and thoughts in front of the class.

STUDY GUIDE

Introduction

Air, in our normal environment, always holds humidity. The number of water molecules in the air
can vary substantially, e.g. it can be as dry as in a desert or as humid as in the tropics. There is an
upper limit for humidity which air can hold at a given temperature. Beyond this limit saturation
occurs. If for some reason the humidity level is pushed up to this limit, condensation occurs and
fog or water droplets form. Relative humidity tells you what percentage of this maximum amount of
humidity is present in the air. In contrast to relative humidity, absolute humidity denotes the
absolute amount of humidity in the air regardless of the saturation level expressed as the total
mass of water molecules per air volume. The maximum possible amount of humidity as well as the
actual present amount of humidity in the air are defined by so called water vapor pressures.
According to Dalton’s law, total air pressure is the sum of the partial vapor pressures of its
components and water vapor pressure is one of them:

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

The maximum amount of humidity, which air can hold, is defined by the so-called saturation water
vapor pressure. This is a function of temperature. See: Figure 1 Saturation water vapor pressure.

If the partial water vapor pressure is equal to the saturation water vapor pressure, condensation
occurs. Mathematically, relative humidity is expressed as the ratio of the partial water vapor
pressure divided by the saturation water vapor pressure as a percentage.

If temperature rises or falls in a closed system, the saturation vapor pressure will increase or
decrease. Therefore, the relative humidity will drop or rise. Saturation water vapor pressure is not a
function of total air pressure, but partial water vapor pressure is. If for example the total air
pressure in a closed system is increased, relative humidity will increase as well, because the
partial water vapor pressure increases proportionally to the overall pressure increase according to
Dalton’s law and saturation vapor pressure stays the same.

Definitions and units

Vapor pressure
Vapor pressure is the partial pressure of water vapor in the air, expressed in hPa.

Saturation vapor pressure

Saturation vapor pressure is the vapor pressure that is in a thermodynamic equilibrium with the
surface of water or ice, expressed in hPa.

Dewpoint temperature
Dewpoint temperature is the air temperature at which the moist air saturates respect to water at a
given pressure. The dewpoint temperature is usually equal to or lower than the actual air
temperature. The temperature at which moist air saturates with respect to ice is called the frost
point temperature. the unit of these temperatures is ℃.

Relative humidity
As shown below, relative humidity (H) is the ratio of the vapor pressure (e) of the moist air to its
saturation vapor pressure (es) at its temperature, which is expressed in %.
H = (e/es) × 100 %
H = (e/esw) × 100 %
H = (e/esi) × 100 %
where Hw and esw are the saturation vapor pressure with respect to water, and Hi and esi are the
saturation vapor pressure with respect to ice, respectively.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

Hygrometers

Psychrometer

Principle of measurement

When water or ice covers the bulb of a thermometer (wet bulb), latent heat is removed from the
surface of the bulb as the water evaporates, and the wet-bulb temperature becomes lower than the
air (dry-bulb) temperature. At a lower humidity, water evaporates more actively, so that the wet-
bulb temperature lowers sharply. The aspirated psychrometer measures humidity by measuring
the difference between the dry-bulb temperature and wet-bulb temperature.

Structure and composition

The psychrometer consists of two thermometers of the same specifications, which are suspended
side by side in the air. One of them measures the actual air (dry bulb) temperature while the other,
whose bulb is covered with a wet-bulb temperature. Psychrometers are classified into the non-
aspirated type psychrometer (portable aspirated psychrometers and sling psychrometers) and the
aspirated type psychrometers (Assuman type aspirated psychrometer and JAM type aspirated
psychrometers). Aspirated psychrometers are designed to keep the constant flow of air over
around the bulbs. The structure and composition of the Assuman type aspirated psychrometer,
which is commonly used in Japan, and described below.

Figure 3.1 shows the structure of the Assuman type aspirated psychrometer. The psychrometer
consists of two enclosed scale type mercury thermometers, which can read temperature in
increments of 0.1℃. One of them is called a dry-bulb thermometer, which measures actual air
temperature and the other is called a wet-bulb thermometer, which measures the temperature of
wet-bulb which covered with a wet sleeve. The wet sleeve is a white thin cotton cloth soaked with
water. The external and internal cylinders of a metal aspiration tube protect the bulbs from
precipitation and radiation of direct sunlight.

As shown in figure 3.1, air flow with a velocity of 2.5 m/s enters from the bottom with an
electromotive fan or a spring fan. The time constant of the psychrometer is about 40 seconds. A
squirt is used to feed water to the wet sleeve of the wet-bulb or to suck excess water from it.

Psychrometric formula and psychrometric table

When the air steadily flows around the wet-bulb, the wet-bulb temperature falls below the air
temperature by water evaporation from the surface of the wet-bulb. When the heat flow moving into
the wet bulb from the ambient air has reached equilibrium with the latent heat flow removed from
the wet-bulb by evaporation, the following equation, called the Sprung psychrometric formula, is
derived with the Assuman type aspirated psychrometer, e= ew- (A/755) p (t-
tw) ....................................(1)
Where A/755: Psychrometer constant, A is 0.50 when the wet bulb is not frozen and 0.44 when it is
frozen.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

e: Vapor pressure hPa
ew: Saturation vapor pressure, hPa
,p: Atmospheric pressure hPa
,t: Dry-bulb temperature ℃
tw: Wet-bulb temperature ℃

Vapor pressure is calculated with this equation (1). Table 3.1 and Table 3.2 show the saturation
vapor pressure for water and ice as a function of temperature. The second term on the right side of
the equation (1) is calculated a function of p and (t-tw), which is tabulated as the vapor pressure
table in Table 3.3 and Table 3.4 for the unfrozen and frozen wet-bulb.

Calculations of vapor pressure, dewpoint temperature, and relative humidity

The vapor pressure, dewpoint temperature, and relative humidity are calculated from the
measurement with the aspirated psychrometer using the tables described above.

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

 REFERENCES

1. Power Plant Testing By Moyer

2. Figliola, R.S. & Beasley, D.E., Theory & Design for Mechanical Measurements, 5th edition,
2011, J. Wiley & Sons, Inc.
3. Halman, J.P., Experimental Methods for Engineers, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
4. Doebelin, E.O., Measurement System: Application & Design, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
5. Beckwith, T.G., Marangoni, R.D. & Lienhard, J.H., Mechanical Measurements, Addison
Wesley, Inc.
6. Robert B. Northrop, Introduction to Instrumentation and Measurements, Second Edition,
Jun 28, 2005.
7. Alan S. Morris, Reza Langari, Measurement and Instrumentation Theory and Application
8. Alan S. Morris, Measurement and Instrumentation Principles, 3rd edition.
9. areeeeeethermo-140509160153-phpapp02.pdf

UNIT TASK

Aim of this experiment:

To determine the humidity of air (to measure the amount of water in air)

Instructions for use:

This wet bulb psychrometer is used to measure. The humidity of air with using the table above.
The percentage values are valid for still Temperatures are measured in 'C.

• The tubular glass tank in the middle is to be filled with -dean water. The wick attached to the
thermometer should dip into the water approx. 2 cm.

• To determine the humidity read of the temperatures at the dry and the wet thermometer shortly
after-each other and determine the difference.

• Search the values in the table and you can determine the relative humidity of the air,

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

Calculation:

Td co = 19
Tw co = 16
∆T co = 3
Relative Humidity = %

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE

Prepared by: Engr. Sandra E. Abancio, RMEE